DEFINITE NO TO ASYLUM SEEKERS’ DEAL BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA
By JOE BEIG
I have been following the asylum seekers’ processing plan since Somare government rushed the establishment of the center at Lombrum Maritime Base in Manus Province during the last Parliament. The plan was eventually formalized between the Australia and Papua New Guinea governments on Friday, 26th July 2013 in Brisbane, Australia. The PNG Prime Minister, Mr. Peter O’Neill returned home on Tuesday, 23rd July 2013 and proudly announced the significant signing of this agreement.
He boasted and vigorously defended his government’s decision to accept Mr. Kevin Rudd’s plan to process asylum seekers at Manus processing center and possibly resettle the genuine asylum seekers there or elsewhere in PNG. He went on to state that because we are signatory to various international agreements, we are obliged to provide humanitarian assistance as well as assisting Australia because of our regional position to people of such status. He finally gave uncompromising position that PNG will stand to benefit through this plan with various development projects funded by Australian government. I will rebut and criticize Mr. O’Neill’s action as per my points above.
Firstly, asylum seekers’ center is unethical and unconstitutional. It is unethical because these asylum seekers have freedom on humanitarian grounds to seek safe haven due to threat against their lives. By sending them to PNG, they are still under threat because we don’t like them for various reasons. They have devious religious beliefs and practices that are threatening to our traditional and Christian beliefs and practices. So we will not accept them and will definitely retaliate if we notice any sign of threat against us. On their part, they won’t accept being resettled in PNG and will cause disharmony against us and themselves because their destination of interest is Australia. Australia and PNG governments are forcing them against their will to be processed and possibly be resettled in PNG or other countries.
It is unconstitutional because they have been held against their will in a highly secured environment, and depriving their rights to move freely. Further, PNG does not have any formal systems to hold people of such status in-country. If PNG government amends relevant sections of our National Constitution to accommodate Mr. Kevin Rudd’s political interest, then it is still unethical because it is a coward act as well as a devious act against humanity and principally against the interest of the people of PNG. It will be unconstitutional because Mr. O’Neill’s is advised by his learnt Ministers, Mr. Rimbink Pato, Minister for Foreign Affairs & Immigration and Mr. Kerenga Kua Attorney General & Minister for Justice to legalize the deceitful act before humanity and God Almighty.
Secondly, we are no way near to accommodate such arrangement because it is a complete joke and it is stupidity at its best. How can Mr. O’Neill help in providing humanitarian assistance to foreign aliens when PNG has its own domestic asylum seekers’ issues? We have countless domestic asylum seekers hanging lose throughout all urban centers in PNG. Problems associated with our own domestic asylum seekers activities are so immense that Mr. O’Neill should now realistically develop practical systems to implement MTDP 2010-2015, PNGDSP 2010-2030, and various organisational and sectorial plans to meet their basic needs.
I will give three classical examples of PNG’s own domestic asylum seekers in three urban centers. What is Mr. O’Neill’s plan to process his own domestic asylum seekers living in different parts of National Capital Districts and Central Province areas nearby NCD? He should have plans to resettle the Goilalas, the Helas, the Southern Highlanders, the Engans, the Simbus, the Eastern Highlanders, the Western Highlanders, the Jiwakas, the Morobeans, the Sepiks, the Madangs, the Oros, the Keremas, and the Westerns back to their province of origin or develop the current settlements springing all over the outskirts of the city and resettle them there. Moreover, what is his plan to process and resettle the domestic asylum seekers living in various parts of Lae city and its outskirts? Please note their province of origin; Madang, East Sepik, Eastern Highlands, Simbu, Western Highlands, Jiwaka, Hela, Southern Highlands, Enga, and Gulf. Finally, what is his processing and resettlement plan for local asylum seekers living all over Madang town and neighboring villages? These groups include people from East Sepik, Morobe, Hela, Southern Highlands, Enga, Simbu, and Gulf provinces.
Majority of these domestic asylum seekers in these three urban areas as well as other urban centers in PNG are genuinely looking for jobs. Most portion of this population is formally employed in both public and private sectors whilst others are actively involved in self-employed but sustaining businesses. Their main issues are housing, healthy water, road system, reliable public transport system, electricity, sewerage system, law & order, basic health services, and education. The reminder of these people can be managed accordingly. Those in formal employment and self-employed category contribute meaningfully to the development of our country, they are law abiding, genuine Christians, and are sincerely struggling to raise their family in an upright way. But they are disadvantaged and therefore seeking better life because most government services are lacking in their respective provinces or areas.
Thirdly, Mr. O’Neill again proudly with sarcastic smile and written reports stated that the economic benefits PNG will receive from Australia is huge and we cannot forgo that. The way he reacted and presented himself clearly implied that all sound thinking, educated, genuine, hardworking Papua New Guineans at various leadership levels, general public servants, private sector employees, and ordinary citizens are not smart enough to challenge him and think and act like him.
My simple question is, how on earth for him as a leader of an Independent State of Papua New Guinea can allow himself to be easily lured into Mr. Rudd’s self-fish political strategy? Is that smartness, brilliance, sound mind, intelligence, or an act of madness and stupidity? He has been lured into accepting these foreign aliens to be processed and resettled in PNG for money in order to fund the named infrastructure development projects.
This is a cheap deal. Does he know that what he has agreed upon is a simple trading process, like buying a tin fish? He should feel ashamed of himself for thinking as lowly as a Prime Minister of a robust nation like PNG. He has ignorantly undermined PNG’s sovereignty as well as its rich natural resources including smart and highly educated indigenous human resources. He knows very well that PNG has huge economic potential in Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Mining, Gas & Oil, Subsistence Farming, skillful sportsmen & women, and skilled human resources with highly competitive levels matching international standards. Such act of ignorance is totally unacceptable. Only arrogant, stupid, self-fish, and people of unsound mind can make illogical decisions like that.
My sound advice to Mr. O’Neill and his government is simply this; if he is genuine of getting PNG out of its current economic status as, Extremely Rich In Resources but Very Poor In Living Standards, then he must realistically plan on how he will use the revenue from the lucrative LNG project from 2015 and beyond. He must plan to use this money to address PNG’s domestic asylum seekers’ plea, plan to finance the named infrastructure development project he is planning to fund using Australian money for getting in foreign aliens, and ensure all Papua New Guineans living in urban centers and villages fully benefit from it.
He must also outline his plans to all indigenous Papua New Guineans on how he will use the earnings from LNG project that will be parked in Sovereign Welfare Fund somewhere in Australia. These huge financial benefits will more than complement revenue from our existing resource projects; hence, PNG should not live in poverty anymore.
Furthermore, I must remind Mr. O’Neill that he is a chief custodian of the 7 million plus people of Papua New Guinea and their rich resources. These people and their resources are blessing from God Almighty so he must humbly apply wisdom in managing them. By doing this, he will be praised like many great man of God and leaders who had left milestones behind where people still talk about them. Hence, our God Almighty will also acknowledge his genuine heart and will bless him.
Based on these criticisms, I make the following demands. Firstly, Mr. O’Neill must abandon this conspiratorial plan to process and resettle foreign asylum seekers in Manus and concurrently close down the Manus asylum seekers center forthwith. Secondly, he must immediately dishonor this cunning agreement to get money from Australia to fund named infrastructure development projects as payment for processing and resettling foreign asylum seekers in Manus and elsewhere in PNG.
Mr. Peter O’Neill must know that whatever effect that may emerge from abandoning this plan as well as dishonoring this agreement will be shouldered by himself as an individual. We Papua New Guineans will always walk around heads high because we are not party to these acts. If he fails to act accordingly, the pressure groups will mobilise and will ensure his government does not survive beyond 2014. All genuine and hardworking Papua New Guineans are waiting and hoping that he will change his mind. They are already talking and developing resentment against him and his government.
He is also deliberately holding back information on how he will use money PNG will make from lucrative LNG project to meet people’s irresistible needs. His actions imply that he does not care about adverse effects of struggles Papua New Guineans encounter on hourly basis. Disregarding the people’s dire situation and defending his act of madness by bringing these foreign aliens and resettling them in the country, he will add more trouble to PNG and his government. Mr. O’Neill and his government are warned that there are looming signs of dissension and disasters everywhere in PNG. So he must stop these acts of madness and realign his development plans towards addressing PNG’s own domestic seekers’ issues than wasting his precious time on Australian government’s problem.
I have been following the asylum seekers’ processing plan since Somare government rushed the establishment of the center at Lombrum Maritime Base in Manus Province during the last Parliament. The plan was eventually formalized between the Australia and Papua New Guinea governments on Friday, 26th July 2013 in Brisbane, Australia. The PNG Prime Minister, Mr. Peter O’Neill returned home on Tuesday, 23rd July 2013 and proudly announced the significant signing of this agreement.
He boasted and vigorously defended his government’s decision to accept Mr. Kevin Rudd’s plan to process asylum seekers at Manus processing center and possibly resettle the genuine asylum seekers there or elsewhere in PNG. He went on to state that because we are signatory to various international agreements, we are obliged to provide humanitarian assistance as well as assisting Australia because of our regional position to people of such status. He finally gave uncompromising position that PNG will stand to benefit through this plan with various development projects funded by Australian government. I will rebut and criticize Mr. O’Neill’s action as per my points above.
Firstly, asylum seekers’ center is unethical and unconstitutional. It is unethical because these asylum seekers have freedom on humanitarian grounds to seek safe haven due to threat against their lives. By sending them to PNG, they are still under threat because we don’t like them for various reasons. They have devious religious beliefs and practices that are threatening to our traditional and Christian beliefs and practices. So we will not accept them and will definitely retaliate if we notice any sign of threat against us. On their part, they won’t accept being resettled in PNG and will cause disharmony against us and themselves because their destination of interest is Australia. Australia and PNG governments are forcing them against their will to be processed and possibly be resettled in PNG or other countries.
It is unconstitutional because they have been held against their will in a highly secured environment, and depriving their rights to move freely. Further, PNG does not have any formal systems to hold people of such status in-country. If PNG government amends relevant sections of our National Constitution to accommodate Mr. Kevin Rudd’s political interest, then it is still unethical because it is a coward act as well as a devious act against humanity and principally against the interest of the people of PNG. It will be unconstitutional because Mr. O’Neill’s is advised by his learnt Ministers, Mr. Rimbink Pato, Minister for Foreign Affairs & Immigration and Mr. Kerenga Kua Attorney General & Minister for Justice to legalize the deceitful act before humanity and God Almighty.
Secondly, we are no way near to accommodate such arrangement because it is a complete joke and it is stupidity at its best. How can Mr. O’Neill help in providing humanitarian assistance to foreign aliens when PNG has its own domestic asylum seekers’ issues? We have countless domestic asylum seekers hanging lose throughout all urban centers in PNG. Problems associated with our own domestic asylum seekers activities are so immense that Mr. O’Neill should now realistically develop practical systems to implement MTDP 2010-2015, PNGDSP 2010-2030, and various organisational and sectorial plans to meet their basic needs.
I will give three classical examples of PNG’s own domestic asylum seekers in three urban centers. What is Mr. O’Neill’s plan to process his own domestic asylum seekers living in different parts of National Capital Districts and Central Province areas nearby NCD? He should have plans to resettle the Goilalas, the Helas, the Southern Highlanders, the Engans, the Simbus, the Eastern Highlanders, the Western Highlanders, the Jiwakas, the Morobeans, the Sepiks, the Madangs, the Oros, the Keremas, and the Westerns back to their province of origin or develop the current settlements springing all over the outskirts of the city and resettle them there. Moreover, what is his plan to process and resettle the domestic asylum seekers living in various parts of Lae city and its outskirts? Please note their province of origin; Madang, East Sepik, Eastern Highlands, Simbu, Western Highlands, Jiwaka, Hela, Southern Highlands, Enga, and Gulf. Finally, what is his processing and resettlement plan for local asylum seekers living all over Madang town and neighboring villages? These groups include people from East Sepik, Morobe, Hela, Southern Highlands, Enga, Simbu, and Gulf provinces.
Majority of these domestic asylum seekers in these three urban areas as well as other urban centers in PNG are genuinely looking for jobs. Most portion of this population is formally employed in both public and private sectors whilst others are actively involved in self-employed but sustaining businesses. Their main issues are housing, healthy water, road system, reliable public transport system, electricity, sewerage system, law & order, basic health services, and education. The reminder of these people can be managed accordingly. Those in formal employment and self-employed category contribute meaningfully to the development of our country, they are law abiding, genuine Christians, and are sincerely struggling to raise their family in an upright way. But they are disadvantaged and therefore seeking better life because most government services are lacking in their respective provinces or areas.
Thirdly, Mr. O’Neill again proudly with sarcastic smile and written reports stated that the economic benefits PNG will receive from Australia is huge and we cannot forgo that. The way he reacted and presented himself clearly implied that all sound thinking, educated, genuine, hardworking Papua New Guineans at various leadership levels, general public servants, private sector employees, and ordinary citizens are not smart enough to challenge him and think and act like him.
My simple question is, how on earth for him as a leader of an Independent State of Papua New Guinea can allow himself to be easily lured into Mr. Rudd’s self-fish political strategy? Is that smartness, brilliance, sound mind, intelligence, or an act of madness and stupidity? He has been lured into accepting these foreign aliens to be processed and resettled in PNG for money in order to fund the named infrastructure development projects.
This is a cheap deal. Does he know that what he has agreed upon is a simple trading process, like buying a tin fish? He should feel ashamed of himself for thinking as lowly as a Prime Minister of a robust nation like PNG. He has ignorantly undermined PNG’s sovereignty as well as its rich natural resources including smart and highly educated indigenous human resources. He knows very well that PNG has huge economic potential in Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Mining, Gas & Oil, Subsistence Farming, skillful sportsmen & women, and skilled human resources with highly competitive levels matching international standards. Such act of ignorance is totally unacceptable. Only arrogant, stupid, self-fish, and people of unsound mind can make illogical decisions like that.
My sound advice to Mr. O’Neill and his government is simply this; if he is genuine of getting PNG out of its current economic status as, Extremely Rich In Resources but Very Poor In Living Standards, then he must realistically plan on how he will use the revenue from the lucrative LNG project from 2015 and beyond. He must plan to use this money to address PNG’s domestic asylum seekers’ plea, plan to finance the named infrastructure development project he is planning to fund using Australian money for getting in foreign aliens, and ensure all Papua New Guineans living in urban centers and villages fully benefit from it.
He must also outline his plans to all indigenous Papua New Guineans on how he will use the earnings from LNG project that will be parked in Sovereign Welfare Fund somewhere in Australia. These huge financial benefits will more than complement revenue from our existing resource projects; hence, PNG should not live in poverty anymore.
Furthermore, I must remind Mr. O’Neill that he is a chief custodian of the 7 million plus people of Papua New Guinea and their rich resources. These people and their resources are blessing from God Almighty so he must humbly apply wisdom in managing them. By doing this, he will be praised like many great man of God and leaders who had left milestones behind where people still talk about them. Hence, our God Almighty will also acknowledge his genuine heart and will bless him.
Based on these criticisms, I make the following demands. Firstly, Mr. O’Neill must abandon this conspiratorial plan to process and resettle foreign asylum seekers in Manus and concurrently close down the Manus asylum seekers center forthwith. Secondly, he must immediately dishonor this cunning agreement to get money from Australia to fund named infrastructure development projects as payment for processing and resettling foreign asylum seekers in Manus and elsewhere in PNG.
Mr. Peter O’Neill must know that whatever effect that may emerge from abandoning this plan as well as dishonoring this agreement will be shouldered by himself as an individual. We Papua New Guineans will always walk around heads high because we are not party to these acts. If he fails to act accordingly, the pressure groups will mobilise and will ensure his government does not survive beyond 2014. All genuine and hardworking Papua New Guineans are waiting and hoping that he will change his mind. They are already talking and developing resentment against him and his government.
He is also deliberately holding back information on how he will use money PNG will make from lucrative LNG project to meet people’s irresistible needs. His actions imply that he does not care about adverse effects of struggles Papua New Guineans encounter on hourly basis. Disregarding the people’s dire situation and defending his act of madness by bringing these foreign aliens and resettling them in the country, he will add more trouble to PNG and his government. Mr. O’Neill and his government are warned that there are looming signs of dissension and disasters everywhere in PNG. So he must stop these acts of madness and realign his development plans towards addressing PNG’s own domestic seekers’ issues than wasting his precious time on Australian government’s problem.
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