EMMA BUBOLA
| New York Times | Extracts
Link here to read the complete article
The PNG government has tried for many years - so far unsuccessfully - to rid the country of sorcery-related violence, which mainly targets women (Ann Braun)
PORT MORESBY & VANIMO - In Papua New Guinea, when a sudden death, illness or other tragic event hits a community, alleged culprits are sometimes identified by a person nicknamed the glass man.
He does so by burning a bamboo stick and interpreting the direction of the smoke. Multiple people can be accused and rounded up simultaneously.
Continue reading "Tortured & killed. Their crime? ‘Sorcery’" »
EDDIE TANAGO
| Act Now

PORT MORESBY - A new report calls for urgent action by Papua New Guinea and overseas authorities to address long standing issue related to illegal logging, human rights abuses and environmental harm.
The report, published by community advocacy organisation Act Now and the Jubilee Australia Research Centre, focuses on Forest Clearing Authorities (FCAs), a type of logging licence.
Continue reading "Report: Action needed on logs scandal" »
EDDIE TANAGO
| Act Now!
The government needs to ensure assure that millions of dollars
given to MPs are used for legitimate projects, not stolen
for personal use (Bing AI generated image)
PORT MORESBY – We at Act Now welcome the Papua New Guinea government’s announcement of extra funding for the Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) to allow the physical inspection of district projects funded under the Service Improvement Program.
Physical inspections will assure the government that the multi-million dollars handed out to PNG's members of parliament are used for legitimate projects and not diverted for personal use.
Continue reading "Funding to MPs is not accounted for" »
KEITH JACKSON
Illegal logging of old growth forests is too often accompanied by dirty law cases against people trying to do the right thing (Bing AI Image Creator)
NOOSA - A criminal charge of identity theft against the heroic Act Now campaign manager Eddie Tanago has been struck out by magistrate Paul Puri Nii in the district court at Waigani.
Eddie is one of Papua New Guinea’s prominent civil society advocates, a man of courage and integrity, who has been hounded by corrupt public servants as he tries to protect PNG’s forests against criminal loggers.
Continue reading "Tanago beats cynical cybercrime charge" »
DDA WATCH
| A branch of the Act Now! civic advocacy group

PORT MORESBY – The new corruption perceptions index (CPI) figures, released on 11 February by Transparency International, highlight Papua New Guinea’s failure to deal with widespread corruption.
PNG is classified as having a ‘high perceived risk of corruption’ which has shown ‘no meaningful progress’ in anti-corruption efforts. It is the worst ranked country in the Pacific Islands region and ranks 127th out of 180 countries globally.
Continue reading "Poor district governance aids corruption" »
EDDIE TANAGO
| Act Now!
At an ACT NOW! media conference Eddie Tanago (left) talks with Paul Barker of the PNG Institute of National Affairs
PORT MORESBY - Transparency International recently released its 2024 Corruption Perception Index revealing that Papua New Guinea is still languishing in 127th place out of 180 countries with a CPI score of 31 out of 100, the worst in the Pacific region.
At least in part, this abysmal result reflects PNG’s complete failure to tackle widespread forest crime, despite the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption and repeated promises from the government.
Continue reading "50 years of failing to deal with forest crime" »
KEITH JACKSON
Image by Reporters Without Borders (RCF)
NOOSA - In 2024, Act Now, one of Papua New Guinea’s few community-based advocacy organisations, was subjected to no less than three pernicious SLAPP lawsuits instigated by a Malaysian logging company.
SLAPPs (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) are used by politicians, public officials, big companies and wealthy individuals to intimidate and harass journalists, campaigners and human rights defenders.
Continue reading "Help fight Malaysian logger's grubby tactics" »
KEITH JACKSON
| Generated with AI assistance from Claude

NBC's Steven Mase (right) interviews Eddie Tanago (Act Now)
NOOSA - Eddie Tanago, the prominent campaign manager of the Act Now public advocacy organisation, has been charged by Papua New Guinea police under the Cybercrime Code Act.
It is alleged that Tanago published defamatory remarks on social media in an article about the managing director of the PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA).
Continue reading "Cybercrime? Advocacy leader is charged" »
EDDIE TANAGO PAINE
| Act Now

PORT MORESBY - A concerning analysis by community advocacy group Act Now has revealed that almost all District Development Authorities (DDAs) in Papua New Guinea are failing to make crucial information available thereby hindering governance, accountability and service delivery.
Despite each District receiving K20 million annually for service and infrastructure improvements, as of July 2024 the analysis reveals that, of 96 DDA’s across the country:
Continue reading "District funding: K1.9 bn unaccounted for" »
HUBERT NAMANI
| President, PNG Law Society

PORT MORESBY - The escalating lawlessness and violence in Enga Province, as well as other hotspots across the country, has reached an unprecedented and dangerous level.
It is now critical that the government exercises its constitutional authority under Section 204 of the Constitution to issue a call-out of the PNG Defence Force in aid of the civil power.
Continue reading "PNG ‘on brink of anarchy’: Law Society" »
MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad
The kaikai mahn are integral to political corruption in PNG (Image by Transparency International)
PORT MORESBY – A while ago I asked followers of Academia Nomad on Facebook what they call ‘kaikai mahn’ in their language.
I received a long list of local names attributed to kaikai mahn. Just shows how popular the kaikai mahn community is.
Continue reading "Kaikai mahn: PNG’s predator attorneys" »
GOVERNOR ALLAN BIRD
| Academia Nomad
Boram General Hospital
WEWAK - First of all, let me acknowledge that the National Capital District, Gulf and Central Provinces need level 5 hospitals and they should get them.
This will take pressure off Port Moresby General, which is full of patients mostly from Central and Gulf provinces.
Continue reading "Just how much should a hospital cost?" »
EDDIE TANAGO
| Act Now!
PORT MORESBY - Prime Minister James Marape spoke of the importance of preserving Papua New Guinea’s tropical rainforest in his address to the United Nations General Assembly last Friday
Yet his government is doing nothing to stop widespread illegal logging, in particular the abuse of agricultural clearing licences.
Marape has described PNG’s rainforests as vital to PNG and to the global community.
Continue reading "Marape must stop illegal logging" »
EDDIE TANAGO
| Act Now!

PORT MORESBY - While the Papua New Guinea government has been dramatically increasing the amount of funding pumped directly into each District, there is an appalling lack of transparency about how those public funds are being used.
An analysis by community advocacy group Act Now reveals that just 24 of 96 Districts have lodged financial acquittals for 2022 or 2023 and none of those acquittals are publicly available.
Continue reading "Hundreds of millions of kina go missing " »

PORT MORESBY - Community advocacy group Act Now! says a new logging operation in Milne Bay Province could be yet another example of a bogus agriculture project being used as cover for a large-scale forest grab.
The new logging operation began on Sideia Island earlier this year as part of the Loani Bwanabwana Integrated Agro-Forestry Project.
Continue reading "Yet another bogus agriculture project" »
MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad
PORT MORESBY - Reports of criminals being paid K300,000 for the release of hostages is troubling, but not a surprise. In Papua New Guinea, we pay for everything.
Our politicians bribe electoral officials to win elections. Prime ministerial candidates pay other politicians to join various camps to form government. When prime ministers underperform, they pay other politicians to keep them in power.
Continue reading "PNG: How a transactional society works" »
MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad
Publicly criticising the judiciary is usually a bad idea.
(Bing image inspiration created by by AI)
PORT MORESBY – The recent arrest and refusal of bail for social activist and political commentator Samson Komati arrest is reminiscent of Bryan Kramer’s arrest before he became an MP. Bryan was an activist and a prolific social media commentator on politics and related matters.
Under two prime ministers, Papua New Guinea has become a place where social media activists are arrested and jailed.
Continue reading "Cautious notes for social media activists" »
EDDIE TANAGO
| Campaign Manager, Act Now!

PORT MORESBY – The community advocacy group, Act Now, has urged the Papua New Guinea government to stop the ongoing abuse of agricultural clearing permits being used as a cover for large-scale logging.
Forest Clearing Authorities are routinely misused to facilitate large-scale illegal and unsustainable logging.
Continue reading "Govt must act on forest clearing abuse" »
MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad
After the cyclone the flood (Generated with AI, 1 April 2024 0804 am)
PORT MORESBY – The history of disaster response in Papua New Guinea is fraught with delays, inefficiency and corruption.
Under the Public Finance Management Act, tendering processes are suspended when a disaster is declared to ensure the response is faster. And this opens the door to corruption. How?
Continue reading "PNG’s disappointing disaster response" »
ANTHONY WAGAMBIE JNR
| Academia Nomad

Anthony Wagambie Jnr is well known as a corruption fighter and one of the most respected police officers in Papua New Guinea. Following the 10 January riots he was one of a number of senior police officers who were demoted and transferred, in his case from the Port Moresby to Bougainville as Deputy Commander. There was an immediate wave of support for Wagambie throughout the country. In response Wagambie wrote this reflection on his commitment to policing....
__________
BUKA - I grew up as a son of a police officer. I am the first born son of Anthony Wagambie Snr. He was then an Inspector of Police based in Lae and my mum, Mrs Elizabeth Wagambie nee Saun was a paediatric nurse at Angau Hospital.
Continue reading "No matter what, I’ll always be a Blue Angel" »
ALLAN BIRD
| Facebook | Academia Nomad
The police hierarchy warn possible prime minister Allan Bird of death threats even as they move his trusted police commander to a distant post (Facebook)
Allan Bird has been nominated to succeed prime minister James Marape in a forthcoming vote of no confidence
WEWAK - Am I desperate to be prime minister of Papua New Guinea? Short answer is no. But someone needs to step up and seriously address the issues which are destroying our country. Those problems will not fix themselves.
Since my nomination, I have been advised by a deputy police commissioner that my life is under threat and the police are monitoring the situation.
Continue reading "Death threats against alternate PM Bird" »
GOVERNOR ALLAN BIRD
| Thanks to Academia Nomad
Timely reminder to the Australian people about where their aid money goes: PNG prime minister James Marape addresses the Australian parliament this week sporting a K340,000 ($US90,000) Audemarc Piguet wristwatch
WEWAK - I will not be the lookout, standing guard while the riches of Papua New Guinea are plundered. My conscience will not allow it.
I remained in government hoping that this government would solve our cost of living crisis, our power crisis, our FX [foreign exchange] crisis, our law and order crisis and our employment crisis.
Continue reading "Bird quits govt to ‘preserve my dignity’" »
PAEOPE OVASURU
Sad Wednesday [Bing Image Inspiration Feed]
PORT MORESBY - Last Wednesday the tenth of January started off like any other day in Port Moresby.
As the sun rose, workers made their way from home and street vendors put their goods on display.
At Gordons market, the mothers from Brown River accompanied truckloads of fresh garden produce. Outside, the usual crowd of loiterers went about their business, whatever that was.
Continue reading "A lost, desperate & leaderless people" »
KELA KAPKORA SIL BOLKIN

PORT MORESBY - As a child growing up in the mountains of Simbu, mourning and burial rites were special occasions regardless of the status of the dead person.
After the funeral, the widow of the dead man and her children could live normal lives and continue to use the land and assets of the deceased.
Continue reading "The unfortunate corruption of the haus krai" »
ARIANNE KASSMAN
| CEO, Transparency International PNG

PORT MORESBY - As the end of 2023 settles, it’s time to turn the page and raise the sails of anticipation for the year ahead.
But before embarking on a new year, we should take a moment to reflect on our small wins and learnings that propelled us through a season of collaboration, advocacy and unwavering momentum.
Continue reading "Transparency's season of collaboration" »
KEITH JACKSON

NOOSA, QLD - On Tuesday 31 October, an unusual full page advertisement appeared. It advised of the reinstatement of Alfred Rungol to his job as a divisional general manager of Papua New Guinea’s Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA).
Rungol’s responsibilities include CCDA’s international negotiation and reporting obligations as well as the measurement and verification of PNG’s climate change efforts. That’s quite a role in a country with an economy that is so resource-dependent.
Continue reading "The saga of climate expert Alfred Rungol" »
Sir Gibbs Salika GCL KBE CSM OBE (Supreme Court of PNG)
MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad
PORT MORESBY - Are the District Development Act (DDA Act) and the Kumul Consolidated Limited Act (KCL Act) unconstitutional?
At the recent national development forum organised by the Consultation, Implementation, Monitoring & Implementation Council, Papua New Guinea’s chief justice, Sir Gibbs Salika, called both acts “bad laws.”
Continue reading "‘They’re bad’: Justice slams big-money laws" »
Photo-illustration by Bing.com
NEWS DESK
| Act Now
PORT MORESBY - The unlawful use of forest clearing authorities as a cover for illegal large-scale logging by foreign-owned companies in PNG has been further exposed in a new report from by Act Now!
The report focuses on the Mengen agriculture project in East New Britain Province and reveals how Malaysian logging company, KK Connections, committed to establish forest plantation and agriculture projects if it was given a forest clearing authority (FCA).
Continue reading "Permits are abused in illegal logging scams" »
NEWS DESK
| Act Now
PORT MORESBY - A new Timber Legality Risk Assessment published by civil society organisation Act Now concludes that there is a very high risk that almost all logging occurring in natural forest areas in Papua New Guinea is illegal.
The assessment is based on a comprehensive review of all the available literature, including reports of official government inquiries, court cases, international organisations and civil society groups.
Continue reading "Report says that almost all logging is illegal" »
MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

WAIGANI - While many people have celebrated Paul Paraka's recent 20-year gaol sentence, a crucial aspect remains overlooked: there’s no K162 million in Paraka’s bank accounts. Nor is the K162 million he stole accounted for in any bank.
Continue reading "The Unexplained Wealth Act & Paul Paraka" »
KEITH JACKSON
Panguna copper and gold mine, 2021 - the end of the rainbow for Australian (and the world's) con artists
NOOSA - Bougainville president Ishmael Toroama has firmly stated his government will not allow foreign investors on Bougainville to breach its laws to exploit its people and resources.
Toroama made the statement after the Bougainville Executive Council decided to refuse two mineral license applications from the Paruparu Joint Venture, a partnership between Wyndale Holdings and local company Karatapo Resources.
Continue reading "Toroama - ‘We're onto these Aussie conmen'" »
TONY DEGEN

The plantation homestead before and its demolition by villagers angry at the PNG government's land use practices
MADANG – I’m an investor in the Papua New Guinean agricultural and livestock industry and purchased a state agricultural lease on the north coast near Madang.
By August last year, I had paid all the required fees and charges like stamp duty and assured myself that the title was clear.
Continue reading "The very risky business of investing in PNG" »
GENEVIEVE BENN & BIANCA SCHMIDT

SYDNEY – A program to minimise the impacts of gun violence and spread of illicit weapons in Papua New Guinea has been established by Macquarie University in conjunction with Armed Incident Management (AIM).
We are reaching out in hopes that people will want to work with us on this issue and aid us in tackling the injustice which gun violence and illicit arms causes in PNG.
Continue reading "Minimising the curse of gun violence in PNG" »
MICHAEL TAM
"Papua New Guinea needs brave men and women with clever minds and loud voices to rise
against the few who are corrupting our government and sucking our people’s money"
PARI - Shamefully, the US-PNG Defence Cooperation Agreement was signed by PNG defence minister Win Bakri Daki and US secretary of state Anthony Blinken at APEC Haus on 22 May.
This was despite nationwide protests urging prime minister PM Marape to both sack former foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko and not sign the security pact.
The Marape government never respects the people of PNG.
Continue reading "We're your hope, we're not primitive animals" »
GRANT W WALTON AND SINCLAIR DINNEN

‘Papua New Guinea: Government, Economy and Society’ by Stephen Howes & Lekshmi N Pillai (eds), ANU Press, 2022. Link here to all content in the book including chapters, contributors, citations and figures and tables. This extract is from Chapter 4 ‘Crime and Corruption’ by Grant W Walton and Sinclair Dinnen
CANBERRA - Many people consider that corruption in Papua New Guinea is a key threat to social and economic development.
Continue reading "Corruption response is ‘wholly inadequate’" »
GRANT W WALTON & SINCLAIR DINNEN

‘Papua New Guinea: Government, Economy and Society’ by Stephen Howes & Lekshmi N Pillai (eds), ANU Press, 2022. Link here to all content in the book including chapters, contributors, citations and figures and tables. This extract is from Chapter 4 ‘Crime and Corruption’ by Grant W Walton and Sinclair Dinnen
CANBERRA - For outsiders as well as many citizens, crime and corruption are viewed as significantly curtailing the fulfilment of Papua New Guinea’s development goals.
Continue reading "Law, order, crime & moral panic in PNG" »

'We Must Put The People First'
DANNY ANDREW
KANDEP - In recent mass media news reports in Papua New Guinea, concerns have been raised by senior officials in various government agencies that governance systems are failing.
This is serious enough in itself but especially bad for PNG as a developing nation seeking to achieve its developmental goals as enshrined in Vision 2050.
Continue reading "PNG must put the people first, not last" »
A plan is hatched (not in the public interest)
KEITH JACKSON
NOOSA - Despite its rich and extensive natural resource base, which should make the task of national development, Papua New Guinea has been steadily dragged down over the last 30 years by a toxic blend of volatile politics and entrenched corruption.
A complex political situation intensified by corruption, cronyism and fluctuating strategic alliances have significantly hindered economic progress and contributed to societal challenges.
Continue reading "Bad, sad, quite mad & rapidly getting worse" »
'Kramer Out' says the Post-Courier. 'Not so fast' says the corruption-fighting minister dismissed by a Leadership Tribunal
BRYAN KRAMER
| Facebook
Thanks to Phil Fitzpatrick whose scouring of social media revealed what he termed Bryan Kramer's “defiant response” to judge Lawrence Kangwia and senior magistrates Edward Komia and Josephine Nidue, sitting as the Leadership Tribunal which last week dismissed Kramer as a minister and parliamentarian - KJ
PORT MORESBY - Late Wednesday afternoon of 24 May 2023, a copy of a notice giving effect to my dismissal from office as the member of Madang Open was circulated on social media.
It was purportedly issued by the Governor General’s Office [and], given the errors on the face of the document, many raised the question whether it was genuine or fake.
Continue reading "My dismissal is far from the end of the matter" »
Author and PNG Attitude contributor Daniel Kumbon with Bryan Kramer, Papua Hotel, Port Moresby, 2017
KEITH JACKSON
NOOSA – The prominent Papua New Guinea journalist Scott Waide has said “the judiciary has come back hard” on former police minister Bryan Kramer who was sacked as the Member for Madang Open in a notice signed by governor-general, Sir Bob Dadae, on Wednesday.
Kramer had faced a Leadership Tribunal after he was accused of a number of charges including one of deceiving and misleading the court by submitting fabricated documents and two of scandalising the judiciary after publishing posts on Facebook implying a conflict of interest by chief justice Sir Gibbs Salika.
Continue reading "Judiciary knocks Kramer from ring – for now" »
Michael Kabuni - "We hope this case sets a precedent, so citizens can continue to hold their leaders accountable"
MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad
PORT MORESBY – It seems that the Papua New Guinea Ombudsman Commission has received “an avalanche of complaints from the public” in relation to the Justin ‘Primitive Animals’ Tkatchenko issue and that it intends “to treat each complaint accordingly”.
This case, this saga, is different from any I’ve observed since I became interested in PNG politics. It has set itself apart from the rise of internet, and its temperamental grandchild social media, in making issues go viral.
Continue reading "Tkatchenko affair: Pipol 1, Marape 0" »
As Justin Tkatchenko clings to office, can James Marape afford to cut loose this powerful figure?
MICHAEL KUBANI
| Academia Nomad
Supplementary information by Keith Jackson
PORT MORESBY – Following his 'primitive animals' abuse of social media critics, demands are growing for Papua New Guinea’s foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko to quit his ministry or even resign from parliament.
Other people are calling for his passport to be revoked and then have him deported.
Continue reading "I think it’s good if Tkatchenko won’t resign" »
A hostile crowd gathers in Kaugere, Port Moresby, after a young man was fatally knifed. The mob later torched several houses owned by Engan residents (Photo: Courtesy Hon Justin Tkatchenko's Facebook)
KEITH JACKSON
NOOSA –Papua New Guinea has underestimated its population by nearly half, research by United Nations and British experts have found.
Previous estimates, based on the last census 12 years ago, had put the population at about nine million.
Continue reading "PNG population has exploded to 19 million" »
Corruption: It's in Your Hands (https://www.freepik.com/free-photo)
MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad
PORT MORESBY - An Australian PhD student conducting research on corruption in Papua New Guinea met a group of youths in Port Moresby.
After a few exchanges he asked them: “What is the root of corruption?”
One of them pointed to the national parliament building, and said: “There lie the roots, the stem, the branches and the leaves of corruption.”
Continue reading "At its core, PNG is corrupt. Easter showed that" »
MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad
PORT MORESBY - On Easter weekend, Bank South Pacific unintentionally credited its customers an undisclosed amount of money due to a technological glitch as the bank attempted to update its systems.
After customers received notifications on their phones, about 30,000 people rushed to the BSP ATMs and withdrew an average K1,000 each.
Some people subsequently switched banks.
Continue reading "Free money? Why you can't run away from BSP" »
EDDIE KABUNI
| Academia Nomad
PORT MORESBY - The internet has brought about many benefits, including the ability to make money online.
However, it has also brought about an increase in scams that target people looking to make a quick buck.
Papua New Guinea has not been immune to these scams, with many people falling victim to fraudulent schemes that promise easy money.
Continue reading "My experience investing with Golden Sun" »
MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad
PORT MORESBY - Golden Sun has now collapsed, leaving behind tens of thousands of Papua New Guineans heartbroken and maybe a good number broke.
What should Papua New Guineans learn from this?
Lesson 1 - Nothing is free
Used and abused so much, the phrase ‘nothing is free’ has become a cliché. Unless your parents are giving you money, nothing in this Covid-19 stricken world is free.
Continue reading "Hard lessons from the collapse of Golden Sun" »
JUSTIN TAIM*
PORT MORESBY – A set-up calling itself Golden Sun is operating a Ponzi scheme in Papua New Guinea.
The scheme claims to be affiliated with big name Hollywood film production companies and sells the scam for fast easy money through bogus movie reviews.
The fake outfit claims to be working closely with Bank South Pacific. However the financial regulator Bank of Papua New Guinea recently released a public notice warning of unregulated entities operating within PNG.
Continue reading "Listen stupid! Golden Sun is a Ponzi scheme" »
The Australian newspaper speculates that the hostages were seized in this general area
KEITH JACKSON
NOOSA - Papua New Guinea's prime minister James Marape says his government is "at work" trying to free five hostages seized by a 20-strong armed gang yesterday.
The captives are believed to include an Australian archaeology professor and three students.
Continue reading "‘Do yourself a favour, free hostages,’ says PM" »
Centre, Jerry Ubase (Secretary, Community Development & Religion Department); right, Wesley Serber (Aramba Development Foundation); with members of organisations working to prevent family and gender violence (Lydia Kaia, UNDP PNG)
NEWSLETTER
| United Nations Development Program PNG
PORT MORESBY - Wesley Serber is a man on a mission, determined to end the cruelty and abuse caused by sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV) in the remote communities of the South Fly region of Papua New Guinea.
A large number of sorcery accusation-related violence cases use glasman or glasmeri (akin to witchdoctors) to falsely and maliciously accuse men and women of sorcery for financial gain.
Continue reading "Working to tackle gender & other violence" »
The royal commission was established and is being streamed live here: https://robodebt.royalcommission.gov.au/
COMPILED BY MAX OPRAY
| Schwartz Media
From time to time, when there’s something important to say, I give space in PNG Attitude for Australian politics. Each morning, Schwartz Media sends me a heads-up on the big stories of the day. This morning’s email brought with it sickening information about how a powerful segment of Australia’s public service, apparently working at the behest of senior politicians, had engaged in what would best be described as criminal behaviour. The passages underlined for emphasis are mine - KJ
Continue reading "Robodebt inquiry exposes putrid behaviour" »