Good versus Evil. David versus Goliath. Unitech Becomes A Biblical Style Battle Ground For Justice.

By DELAM WILLIAM

Who would have thought unitech would become such a national symbol of the struggle between good and evil?   Our parliamentary Speaker Theo Zurenuoc  fights evil the cargo cult way, believing that destroying imagined symbols of evil will straighten up PNG.  Fortunately, those fighting evil at unitech seem more sensible, understanding that it is people not carvings that allow evil to prevail.  Japan is full up of unchristian worship places, idols etc, yet they have become a peaceful, just and civilised society that we can only dream of in PNG. The Japanese know that the most effective way to get rid of evil is for everyone to actively fight evil people.

Who promotes evil in the context of unitech?  Obviously it includes anyone who blocks truth and justice.  These noble values form the basis of civilised society and promoted in our constitution.    The core issue around unitech has been whether evil people will get away unpunished with unitech stealing and mismanagement, then running an innocent person out of PNG.   There is no clearer picture of good versus evil than in this example of injustice.   Seeing it should make the blood of all good people boil and explains why unitech issue centres around VC Dr Shram.

In any war between good and evil, we have 3 armies:

1.  Forces of Evil
The "evil" side includes all who stole or misused unitech money.   The Sengi report convincingly indicts former VC Misty Baloiloi as leader of the pack, with other staff involved, including former project manager Brian Kakini. Also joining evil are members of the former unitech council including Philip Stagg and Ralph Saulep who used council positions to gain unethical personal profit. Anyone who participated in deportation without proven cause of current VC Albert Schram is evil.  That includes former HERST minister David Arore and his friend "professor" Narayan Gehlot and must include some inside Foreign Affairs.   Recent news that Prime Minister Peter O'Neill secretly promised acting VC Professor Pumwa the job now held by Dr Schram may mean that the Prime Minister is on the evil side and possibly joined by the acting VC.

2.  Forces of Good
On the "good" side of the unitech war includes anyone who has spoken up strongly or taken action on behalf of Dr Schram.  This includes all unitech council members at the December 2013 meeting who voted for Dr Schram to be allowed to come back and serve his time in PNG as VC.  It includes all the outspoken speakers and writers telling us about whats going on at unitech.   It includes Mr Ken Polin of Unitech who apparently remains under threat of sacking because he spoke his mind in favour of Dr Schram.   It includes all students who are now doing whatever is necessary to pressure  government to stop being evil obstructionists.  No one can say unitech students should not have taken action.  Such nonsupporters forget that before students stood up, Dr Schram would have died of old age before anything was resolved. Progress was at snails pace or worse. Members of the forces of good will always praise nonviolent student actions because similar actions around the world by students or other small groups have defeated evil time and time again.   It is often a battle of unequal armies, between David and Goliath.  Evil has been defeated through independence movements, uprisings against dictatorships, and human rights struggles such as movements for racial civil rights and against aparthide.   Student uprisings are good if they stay nonviolent yet intensify until they defeat evil.

3.  Protectors of Evil
"Protectors of evil" rarely consider the implications when they silently do their jobs and stay out of trouble.  They are the people who become most surprised and upset when they find out which of the 3
categories they are tossed into.  Before they protest too much let them consider a famous quote repeated some time back in a PNGBlogs article:  Evil only takes over when good people do nothing.   This means that it is not enough to stay out of trouble and follow the rules.   Whenever we see injustice, we must fight against it, becoming soldiers in the forces of good.  Anyone who sees evil but looks the other way or stays quite become protectors of evil automatically. Many good people involved with the unitech issue have become protectors of evil.  They should be condemned, although not so harshly as we would condemn soldiers of evil.

Protectors of evil created the stalemate that has gone on for more than a year.   Unitech's acting VC Professor Pumwa might say he has done much to help Schram but growing evidence suggests otherwise. However, bending over backwards in fairness to him, he and his staff admit that they did nothing over the bare minimum job requirement to secure Schram's release from exile.  That makes them protectors of evil. Members of the former unitech council who stopped coming to meetings chaired by chancellor Stagg are in this category too.

Over the last year internet sites filled with articles identifying anyone who spoke against Schram and contributed to injustice.  The accused now includes unitech acting leadership whose conspicuous
silence makes them protectors of evil at best.  If there was any misinformation or distortions contained in internet articles, it was the civic duty of those who knew the truth to speak out and share it. The internet is the fairest communication outlet in history because it is so easy for those wrongly accused to defend themselves.   Anyone who ignores the growing power of social media in bringing out the truth does so at their peril, one example being past minister David Arore.  In this context it is very curious that neither government nor unitech officials ever spoke out against allegations made against them about unitech. Their silence either means they are either protectors of evil at best or soldiers of evil.   Soldiers of good will always defend themselves with evidence for the truth.  Last week on PNGBlogs we saw MP Gary Juffa refusing to respond to allegations made against
him.  This kind of defence makes him a protector of evil or worse.

Any actions the unitech administration took in recent weeks to discourage or suppress free speech and opinion must be condemned. Their actions cross the line from being protectors of evil to actually
joining evil.   It matters not what the unitech rules state when the rules promote  injustice.  Martin Luther King inspires us with this observation that when laws achieve unjust outcomes it is unjust to
enforce them.   Dutiful administrators who follow and apply rules without considering whether their applications promote justice or injustice are protectors of evil.   In thought, these administrators
are no different than soldiers guarding concentration camps of Nazi Germany and doing their job as they politely led prisoners to the gas chamber. The punishment against Mr Ken Polin's right to express his opinion put Unitech lawyer Simon Senge and possibly other unitech administrators squarely in the centre of shame because they are obviously following unitech regulations that achieves injustice by suppressing a basic human right.

Bending over backwards in fairness to Mr Senge, some suspect that he realised the evilness of his actions against Mr Polin and made amends by becoming the leaker of the "Sengi report".   If so we should praise him for that.   Leaking that report was an action by the forces of good.

OHE officials, especially Director General David Kavanamur, may fit the same shoe as unitech management.    It may be wrong to consider these people evil but they are definitely being protectors of evil.

Our aspiring nation will never shake ourselves of the forces of evil so long as there are so many protectors of evil around.   They must force themselves out of this destructive neutral ground and become true soldiers for the forces of good.   Our speaker Theo Zurenuoc will get the results he wants if only we have fewer protectors of evil and more soldiers of good.  The activism that developed around the unitech issue must grow and spread throughout PNG.