University of Papua New Guinea abandons academic year after student unrest.

By Papua New Guinea correspondent 

Posted earlier today at 8:38am

The administrators of Papua New Guinea's biggest university say mob violence and student unrest has forced them to abandon the academic year.

• UPNG ends academic year, citing "mob rule" and "intimidation" on campus
• Students had staged anti-corruption protests and class boycotts since early May
• Majority of university's 5,000 students have already left campus

The University of Papua New Guinea's (UPNG) council has decided to terminate all teaching activities for the remainder of the year, after a student boycott of classes led to violence.

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"The rule of law has been replaced by mob rule, 

The student boycott was in protest of PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill's handling of corruption allegations.

Eight students were wounded on June 8 when police shot into a group that was trying to march to Parliament.

Two weeks later, students burned cars and then a university building, although it is not clear whether those events were related to the student protest.

There has also been violence at PNG's two other state Universities, the University of Technology in Lae — where a student was killed — and the University of Goroka.

The University of Papua New Guinea is the country's largest and will next year have to accommodate new first-year students and those repeating this year.

The University Council also announced it was suspending the constitution of the Student Representative Council (SRC), which organised the boycott.

"If the constitution is suspended, the organisation that derives its power from it, the thing doesn't exist, that's all," he said.Chancellor Mann said that meant the SRC would cease to have any legal standing for the remainder of the year.

"Illegal activities led by the SRC since the second of May 2016 has created a threatening environment leading to the traumatisation of students and staff."

The majority of UPNG's 5,000 students have already left the campus, but those remaining are expected to go back to their home provinces in the next few days.

Many said they were upset by the decision, even though they expected it.

Political science student Christopher Yowat said he was unhappy with the university administration's handling of the boycott, but understood why they abandoned the academic year.

"The administration hasn't been contributing enough to solve this issue so personally I feel very affected," he said.

"This current situation has also not been very safe for students to be in campus and to continue studying too."