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PNG student saw two protesters die

A University of Papua New Guinea student who was taken to hospital following clashes with police has described harrowing scenes.

Students protest outside the University of PNG's Port Moresby campus
A Papua New Guinea student says he saw two students protesting beside him shot dead by PNG police. (AAP)

A Papua New Guinea student says he saw two people who had been protesting alongside him shot dead by PNG police.

University of Papua New Guinea student Levana Lenaord Vanua was taken to hospital after a bullet grazed his right arm following clashes with police on Wednesday morning in Port Moresby.

The students had planned to march from the university campus to parliament to demand Prime Minister Peter O'Neill face corruption allegations.

Mr Vanua saw a student shot in front of him.

He took a photo of another with a bullet in his stomach.

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"I can confirm two dead students," he told AAP on Wednesday from Port Moresby.

"We were running together from the gunshots. If he was not there I should have got the bullet."

No warning was given before the shots were fired, he said.

"They just said, `Turn back, turn back, go back, go back on campus'.

"They started with tear gases and stuff, and one of our cameramen, a journalism student, got shot."

Mr Vanua said the students were trying to peacefully protest.

"We did not use any guns or bombs or something like that.

"We were trying to walk and then in front of our gate coming up to the main road, police started shooting at us."


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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