ABSTRACT
The pacification of the Fore, Auyana, Tairora and other groups in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea was a relatively non-violent affair. It was accomplished by Australian colonial police officers with a limited number of native police troops. Systematic and impartial punishment of warring groups, together with selective rewards in the form of desired trade goods given out to peaceful groups to establish goodwill, led to a rather rapid pacification within 5–10 years at the beginning of the 1950s. In addition, indigenous village moots under the guidance of co-opted indigenous leaders and informal courts chaired by police officers were effective in settling conflicts between local groups peacefully.
