University employee taken hostage in remote Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape confirmed an Australian national is one of four people who have been taken hostage in a remote part of the country. It’s understood they are an employee of a Queensland university.

A professor who works for a regional Queensland university is one of four people who have been taken hostage in the remote parts of Papua New Guinea.

In a media conference on Monday, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said the Australian national and three Papua New Guinean colleagues had been taken hostage in the middle of the Southern Highlands of the Pacific Island nation.

Mr Marape revealed the PNG government kept the hostage situation under wraps for 18 hours before informing the media, due to the “sensitivity” of the incident.

“At the moment we have been keeping this under close wraps because of the sensitivity, the need for us to get our friends who were captured and get them alive and safe,” he said.

“We are treating this very, very diligently and carefully because lives are at risk and life is at stake.”

Mr Marape said contact had been made with those involved in the hostage situation through “secondary sources”.

The armed man are currently holding the hostages near Fogoma’iu Village.

In a statement, Police Commissioner David Manning said it was understood the criminals sighted the men being held by chance and took them into the bush.

“These are opportunists that have obviously not thought this situation through before they acted, and have been asking for cash to be paid,” he said.

“However, we are offering the abductors a way out. They can release their captives and they will be treated fairly through the criminal justice system, but failure to comply and resisting arrest could cost these criminals their lives.”

Mr Marape said rolling conversations were ongoing to “ensure life was protected”.