PAPUA New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has condemned ‘agitators’ after an incident in which police fired on university students, reportedly killing four.

Police shot a group of protesting university students who were trying to march to Parliament in the capital Port Moresby.

The students say police fired shots directly into the crowd, causing several to be injured.

A major aid agency, which declined to be named as its report is preliminary, said it had information from the university clinic that at least 15 students were wounded, with four killed.

Student Gerald Peni told the ABC police fired shots directly into the crowd when students would not let them arrest the president of the student council.

“This protest and the factors that led to the incident today have been driven by people who are not students,” Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said, announcing an inquiry into the unrest but not the police response.

“This is now a law and order issue. We must obtain the facts and ensure this does not happen again in the future.”

DIFFEREING REPORTS OF CASUALTIES

Reports of fatalities and injuries from the incident vary.

Port Moresby General Hospital said 10 students had been admitted. “They are in a difficult situation,” the admissions officer told Reuters.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told reporters in Brisbane that the situation was “a tragedy” and that the government was still trying to determine how many casualties there were.

“We are still seeking to determine the actual outcome” she said. “We call on all sides for calm to de-escalate the tensions.”

“I know students have been shot but we are still trying to determine whether there have been deaths and how many have been injured. We will be monitoring the situation closely.”

In a written statement, Mr O’Neill said: “The facts relayed to me are that a small group of students were violent, threw rocks at police and provoked a response that came in the form of tear gas and warning shots.

“The factors that led to students being injured are yet to be ascertained.

“Following the altercation five individuals presented to Port Moresby General Hospital and all are in a stable condition.”

“Opposition Members even made claims in the National Parliament that students were killed when they knew this was false,” he said.

Police Minister Robert Atiyafa condemned the reports that four people had been killed.

“The ABC prides itself of being the only international news organisation with a permanent presence in Papua New Guinea and today they have disgraced themselves.

“Other international news organisations rely on the ABC for factual information. But we see the headline on the ABC claiming four students have been killed and seven injured - which is a total nonsense.

“The ABC should get out and report the facts, not just repeat what they read on Facebook.

“I tell the ABC to get your facts straight and stop embarrassing yourself and creating misinformation about our country.”

Mr Atiyafa also said there were reports of university buildings and some houses being set on fire, and a number of police and private vehicles had been damaged.

But he stressed that “the situation has calmed from early this morning”.

“People are going about their normal business.”

O’NEILL BLAMES POLITICAL OPPONENTS

Thousands of students at the University of Papua New Guinea in the capital of Port Moresby have been protesting and boycotting classes for weeks amid growing political unrest.

Prime Minister O’Neill appeared to blame the protest on political opponents.

“The people behind these protests have political agendas. Members of the Opposition have been engaging with students, and have been encouraging them to pursue Opposition demands in relation to DSIP funds for Opposition Members and calling on me to step aside.

“The blood of the injured students is on the hands of those members and their supporters.

“The criminal elements involved in this incident will further feel the full force of the law for their involvement in what has transpired.”

Mr O’Neill called on parents to speak to sons or daughters attending the campus, and for students to return to their classes.

“Those who were already failing their classes and were hoping to have the semester suspended will have to face the consequences of their low grades,” he said.

“To the students, I remind you that your parents, and in many cases, your districts, provinces and our Government have given you the privilege of an education. You need to respect this opportunity and complete your education so that you can contribute to society.”

The governor of Oro Province Gary Juffa, a critic of the O’Neill government, said on Twitter that he had spoken directly with students at the protest.

“Informed that several were shot,” Juffa said, adding that the incident started with an argument between a metropolitan police superintendent and a student.

PNG’s opposition made a fourth unsuccessful attempt this week to unseat O’Neill’s government via a no confidence bid, gaining some support from members of the leader’s own party