The Student Representative Council (SRC) of the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) is expected to present a petition to the government on issues affecting the country on Friday 30th August. The SRC, upon consultation with the University Administration, came to this resolution of submitting the petition to the government. The submission of the petition was initially planned for Tuesday 27th of August, however with due respect to Prime Minister (PM) James Marape attending the Pacific Islands Forum in the Kingdom of Tonga, it was postponed to this Friday. The University Administration has also been tasked to facilitate communication with the PM’s Office and other Ministries mentioned in the petition who will be asked to come together with the Prime Minister. The SRC stated that issues affecting the country are a concern of every citizen and the students have equal right to petition the government to hear their voices. “We represent the bulk of the population who cannot speak for themselves and we as an independent body are calling out to the government to address the issues.” “We stand to raise our voices for the good of this country and our future.” The University Administration has given the approval for this event and will ensure all crowd control strategies are engaged. Given the SRCs stance on the issues and the need to safeguard student interest, the administration has also been asked to convey correspondence and confirm attendance between the Office of the Prime Minister and other parties that the petition addresses. “The safety of the student body and the continuation of the academic year is our priority and we the SRC will give our best effort to see to this.” “We are committed to addressing student issues as peacefully and as effectively as possible.” “We cannot continue to burn this country down and we ask all students to cooperate with the approach we are taking to address national issues without violence.” “We urge all the student body of UPNG and other Institutions to cooperate with us.” “Let us all work together peacefully and uphold our nation in good spirits in these trying times of uncertainty.”