Editing History of Papua New Guinea (section)

===2000s to present===

Also in 2009, Papua New Guinea asked various southeast Asian nations for their support for [[Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations|Papua New Guinea's full membership bid]] in the [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations|ASEAN]]. [[Indonesia]] supported the bid after Papua New Guinea supported Indonesia's hold on [[West Papua (region)|its Papua]] region. However, Christian-majority [[Philippines]] and Buddhist-majority [[Thailand]], [[Vietnam]], and [[Cambodia]] have expressed displeasure over Papua New Guinea's anti-LGBT laws, stating that equality-friendly [[Timor-Leste]] would most likely be a more feasible ASEAN member state in the future.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

From February to March 2018, a [[2018 Papua New Guinea earthquake|chain of earthquakes hit Papua New Guinea]], causing various damages. Various nations from [[Oceania]], including [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]], immediately sent aid to the country.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Ainge Roy |first1=Eleanor |title=Papua New Guinea earthquake: UN pulls out aid workers from violence-hit region |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/05/papua-new-guinea-earthquake-un-pulls-out-aid-workers-from-violence-hit-region |access-date=14 November 2018 |work=The Guardian |date=5 April 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= Ainge Roy |first1=Eleanor |title=Papua New Guinea earthquake: anger grows among 'forgotten victims' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/08/papua-new-guinea-earthquake-anger-grows-among-forgotten-victims |access-date=14 November 2018 |work=The Guardian |date=8 March 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

In May 2019, [[James Marape]] was appointed as the new prime minister, after a tumultuous few months in the country's political life. Marape was a key minister in his  predecessor [[Peter O'Neill|Peter O’Neill]]’s government, and his defection from the government to the opposition camp had finally led to O’Neill's resignation from office.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/30/papua-new-guinea-james-marape-next-prime-minister|title = Papua New Guinea MPS elect James Marape to be next prime minister|website = [[TheGuardian.com]]|date = 30 May 2019}}</ref> In July 2022, Prime Minister James Marape's [[Pangu Pati|PANGU]] Party secured the most seats of any party in the [[2022 Papua New Guinean general election|election]], meaning James Marape was elected to continue as PNG's Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite news |title=James Marape returned as PNG's prime minister after tense election |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-09/papua-new-guinea-election-results-james-marape-to-govern/101311978 |work=ABC News |date=9 August 2022 |language=en-AU}}</ref>

On 10 January 2024 a [[riot]] broke out in Port Moresby where shops and cars were torched and supermarkets looted.<ref name="al1">{{cite news |last1=Mao |first1=Frances |last2=Kelly |first2=Ng |date=11 January 2024 |title=Papua New Guinea: At least 15 dead after major rioting and looting |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67942289 |work=BBC |access-date=12 January 2024}}</ref> Riots also occurred in the city of [[Lae]]. 22 lives were lost in the riots.<ref name="psd">{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Jack |date=15 January 2024 |title=PNG soldiers deployed after payroll error sparks deadly riots |url=https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/geopolitics-and-policy/13427-png-soldiers-deployed-after-payroll-error-sparks-deadly-riots |work=Defence Connect |access-date=15 January 2024}}</ref> They arose after police and members of the public sector protested over pay.  The prime minister, James Marape, declared a 14-day state of emergency.<ref name="al1"/>