PNGBLOGS

A fast growing mining town, a steady influx of people and an increasing crime rate is putting a significant strain on police resources in the seaside town of Madang, Papua New New Guinea. Madang used to have a police strength of over 200 men and women. Since the Kusbau barracks was condemned in 1998, staff strength has been drastically cut to 96. But that's not all. The Provincial Police Commander, Tony Wagambie, points out that not only are his men and women struggling with limited resources, the workload and poor housing is putting an enormous strain on their families.

A fast growing mining town, a steady influx of people and an increasing crime rate is putting a significant strain on police resources in the seaside town of Madang, Papua New New Guinea. Madang used to have a police strength of over 200 men and women. Since the Kusbau barracks was condemned in 1998, staff strength has been drastically cut to 96. But that's not all. The Provincial Police Commander, Tony Wagambie, points out that not only are his men and women struggling with limited resources, the workload and poor housing is putting an enormous strain on their families.

Readers may remember that BHP Billiton, the world’s largest mining corporation,  departed the nation some 12 years ago, tail between legs, slamming the door on fingers of PNG citizens by, in effect, extorting from the cash strapped government of Papua New Guinea a total indemnity for their hideous social tort and profound and overt breach of social license. BHP achieved this by announcing the closure of the mine. The effect of the closure of the OK Tedi Mine would have completely destroyed Papua New Guinea’s economy, and, of course, BHP was at all material times well aware of the consequences of such a declared intent. At the same time BHP offered an arrangement whereby the Papua New Guinea government would give a complete indemnity and total immunity from prosecution over the OK Tedi disaster in exchange for BHP handing the disaster (and the OK Tedi Mine) to the PNG government. The reasons for this disaster are complex. The original plans included an Environmental Impact

Readers may remember that BHP Billiton, the world’s largest mining corporation,  departed the nation some 12 years ago, tail between legs, slamming the door on fingers of PNG citizens by, in effect, extorting from the cash strapped government of Papua New Guinea a total indemnity for their hideous social tort and profound and overt breach of social license. BHP achieved this by announcing the closure of the mine. The effect of the closure of the OK Tedi Mine would have completely destroyed Papua New Guinea’s economy, and, of course, BHP was at all material times well aware of the consequences of such a declared intent. At the same time BHP offered an arrangement whereby the Papua New Guinea government would give a complete indemnity and total immunity from prosecution over the OK Tedi disaster in exchange for BHP handing the disaster (and the OK Tedi Mine) to the PNG government. The reasons for this disaster are complex. The original plans included an Environment

Sepiks want a fair deal. That is the underlying factor and they have not been accorded that. The past events have seen them banished from the floor of the parliament, labelled as foreigners, and laws have been amended to destroy them. The courts are the place where freedom is debated. So far not good. If parliament is the place where the people have spoken, what about us. We have been banished by the so called people voice.  Somare is still our voice regardless of how this nation sees him and all past events and current events have one common undertone. DESTROY SOMARE FOR GOOD! DO NOT GIVE HIM BREATHING SPACE! FINISH HIM OFF! He was our leader for 36 plus years but occasionally for Papua New Guinea.Give us a fair deal and respect established systems set in place to deal with those called allegations.  Only then can we respect the rule of law because we have been accorded a fair hearing. But so far parliament is supreme and with the courts struggling to maintain its integrity, where mus

Sepiks want a fair deal. That is the underlying factor and they have not been accorded that. The past events have seen them banished from the floor of the parliament, labelled as foreigners, and laws have been amended to destroy them. The courts are the place where freedom is debated. So far not good. If parliament is the place where the people have spoken, what about us. We have been banished by the so called people voice.  Somare is still our voice regardless of how this nation sees him and all past events and current events have one common undertone. DESTROY SOMARE FOR GOOD! DO NOT GIVE HIM BREATHING SPACE! FINISH HIM OFF! He was our leader for 36 plus years but occasionally for Papua New Guinea.Give us a fair deal and respect established systems set in place to deal with those called allegations.  Only then can we respect the rule of law because we have been accorded a fair hearing. But so far parliament is supreme and with the courts struggling to maintain its integrity,

By Susan Merrell The current political impasse in PNG can best be summed up simply as a dispute between the judiciary and the executive.   The judiciary have under their arm the PNG Constitution and are using it as a WMD (weapon of mass destruction) with the approval of Sir Michael Somare who has most to gain by adherence to the letter of it in the present context. On the other hand, the O'Neill/Namah government are claiming the moral high ground with their popular mandate backed up by their legislative prowess – thwarting and overriding the Constitution at every turn.   Part of the O'Neill/Namah strategy has been to call into question the integrity of the judiciary with repeated attempts to suspend the Chief Justice for impropriety.   Indeed the Chief Justice himself has done the same by refusing to recuse himself from the cases where there has been a glaring conflict of interests. The Moti case in parliament is a complete change of tack by O'Neill/Namah.   Instead of att

A Queensland doctor says Papua New Guinea's (PNG) health system is not ready to take over treatment of its own tuberculosis patients. The Federal Government decided mid-last year to shift funding for the treatment of PNG Nationals from the Torres Strait Islands to PNG's Western Province.  It led to a transition process of joint clinics. Cairns-based respiratory physician, Dr Graham Simpson, is running the final scheduled clinics for PNG tuberculosis patients on the Torres Strait Islands of Boigu and Saibai this week. He says while there has been good progress in handing over treatment plans to PNG doctors, the lack of laboratory services and difficulties with access to patients in remote villages means there is a long way to go. Dr Simpson says tuberculosis patients from PNG are likely to continue coming to the Torres Strait Islands for treatment beyond this week's clinics. He says another few years is needed to transfer treatment services to PNG health author

A Queensland doctor says Papua New Guinea's (PNG) health system is not ready to take over treatment of its own tuberculosis patients. The Federal Government decided mid-last year to shift funding for the treatment of PNG Nationals from the Torres Strait Islands to PNG's Western Province.  It led to a transition process of joint clinics. Cairns-based respiratory physician, Dr Graham Simpson, is running the final scheduled clinics for PNG tuberculosis patients on the Torres Strait Islands of Boigu and Saibai this week. He says while there has been good progress in handing over treatment plans to PNG doctors, the lack of laboratory services and difficulties with access to patients in remote villages means there is a long way to go. Dr Simpson says tuberculosis patients from PNG are likely to continue coming to the Torres Strait Islands for treatment beyond this week's clinics. He says another few years is needed to transfer treatment services to PNG he