PNGBLOGS

By JASON GIMA WURI As Melanesians, it is only natural and fitting to stand up for our own kind or our own Melanesian brothers and wantoks as we call it in this part of the Pacific. With Australia’s regional resettlement deal hot on its heels whereby Australia seems to be shifting its asylum seeker boat issues to the lesser competent Pacific island nations in Papua New Guinea and Nauru in exchange for promises of development and funding. It seems like Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ulterior motives to win the federal elections and does not care who stands in the way whether it be Papua New Guinea or Nauru. PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neiland his government as we understand are looking at it from a development perspective whereby funding is coming in from the deal to help bring about development in Manus Province  but do they  even consider the long term effects, whether or not the asylum seekers will be settled here? Recently reported on Australian Network this week, the Fiji G

By JASON GIMA WURI As Melanesians, it is only natural and fitting to stand up for our own kind or our own Melanesian brothers and wantoks as we call it in this part of the Pacific. With Australia’s regional resettlement deal hot on its heels whereby Australia seems to be shifting its asylum seeker boat issues to the lesser competent Pacific island nations in Papua New Guinea and Nauru in exchange for promises of development and funding. It seems like Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ulterior motives to win the federal elections and does not care who stands in the way whether it be Papua New Guinea or Nauru. PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neiland his government as we understand are looking at it from a development perspective whereby funding is coming in from the deal to help bring about development in Manus Province  but do they  even consider the long term effects, whether or not the asylum seekers will be settled here? Recently reported on Australian Network this week, the Fiji

A personal commentary by Sonja Barry Ramoi Deep in the mountains of the village called Paru Paru - the village of late secessionist leader and former first President of Bougainville Joseph Kabui - not far from Panguna Mine, Defence Force Captain and Helicopter Pilot Charlie Andrews was ordered by the Commander of the PNG Defence Force Brigadier General Jerry Singirok to go in and get Captain Belden Norman Namah out. The terrain, in enemy territory under the control of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, was no place for a chopper to land. Captain Namah – in a daring, innovative feat and display of bravery – was airlifted out of the bush by hanging onto the skid of the chopper. Only a very strong man highly skilled and highly trained to be a Special Forces Unit commando could do that. Did Captain Namah, now the Opposition Leader of Papua New Guinea, tell me the story perhaps to try and impress me? No he did not. I heard the story from somebody else via Charlie Andrews and asked him to

A personal commentary by Sonja Barry Ramoi Deep in the mountains of the village called Paru Paru - the village of late secessionist leader and former first President of Bougainville Joseph Kabui - not far from Panguna Mine, Defence Force Captain and Helicopter Pilot Charlie Andrews was ordered by the Commander of the PNG Defence Force Brigadier General Jerry Singirok to go in and get Captain Belden Norman Namah out. The terrain, in enemy territory under the control of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, was no place for a chopper to land. Captain Namah – in a daring, innovative feat and display of bravery – was airlifted out of the bush by hanging onto the skid of the chopper. Only a very strong man highly skilled and highly trained to be a Special Forces Unit commando could do that. Did Captain Namah, now the Opposition Leader of Papua New Guinea, tell me the story perhaps to try and impress me? No he did not. I heard the story from somebody else via Charlie Andrews and asked h

Papua New Guinea anticipates exponential growth in the next few years as many resource projects come into production. Where does it anticipate spending the bulk of that new found wealth? Government has given us its strategic pillars where much of the money is going to be spent. They will be in universal primary education, in basic health, in infrastructure, in tackling law and order and in growing the economy. They are indeed strategic but they need now to be broken down to far more specific areas for far concentrated effort. For let us not forget that the above strategic pillars of development have been every administration’s priority development goals since 1975. Yet despite growing budgets, including contributions from donor sources, key social and economic indicators in the country remain depressed and in real terms have regressed. Child and maternal mortality remain the highest in the Asia Pacific region. Access to schools, doctors and medicine and to clean water is negligible and

Papua New Guinea anticipates exponential growth in the next few years as many resource projects come into production. Where does it anticipate spending the bulk of that new found wealth? Government has given us its strategic pillars where much of the money is going to be spent. They will be in universal primary education, in basic health, in infrastructure, in tackling law and order and in growing the economy. They are indeed strategic but they need now to be broken down to far more specific areas for far concentrated effort. For let us not forget that the above strategic pillars of development have been every administration’s priority development goals since 1975. Yet despite growing budgets, including contributions from donor sources, key social and economic indicators in the country remain depressed and in real terms have regressed. Child and maternal mortality remain the highest in the Asia Pacific region. Access to schools, doctors and medicine and to clean water is n

 THE National Court yesterday refused attempts by Paul Paraka Lawyers to stop Task Force Sweep from executing a search warrant to look at the law firm’s bank accounts. Principal of the law firm, Paul Paraka, appeared before the Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika with a number of lawyers representing others firms whose accounts would also come under scrutiny. Their attempts to set aside the search warrants, which were issued by the DCJ last week, was refused by the court. Lawyer Nicholas Miviri from the Royal PNG Constabulary Legal Services appeared before the bench with Sam Koim, the chair of the Task Force Sweep. The court ruling now enables police to execute a search warrant on the bank accounts of law firms allegedly implicated in receiving illegal payments from the Finance Department. Mr Paraka asked the National Court to set aside the search warrants and for himself to join as a party to the proceedings initiated by the Task Force Sweep when it obtained the warrants. The court shou

 THE National Court yesterday refused attempts by Paul Paraka Lawyers to stop Task Force Sweep from executing a search warrant to look at the law firm’s bank accounts. Principal of the law firm, Paul Paraka, appeared before the Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika with a number of lawyers representing others firms whose accounts would also come under scrutiny. Their attempts to set aside the search warrants, which were issued by the DCJ last week, was refused by the court. Lawyer Nicholas Miviri from the Royal PNG Constabulary Legal Services appeared before the bench with Sam Koim, the chair of the Task Force Sweep. The court ruling now enables police to execute a search warrant on the bank accounts of law firms allegedly implicated in receiving illegal payments from the Finance Department. Mr Paraka asked the National Court to set aside the search warrants and for himself to join as a party to the proceedings initiated by the Task Force Sweep when it obtained the warrants. The cou

By RENATA  LAVEIL Amid numerous opinions and criticism on the seemingly ad hoc Rudd-O’Neill Regional Resettlement deal, Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill put out a statement saying “the deal is not set in stone” thereby easing tension surrounding the issue. Questions though, that continually spring up is will Australia stick to the agreement in funding the processing centre and resettlement? And how long will these arrangements be for? Are we prepared to forego some sectors in the budget to assist the Australian Government, PM Kevin Rudd,   in this endeavour? So many questions that need answers, yet the Rudd-O’Neill regime continually answer with either smiles or perceived valour that the “deal is not set in stone”; what will that mean exactly twelve months from now when we have the processing centre filled to or over capacity with asylum seekers demanding asylum in Australia but forced here for processing and possibly resettlement. What happens when come September Australian National elec