Wild customs: the everyday life of the youth of the gangs of Papua New Guinea

The outskirts of Port Moresby, the capital of New Guinea, is one of the worst cesspools in the world. The last 12 years, the city consistently ranks 137th out of 140 places in the ranking of the capitals in terms of life. One of the main reasons for these low ratings is the rampant local crime. Especially large role is played by youth gangs in the urban Papuans — rescale. They patrol their areas with self-made weapons, participate in witch hunts and tribal wars these Papuans from the jungle — sounds like everyday life raiders of the game.

(10 photos)

Source: disgustingmen.com

Many argue that Port Moresby is the worst city on earth, and they are ruled by youth gangs. This is an obvious exaggeration. There are worse places, like Dhaka in Bangladesh or Kabul in Afghanistan. However, rescale, the young bandits had settled in the cities of the Papuans, really right out of some areas to a much greater degree than the police or officials.

The slums of Port Moresby (and not the worst area of the city).

First, to the middle age still survive a few, so other gangs in addition to youth, particularly no. Second, local residents in its support rascalov because they often see them as Robin hoods who Rob the rich and "punish" a corrupt government. In fact, these criminals often steal from the rich, and the inhabitants of neighboring districts and have fun, usually do not hand money to the poor, and the rape and theft from warehouses with humanitarian aid, which sends to Australia.

However, for the inhabitants of the city bottom there is not much difference: raskoly largely perform the same role, that of the slums of Japan once served the Yakuza. They are establishing on the ground some semblance of order and hierarchy that calm people down and create the illusion of a working system. In the end, if there are no police here, all your neighbours from morning till night lying drunk, and the old gods are dead, then ask for help more and not to anyone.

Must have balls of steel to go in this area, as a white person, come to the leader of the local bandits, and asked to do a photo shoot with the gun in his hand. Stephen DuPont is an Australian photographer who did it. And the whole story of his adventures in the slums went even more insane and unexpected.

Stephen DuPont.

In 2004 he and his colleague photographer arrived in Port Moresby in the hope of a hot material. The opportunity has presented itself immediately: both Australians were invited to accompany her to a "business walk" a lady Khudi, a local official in charge of southern districts of the city.

It turned out that these days there broke out a tribal war between the highlanders-Papuan tribe of Taree and Polynesian farmers of the motu people. A drunken Highlander were beaten to death with a spear woman-motu. Her relatives staged pogroms in the city, destroying homes and shops in Taree, and were preparing to start the massacre, going to the mountains. Lady Kudi obviously had serious power in his fiefdom, so she was able to convene the Council of chiefs of the urban area of Kauguri. Leaders and local bigwigs, was able to negotiate and prevent a real massacre.

Among the local nobility was a Alan Omar, the leader of the gang rascalov called "Kips of Kaboni", that is "the Devils in the scars" (which we somehow always translated as "Red devils"). He and his brother defended the highlanders from massacres throughout the conflict, which aroused genuine respect and interest DuPont. Himself Alan also praised the courage of the photographer — to come to his district white, and even during tribal wars, was so bold and foolish that the head of the gang accepted them as the best guests. He took Steven into his headquarters and allowed to take pictures of its fighters with weapons in their hands.

After that Alan Omar and Stephen pretty well communicated. Yet "Kips of Kaboni", unlike many local bands, caused at least some sympathy. "Rescale" is warped local pidgin English word for rascals, that is, "crook", "hooligans". Thus, rashly, in free interpretation, is a kind of common parlance like "Gurbanov or polyanov".

Gang "Devils scarred" meet the original meaning of the word and trades mostly with racketeering, small things and stealing cars. In other words, on the background of their colleagues, they look almost as local intellectuals. Among rascalov there are much more disgusting and unscrupulous gang, like Dirty Dones 585, which specializiruetsya in the kidnappings, rapes and robberies of women.

Raskoly of Dirty Dones 585.

Now DuPont has established with the leader of "Kips of Kaboni" some semblance of friendship and cooperation. He periodically comes to the area of Kauguri and even helps the local municipality and the local rashly, in turn, protect it from encroachment of other gangs and help with filming. Stephen is sponsoring a local Rugby team "the Bulldogs of Kauguri" and a documentary about Rugby League in Port Moresby. Since 2004, the level of crime in the area, and the capital of Papua New Guinea dropped slightly, so this story may be more or less happy sequel.

In addition to Stephen DuPont, the criminal life of New Guinea, failed to disclose a Russian journalist Vlad Sohina, who created a series of Crying Meri, dedicated to witch-hunts and violence (especially against women) in the slums of modern New Guinea. But it is necessary to warn against this cycle the story of DuPont looks like a pleasant outing. It all starts with an innocent photo of the same rascalov, but gradually increases until hell cannibals, after which you risk for a long time to get under the most unpleasant experience.