I wanted to talk to the two uniformed officers to tell them how unjustly we had been pulled over, harassed and threatened with a shotgun. My body was shaking with fear and excitement as I quickly related the story in pidgin. We should figure this thing out. In PNG I never felt that sense of underlying order. There is no feeling of absolute security and that comes from the lack of faith in the keepers of the peace.
People have little faith in the government, the judicial system, the police or the army.
They believe only in their own sense of justice, swift and decisive. Government officials have been known to misappropriate funds in the worst way. Police are sometimes seen as drunken thugs who blatantly abuse their authority. But never are these opinions accusatory unless someone is getting the short end of the stick. Never are people upset at police brutality unless they are being beaten.