30 illegal guns surrendered in Hela
Thirty high-powered illegal firearms have been surrendered in Hela Province and publicly displayed in Tari during PNG's 51st Independence anniversary celebrations.
The weapons were surrendered by 30 men as part of the voluntary firearms surrender programme.
The event was attended by Prime Minister James Marape, Komo Hulia MP Daniel Tindipu, Koroba-Lake Kopiago MP William Bando, and various invited dignitaries.
Speaking at the gathering, Hela Governor Philip Undialu said PNGDF and police intelligence estimates roughly 500 factory-made illegal firearms remain in circulation across the province.
Governor Undialu commended Prime Minister Marape and Police Minister Sir John Pundari for initiating and extending the national gun surrender amnesty through December, crediting the extension for building momentum among local tribesmen to step forward.
With the amnesty window closing in December, he is urging firearm owners to surrender their weapons before law enforcement operations intensify.
The Governor issued a direct call to ward councilors, Local-Level Government (LLG) presidents, church pastors, and village elders to identify and report remaining firearm owners.
"Miracles will not happen on their own," Governor Undialu stated. "We have felt the deep pain of tribal fights that have destroyed our communities—forcing innocent mothers, children, and the elderly to seek refuge on foreign land. We must put an end to this."
He emphasized that rhetoric must match reality.
"Many times in our speeches, we say 'Hela will never be the same again.' Hela will truly never be the same again once we remove all 500 guns and enforce a total provincial ban on alcohol," he said.
Governor Undialu announced a mandatory assembly for all ward councilors across Hela Province at the Hulukumaiya Haus on December 7.
"Ward councilors who fail to attend will be viewed as actively opposing peace efforts and will face consequences," he stated.
To enforce accountability at the leadership level, Governor Undialu pledged to take a sworn oath on the Bible declaring he does not own a firearm, mirroring pledges made by other MPs.
"All 400 public servants in Hela Province will be required to take the same public oath," he said.