A COMMENTARY/OPNION IN VIEW OF THE LOOMING STUDENT STRIKE 2016
STRIKE AND ACT OF PRUDENCE
The planned strike by University of PNG students against the O’Neill Dion Government’s management of the country warrants some reflections of the past to judge prudence.
1991 University Students’ Strike
The Green Left Weekly, an independent Australian paper, launched by activists to report on issues often ignored or distorted by the mainstream press, reported widespread student demonstrations in May 1991 in response to a parliamentary vote to increase pay for politicians on May 22. These demonstrations had the support of the general public. The demonstration started at the University of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and spread to other sites, including the University of Technology in Lae on 28 May. The report stated:
Large and militant demonstrations by university students, which rapidly gained broad popular support, have forced the PNG government to defer huge pay increases for national and provincial politicians and senior public servants.
The humiliating back-down may not be enough to defuse the crisis. Student leaders were demanding a complete scrapping of the increases, the resignation of the Namaliu government and fresh elections.
The rises came at time of deep recession in the PNG economy. The government had been calling on the country’s workforce to make sacrifices for the good of the economy. Wage increases have been blocked. Recent budgets have cut spending on health and education.
Students at the University of PNG boycotted classes and held an angry 1000-strong demonstration on May 24 calling for the rescinding of the rises and the resignation of the government. The demonstration continued and by the end of the next day, 15 government cars and trucks had been burnt. Student leaders began a nationwide campaign of meetings and rallies to win community support.
The trade union movement joined the students and threatened to call a general strike. While the politicians’ pay rise ignited the anger, deep dissatisfaction with corruption, unemployment and declining urban services fuelled the outrage to a point where one unnamed government source told ABC radio that the government was facing its “gravest crisis” ever.
On May 28, the student demonstrations spread to PNG’s second largest city, Lae. University of Technology students forced the education minister, Utula Samana, from his government car and set it on fire.
Public support for the student’s demands continued to grow. The Port Moresby local government (NCDC) called on the parliamentary speaker to scrap the rises, saying that the city was close to “open rebellion”.
Adding to the government’s woes, the Police Association, the ex-servicemen’s association and sections of the rank and file of the armed forces expressed opposition to the pay rises. In the face of this snowballing protest, (then) Prime Minister Rabbie Namaliu backed down on May 28 and announced that the pay rises would not take place until after the next national election, due in 1992 (Dixon, N. 1991, ‘Government shaken by PNG student rebellion’, Green Left Weekly, Issue 15, 12 June http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/1991/15/15p15.htm).
A June 1991 article in the Sydney Morning Herald provided this information on the police response to the protests:
The police presence was stepped up at 45 tertiary institutions, which were under 24 hour watch. Three squads of riot police were stationed from dawn (to dusk) at the UPNG Waigani campus in the National Capital District and one squad was at the Unitech Lae campus (O’Callaghan, MaryLouise 1991, ‘Nation Braces For Big Strike’, Sydney Morning Herald, 6 June).
Anti IMF/World Bank Strike 2001
On the early morning of Tuesday, June 26, 2001, PNG police teargassed and opened fire on students protesting against the IMF and World Bank, resulting in 3 dead and 17 wounded. The violence followed a five day peaceful sit-in by up to 3000 University of PNG students, workers, and unemployed outside the office of Prime Minister of PNG, Mekere Morauta in Waigani, about 10 km from central Port Moresby. The demonstrators presented a petition to the Government calling for: Suspend the entire privatisation scheme, Completely sever ties with the World Bank and IMF, Scrap the customary land registration scheme, and if the above are not implemented, the Prime Minister should resign or face a more serious protest with detrimental consequences.
The protestors had remained in order to get a response from the government. After the crowd had dwindled to several hundred, police closed in and told them to disperse. When they refused, tear gas was used and shotguns and automatic weapons fired.
By first light when news of the shooting spread people streamed into Waigani, looting, burning and stoning as they went.
Shops, schools and government offices were closed for the day, and the streets of the capital were deserted except for some students and police. Trade unions issued a call for Morauta to step down. They also threatened to close ports, shut down the national flag carrier Air Niugini and disrupt power supplies.
The following day, Port Moresby University campus was surrounded by police, in order to keep most of the students contained.
This comes as a result of the IMF and World Banks' instruction to the government of PNG to sell off the Papua New Guinea Banking Corporation which is the only bank owned by the government, and to be followed by the privatisation of the national airline, Air Niugini. Over the past three years PNG's water supplies and electricity have been sold off in a hope to bail the country out of the economic crisis. However the economy of the country has continued to deteriorate.
These protests follow on from ones earlier this year when students marched to Murray barracks to support troops who had seized weapons and were also demanding that the World Bank should leave PNG, along with the government's Australian advisers.
Alexander Downer, Australian Foreign Affairs minister has not condemned the PNG police for the shootings however instead reaffirmed the Australian government's total support for the privatisation program.
These protests were clear signs of the rejection of the influence of the IMF and World Bank into PNG. As supporters of the fight against these international financial institutions, protests have been initiated across Australia to actively build solidarity with the PNG activists struggle against the IMF and World Bank, and the lethal tactics used by police to disperse protestors, resulting in 3 dead and 17 wounded.
The Australia-PNG anti IMF/WB protests demanded: IMF and World Bank out of PNG, End privatisation, Abolish the IMF, WTO and World Bank, that the Australian government condemns the violence against protestors in PNG, and that the Australian government gives massively increased unconditional aid for development in PNG.
“This is a further escalation of the violence against anti-globalisation protesters that we saw in Gothenburg, and demands an immediate response from progressive forces around the world,” wrote John Percy, National Secretary of the Australia Democratic Socialist Party.
“Attached below is a protest statement being circulated by the socialist youth organisation Resistance condemning the killings, and demanding action from the Howard government. Please sign and circulate this statement, and return it to Resistance. Solidarity pickets are being held in several Australian cities over the next few days, and the statement will be distributed there and presented to the Australian government and PNG Embassy. Please make your anger at this action known to the World Bank and the IMF, and to the PNG Government and the PNG Consulate or Embassy in your country. Comradely greetings!,” Percy added.
Looming Strike 2016
Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill has clearly pointed out time and time again that he will not step down under any circumstances. The outcomes stemming from his stance were obvious as we saw them unfolded in recent times. This is crisis in itself when application of law trying to correct conflict hit brick wall and defiant. It is like outlawing betelnut sales in the city but only to be defiant by sellers and chewers alike. When application of law become defiant what is next? We revert back and consult people, the source of our power and existence as a nation – by, for, and of people (covenant of man).
Through the voting (representation) system, politicians are mandated by people to act for them – at least in five year intervals (legislative elections). Peoples’ Constitution (law) is the guide and created institutions to enforce law and importantly to serve people – their interest first. Non-politicians including you and me do not have this mandate. This is the difference. By, for, and of people this mandate is special. This is why politicians feel and act special.
When a politician compromise his or her mandate, the following impositions may apply: i) vote him or her out in legislative election, ii) vote of no confidence in government, iii) face leadership tribunal, iv) face criminal justice, and or v) all of the above. These are but existing lawful avenues.
I cannot say whether strikes are lawful avenues to demand mandate change from politicians or government? Industrial or political strikes however occur as “reactions” by popular choice (freedom of gathering and expression) guaranteed in the Constitution, most times at great costs.
In the instance of the planned UPNG student strike, the following considerations are critical:
- Avoid among-students defections as in Southern highlands students camping behind UPNG clinic and not joining the main forum;
- Avoid malice, political bias, interference or influence;
- Prove this by test of a referendum which you are doing but not sanctioned by Electoral Commission;
- Consult your affiliates both national and international for a National Union of Students (NUS) resolution;
- Increase advocacy and lobby for support from public, trade unions, NGO’s, Churches, etc.
- Apply deep thought to implications – available risks on costs to lives and properties, your studies, “open rebellion” impact on city businesses, the country’s economy, etc.
As it appears, we are attempting to apply crisis against a crisis to solve a problem. The law avenue was Vote of No Confidence that were already exhausted in floor of Parliament not once but three (3) times – it did not succeed. We are 11 months away from legislative elections. Let election outcomes speaks for itself. Students can go out campaigning against the O’Neill Dion Government during Christmas. It's safer that way than option to go on strike now.
Rational thinking base on prudence is needed among all factional groups if we are to avoid an "explosion” as in fusion theory where hot vs hot = Explosion. Let alone, never forget that "outsiders": multi-national corporations, Foreign Governments, Bretton Wood Institutions, Freemasonry, Illuminati, etc are also at play to "divide and rule" a nation so rich in resources into brinks of bankruptcy and growth.
Weaker students are vulnerable and at mercy of the politically stronger and motivated ones. Fighting for democracy must be seen to be democratic and a fairly-thought-out strategy from the start. (more comments and reactions at www.facebook.com/cyrilgare1/).
