Gov Naru, I challenge you to have me arrested as a terrorist
29 July 2016
CAPTAIN JAMES MAKOP | PNG Blogs
IT IS with dismay that I read that Kelly Naru had abused parliamentary privilege by labelling concerned professional Papua New Guineans as domestic terrorists.
We, the citizens of Papua New Guinea, have given you a mandate for five years to represent us, not yourselves, in parliament.
How it turned into a total abuse of power and deliberately misconstruing the constitution to justify politicians' criminal acts while turning it against us, the true owners of power, is absolutely condemnable in the strongest possible terms.
Are intellectuals who are able to discern right from wrong now terrorists because they took conscionable action against what is clearly a disregard for the rule of law and the systematic disassembling of democratic institutions by the prime minister?
We are talking about professionals in the fields of medicine, engineering, aviation, electronics, marine and aviation among others.
Personally I have never had a criminal record and my professional resume speaks for itself. I fought against the inequities of entrenched expatriate management when I was in Air Niugini.
I was captain of a Fokker-28 aircraft at the age of 26, went on to the Airbus A310 before leaving the country to go abroad.
I was the first Papua New Guinean to fly the Boeing B777 with Emirates Airlines, one of the most iconic airlines in the world.
I was also the first Papua New Guinean to fly a Boeing B747-400 jumbo jet. My countrymen have earned the distinction of flying aircraft such as the Airbus A380, the largest civilian aircraft in the world.
We all share the same concern as other Papua New Guineans who are alarmed at the lack of accountability that seems to be the hallmark of the present political leadership.
If speaking up and protesting against a prime minister who will not subject himself to the rule of law is against the constitution and an act of domestic terrorism, then I volunteer to be the first one arrested.
Mr Naru, I am arriving home from China today.
I challenge you to personally go to Jackson International Airport and press the appropriate charges and have me arrested.
Otherwise I suggest you practice what you preach and refrain from using your knowledge of the law to justify the wrongs which seem to be the norm now.
Tomorrow in PNG Attitude: Constitutional lawyer Dr Anthony Deklin writes on how Kelly Naru (and others) display ignorance of PNG law
Corney, I believe Captain Makop is not trying to dictate anything here. He is simply trying to get Governor Naru to rethink his legal interpretation as a lawyer.
We cannot blatantly label people as terrorist for their freedom of speech or their expression of constitutional rights in a democracy. The learned man who is the Governor of Morobe should know better.
Posted by: Paul Waugla Wii | 02 August 2016 at 08:05 PM
Hi Corney,
You should listen to Everybody Knows, by Leonard Cohen. It has a great line........" Everybody knows the boat is leaking, everybody knows the Captain lied"
Posted by: Bernard Corden | 29 July 2016 at 04:59 PM
Captain Makop can become a lawyer and/or politician any time he chooses. Can Kelly Naru fly a Boeing B777 and/or Boeing B747-400 jumbo jet anytime he chooses? I doubt it very much.
Posted by: Marcus Mapen | 29 July 2016 at 01:52 PM
Comey's arrogance is akin with that of Peter O'Neill.
Posted by: William Dunlop | 29 July 2016 at 12:26 PM
Thank you Captain Makop!
I don't condone the lawlessness that followed after the students strikes however I do agree your sentiments shared.
I completely disagree with the label "domestic terrorists". How about the law enforcers opening fire on the unarmed students? What of them?
Lack of accountability and avoiding the truth calling the kettle black seem to be the hallmarks of the present political leadership.
Posted by: Samantha Kiene | 29 July 2016 at 11:34 AM
My nephew is doing third year medicine at 3 Mile, the Taurama Medical School of the UPNG in Port Moresby.
I asked him, " Son I am going to be with the UPNG students today for the presentation of the petition calling the PM to step aside and be investigated, are you coming?".
He said, "I am a going to be a doctor, my place of work is in the hospital."
I told him, "Good on you, you can be erudite, be good at that, but remember, the laws, the rules of your procedures and standards and the money you need for your work and livelihood will be the work of art of some greedy, selfish,arrogant and pretty narrow minded leader.
"Would you like that kind of leader to shape your life, dreams and aspirations?
Thank you, Captain James Makop and your team.
In Naru's legal interpretation, I am also a domestic terrorist. I refuse to accept that.
Posted by: Emmanuel Peni | 29 July 2016 at 10:25 AM
The vantage point that your professional accomplishments grants doesn't mandate you and your ilk to dictate what must be done and must not be done.
Yours is a different space with its own set of protocols, standards and organisational/industry guidelines.
Just because you and other professionals are successful in what you chose to do, doesn't qualify your views to be transferable to every nook and cranny of PNG in general. Such is a truncated thinking.
Governor Kelly Naru was elected to do what he is doing. That is his domain and is time bound. He speaks for and represents the not so many other citizens of this country who aren't clamoring for attention.
It's almost time, the wishes, desires and aspirations of every man and his dog in this domain will open for takers of all stripes.
Therefore, take a humble pie and be patient.
You are not speaking for all professionals....and peasants of course who are rightly contributing their share in the ship we call Papua New Guinea.
Posted by: Corney Korokan Alone | 29 July 2016 at 08:38 AM