Papua New Guinea is seeing escalating violence and political instability following a police strike over a payroll issue that has seen a good chunk of their salaries unpaid. With no cops on the beat on Wednesday, uncontrolled riots led to 16 deaths, looting and significant damage to businesses in Port Moresby and PNG’s second-largest city Lae. National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop says the unrest is at an “unprecedented level“. PM James Marape is under pressure to resign over the dispute with police, but he is standing firm and urged locals not to take to the streets and “do anything and everything they feel”. Marape doesn’t have long to sort it out… A grace period preventing a vote of no confidence in his leadership will expire next month.