NEW GUINEA HORRORS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1943, Page 8

NEW GUINEA HORRORS

NATIVES KILL WHITES

(N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, May 16

Seven renegade New Guinea natves have been hanged, five await hanging, and many others awa t trials for a series of atrocities against 16 white men and lour'white women.

The crimes charged against these natives, who were abetted by the Japanese, include betrayal, rape, murder,

and treason. Ail the victims of the atrocities, which occurred between July and September last year, were bayoneted or clubbed to death, or beheaded.. The murdered whites were four Anglican mission nurses, four Anglican missionaries, six United States airmen, five Australian Army personnel, and a plantation owner. The malefactors, who were captured near Buna, were led by Embogi, a 25-year-old native, who had already spent 10 years in prison. Because his tribesmen have since “pointed the bone" at him, it is thought he might pine away before he can be executed.

Thirteen white people fleeing from the Gona mission area in northern Papua folowing the Japanese landings there were betrayed to the enemy by two native boys. The party was ambushed and all but two women were killed. The natives beat some of the men to death with clubs. The women, both Anglican mission nurses, were bayoneted and stabbed to death by the Japanese after they had resisted attempts at rape.

Two more mission sisters were among a party attempting to escape from the enem-y at Oro Bay. They were captured by the natives as they were crossing the Ambogo River, were stripped naked and driven across the river like cattle, being then, handed over to the Japanese, who took them to Buna. It is fairly certain that all were beheaded and their bodies thrown into the .sea. The 25 natives concerned in the crime are still awaiting trial. Officials emphasise the fact that the renegades have been but a tiny minority among the New Guinea natives.