Our State of National Security: Blinded and Deaf

By GOVERNOR GARY JUFFA MP

Recently I have been writing serious stuff by my own declaration anyway. Somewhat dreary and inciting spats of anger from various sectors of those who bother to read my writings and comment or give some thought (perhaps I kid myself). I decided to look at something we all in PNG have an idea about. National Security. Many are no doubt quizzical but read on, you will no doubt agree that you know more then you had initially believed.

Papua New Guinea is a blind nation in so far as national security is concerned. In fact, it is also severely handicapped. Also malnourished and add to that disinterested. State secrets are openly discussed at every ones usual betelnut stall by anyone and everyone who can speak one of the three main languages or 800 plus languages of Papua New Guinea with anyone who will listen.

NEC decisions are also openly discussed along with rumor and rhetoric at the very same stalls where people chew copious amounts of betelnut and compete to spit the most and furthest with accuracy at a unfortunate passing dog. Here you will find lawyers, accountants, public servants, small tycoons, land owners (LO’s), principal landowners (PLO’s), taxi operators and often also dusty girls from the back of Boroko Post Office (planti yupela save wokim bukim lo ol, noken haitim).

The National Government Council (NEC) is the cabinet of Papua New Guineans ruling government and they determine what policies are developed, where funds go, who does what and how much is allocated for that purpose. It is supposed to be the engine room of government business but ridiculous submissions are passed more often then not and outrageously large amounts of money are awarded to clever and cunning confidence men who seemingly exist as part of the furniture forever found along the corridors of Papua New Guineas filthy, dusty, mildew ridden rumored – to – be - haunted parliament, what is possibly the largest giant betelnut stall in PNG, thanks to our current Speaker, a situation he is keen on changing and is actually making an effort to.

In fact, it has been known that many NEC decisions are delivered in these location but first they are conceived by some conniving character who usually attach themselves like leaches from the Kokoda trail to whoever enters parliament with advise galore about how to spend public money (“Leader, I am Mr. Saveman from Moneytalks Ltd and I am a consultant with many years of hexperience. Do not waste your time, Planning is the place Minister, for very small fee, I know exactly how to put a submission and who to see! No worries bro, just remember some coins for our boys only!”

These brilliant ideas which usually have nothing to do with delivery of actual services or goods and if they did, they would be semi executed are concocted by these very same characters with their minions at some betelnut market stall, or black market outlet or settlement location, under some sleazy public servants house, or in the various Chinese restaurants that seem to pop up everywhere in Port Moresby. Never employed by any particular company, these characters seem to always have access to funds. Whoever Member or Minister comes along, these characters remain and survive.

Hordes of these confidence men, which range from modern day court jesters to downright thugs also known as “Consultants” or “Raitman” or “Boy blo group” wander the Waigani corridor walkers, clutching their manila folders and briefcases containing all manner of project submissions, usually very articulately put together – “Rural electrification? Mi gat proposal stap! O yu laikim wara supply? Perhaps Member wants a small plane or liklik boat lo karim ol passenger? I have some frens from Malaysia, they expert in getting anythings you want, now yet, now yet!” – yes, these colorful characters congregate and concoct their schemes and scams and call them “projects” and investment opportunities” and other such names that fascinate the clientele of the betelnut frequenting crowd. They become ever more brilliant with every drop of luke warm SP, the local beer (which every one visitors and locals alike is the best beer in the whole wide world) and which we all claim to give up but never do, these outrageous propositions of ridiculous proportions and corrupt figures are cleverly sewn up and prepared as bait for some unwitting Member of Parliament. Once caught, off they go, hapless and helpless, blind being led by the not so blind off to a event which will have him sensing and smelling some benefit but actually seeing a pittance of the actual proceeds – the succeeding conman grabbing the dazed member with his warm greasy paw on a journey atop cloud 9, he leads him on a whirlwind tour of the local pokies and drinking haunts of Port Moresby seeing female creatures that one never sees in the light of day and exposed to all manner of delectable night time activities one only watched on smuggled movies. “Yu laik young wan or mama? Soft hair or jest acting ones?”…eventually as the “project moves into reality…“ No worries lida, we will be in Manilla, you will laik it, they have best place to disco, play casino, you can marry a young small girl with soft hair and nice smell and live like tycoon, jest follow me, I am your full sapota!” - Some of the clever ones managed to buy a property or start a business in Cairns or Singapore or Philipines and increasingly Fiji. Some are still hoping to, flitting around PNG in private jet planes of recently made citizens. Suddenly member has a new wife and is busy attending to his new family, irritated at having to take time out from his latest babysitter or latest joint venture silent partnership to worry until 5 years have swiftly come and he finds himself perched on some grandstand regurgitating last elections speeches.

Along with such proposals of development that never manifests itself in reality although funds are drawn from the Public Treasury, State secrets are deftly discussed.

I remember just a week before my first parliament session I had to stop at my local joint at 5 mile to pick up some flex card and I was told exactly who would be speaker by Oswin my betelnut vendor, slash adviser on anything and everything and recipient of charity. “Em bai ol givim lo ol lain blo PPP. Yu lukluk stao” What? How come I didn’t know. “Son, yu nau tasol laik tromoi lek go insait, fada em ples blo em yah. Relax, mi tok save lo sampla bikbois lo luk save lo yu, wanpla het blo pik kam, mi nek drai yah” all in one breath as he expertly streams scarlet projectile betelnut spittle of at least liter in a straight meter at a cat that sits under the lamb flap section waiting for a morsel. Sure enough, the Speakers post was given to Theo Zurenuoc, staunch PPP man. If you wish to have a vague idea what’s happening in your country, wait to consume mainstream media – EMTV, NBC, Kundu or just wait to read the papers. If you want the latest, hang around at betelnuts stalls, you will get everything from outrageous theories to real time national security information, names and locations, when and an offer of why as well and of course who. I myself have spent substantial time sifting through what is credible and casting away the most outrageous “I spend K50,000 kina and all my 92 voting members voted for you. Here is a receipt in Malay ringitt, please you refund me and I will full sapota you next time, God is with you and I am right behind him with Jesus”.

Nothing is sacred when it comes to information in Papua New Guinea. The very problem that foreign intelligence practitioners face is not the difficulty of obtaining information and verifying it, it is the overwhelming availability and the numerous possibilities and probabilities, the what, who, why, perhaps and when and where that poses some challenges for them as they sift through numerous source documents and source interviews, anecdotes and diplomatic cables intercepted and so forth even then something totally unpredictable and, unforeseen occurs in true unexpected land fashion sending all interested parties scrambling.

The national security apparatus is a vital tool for any nation that considers itself economically or politically sovereign of whatever economic status. Even peoples who are not considered nations such as the Kurds in the Middle East and the Uigar in China and nearby the West Papuans of INDONESIA have some form of national security apparatus as they too consider themselves nations and clutch onto dreams of one day being their own UN recognized nation, well they could not really care what the UN thinks as long as they have territory.

What is the national security apparatus? 

Often referred to as the “Intelligence Community” the national security machinery acts’ as the eyes and ears of any government or group of people or peoples that may consider themselves a nation. A sound national security apparatus works like a well oiled machine, accepting tasks from their clients and gathering information through a variety of sources and undertaking evaluation, research, analysis and finally developing an intelligence product that informs and if necessary predicts and forecasts a soon to be event or situation and provides assessments of what possible ramifications that event may have on an economy, its people, its geopolitical interests, in the very near, near and future. The process of information tasking, information gathering, evaluation and research, analysis and reviewing and presentation are collectively known as the intelligence cycle. PNG’s efforts have been anything but impressive, more erratic and reactionary if anything at all.

That is the boring definition. For all those who want to sit behind a computer and wear necktie and imagine they are the local FBI or CIA. Reality? Your information is best obtained from those who march the corridors of parliament and survive. I get a frequent text from an one such person who is an uncle of mine: “Matthew 7:7”. By now I know immediately he needs a carton or two and he has some information.

In the near future we shall delve into the actual national security apparatus that PNG once had, a vibrant and powerful force that has been allowed to die a slow death – perhaps by design, perhaps by negligence but certainly by lack of political will…I need to re visit my betelnut stalls and speak to my sources…till my next rant, see you all and listen carefully!