Our Failures and Hopes

Terry Bunpai

The Political Horse Trading leading up to the PNG Governor General race has begun, the interest has spun a wide range of candidates and just as you can imagine, it has a lot of hype and aurora. We are observing closely on the issues surrounding the elections, we think this is a major event leading up to the General Elections in 2012. Governor Generals in the Commonwealth are the Heads of State, back in the years leading up to Independence from Australia, we took the stand to be part of the British Monarchy, while we do not have a history of segregation like that of India and other states, we had it coming very easily for us. When you try to compare how our country came out of the shadow in the periods when the United Nations was giving out a time-line for countries with territories like that of Australia, France, USA, and Britain to give Independence to states under their protectorate, we would assume we were lucky. Indeed we were lucky because we were still living in our primitive Melanesian way when we were shown the way forward. We never had to fight Australia to get Independence, we took it all on a Golden Plate. We did not toil or spill our blood to claim Independence, now there is a different feel to that kind of freedom and that of countries in Asia or Africa. We consider ourselves a third world nation and while many commentator and people writing on the national dailies say we need to compare ourselves with Singapore, I say wait a minute and look closely here. Singapore has a rich history dating back to the 11th Century, where in the hell was PNG in the 11th Century, Singapore’s modern history starts around the 1819 and was vastly developed by the British as a trade port. Singapore had these years to develop leading up to self government in 1965. Comparing Singapore to Papua New Guinea is just not right.

Where did we go wrong? Leading up to Self Government, we were never too sure about Independence, a majority of Papua New Guineans still question the reason to have independence quickly, We could blame Australia, but Australia also saw the dangers in governing a country (Papua New Guinea) that has over 800 different cultures and barriers, it would be a pain in the interim but they looked to the long future,(50 years from 1975) and forecasted the disasters and failures we as a country will become. Long term they wanted us to see them as our friends and the very people we go to when we are down and dry, they gave us independence so they can looked at all our prime natural resources, we think its alright but wait a second, we were used and abused, that’s right! ripped and raped for 30 years since we became independent. 30 years of Panguna produced what? A rebellion, a unwanted war, dead innocent citizens, destruction of property, influx of unwanted guns in Papua New Guinea and a national debt that looks to rip into hard working Papua New Guinea, What did BHP and OK Tedi produced for PNG, peanuts, lollies and candy, Pogera and Lihir the same, why are we becoming so cheap as a country when we can do better, the LNG deal is another pony deal that will destroy this nation. Dr. Alan Marat was right when he said we were given a raw deal, we have been given raw deals all over our resources since independence, we are not considerate about our environment, I am happy to say some people have woken up from the slumber, People in Madang are now telling the Government that the DSTP process is wrong. Why can’t we stop, think and ascertain things properly, look to the impacts and ignore the current monetary delights and make a decision based on what the future outcomes will be instead of rushing through the check points and making rushed decisions.

People all over the world, I am talking about the modern countries now, they have studied us, they look at the kind of people we are, our desires and our weakness and our strengths and when they got into our psyche, they can play us to their tune. I am now talking about the Ministers of the PNG Parliament, when you decided to put pen to paper, did you have a lengthy debate about the future impacts of the LNG Project. Were the beneficiaries properly assessed before you gave the green light? Will you take up arms against your own people if there is a rebellion? Did you compare Bougainville and its impacts? I have a lot of questions about this but I’ll leave it at that. I think we really need to assess who we really are, we are caring country, we always put people’s lives first, that’s why we always demand a hefty compensation when lives are lost, Our lives are shaped by your decisions, MPs, Ministers and PM, please think about this country, we are nothing compared to industrialised nations, they know who we are by name, we are just a dust, we gather what is left of what is ours by right to build this nation and that is not right. Think about the people, think about your children and your children’s children, will they respect you for allowing cheap companies to come in to this country rape all our resources and become number 1 in the world in rankings like that of Placer Niugini, BHP, RIO Tinto and RH? A average Papua New Guinean male lifespan is 60, if you are lucky you can go beyond 60, with all our Natural resources gone, will that number change? Organised crime, crime planned and engineered by the ruling elites are scaring the average normal hard-working Papua New Guinean. Rich Lawyers colliding with the civil servants who swore an oath of allegiances to uphold the law and constitution and now compromising the very position they swore to uphold. All facets of our society are on the brink of collapse, we have no motivation, the drive and stamina to have a coherent approach to development is lacking, money is now the masters of our ruling leaders.

We are headed towards a society on a brink of collapse. All roads are pointing to the makings of a Failed State, when there is no control in government and the House to upload the dignity and integrity of the Speaker’s Chair we have the ingredients of Communism. We don’t have a Speaker who is fair, I don’t know if there is a Speaker in the Commonwealth who goes to conduct Parliament with a mouth full of Buai, So what say ye? What can you do to reverse all the rot and garbage going on in this country, Do we need to have a Presidential System of government? A leader voted by the people and not by the leaders. If these leaders screws around they can be removed, I’m sorry for people who want to have a Military Coupe. It will never happen. The only way is to elect leader who will change the constitution, otherwise get the GG to suspend Parliament get some brains to rewrite the constitution, the Westminster system was designed for people who live in England, em bilong ol white skin ya, not for people like us. Papua New Guineans are smart and can use the laws to hide behind their guilt and shame and that’s exactly what’s happening now to the thieves who pose as Ministers and MPs in the current government.