Police in East New Britain (ENB) arrested 51 students of the Papua New Guinean University of Natural Resource and Environment (UNRE) in an early morning raid on Thursday on campus.
ENB police commander Chief Insp Januarius Vosivai said two were being treated as the main suspects.
Police conducted the raid at the university’s Vudal campus to arrest the two main suspects who police believed took the lead in the burning of six vehicles.
Vosivai said the other 49 were responsible for damaging university properties.
They are detained at the Kokopo police station.
Police will investigate the 49 and charge them accordingly but the two main suspects are confirmed for arson charges.
Police will charge those students involved in the protest march last week for unlawful assembly.
Vosivai
Vosivai warned students to respect school property and focus on their studies because their grievances had been looked into by the authorities.
UNRE Student Representative Council (SRC) president Israel Yafai said they did not authorise students to burn down the vehicles.
We were having a meeting and during the meeting out of frustrations, students burnt the vehicles.
Israel Yafai, UNRE SRC President