A disturbing story from Papua New Guinea

Woman suspected of witchcraft burned alive near Mt. Hagen

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/01/0...raft/index.html

The highlands are frequently the sites of many feuds besides Sanguma killings. Payback intervillage fights occasionally breakout. While I was there, there were beheadings of women and children in retaliation for some death. We were hiking past the perpertrators. They then settled it with a few pigs and horses.

I think there was another famous case in near Goroka where 4 women were killed for admitting (under torture of stabbing!) to be Sangumas. I think Amnesty International's survey stated that men and women are targetted, but women stats outnumber men 6 to 1 in violence related incidents. There was a theory that it was contact with foreigners and development of roads and communications that led to the spread of such killings.

It is feared the HIV will cause even more killings since many will die of "unexplained" causes, so someone will get blamed for sorcery and be killed. History of human development unfolding right in front of our eyes so to speak.