Lost Rambos

Tribal conflict has long existed in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, but the introduction of modern automatic weapons in the 1990s escalated local disputes into deadly confrontations, threatening to permanently alter highlands culture. Bootleg copies of the American film *Rambo* circulated in remote areas, serving as an informal guide to the use of such weapons. The film's influence became so widespread that the term "Rambo" is now used in Papuan dialects to describe hired mercenaries who are paid to support local fighters in tribal conflicts. The demand for these mercenaries increased as a variety of M16s and Indonesian military weapons made their way down the Sepik River through smuggling routes laden with contraband.