Raskol gangs

Raskol gangs are gangs in Papua New Guinea, primarily in the larger cities (including Port Moresby and Lae). "Raskol" is a Tok Pisin (a pidgin that is a lingua franca in Papua New Guinea and, along with Motu and English, recognized as one of the three official languages of the country) word for "rascal". Raskol gangs first emerged in Port Moresby in the 1970s, largely associated with the growth of urban squatter settlements in Port Moresby that consisted of recent migrants from the rural areas of the country. Unemployment was (and remains) high in the settlements, with most employment in the informal sector, and educational opportunities very limited. Raskol gangs emerged as a mechanism through which uneducated and unemployed urban youth found a sense of self-worth by associating with others in a similar situation. Over the years raskol gang activities have evolved from opportunistic incidents of small scale theft or break and enter to more organized criminal activity including serving as middlemen in the marijuana trade both within PNG and between PNG and Australia, as well as becoming increasingly politicized as the instrument of various political powers. The growth of squatter settlements in Lae and Port Moresby has led to a corresponding increase in the number and size of rascal gangs.

[1]. Crime such as rape, murder and car jackings are common in a city that has a 60% unemployment rate.

External links

• Portraits of Violence: The Gangs of Port Moresby, a photo gallery by Stephen Dupont and Kristen Ashburn.