SYDNEY, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Papua New Guinea (PNG) placed a moratorium on new firearms licences Thursday, following the apparent murder of two police officers less than a week ago in the troubled Southern Highlands region of the country.
Police minister Jelta Wong confirmed in a statement obtained by Xinhua that "the ban will remain in effect for an indefinite period."
"The government is taking this measure because of the increasing number of gun-related violence and killings reported in certain parts of the country in recent times," he said.
"These include the shooting deaths of four policemen - two in Enga at the height of the recently concluded 2017 national general elections and two in Southern Highlands Province within the past few days."
The shocking incident in Hela Province on the weekend is among a spate of violent attacks that have occurred in the wake of the election in July.
Wong said these crimes will be viewed as a "direct attack on the sovereignty of the nation" and will not taken lightly by authorities."
"In my capacity as Police Minister, I will ensure that appropriate and relevant legislation is drafted and introduced to parliament, to protect our service men and women in the course of their duty, as a matter of priority," he added.
The gun control measure comes after a widescale amnesty campaign in January 2017, which saw troops sent to Hela Province to take back weapons after a similar rise in violent crime.
