Village court magistrates in parts of Papua New Guinea say they have worked without pay for over 11 years, even though they continue to serve their communities. One of them is James Imas from Ragaimpun village, Umi Local Level Government (LLG) in Markham District, Morobe Province. Imas has been a village court magistrate since 2007. He said that in the beginning, they were getting K50 every three months, but since 2013, payments stopped. “For the past 11 years, we haven’t received any allowances,” Imas said. “We keep giving our bank details and spend our own money to get bank statements. But still, nothing — just empty promises.” Village magistrates help solve community problems, run local court hearings, and keep peace in the village. They also support police in serious cases, even though they are no longer getting paid. “We are still doing our job, helping the police and our communities. But it feels like we are being used without pay,” Imas said. While some magistrates in other places are getting paid now, many in Markham are still waiting. “We are tired. We only want what is owed to us,” Imas said. Village courts play a big role in PNG, especially in remote areas where there are not many police officers. Without proper support, many magistrates are now questioning how long they can keep doing this important work. Imas is calling on the government to fix the issue. “We deserve to be paid for all the work we’ve done over the years,” he said.