PNG: PNG urged to abandon death penalty
Updated
A UN General Assembly panel today passed a resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty with the ultimate goal of abolishing the practice. Papua New Guinea is one country that still has the death penalty, although no one has been executed for fifty years. But it can expect to come under pressure from those lobbying for the practice to done away with.
STEVE MARSHALL: The year was 1957 and a young Papua New Guinean man walked into a local hospital carrying a baby and a blood-stained axe. He told an orderly, "I have killed both my wives."
His name was simply Aro, and he was found guilty of wilful murder. Australian Government documents show Aro was sentenced to death and was hanged 50 years ago this week.
Aro takes his place in history as the last person to be executed in PNG and not another man, who was hanged three years earlier, as previously documented.
GRAHAM HARDY: It was quite a chilling experience to hear the sentence pronounced. I'd never heard it before and I hope I never hear it again.
STEVE MARSHALL: Queenslander Graham Hardy was working as a patrol officer at the time and was assigned to defend Aro.
GRAHAM HARDY: My last memory of Aro was seeing him get on the aircraft in Mt Hagen to be flown out to Lae and it's a memory that's stayed with me ever since.
STEVE MARSHALL: Papua New Guinea's death penalty was abolished under Australian administration in 1970, and then reintroduced 21 years later, in response to a worsening law and order situation.
Several people have been sentenced to death for wilful murder, but no executions have been carried out.
PNG Justice Minister, Dr Allan Marat, says simply having the death penalty available is a deterrent.
ALLAN MARAT: I think at the moment, the preference is to just keep it there, in case of worst case does arise.
STEVE MARSHALL: Dr Marat's view differs to that of the man closely associated with PNG's last execution, Graham Hardy.
GRAHAM HARDY: Having been involved in his case, I'm greatly opposed to the death sentence in any form or for any reason, because I think it's just a brutal business and premeditated cold-blooded murder by the state is just as bad as the original murder in my view.
STEVE MARSHALL: 130 of 192 United Nations member states have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. Amnesty International's Haider Kikeba (phonetic) says the organisation will be using the UN General Assembly to apply pressure to PNG.
HAIDER KIKEBA: We would be very pleased if the new Papua New Guinean Government can vote either in favour or at least abstain over this vote.
STEVE MARSHALL: Justice Minister Marat says PNG is not yet mature enough to abolish the death penalty.
ALLAN MARAT: I believe in say ten years, 20 years time, the need for death penalty probably reduced considerably. So much so that maybe 30 years time they'll repeal the death penalty again.
Presenter: Steve Marshall
Speakers: PNG Justice Minister Dr Alan Marat; Graham Hardy, ex-PNG patrol officer; Haider Kikeba of Amnesty International
