Racism: A Sticky Issue In Australia – PNG Relations


By: Sekinolo Sawala 

Australia’s relationship with Papua New Guinea continues to be tainted by racism inherent in Australia's predominantly  European society. In many respects, Australia has its doors closed on Papua New Guinea, be it in politics, economics, business, or in social and cultural domains such as sports. 

Australia treats PNG at a different level of cooperation characterized by racially discriminatory attitudes, which is very unbecoming of regional power. It is pretty difficult for a PNG native to enter Australia and access its goods and services which other Pacific Islanders can do with ease. 

Some examples of incidents that come to mind are; 

Papua New Guineans are not at all considered for taking up citizenship in Australia. In other words, PNG remains the least considered country by Australia for awarding citizenship. 

In 2022, there were only 2 native Papua New Guineans, apart from a mixed parentage, playing first-grade rugby in the NRL despite the fact that PNG has a feeder club in Hunters to NRL. On the other hand, other Pacific Islanders are recruited in big numbers, although they don't have a feeder club like PNG does. 

We can give Australians visas on arrival yet they cannot reciprocate. Visa processing for PNG is done in another foreign country away from PNG despite the fact that Australia has the biggest embassy in PNG. Currently, the Australian embassy in Fiji serves visas for  PNG citizens traveling to Australia.

We contribute a small number of Seasonal Workers yet under strict conditions whereas other Pacific Islanders are recruited in big numbers minus the restrictions applied on PNG citizens. 

Business Conferences for PNG Businesses are conducted in Australia rather than in PNG exploiting and depriving PNG of much-needed income created from such events. 

Almost 50 years of Australia’s Aid has seen little or no impact on the development prospects for PNG as the boomerang aid money continues to be systematically channeled back to Australia. 

The downsizing of PNG's army from 5,000 strong force to less than 2,000 and the subsequent destruction of high-powered arms in the PNGDF armory by Australia is a clear act of strategic denial employed to make PNG become militarily incapacitated and vulnerable in terms of its strategic and geopolitical position in the region. 

The incident which involved the undressing of Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare at Brisbane Airport in 2012 by Security Personnel upon suspicion that he was smuggling contraband or illicit goods was a calculated diplomatic attack that PNG has downplayed to this day. It goes down in the history books as a serious and disrespectful diplomatic plunder in which Australia has violated protocols and the principles of international relations by treating a country's Prime Minister as a common criminal and a wanted terrorist suspect. The Australians searched and found nothing on Sir Michael Somare. 

Sir Michael Somare is an influential and pioneer politician and leader not only in PNG but in the region as well.  

Australia continues to infiltrate and spy on PNG's information systems with their spooks working as technical advisors hooking up their computer networks and espionage devices in key agencies like the Defense Force, Police Force, NIO, Finance and Treasury departments, Central Bank of Papua New Guinea, Prime Minister’s Office and including the Parliament Haus.

But the above reasons are not what triggers me to write this commentary. What prompted me is Australia’s blockade to deny PNG access to its online internet services, which is described below.  

Powerball is a USA-based Online Lottery that can be played by anyone anywhere in the world. The lottery company has branches in many countries such as the UK, Canada, Australia, Russia, and China as it reaches out to clients. They make it accessible to punters and gamblers worldwide irrespective of where you are located. 

The point is that Powerball Australia cannot be accessed by Papua New Guineans because it has been restricted or blocked off from PNG users whilst the same Powerball California or Lottery Russia or Powerball China or Lottery UK can be easily accessed by Papua New Guineans. Many people in Papua New Guinea play this Online Lottery and I am one of them. I have tried many times to access Powerball Australia but I cannot access it so I instead access Powerball in one of the American states like California or Powerball UK to play. You try to access it right now and the internet site will deny you access. Then you try other countries like the USA or UK, or Russia and China, and you will be surprised to realize how easy it is to have internet access in other developed worlds but not Australia.

How long will these discriminatory and racist practices continue to flourish in Australia when the world has abandoned RACISM and NEO-COLONIALISM and moved on. Australia has to get out of the box and wake up to the realities of the international community and the multipolar world. 

With the availability of unrestricted high-speed communications products around the world such as the use of the internet online highway, the world can be reached within seconds with the aid of the latest technologies. 

In Papua New Guinea, despite our underdeveloped society and infrastructure, already in the area of communications, we are on par with the rest of the developed world. Currently, PNG is using a 5G network. Thanks to the Irish company called Digicel. Efforts are being put into making PNG accessible to 6-G networks as well despite the fact that the Australians bought off Digicel PNG to block off China's growing influence. 

PNG Government must make critical foreign policy decisions to shift and realign our position to one that posters enhanced relations on a level playing field with friendlier countries such as Japan, China, Russia and those in the continents of Europe, South America, the Arab world, and Southeast Asia. 

The days of neocolonialism and racism are long gone and Australia should not be given a space in Papua New Guinea’s sphere of operation and bilateral relations. 

As a matter of fact, universal development and modernization aspirations are not guaranteed outcomes of international relations. Every global citizen knows well that we live in a hostile and competitive world characterized by rivalry and the quest for dominance over wealth, resources, and power. 

However, despite the competitive and insecure nature of the world we live in, countries must do their utmost best to uphold the noble principles of International Law and the Protocols of the United Nations Charter on foreign diplomatic relations.

Australia must regard Papua New Guinea’s integrity as an independent sovereign country with a strategic position in the region. 

Therefore, if both countries fail to address these sticky issues inherent in the Australian culture and society promptly, it will remain unhealthy for our bilateral relations. 

Sadly, the irony is that Australia accumulates so much wealth and resources from PNG through its companies and citizens conducting business in PNG to keep its economy afloat, yet their treatment to PNG in return is deplorable and unbecoming of a regional power. 


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