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More than 5,000 of a slightly shortened version, the L1A1 F1, were shipped directly from Lithgow to the PNG Defence Force from 1971 to 1974.īy October 2004, only 979 serviceable SLRs remained in those defence armouries.Įven though it is a very popular firearm, there are comparatively fewer carried in this video than the M16s. The Australian government small arms factory at Lithgow in New South Wales manufactured 222,774 SLRs under licence from 1959 to 1986, according to Alpers's report. The hire men (or mercenaries) I met told me they prefer the Australian SLR because it's much better at long range, more accurate and the bullet is larger and heavier." "The 'Lithgow SLR' is one of the most popular assault rifles in the Highlands, and one of the firearms most frequently diverted from state stockpiles," Alpers said. These guns were manufactured for the Papua New Guinea Defence Force by Australia in the 1970s. Here you can see what's most likely that firearm, alongside the M16s. One of the main firearms that was imported into PNG to support its growing defence force, was an iconic Australian-made weapon. Police sources have told the ABC that most of the ammunition used by the tribes is being purchased or leaked from supplies legally imported for security forces. "The dynamics of ammunition supply in the highlands seems to have changed and that has lifted a lid on the potential for more lethal violence." "The ammunition is much more available now by the sound of it," he said. Nearly 20 years later, looking at several videos of the Ambulin tribe, Alpers said there were some notable changes, including a willingness to waste ammunition by firing weapons into the sky, a resource that was once scarce in the highlands. The report was published in 2005 and at the time noted "soldiers and police provided the most destructive firearms used in crime and conflict in PNG".Īlpers said the majority of these weapons were obtained through "leaks" from state-owned stocks. In it are details of a 2004 national audit that found less than half of the 2,300 M16s delivered to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) in the 1980s and 1990s remained in state armouries. ( Supplied)Ī leading gun control advocate, Philip Alpers authored the report Gun-running in Papua New Guinea. Videos posted by tribal groups in the month leading up to the massacre show the assault rifles at their disposal, as they warned neighbouring tribes to surrender.Įxperts have analysed the videos, identifying features that indicate several of the most visible weapons are most likely American and Australian made.įirearms that appear to be M16s or AR15s can be seen in these still frames taken from a video posted by tribesmen in the PNG highlands. These are the weapons that have made this violence possible. In the wake of what's possibly PNG's worst massacre since the Bougainville conflict, attention has turned to the stacks of illegal firearms and ammunition in the country's highlands.
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It was a shocking loss of life, but an event regional leaders have long warned could happen. The death toll from a massacre two weeks ago now sits at 69 people, most from the same tribe who were gunned down in an ambush. Over the years, this sacred practice has morphed into outright warfare between men wielding powerful firearms. The next day, if they met at the market or while hunting, they would leave each other alone, respecting ancient rules of engagement. Decades ago on battlefields in Papua New Guinea's highlands, men warred with bows, arrows and bush knives with minimal casualties.