PNGBLOGS

By CHRISTOPHER MORRALL John Perkins I’m a round the world traveller from England and just completed the Kokoda trail in a speedy 5 days during which time I had the pleasure of chatting to and staying with locals in Kokoda and Gona. Not being part of any tour group it allowed me plenty of time to speak openly and honestly about PNG and its history with the local people who let my friend and i stay in their homes. On returning to Sogeri i stumbled across your newspaper and letters section and felt duty bound to respond. With some knowledge of the way western corporations and mining companies act and behave, I thought i might add some points of warning to your readers and leaders in PNG. One thing your leaders and government should be aware of is the objective of any western mining or oil company in PNG is for profit only, they will come smiling and shake hands with pretty photo opportunities and put on great banquets but once the dust has settled they will forget the plight of your count

By CHRISTOPHER MORRALL John Perkins I’m a round the world traveller from England and just completed the Kokoda trail in a speedy 5 days during which time I had the pleasure of chatting to and staying with locals in Kokoda and Gona. Not being part of any tour group it allowed me plenty of time to speak openly and honestly about PNG and its history with the local people who let my friend and i stay in their homes. On returning to Sogeri i stumbled across your newspaper and letters section and felt duty bound to respond. With some knowledge of the way western corporations and mining companies act and behave, I thought i might add some points of warning to your readers and leaders in PNG. One thing your leaders and government should be aware of is the objective of any western mining or oil company in PNG is for profit only, they will come smiling and shake hands with pretty photo opportunities and put on great banquets but once the dust has settled they will forget the plight of yo

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI The World War I began as a result of imperial powers wanting to claim new territories all over the world. Colonization brought civilization into many countries around the world and even now we are tempted to argue that colonization in most countries are gone. This statement is not true because we are living in the period of neo-colonization. Neo-colonization began when we accepted foreign countries’ systems of political administration, commerce and trade. PNG is in the period of this political revolution and international propaganda. PNG imports goods and equipment and conducts international treaties and by doing that PNG absorbs foreign ideologies and personnel. Therefore, where there are foreign goods entering PNG, there are foreigners accompanying them. And PNG faces the daunting challenges of dealing with foreigners because our political history, our economy and national intelligence is new and we cannot exactly tell or identify the prospects of solving these

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI The World War I began as a result of imperial powers wanting to claim new territories all over the world. Colonization brought civilization into many countries around the world and even now we are tempted to argue that colonization in most countries are gone. This statement is not true because we are living in the period of neo-colonization. Neo-colonization began when we accepted foreign countries’ systems of political administration, commerce and trade. PNG is in the period of this political revolution and international propaganda. PNG imports goods and equipment and conducts international treaties and by doing that PNG absorbs foreign ideologies and personnel. Therefore, where there are foreign goods entering PNG, there are foreigners accompanying them. And PNG faces the daunting challenges of dealing with foreigners because our political history, our economy and national intelligence is new and we cannot exactly tell or identify the prospects of solv

By Catherine Wilson In Papua New Guinea, the largest island nation in Melanesia in the southwest Pacific, where more than 60 percent of major crimes involve guns, a burgeoning illegal arms trade is associated with lack of employment growth and low human security, with vulnerable communities suffering the consequences. This is the case in the autonomous region of Bougainville in the east of the country, where disarmament remains elusive more than ten years after a civil war fought over resource exploitation. “Guns are now being used in domestic violence and armed robberies, and to settle land issues,” said Helen Hakena, director of the Leitana Nehan Women’s Development Agency in Bougainville. “Recently there have also been armed hold-ups and shoot-outs between gun owners and police. Many people in Bougainville now accept guns as a normal part of life.” Development and economic recovery in Bougainville have been slow over the past decade, and many issues from the civil war have not been

By Catherine Wilson In Papua New Guinea, the largest island nation in Melanesia in the southwest Pacific, where more than 60 percent of major crimes involve guns, a burgeoning illegal arms trade is associated with lack of employment growth and low human security, with vulnerable communities suffering the consequences. This is the case in the autonomous region of Bougainville in the east of the country, where disarmament remains elusive more than ten years after a civil war fought over resource exploitation. “Guns are now being used in domestic violence and armed robberies, and to settle land issues,” said Helen Hakena, director of the Leitana Nehan Women’s Development Agency in Bougainville. “Recently there have also been armed hold-ups and shoot-outs between gun owners and police. Many people in Bougainville now accept guns as a normal part of life.” Development and economic recovery in Bougainville have been slow over the past decade, and many issues from the civil war h

2012 Excellence in Anti-Corruption Reporting Media Awards CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS UNDP in partnership with British High Commission, Transparency International Papua New Guinea, Business Against Corruption Alliance and ABC‐NBC Media for Development Initiative, and supported by the Patron of the Awards Mr Sean Dorney, is inviting submissions for the ‘2012 Excellence in Anti‐Corruption Reporting Media Awards’. On 31 October 2003 the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the UN Convention against Corruption which was ratified by the Government of Papua New Guinea in 2007. In 2011 the Government approved a National Anti‐Corruption Strategy which is intended to guide the nation’s efforts in these areas for the next 20 years. Corruption negatively impacts Papua New Guinea’s achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and all future work in equitable human development. As such, tackling corruption requires the strong commitment of Government, but it also requires the support of

2012 Excellence in Anti-Corruption Reporting Media Awards CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS UNDP in partnership with British High Commission, Transparency International Papua New Guinea, Business Against Corruption Alliance and ABC‐NBC Media for Development Initiative, and supported by the Patron of the Awards Mr Sean Dorney, is inviting submissions for the ‘2012 Excellence in Anti‐Corruption Reporting Media Awards’. On 31 October 2003 the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the UN Convention against Corruption which was ratified by the Government of Papua New Guinea in 2007. In 2011 the Government approved a National Anti‐Corruption Strategy which is intended to guide the nation’s efforts in these areas for the next 20 years. Corruption negatively impacts Papua New Guinea’s achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and all future work in equitable human development. As such, tackling corruption requires the strong commitment of Government, but it also requires the support of

JULIA Gillard has just returned from a meeting with Pacific Island leaders where she announced a major aid initiative to tackle gender inequality. We know that promoting gender equity can increase economic prosperity and transform community well-being so the PM's announcement is a great step forward. But having just visited the Pacific region, I am also struck by the immense challenge that lies ahead for our island neighbours, and the responsibility that Australia must face up to. On the flight over to Papua New Guinea last month, I realised that the patch of water below me carried with it a moral significance. At one shoreline, state-of-the-art healthcare for all; at the other end, complications at birth carry with them a death sentence. Papua New Guinea is our nearest neighbour, just a stone's throw from our own coast, and yet the two nations sit 151 places apart on the Human Development Index. There is a profound challenge here. While other countries are fast making ground t

JULIA Gillard has just returned from a meeting with Pacific Island leaders where she announced a major aid initiative to tackle gender inequality. We know that promoting gender equity can increase economic prosperity and transform community well-being so the PM's announcement is a great step forward. But having just visited the Pacific region, I am also struck by the immense challenge that lies ahead for our island neighbours, and the responsibility that Australia must face up to. On the flight over to Papua New Guinea last month, I realised that the patch of water below me carried with it a moral significance. At one shoreline, state-of-the-art healthcare for all; at the other end, complications at birth carry with them a death sentence. Papua New Guinea is our nearest neighbour, just a stone's throw from our own coast, and yet the two nations sit 151 places apart on the Human Development Index. There is a profound challenge here. While other countries are fast making

By GOVERNOR GARY JUFFA I usually write about all manner of issues that confront Papua New Guinea...issues which I feel most Papua New Guineans are passionate about...well, I am anyway and a few friends I know...At all times, I make an effort to write clearly and with clarity, but usually it ends up being a rant. I feel about my country, my people. This is a beautiful home, these are beautiful people. What is it that makes one yearn to come back almost the moment one leaves? What is it that draws us back home to this place that is listed as dangerous, volatile and unpredictable? Is it the amazing land and forests, the pristine waters and crystal clear skies, the people who laugh and cry, survive and live with enthusiasm hard to find elsewhere? Is it the raw untouched cultural aspects that are a window into yesterday when Man walked as one with his felllow creatures, living in harmony with nature? Is it the fact that regardless of how bad things get or how rough, there is always an eleme

An increase in the estimated copper and gold reserves at a Papua New Guinea mine could boost the country's income by some $1 billion a year over the next quarter century if the government moves to acquire a stake in the project. Australia's Newcrest Mining, which jointly owns the Golpu mine in Morobe Province with Johannesburg-based Harmony Gold, said on Tuesday new exploration work pointed to revised reserves estimates of 5.4 million tonnes of copper and 12.4 million ounces of gold. This is an increase of 4.7 million tonnes of copper and 11 million ounces of gold compared with previous estimates provided by the companies. The mine could start producing by 2019, pending results of more studies and various approvals, Newcrest said. The firm will also conduct a study later this year into a neighbouring deposit called Wafi. Papua New Guinea holds the rights to buy up to 30 percent of any mineral discovery at Wafi and Golpu. The CEO of Harmony Gold, the world's fifth largest go

An increase in the estimated copper and gold reserves at a Papua New Guinea mine could boost the country's income by some $1 billion a year over the next quarter century if the government moves to acquire a stake in the project. Australia's Newcrest Mining, which jointly owns the Golpu mine in Morobe Province with Johannesburg-based Harmony Gold, said on Tuesday new exploration work pointed to revised reserves estimates of 5.4 million tonnes of copper and 12.4 million ounces of gold. This is an increase of 4.7 million tonnes of copper and 11 million ounces of gold compared with previous estimates provided by the companies. The mine could start producing by 2019, pending results of more studies and various approvals, Newcrest said. The firm will also conduct a study later this year into a neighbouring deposit called Wafi. Papua New Guinea holds the rights to buy up to 30 percent of any mineral discovery at Wafi and Golpu. The CEO of Harmony Gold, the world's fifth largest

EDUCATION secretary Dr Musawe Sinebare has copped some criticism levelled at his department for a perceived slowness in ensuring subsidies reach the schools in time to make a difference for the 2013 school year. Some of the blame maybe warranted but Dr Sinebare is by no means entirely culpable here – in fact he could be a scapegoat in this affair. Prime Minister Peter O’Neill earlier in the month was scathing in his appraisal of the country’s public service machinery and its sloth in carrying out National Executive Council-approved policies and directives. He went as far as describing their efforts as “lazy” and “incompetent”. The free education policy was one of the cornerstones of O’Neill’s People National Congress campaign. He had made the undertaking months before the national election and was intent on following through with his promise. Parents who rely on the public school system to educate their children are anticipating an easier time next year. The government, as such, is det

EDUCATION secretary Dr Musawe Sinebare has copped some criticism levelled at his department for a perceived slowness in ensuring subsidies reach the schools in time to make a difference for the 2013 school year. Some of the blame maybe warranted but Dr Sinebare is by no means entirely culpable here – in fact he could be a scapegoat in this affair. Prime Minister Peter O’Neill earlier in the month was scathing in his appraisal of the country’s public service machinery and its sloth in carrying out National Executive Council-approved policies and directives. He went as far as describing their efforts as “lazy” and “incompetent”. The free education policy was one of the cornerstones of O’Neill’s People National Congress campaign. He had made the undertaking months before the national election and was intent on following through with his promise. Parents who rely on the public school system to educate their children are anticipating an easier time next year. The government, as such, is det

LET there be no mistake: Foreign journalists do have access to PNG, whether it be one operating in Peru, Azerbaijan or Timbuktu. They have the local media whose work is published instantaneously on the worldwide web. They have the social networks. They have the non-governmental organisations. Many have local contacts. What the fortnight-old government of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has done in banning foreign journalists from entering the country to cover the Manus detention centre issue is to take a highly inflammatory decision which can have no real impact except to attract criticism and bad publicity. All the issues are out in the public. The PNG government has made its decision: The centre on Manus island will be available to asylum seekers which the Australian government wishes to detain for processing. The Manus people, or as many of them as the governor can speak for, have come out in support of the government decision. Governor Charlie Benjamin has said Manus was used before f

LET there be no mistake: Foreign journalists do have access to PNG, whether it be one operating in Peru, Azerbaijan or Timbuktu. They have the local media whose work is published instantaneously on the worldwide web. They have the social networks. They have the non-governmental organisations. Many have local contacts. What the fortnight-old government of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has done in banning foreign journalists from entering the country to cover the Manus detention centre issue is to take a highly inflammatory decision which can have no real impact except to attract criticism and bad publicity. All the issues are out in the public. The PNG government has made its decision: The centre on Manus island will be available to asylum seekers which the Australian government wishes to detain for processing. The Manus people, or as many of them as the governor can speak for, have come out in support of the government decision. Governor Charlie Benjamin has said Manus was used before f

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI In the early 1980s and late 1990s, Hon. Paias Wingti was revered as the best and adorable leader in the Highlands region. His face resembled hope and his voice gave comfort to pounding hearts. He has now entered parliament again. He has not made any straight shooting messages for the people of the Highlands region and his WHP. What inspired me most was his sitting arrangement, this time sitting side by side with Sir J, Sir Michale Somare and Hon. Peter O'Neill during the preliminary formation of the current government. He was seeing courting Hon. Peter Ipatas on the floor of parliament when they signed and declared oath as MPs of the 9th PNG Parliament Opening. Both of these highlands leaders did not make any joint statements and neither of them wanted to speak one for the other. If Paias Wingti is very quiet and continues to do things without much publicity then his aim to become a remarkable and strong character in the Highlands could be seen as introvert a

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI In the early 1980s and late 1990s, Hon. Paias Wingti was revered as the best and adorable leader in the Highlands region. His face resembled hope and his voice gave comfort to pounding hearts. He has now entered parliament again. He has not made any straight shooting messages for the people of the Highlands region and his WHP. What inspired me most was his sitting arrangement, this time sitting side by side with Sir J, Sir Michale Somare and Hon. Peter O'Neill during the preliminary formation of the current government. He was seeing courting Hon. Peter Ipatas on the floor of parliament when they signed and declared oath as MPs of the 9th PNG Parliament Opening. Both of these highlands leaders did not make any joint statements and neither of them wanted to speak one for the other. If Paias Wingti is very quiet and continues to do things without much publicity then his aim to become a remarkable and strong character in the Highlands could be seen as i