Papua New Guinea: Human Rights

Papua New Guinea is a constitutional, federal, multi-party, parliamentary democracy. Parliamentary elections took place in June 2012 and local government elections occurred in July 2013. In some parts of the country local electoral contests were subject to widespread violence, fraud, bribery, voter intimidation, and undue influence. Authorities at times failed to maintain effective control over the security forces. Security forces committed human rights abuses. The principal human rights concerns were severe police abuse of detainees and police and military abuse of citizens; violence and discrimination against women; and vigilante killings and abuses, some related to alleged involvement in sorcery and witchcraft. Other human rights problems included poor prison conditions; lengthy pretrial detention; infringement of citizens? privacy rights, particularly in highland areas; government corruption; abuse and sexual exploitation of children; trafficking in persons; discrimination against persons with disabilities; intertribal violence; and ineffective enforcement of labor laws. Despite minor reforms to the justice system, the government frequently failed to prosecute or punish officials who committed abuses, whether in the security services or elsewhere in the government. Impunity was pervasive.