Exploring the high hills in the early 1950s. The late Harry West OAM,  war veteran and kiap

CHIPS MACKELLAR

They're all old now, their hair turned white as the years went rolling by,
And with every year that passes now, we see more kiaps die.
Their children scattered far and wide, grand-children further still,
And who will care when the last kiap dies, whose memory will he fill?

Opposition leader Belden Namah - lost a bid to overturn James Marape's prime ministership

BRYAN KRAMER MP
| The Kramer Report

PORT MORESBY – Last Friday, a bench of five judges of Papua New Guinea’s supreme court handed down a unanimous decision dismissing opposition leader Belden Namah’s challenge to the election of James Marape as prime minister on 30 May 2019.

Namah claimed Marape’s election was unconstitutional because the speaker failed to comply with section 114 of the constitution and section 7A of the parliamentary standing orders.

Hon Simon Pentanu is speaker of the Bougainville parliament and a former chief ombudsman of PNG

SIMON PENTANU
| Bougainville News

BUKA - Panguna and its landowners had a mix of these feelings during the time of mining but have not felt this way since the mine was forcibly shut at the end of 1989. That is 31 years ago now.

The ordinary folk up there still wake up to an altered landscape with their women – mothers of the land –still asking what they did to deserve this as they eke out their livelihood from their usable plots of land, mostly on hillsides.

Joseph Nobetau - "The case always meant more than a job to me"

JOSEPH NOBETAU

BUKA - Today in the Papua New Guinea national court, Justice Nicholas Miviri ruled that my termination as chief secretary of the Autonomous Bougainville Government was unconstitutional

I stand vindicated.

It has taken a long time to reach this point: more than 12 months since initiating legal proceedings against the Bougainville executive council and government, who dragged the matter out and delayed proceedings at every opportunity.

Many ex-kiaps maintain a close relationship with PNG. Here Bob Cleland looks out over the Asaro Valley from the Daulo Pass. Bob was instrumental in building this challenging stretch of the Highlands Highway in the early 1950s

PHILIP FITZPATRICK

TUMBY BAY - It began about 10 years ago when a group of ex-kiaps sought to have their services in pre-independent Papua New Guinea formally recognised.

The end result was a reluctant awarding of a Police Overseas Service Medal by the Australian government for those interested in applying for it. It was a fancy piece of tin to keep the old chaps quiet.

The award failed to recognise the kiaps’ primary function as change and development agents and concentrated solely on their police role, which in many cases was minimal.

Boat harbour, Daru (The Guardian)

JOHN GREENSHIELDS

ADELAIDE – I’m reading the fascinating, ‘Too Close to Ignore: Australia’s Borderland with PNG and Indonesia’, by Mark Moran and Jodie Curth-Bibb, recently reviewed by Stephen Howes for DevPolicy Blog.

This whole subject of borderland relations is of increasing importance to both Papua New Guinea and Australia and Howes’ review was republished in PNG Attitude.

BEN JACKSON

NOOSA – The local newspaper where we're staying, Noosa Today, last week ran a piece from someone pushing anachronistic, sexist, mansplaining propaganda which I could not let pass.

In a published response in the same newspaper, I pointed out that we can all agree that no one – man, woman or other – should face discrimination, emotional abuse or physical violence.

Balimo lagoon

JAIVE
| My Amazing Paradise | Edited extract

ON THE ROAD - Balimo is beautiful. The sun rises and sets on the most beautiful lagoon in Papua New Guinea.

It’s created by the floodwaters of the dark, freshwater Aramia River that winds its way down from the highlands of Western Province.

Chinese-flagged fishing boat ( Artyom Ivanov, Tass)

AARON SMITH
| The Guardian | Judith Nielson Institute
| Extract

Link to the full story here

SYDNEY - A $204 million (K527 million) Chinese-built fishery plant planned for a Papua New Guinean island could allow Chinese-backed commercial vessels to fish legally in the Torres Strait.

The plan has raised concerns about unregulated fishing in the same waters, potentially threatening the Australian industry and local PNG fishers.

Exotic red bananas found only in PNG (Sebastien Carpentier)

JON DALY
| Australian Broadcasting Corporation

DARWIN - Scientists are racing to find and save the living ancestors of modern-day, cultivated bananas that grow in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea.

These wild bananas have genes capable of protecting one of the world's most popular fruits from climate change, pests and diseases.

A new book arrives. Man Bilong Buk unravelled the life and work of author Francis Nii (Michael Dom)

PHILIP FITZPATRICK

TUMBY BAY - The Man Booker Prize is the leading literary award in the English speaking world and is conferred annually to the best novel of the year written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.

Speaking at the 2020 Man Booker Prize ceremony in England, former USA president Barack Obama related how he had “always turned to writing to try and make sense of our world, both as a young man trying to navigate the different parts of my life, and as an elected official trying to bridge our divides and find a way for all of us to move forward.”

BERNARD CORDEN
| Edited

BRISBANE - No one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it and the sinister objective of every tyrant is to curtail free speech, crush rebellion and disenfranchise dissidents.

The vision or mission statement of most corporations, which even includes some not for profit organisations, mirrors shareholder theory and it is incongruous with the primary object of preventive occupational health and safety legislation.

Are we about to see a second face-off between James Marape and Peter O'Neill?

TONY CHARLES WATTZ KEROWA
| PNG News | Edited

PORT MORESBY – Why are so many people supporting prime minister James Marape?

It’s because he has revolutionary ideas that will propel this country into economic independence in years to come.

Let me highlight some achievements so far.

Freshwater lagoon of the Aramia River at Balimo

PHIL FITZPATRICK

Brown Girl by the Shore

Dirty old hulk caught in the tide
Sun beating down on her battered side
Remember the days when she ran free
Out through the reef and into the sea

I’ve been up and I’ve been down
Round and round the village and town
Rum in my coffee and sugar in my tea
Or cool, cool water from the coconut tree

Under a wide and green clad bough
Soft deep shade for then and now
Whispering waves lapping the sand
And sleek red fish so easy to hand

Brown girl lazing by the shore
Go to the reef and catch me a fish
A dollar or two, whatever you wish
And we’ll be one for ever more.

BERNARD CORDEN
| Edited

BRISBANE - Australia’s track record covering human rights is rather abysmal and several notable and controversial struggles include the Home Children child migration scheme, Stolen Generations and Wave Hill pastoral workers.

More recently Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Pacific Solution involving the Manus Island and Nauru Island regional processing centres have attracted significant worldwide media attention.

James Marape - "Every MP is entitled to his freedom of opinion and choices"

JAMES MARAPE MP
| Facebook

PORT MORESBY - From the press I receive news of Hon Patrick Pruiatch’s resignation from my cabinet.

May I acknowledge the strong leadership he offered over the time he served with me in the 18 months we were together.

I thank him, his family and his people of Aitape Lumi for his support of me.

PNGRI deputy research director associate professor Eugene Ezebilo

EUGENE EZEBILO
|  PNG National Research Institute | Edited extracts

Link here to read the complete research paper

BOROKO – The paper, ‘Covid-19 pandemic as perceived by residents of informal-built areas segment of Port Moresby’, looks at the Covid-19 pandemic and the response by the Papua New Guinea government as perceived by settlement residents in the national capital.

The research covered settlements at Bush Wara, 8-Mile, Joyce Bay, Kipo, Mautana, Ogoniva, Ranuguri, Talai, Taurama and Vanagi.

Cartoon - polyp.org.uk

CHRIS OVERLAND

ADELAIDE - While I have a lot of sympathy with Bernard Corden’s characterisation of neo-liberal capitalism in his Through Immigrant Eyes series, it is wrong to conceive of this philosophy as some sort of malevolent conspiracy.

Neo-liberalism is, as the name suggests, simply a reconceptualisation of the classic liberalism that prevailed during most of the 19th century and into the early 20th century.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels (Painting by Tom McAulay)

BERNARD CORDEN
| Edited

BRISBANE - Papua New Guinea is Australia’s closest neighbour and during the World War II many of its humble natives were engaged under a military directive to provide assistance for embattled Australian troops along the infamous Kokoda Trail.

This involved supply of ancillary equipment to the frontline offensive and first aid treatment and pastoral care for many sick and wounded Australian soldiers.

PNG's parliament. "Elections are not simply about voting people to parliament to deliver goods and services," writes Patrick Kaiku. "Elected representatives are law-makers"

PATRICK KAIKU

WAIGANI - The events that transpired on the floor of Papua New Guinea’s parliament on Friday 13 November again exposed the deep-seated defects in our politics.

These defects have little to do with the constitution and the system of government.

The instability in PNG’s parliament is behavioural, not institutional.

James Marape. The global coronavirus pandemic has deepened PNG's economic woes (Ekarvilla Keapu)

NATALIE WHITING & MICHAEL WALSH
| Australian Broadcasting Corporation
| PNG Correspondents

PORT MORESBY - A week ago, it looked like Papua New Guinea's prime minister was about to lose his job after a mass revolt — but in a surprise twist, he managed to take control of parliament and suspend it for five months.

A week is a long time in politics, especially in Papua New Guinea. But things are not over yet.

BERNARD CORDEN
| Edited

BRISBANE - During the first quarter of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic reached Australian shores and its devastating consequences spread across the continent like a catastrophic bushfire.

After many decades of rampant unfettered free market fundamentalism, it soon became evident that preventive legislation, superficial social protection mechanisms and deteriorating public health and privatised aged care facilities were disproportionately inadequate and often ineffective.

James Marape - "I am doing my best in one of the toughest times of our nation’s history"

JAMES MARAPE MP
| Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea | Edited

PORT MORESBY - Our country is built on democratic foundations that no politician must break. Our parliament, our executive and our judiciary are three separate arms of governance that operate within its legal mandate, processes and procedures.

What happened on Friday 13 November 2020, in haste and lust for power, broke section 2(1)(a) of the organic law on calling of meetings of parliament.

Gary Juffa - "I am seeing a more intelligent and brilliant young generation rising up"

GARY JUFFA
| Governor of Oro Province

PORT MORESBY - I have to marvel at what seems to be an amazing phenomenon taking shape largely due to the internet and the rapidly evolving technology that makes global education possible almost instantaneously.

People are learning, becoming wiser and more careful about their choices.

Not fast enough, but for sure. It gives me much hope for our country.

BERNARD CORDEN
| Edited

‘In recognising the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute’ - Thurgood Marshall

BRISBANE - Much like most superficial western democracies, the Australian economy is underpinned by a ruthless feudal system of indentured servitude, peonage or serfdom.

More recently, it is fashionably and somewhat deviously referred to as a gig economy, which disguises many sinister neoliberal features that secure and protect the interests of the powerful over the powerless.

BRYAN KRAMER MP
| The Kramer Report | Edited

PORT MORESBY - During the sitting of parliament on Tuesday 17 November, the Marape government tabled and passed the K19.6 billion 2021 budget.

Unlike the usual convention where the treasurer presents the budget and parliament is adjourned for a week to allow the opposition to reply, the 2021 budget was tabled and passed on the same day.

Gary Juffa - "I remained with Marape. There were not enough compelling reasons to change the government"

GARY JUFFA
| Governor of Oro Province

PORT MORESBY - We the elected officials of Papua New Guinea owe it to our people to explain our decisions in parliament where we are mandated to speak for the people and on behalf of their interests.

This is our fundamental responsibility, along with making laws.

Sam Basil - the deputy prime minister, known for setting loyalty aside to seize the main chance, flipped once too often last Friday, and flopped (Photo - Johnny Blades)

JOHNNY BLADES
| Radio New Zealand

AUCKLAND - Papua New Guinea's prime minister has urged the public to not get caught up in the country's political crisis which has ended up in the courts.

Marape's government appears to have staved off a vote of no confidence by quickly passing the budget on Tuesday and adjourning parliament to April.

Bassim Blazey - "Quite a bit going on in Australia -Papua New Guinea relations"

PHILIP FITZPATRICK

TUMBY BAY - Towards the end of October I sent an email to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) asking whether it was possible to get some background on its Papua New Guinea Branch.

The request was mere curiosity on my part but I thought it might be a useful topic for a PNG Attitude article and in particularly its PNG readers.

Eddie Tanago - "ICAC should be set up as a truly independent constitutional body but we are concerned about the loopholes"

EDDIE TANAGO
| Campaign Manager | Act Now!

PORT MORESBY - The passage of the law allowing for the creation of an Independent Commission Against Corruption is an important step forward for Papua New Guinea, but it is too early for any celebrations.

An independent commission is urgently needed to tackle the rampant corruption that is holding back our economy and stopping the delivery of vital health and other services to the people.

CHRIS OVERLAND

ADELAIDE - I think that most of you will agree that 2020 has been the most strange, disruptive and, in many respects, disturbing year of our lives.

This has certainly been the case for me, where two major medical events have occurred leaving me seriously frightened and, for some time, in considerable pain.

Of course, in the wider world, what has happened in my life is of no consequence.

SAMUEL LUCAS KAFUGILI

A puppet is no more than,
human hand in lifeless glove,
A finger cluster in one round hole,
Following one man’s orders.

The canon is filled with puppets,
Mindless but yet power-hungry,
Trapped in a snare of enticement,
Just a limp cloth around someone’s hand.

Empty opposition benches tell the story of a terrible political miscalculation

KEITH JACKSON

NOOSA - Contrary to what Belden Namah’s opposition planned when it rushed to  remote Vanimo to plot the downfall of prime minister Marape last Friday, its failure to grasp the nuances of parliamentary procedure were disastrous.

The opposition and defectors sat stranded in Vanimo unaware that Papua New Guinea’s parliament had not been effectively adjourned.

So when parliament resumed yesterday under Marape's control, it passed the budget and adjourned to 20 April next year - five months away - with the opposition benches largely vacant.

Ishmael Toroama and United States ambassador to PNG, Erin Elizabeth McKee

ANTHONY KAYBING
| Office of the Bougainville President

BUKA - The Autonomous Bougainville Government says it is making headway part way in its first 100 days in office with progress in the economic and development sectors as well as in its relations with the Marape government.

President Ishmael Toroama’s overarching theme over this period has been ‘Innovation and Change’ with a strong focus on raising revenue and steadying the government’s course ready for post-referendum consultations with the national government.

James Marape - "I’m surrounded by a group of leaders who want to do the right thing for the country"

PACIFIC MEDIA CENTRE NEWSDESK
| FM100 | PNG Post-Courier | Edited

AUCKLAND - Prime Minister James Marape says his executive is still in control for the next three weeks for doing state business, passing the budget and to serve the people of Papua New Guinea.

In spite of the defection by rebel members of his majority last Friday and a vote to suspend parliament until next month, Speaker Job Pomat says the motion by opposition leader Belden Namah is “not right”, reports FM100 News.

Shipments of many books to PNG, including some of great importance, are being delayed because of thefts from the postal service

PHILIP FITZPATRICK

TUMBY BAY - Amazon in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom and Amazon’s other international outlets say they won't ship to Papua New Guinea because too many orders go missing.

PNG is among a number of countries that Amazon won't ship to because of this problem.

Publicly Amazon says this is related to Covid-19, but when you question the company about individual shipments it admits the real problem is the loss or theft of shipments.

MICHAEL DOM
| Ples Singsing Masterminds

“The Ples Singsing blog is created to encourage and facilitate this process to “re-thing and reclaim” our own stories, poetry and drama. Here we may interact with each other through our writing, in literature which expresses what it means to us to be Papua Niuginian” – Michael Dom in 'Re-thing and reclaim our own approaches to express our story'

LAE - As part of our aim for Ples Singsing to be a place for Papua Niuginian creativity we want to welcome all writers to participate in presenting their thoughts and opinions about aspects of our society, economy, politics and culture.

We encourage open expression provided that this is done in a constructive spirit and displays respect and due consideration.

James Marape - "A Huli doesn’t surrender in a fight, you have to kill me on the battlefield and I will die with dignity"

KEITH JACKSON

NOOSA – Papua New Guinea’s prime minister James Marape has arisen with fire in his belly this Monday morning.

A short time ago he issued a short and pugnacious Facebook message to members of parliament who are plotting to overthrow his government.

The plotters are reportedly led by former prime minister Peter O’Neill and his former deputy Belden Namah.

PHILIP FITZPATRICK

TUMBY BAY - Silence has always been recognised as complicity. Failing to speak out when something bad is happening is often interpreted as endorsement, especially by the people perpetuating the badness.

A cowed and silent population is the ultimate aim of despots who use the repression of its citizens’ right to a free voice as a political weapon.

Liam Fox meets Noah Musingku in 2010 (ABC News)

LIAM FOX
| Australian Broadcasting Corporation

SYDNEY - Noah Musingku turns to an ancient PC that looks like it stopped working years ago, taps away on the keyboard seriously for a few seconds, then looks up and says: "You're a millionaire, Gorethy!"

"Your account has $2 million in it. Just send me your bank account details and we'll send the money to you," Musingku says.

JAMES MARAPE

PORT MORESBY - As Sabbath descends, I am at peace.

All things happen for a reason in its season. To all the people of Papua New Guinea, don’t be uptight of what happened today when some of my colleagues decided to leave my government.

They are elected leaders, what they did today is within their rights so I ask our people to respect the work of our parliamentary democracy.

James Marape

KEITH JACKSON

NOOSA – It became clear yesterday that prime minister James Marape was not going to easily relinquish his office, nor Papua New Guinea’s government, to the Belden-O’Neill syndicate which had been conspiring for some months to seize the reins and the treasury.

In a telling revelation on his Kramer Report blog, police minister Bryan Kramer stated:

“Behind the scenes, I have been tracking the likes of Sam Basil, William Duma, Charles Abel, Sir Puka Temu, Sir Julius Chan, Paias Wingti and Chris Haiveta, expecting them to make a play for a change of prime minister.

“I was very much aware that Basil was in secret talks with O’Neill and Namah, who were so desperate to change government they would mislead Basil into crossing the floor. Basil believes he will be the next prime minister, so does Sir Julius Chan and O’Neill.”

CORNEY KOROKAN ALONE

PORT MORESBY – Papua New Guinea’s prime minister, James Marape, consolidated his political capital with 52 MPs and urged calm to Papua New Guineans, the business community, international friends, supporters and political observers in a press conference on Friday.

He warned against corporate lobbyism by mineral resource developers peddling money bags as part of their questionable pursuits. You can link here to his full press conference.

I want to tell you what we, most Papua New Guineans, know and feel.

Kramer says James Marape has great public support that will only build over time because the people of Papua New Guinea are sick of corruption, self-interest and greed (Kramer Report)

BRYAN KRAMER
| Kramer Report

PORT MORESBY – On Friday, deputy prime minister Sam Basil and 12 other ministers in Papua New Guinea’s government crossed the floor to support former prime minister Peter O’Neill and opposition leader Belden Namah’s bid to move a vote of no confidence against prime minister James Marape.

A total of 41 members from the government side crossed to join Namah and O’Neill and provide them the 57 votes required (majority is 56) to take control of parliamentary business and change the Permanent Parliament Committee members to ensure their planned notice of a no confidence vote makes its way to the floor of parliament.

KEITH JACKSON

NOOSA – Rumour transitioned into reality yesterday when the Papua New Guinea opposition under Belden Namah seemed to have mustered enough MPs to command the Haus Tambaran.

A procedural vote showed the opposition with a bare majority of 57 members of parliament – but enough to squeeze prime minister Marape out of office.

Author Daniel Kumbon and Enga bigman Paul Kurai Kiap atop their highlands province

PHILIP FITZPATRICK

Victory Song of Pingeta’s Daughter by Daniel Kumbon, Independently Published, 2020, 406 pages, colour illustrations, ISBN: 9798562831323. Available from Amazon Australia, AU$74.65 plus AU$3.90 postage (in Australia)

TUMBY BAY - In 1934, at a place called Tole in what is now Enga Province, a man named Pingeta took up his spear and charged down a hill towards the camp of explorer and prospector Michael Leahy and his brother Daniel.

What prompted Pingeta’s action remains unclear. Some people believe that he wanted to launch an attack on the prospectors’ camp to pillage it while other people believe Pingeta was enraged by the apparent invasion of his lands by white men.

The election of Biden and Harris is seen as a beacon of hope by many governments in the Pacific islands

WESLEY MORGAN
| Griffith Asia Insights

BRISBANE - Fiji’s prime minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, was the first  to congratulate Joe Biden on his election as president of the United States.

There was little doubt what he wanted from the next leader of the free world. “Together, we have a planet to save from a climate emergency”, he tweeted.

Belden Namah (left) seems to have wrecked James Marape's leadership in a massive movement of MPs against his leadership

KEITH JACKSON

UPDATE

In a parliamentary vote today on a non-substantive matter, 57 Opposition members voted together (56 being a majority) while 39 voted with PM Marape although he claims to have 52 who support him. 

NOOSA – Papua New Guinea once again stands on the edge of massive political upheaval as a huge number of ministers and other politicians have indicated they will cross the floor in a vote of no confidence in James Marape.

The nine minister expected to defect from the government to join the Belden Namah led putsch include Basil, Pruaitch, Thatchenko and Parkop.

Other prominent politicians who say they will do the same include Juffa, Tom, Bird, Kramer, Wingti, Davis, Wong, Duma and Kuman.

Lieutenant Commander Pryce-Jones of the Naval Intelligence Division responsible for Coastwatcher operations, presents the Loyal Services Medal to Sergeant Yauwiga,  Guadalcanal, October 1943

KEITH JACKSON

With thanks to Joe Herman in the USA who suggested this story to mark US Veterans Day in which we pay tribute to all Papua New Guineans who have served in war and those from other countries who have fought in PNG. This article is based on writings by Steven Winduo, Steve Rusbridge, Phil Fitzpatrick, Dennis Burns, the Australian War Memorial and the PNG Post-Courier.

NOOSA – When Paul Yauwiga Wankunale, known as Yauwiga, from Kusaun village in the Kubalia area of the East Sepik Province came into view, he immediately presented himself as an unusual man.

“He was the only famous Papua New Guinean fuzzy wuzzy angel with a blue eye,” wrote academic and author Steven Winduo.

Joe Biden - hope that his victory will boost action on climate change

KOROI HAWKINS
| Radio New Zealand Pacific

AUCKLAND - Congratulatory messages continue to pour in from Pacific leaders to the US president-elect Joe Biden but what does the change of the guard in Washington DC really mean for the Pacific?

RNZ Pacific spoke with some political experts and commentators around the region about the potential impacts of the upcoming presidency.