WITH KEITH JACKSON

SOURCES INCLUDE ABC, AAP, NAMORONG REPORT, TWITTER, PNG ATTITUDE READERS

1900 The updates will continue later if there are further developments

1815 The ABC’s Liam Fox [Liam (Old Irish, noun)= he who is first with the news] reports Peter O'Neill saying that Brig Gen Agwi has been freed, soldiers involved have withdrawn to Taurama Barracks and Col Sasa is being "dealt with". The prime minister “wouldn't clarify”, says Fox. The ABC is also reporting that all domestic airports in PNG are closed (thanks Peter Kranz).

1810 Y'know it's eerily quiet.  If this was a western, I'd be expecting the hail of arrows.  It's all tenter and no hook. And we've got 2,000 readers needing a fix.

You can now read a transcript of retired Papua New Guinea General Jerry Singirok’s interview with Radio Australia here

And watch Damien Kingsbury, professor of international relations at Deakin University, speaking to Al Jazeera on the PNG political situation

1805 “Is a military coup in PNG just around the corner?” contributor Paul Oates asked last year. “Given the 'solidarity' being expressed by PM Somare for [the] Fiji coup leader, it wouldn't take much for some PNG soldiers see a parallel 'window of opportunity'.” I’d take a lottery ticket on the back of that prescience, Paul

1740 The man claiming to be the new commander of Papua New Guinea’s Defence Force, retired Col Yauara Sasa [pictured] denies he conducted a mutiny this morning. “It looks as though it’s a military coup but it is not a military coup. I’m restoring, I’m intervening to restore the constitution and that means all - that is also the public servants, heads of the departments, statutory bodies and institutions - comply with what (the court has decided). The court has made its decision but nobody seems to be adhering to the court decisions. So what does that mean: the court has no powers now?”

1640 Still no news, but plenty of entertainment. “All indications are that Namah and O’Neill will still be in power and the Somare regime may face High Treason charges for trying to overthrow the state. But hey this is the fucking land of the unexpected and I'm just a drunk blogger writing this nonsense for you with loud music in the background. OMG, just ran out of alcohol. Maybe PNG also has ran out of sanity” – Martyn Namorong at his intemperate best.  Read more here

1620 The deadline for the surrender of the army mutineers has come and gone.  So far no reports of action. Peter O’Neill is believed to have been in the Southern Highlands at the scene of the tragic Tari landslide. Sir Michael Somare is maintaining a sullen silence.

1610 Liam Fox (ABC) tweets that he has heard that Jacksons (international) airport has been closed. Could this be to stop incoming support for the mutineers or to prevent pro-Somare people from getting out of town?

1515 More from Peter Kranz about the Belden Namah media conference. Quotes from Namah - "Somare has now lost the total respect of the country he fought for independence (for). He was the chief minister, the first prime minister. He is the grand chief. I want to say this to Somare: You have lost your mind. You have lost total control of yourself. You have lost your mind. You have lost sanity."

Mr Namah said 15 of the 30 men loyal to Sasa and Somare had been arrested but those numbers cannot be verified. He said the army officers had until 4.06pm to surrender or face the full force of the law.

1500 So let’s try to recap the critical elements in the latest crisis to envelope Papua New Guinea; a crisis triggered by a mutineer colonel who paradoxically says he is trying to alleviate a crisis.

Just before 3 pm there’s a little over an hour left before deputy prime minister Belden Namah’s deadline expires for the rebel soldiers to surrender – 4.06 pm, the official public service knock-off time.

There seems to be less than 100 of them under the command of retired colonel Yaura Sasa, apparently commissioned by the ‘Somare cabinet’ to take control of the Army from its rightful commander, Brig Gen Francis Agwi [pictured], who is variously said to be under house arrest or, according to Sasa, not under house arrest.

Commander Sasa appears to have taken control of the Murray and Taurama barracks in an attempt to restore the Somare government and claims the authority of the Supreme Court and the PNG Constitution to justify his extreme actions.

So far prime minister Peter O’Neill has not made any public statement but was said to be wanting to visit the barracks with loyal troops, although this could not be confirmed.

Air Niugini flights to Lae, Wewak, Vanimo and Kiunga - all close to Army bases– have been suspended to deter soldiers likely to be sympathetic to the Somare faction from travelling to Port Moresby.

Meanwhile Port Moresby is reported to be quiet.

BY LIAM FOX
Radio Australia

THE FALL-OUT FROM Papua New Guinea's leadership tussle continues with police charging a prominent lawyer with perverting the course of justice.

Several plain-clothed detectives arrested David Dataona after he walked out of a court room in Port Moresby this morning.

Police allege he tried to bribe a police lawyer into signing legal documents recognising his client Fred Yakasa as the police commissioner.

Mr Yakasa had gone to court seeking orders that he's the legitimate police chief because Sir Michael Somare appointed him.

EXCLUSIVE BY NAMARITA BELDANA *

PNG TELECOMMUNICATIONS GIANT Telikom has issued a notice to its all its staff to start vacating staff houses and to look for alternative accommodation.

As a result, many people will be thrown into homelessness.

Telikom’s property division is supposed to maintain all Telikom properties and to provide houses for staff.

But in a memo issued two weeks ago the property division informed people it is going to “commercialise” all its properties.

This was apparently a directive from management to make up for lost revenue in their core telecommunications business.

The Telikom union, for its part, has been real quiet on this issue.  According to the grapevine it has been bought off, and is not fighting for the rights and welfare of members.

Telikom’s cruel action of throwing employees out into the street is in direct contravention of what it calls its “core values", specifically:

No 5 - We are a company of integrity. We will always deal with our employees, customers, suppliers and stakeholders with honesty and by the highest ethical standards.

Denying staff the necessity for accommodation in our overcrowded, house scarce cities is not the only Telikom misdemeanour.

New staff members are regularly promised ‘greener pastures’ - better pay, accommodation, promotion - but, in reality, when they get into the organisation, it’s all bullshit.

They say, "Oops sorry, we told you it'll be this position” but due to some unspecified reason they provide a position below the one they enticed you with.

I am not one for titles but this is what's been happening; and I’ve been told by other people of their experiences. Definitely no integrity, honesty or highest ethical standards here.

Telikom have promised accommodation when recruiting people, while all along they had plans to commercialise their staff houses and blatantly lie along the lines of, “No worries, we'll take care of you; whatever you want we will subsidise".

Then, after you jump jobs, they lay it out, ''Oops you gotta vacate and find alternative accommodation!”

Definitely no integrity, honesty or highest ethical standards here either.

And let’s look at salary.  Newly recruited employees who were promised to be paid half as much again as they were previously paid have been actually paid half what they got in their former jobs.  Who leaves a job to get paid less?

Definitely no integrity, honesty or highest ethical standards here, or anywhere.

* Namarita Beldana is a pseudonym.  The author’s identity is known to the editor

AN AUSTRALIAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED in Papua New Guinea during a corruption investigation into the PNG planning department.

Officers from Task Force Sweep arrested Timothy Rowland, general manager of Sarakolok West Transport, on New Britain yesterday.

The 49-year-old has been charged with several offences including uttering, false pretence and conspiracy to defraud.

The company allegedly tried to extort $4.5 million from the Manus provincial government by selling it a boat that had already been paid for by the National Planning Department.

Sarakolok is owned by businessman Eremas Wartoto, who was last year charged with misappropriating $3 million earmarked for a high school renovation.

Both Mr Wartoto and Rowland, who has been released on bail, declined to comment.

Source: ABC / Liam Fox

THE ABC's LIAM FOX reports that prominent political figure Chris Haiveta is to be Papua New Guinea's new High Commissioner to Australia.

Mr Haiveta (52) replaces the respected Charles Lepani, who has served two terms in the role.  Haiveta is a former deputy prime minister and head of the Pangu Pati.  He also twice served as governor of the Gulf Province.

After serving as finance minister in Julius Chan's government, he and Chan resigned in 1997 during the Sandline Affair.

His Wikipedia entry says "he is married to a beautiful woman and has seven wonderful children, and visits them often in Australia."  More recently he has been working in the prime minister's department in Port Moresby.

BY LIAM FOX

ABC - A POLICE OFFICER claiming to be the head of Papua New Guinea's police force hasn't turned up to his own court case, because of fears he'll be arrested.

Fred Yakasa wants the National Court to declare he is PNG's police commissioner but he wasn't in court for his hearing.

Justice Catherine Davani said his lawyer had sent her a letter saying Mr Yakasa was not present because he fears he'll be arrested.

The judge asked the current Commissioner Tom Kulunga to appear in court to give assurances that this would not happen, which he did. The case was then adjourned until Friday.

Mr Yakasa was appointed Commissioner by Sir Michael Somare after the Supreme Court last month ordered Sir Michael be reinstated as Prime Minister.

But Peter O'Neill remains PNG's effective leader with the support of the police, the defence force, the public service and most parliamentarians.

BY NCN NEWS STAFF

YESTERDAY MORNING in Papua New Guinea, a search and rescue team was scheduled to look for four Nazarenes and at least three other people who had missing at sea for more than 40 hours in the Aitape area.

But late on Sunday night prayers were answered and the group was found safe.

The group left Aitape in a 23-foot fibreglass boat around noon on Saturday on the first part of a journey to the Nazarene Youth International "Third Wave" conference in Thailand.

Sailing through rough seas, they were supposed to arrive at their destination about five and a half hours later. They never arrived. 

A day later with still no sign of the group, prayers went out all over the world that they would be found safe. The search and rescue team was scheduled to look for them at first light Monday morning. 

"The PNG group that has been missing for more than 40 hours have been found alive!" said Verne Ward, Asia-Pacific regional director for the Church of the Nazarene.

The boat apparently lost power, but the crew was able to get it to land in a remote area. The group was hiking out and was finally able to get word out that they are safe. 

"There is much crying and praising going on in PNG right at this moment!" Ward said.

Source: Nazarene Communications Network

A SENIOR MEMBER of the Michael Somare camp in Papua New Guinea has deplored the deportation of New Zealander Graham Osborne who is closely connected to the former prime minister.

Sir Michael's attorney general, Sir Arnold Amet told Radio Australia reasons for deporting Mr Osborne were "vindictive and corrupt".

Foreign Affairs Minister, Jamie Graham, said prime minister Peter O'Neill had given orders to deport any foreigner who was involved in or meddled in local politics.

But Sir Arnold said Mr Osborne had no involvement in the country's politics other than being a friend and associate of Sir Michael and the Somare family.

Mr Osborne was given a warning last week to refrain from adopting the views of the facilities of the hotel that he was managing.

"We are pursuing the recourse that is open to us of seeking consequential of orders," Sir Arnold said.

Sir Arnold insisted that the process of deporting non-citizens was transparent and deportation orders could be appealed.

Mr Osborne has not lodged an appeal yet. He says he is “upset and confused” by the decision.

Source: Radio Australia

PAPUA NEW GUINEA PRIME MINISTER, Peter O’Neill, says he has no regrets about the deportation of New Zealand businessman, Graham Osborne.

Mr Osborne, who operates the Ela Beach Hotel restaurant in Port Moresby, is a close friend of Mr O’Neill’s rival for the prime ministership, Sir Michael Somare.

The Post Courier reports Mr O’Neill saying Mr Osborne had been deported because he tried to access hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for PNG’s bid to get a team into the Australian National Rugby League competition.

Mr O’Neill claims this money was being obtained under the guise of renovating the national stadium but was in fact to fund political operations.

But Mr Osborne, who is now in Cairns, denies the claims. He says the accusations are absolutely totally wrong.

He says as a long time sports administrator in PNG, he would never do such a thing.

BY KEITH JACKSON

THE ABC IS REPORTING that there are signs the political deadlock in Papua New Guinea may have entered a dangerous new phase, with extra police being flown into the capital to seize government assets.

Peter O'Neill says extra police have been flown into Port Moresby from around the country to seize government assets and that they have taken control of the government printing office and will also target the finance department, the prime minister's department and government house.

A group of police loyal to Sir Michael has been guarding government house since Monday night.

The existence of two police commissioners must be sorely testing the loyalty of many members of the police force.

It could be expected that if either Mr O’Neill or Sir Michael Somare tries to deploy police in an aggressive posture that conflict may ensue.

THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA Supreme Court has deferred its decision on the legitimacy of the O’Neill government until Monday.

An urgent application by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia, the chair of the Supreme Court proceeding, to disqualify himself appears to be the reason behind the decision.

The court is expected to rule on the urgent application before going to the substantive matter on the legitimacy of the election of Mr O’Neill and his government.

Lawyers representing Mr O’Neill filed the urgent application yesterday and were joined by the Speaker, Jeffrey Nape. It appears the battle between the three arms of government is far from over with the contempt charges against Deputy PM Belden Namah and Attorney General Dr Allan Marat also returnable on Monday.

Security was tight in Port Moresby today with a crowd gathering outside the court precincts, though there were no reports of unrest.

The decision by the high court to adjourn until Monday caps a tumultuous week for PNG.

The application to disqualify Sir Salamo appears to be the last throw of the dice for Mr O’Neill, whose actions in the last few weeks have been described by lawyers as an “attack on the judiciary”.

Read more: http://pngperspective.webnode.com/news/court-defers-decision-on-legitimacy-of-the-oneill-government/

BY DOUG HENDRIE

SMH - ANTI-CHINESE sentiment is flaring in Papua New Guinea during a week of political turmoil, with widely circulated text messages calling for the public to ''forcefully evict'' Chinese from the country if former leader Sir Michael Somare returns to power.

''The Somare regime existed through Asian mafia's fundings … PNGians will be slaves of Somare family and Asians. Declare war against Asian influx,'' the messages read in part.

They are spreading virally ahead of today's Supreme Court decision on whether the current government, led by Peter O'Neill, took power legitimately after 75-year-old Sir Michael stood aside while undergoing medical treatment in June.

The anti-Chinese messages are the latest in a series of flash protests triggered by widespread uptake of mobile phones in PNG, ranging from ethnic clashes to street marches against corruption.

Thousands of poor mainland Chinese have obtained work permits illegally over the past decade, according to a 2008 report by Monash University's Professor James Chin.

Outspoken Port Moresby blogger Martyn Namorong says PNG has become a tinderbox, with the proceeds of the current resource boom failing to reach people on the ground. ''The kids just need to strike the match,'' Mr Namorong said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/angry-text-messages-target-chinese-in-png-20111208-1ol7h.html#ixzz1fyY36DAc

THE HIGH COURT has halted Australia's prosecution on child sex charges of former Solomon Islands attorney-general Julian Moti.

Ordering a stay of charges against Mr Moti, the full bench of the High Court ruled he had been illegally deported from the Solomon Islands in December 2007.

“Further prosecution of the charges would be an abuse of process because of the role that Australian officials in Mr Moti being deported to Australia,” a judgment summary stated.

Mr Moti, an Australian citizen, was charged in 2008 with seven counts of engaging in sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 16 years whilst in Vanuatu during the 1990s.

In today's majority ruling, the High Court found there was an abuse of process because Australian officials facilitated Mr Moti's deportation.

Mr Moti, 45, was charged under the Child Sex Tourist Act, which was introduced by the Howard government. The alleged offences date back to 1997, when the alleged victim was 13.

Mr Moti was initially arrested in 2006 in Port Moresby while in transit to the Solomon Islands capital of Honiara, where he was to be sworn in as that country's attorney-general.

He left the post in December 2007, when he was put on a plane to Australia and charged when he landed in Brisbane.

Source: The Australian, 7 December

THE TAIWANESE GOVERNMENT has filed lawsuits against a self-professed diplomatic broker at large in the US to seek the return of money he has allegedly embezzled.

Two separate suits have been filed in Los Angeles in a bid to retrieve money from Ching Chi-ju, the prime suspect in a high-profile diplomatic fraud case involving high-ranking officials.

Ching and an alleged accomplice were commissioned by then-foreign minister James Huang in 2006 to help facilitate a deal to establish diplomatic ties with Papua New Guinea.

The ministry then remitted $29.8 million into a joint account that the pair opened in Singapore to be used as financial aid for PNG.

The money later went missing.

The Singapore Supreme Court last year upheld a ruling that granted Taiwan’s request that Ching and his accomplice, Wu, return the money to the government.

Wu is serving a jail term in Taiwan for his role in the fraud but Ching fled to the US and transferred some of his assets to his children and to his company.

Now lawsuits have been filed with the Los Angeles High Court to ask for recognition of the Singapore court ruling and to prevent the transfer of the ownership of a piece of land in Arcadia, a suburb of Los Angeles.

The suit said the land has been transferred between members of Ching’s family and that the timing is linked to when the pair received the money and when the Singapore court handed down its ruling.

According to the suit, Ching’s wife, son and daughter, as well as his company, have also been listed as defendants.

Source: Taipei Times, 30 November

THE RIMBUNAN HIJAU company is suing the Post-Courier newspaper for defamation in relation to comments published on the Pomio land situation involving an RH subsidiary, the logging company Gilford Ltd.

A writ of summons has been served on the Post-Courier naming South Pacific Post Ltd as the first defendant and reporter John Pangkatana as second defendant.

Warner Shand Lawyers issued a press statement on Thursday saying:

“We act for Rimbunan Hijau Group … we have issued procee­dings for defamation against the Post-Courier for the continuous publication of a statement that the RH Group was in contempt of a court order in relation to the operations at the oil palm project in the Pomio district.

“The purpose of this letter is a similar complaint about the article by Grace Tiden on the front page of the Post-Courier yesterday titled “SABL leases flawed – Women shocked, all agreements defective”.

“We say that the headline is manifestly wrong, presumptive and sub-judice. It is an invention. Nowhere in the report (pages 1 and 5) is there any finding by the commission as to the fact that the SABL is flawed.

“The Commission of Inquiry is still proceeding and has not concluded yet. However, the Post-Courier has chosen to make a finding on its own pre-empting the Commission of Inquiry and the defamation proceedings before the court.

“The Post-Courier has never let the process of the Commission of Inquiry into SABL to take its normal course of event.

“In this regard, the Post-Courier has published more than 15 headlines similarly pre-empting the process of the inquiry and the litigation before the court. There has never been any court order restraining the oil palm project in the Pomio district.

“The Post-Courier, how­ever, has continuously made an allegation that there is such a court order and in this regard a defamation proceeding has been served on the Post-Courier on Tuesday (Nov 8).

“In this case, we note that the Post-Courier was defen­ded by Blake Dawson Lawyers but we are now advised that they are no longer acting.

“What does this mean? Has no other lawyers been appointed? Does it mean that the Post-Courier are acting for themselves or indeed that they have conceded?

“The Post-Courier has subjected the Rimbunan Hijau Group to a trial by media before the court of public opinion. There are a total of about five million hectares of land that are currently alienated under a study undertaken by a professor from the Australian National University.

“The Pomio project is only about 60,000 hectares. Why is Gilford, a subsidiary of Rimbunan Hijau being targeted?

“It is a question that can only be answered by Post-Courier.”

Source: The National, 11 November

BY EOIN BLACKWELL

AAP IS REPORTING that a pair of over-spinning propellers is being investigated as the cause of a plane crash that killed 28 people in Papua New Guinea last month.

The PNG Accident Investigation Commission's preliminary report into the13 October crash near Madang shows the Airlines PNG Dash 8 went into high speed in the minutes before the crash.

"Both propellers simultaneously oversped and exceeded their maximum permitted revolutions per minute by in excess of 60%," the report, released today, said.

"Witnesses on the ground reported hearing a loud 'bang' as this occurred. The flight crew shut down the engines."

After calling in a state of emergency, the plane plunged almost 4,000 metres and crashed near the Buang River, 33km southeast of Madang.

Australian pilot Bill Spencer, 64, his New Zealand co-pilot Campbell Wagstaff, a crew member and a passenger were the only survivors of the crash.

Of the passengers, 11 were on their way to a graduation ceremony at Divine Word University.

Air crash investigator Sid O'Toole told reporters it was unusual for both propellers to overspeed at the same time.

"Around the world, I haven't seen very many of them, traditionally, there has only been one engine," he said.  "What makes this unusual is there were two."

Mr O'Toole said a recent announcement by Airlines PNG that a faulty component had been identified was premature.

He said the airline had probably used investigator briefings in its public statements last week about the faulty component, which it blamed for the crash.

The airline has resumed flying its Dash 8 fleet after being cleared by PNG's Civil Aviation and Safety Authority last week.

Source: AAP, 4 November

A MEDIA INQUIRY is underway in Australia after prime minister Peter O’Neill was jostled by journalists while visiting Canberra.

The incident has caused media arrangements at Parliament House in Canberra to be put under review.

The Parliament's Serjeant-at-Arms Robyn McClelland sent a letter to press gallery president Phillip Hudson referring to the journalists’ behaviour during Mr O’Neill’s visit to the Mural Hall.

Mr O’Neill was “effectively elbowed aside by representatives of the media seeking to question the Prime Minister,” Ms McClelland said.

“Such behaviour is totally unacceptable and potentially unsafe”.

Source: Media Blog, The Australian, 24 October

AN OFFICIAL with the Ministry of Civil Aviation in Papua New Guinea says mechanical fault appears to be the most likely cause of last Thursday’s plane crash which killed 28 people.

Investigators from Australia’s Air Transport Safety Bureau are assisting the PNG Accident Investigation Commission to establish why the Airlines PNG Dash-8 aircraft crashed about 30 kilometres south of Madang town.

The plane’s black box voice recorder has been recovered and sent to Australia for analysis.

But the first secretary to the Minister for Civil Aviation, Levai Wama, says it already looks like there was a mechanical fault on the plane.

“Based on the information that the pilot gave to the tower, which was there’s smoke coming out of the engines and we’re running out of power, doing a forced landing, that’s what they said, which resulted in a crash landing.”

Levai Wama says a team from Canada representing the airframe manufacturers and engine makers are doing their own investigations.

Source: Radio New Zealand International, 17 October

FOUR INVESTIGATORS from Australia's Air Transport Safety Bureau have arrived in Papua New Guinea to assist the PNG Air Investigation Commission inquiry into the cause of PNG’s worst post-war plane crash since World War II.

PNG authorities have quarantined aviation fuel supplies as part of the investigation into last week's disaster.

Most of the 28 people who died in the tragedy were parents of students graduating from Divine Word University in Madang.

An Australian Federal Police team of six specialists is helping identify the victims.

The Modilon Hospital's laiison officer, Sister Irene Sailas, said how the identification is done will be decided after the forensic experts have gone through the remains at the hospital's morgue.

She said the identification process is a nightmare for health officials.  "It's really a test to all our response capabilities, so we are working at it and we are coming through''.

The hospital is asking immediate relatives for DNA samples so it can help them in the identification process.

The chairman of Airlines PNG, Simon Wild, has issued a statement apologising for the terrible loss of life, and says the company accepts its responsibilities to the survivors and families of those who died.

Source: Australia Network News, 17 October

BY ELIZABETH BINNING

A NEW ZEALAND pilot walked away with bruises from a plane crash that claimed 28 lives in Papua New Guinea, his father said yesterday.

First Officer Campbell Wagstaff is recovering at home in Australia after the Airlines PNG plane he was co-piloting crashed near Madang late on Thursday.

Mike Wagstaff of Te Kuiti told the Herald he spoke to his son on Saturday night.  "He was doing well, he's only got a bit of bruising. He's an extremely lucky young man."

He added that his son was "checked over" but did not need hospital treatment and was now recovering at his home in Tasmania.

It is not clear when or if the 40-year-old, who has more than 2500 hours' flight experience, will return to flying.  He had been co-piloting the Dash-8 aircraft with Australian captain Bill Spencer when they struck trouble as they approached Madang airport.

An airline spokesman said that the crew attempted to conduct a controlled emergency landing but the aircraft broke up as it hit the ground and part of the fuselage caught fire.

Only Mr Wagstaff, Mr Spencer, a flight attendant and a single passenger survived.  The flight attendant, Kapi Eria, is recovering in hospital in Port Moresby, while the passenger, who is from Malaysia, is expected to be released from hospital soon.

Both Mr Wagstaff and 64-year-old Mr Spencer were flown home to Australia on Saturday on a Medevac flight.

Mr Spencer's son-in-law Conal Hanna told the Brisbane Times the captain was surrounded by his immediate family as doctors at the Royal Brisbane Hospital assessed his injuries, which are believed to include a fractured leg.

Mr Hanna said Mr Spencer thought he was going to die as the plane plunged towards the ground.

"He's distraught. He'll recover from his injuries but he's very traumatised by what's happened. He told us he now knows what it feels like to die. He thought as the plane was going down, 'This is it'."

The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered from the wreckage and will be sent to Australia for assessment.

The airline said an investigation into what went wrong would be "wide-ranging" and include looking at the bad weather in the area at the time of the crash, fuel, and any possible midair fire or mechanical problems.

Source: New Zealand Herald, 17 October

BY MARTYN NAMORONG

Lulu, the dear wife of Reg Renagi, a writer and commentator who is admired and respected by thousands of PNG Attitude readers, tragically died in the Madang plane crash while travelling to Divine Word University for her son’s graduation.  To Reg, we can say only that while words cannot express the magnitude of your loss, we join you in your grief - KJ

THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER will forever be imprinted in the minds of many Papua New Guineans as the day of the its worst aviation disaster.

At around 5 pm an Airlines PNG Dash 8 aircraft carrying 32 crew and passengers from Lae to Madang crashed into scrubland near the village of Makarum in the Rai Coast District of Madang Province. There were 28 lives lost.  Four people survived.

News about the air disaster hit the social media networks. Indeed, a lot of the posts on Facebook were very accurate.

That evening, journalists in Madang scrambled around town checking local authorities for information, but information was scarce. A rescue team, including medical staff from Modilon General Hospital, was dispatched to the site.

On Friday there was a lot of activity around town. Police rescue and recovery teams were assembled at the waterfront. They were later joined by another medical team. The teams boarded the Ramu Nico catamaran and headed for the crash site. Another team of police and civil aviation officials were airlifted to the site.

During the day, relatives of the victims continued to pour into the hospital. Five Divine Word University students, whose relatives were on board the fated flight, were brought to the hospital.

The staff explained that the remains could be burnt beyond recognition. There were many sombre faces and some wept openly. All relatives were housed under a large thatched structure near the hospital staff offices.

Students at Divine Word University were in a state of shock. Many expressed sympathy. They also questioned the wisdom of the administration to have a thanksgiving ceremony for final year students and their parents. Some said that they were concerned about the sense of guilt with which their colleagues would live with. The university did not fly flags at half mast as a sign of respect.

Of the four survivors of the crash, only one was admitted to the hospital. This was a male Chinese national. The other three were the two pilots and a Papua New Guinean. The pilots remained at a hotel in Madang.

Later that afternoon the remains of the 28 victims were flown into Madang by helicopter. The body bags were laid out in an enclosed area of the emergency department. There were clouded eyes and many distraught relatives were joined by curious onlookers.

Crowds surged in and outside the hospital premises. Some bodies would then be transported to Lae for DNA identification.

Meanwhile the national government has shelved the proposed merger between Air Niugini and Airlines PNG. Authorities have quarantined fuel at Lae airport, from whence the flight had departed.

Individuals and businesses in Madang donated food and refreshments in support of the staff of Modilon General Hospital and the grieving relatives.

A memorial service was held at Divine Word University yesterday.

People killed

Lucas Bako (male), Jenny Bal (female), Samuel Bid (male), Natasha Bonga (female), Nathan Bonga (male), Paul Konia (male), Thomas Kuekue (male), Chloe Matlam (female), Christine Matlam (female), Miria Renagi (female), Simon Tiriman (male), Sidy Abore (male), Patrus Akau (male), Ronold Bibi (male), Clotilda Bula (female), Jeffery Bula (male), Saron Doma (male), Ian Gagi (male), Benedict Kaniu (male), David Olobai (male), Samson Ote (male), Barnabas Philip (male), Debura Rabura (female), Anki Saiyong (male), Robert Sanglela (male), Mark Save (male), Cecilia Wata (female), Jeffrey Ako [flight attendant]

Survivors

Captain Bill Spencer and First Officer Campbell Wagstaff [airlifted to Australia]; flight attendant Kapi Eria [recovering in Port Moresby]; Chin Khu Fa [Malaysian, citizen, admitted to Modilon General Hospital]

BOTH PILOTS have survived a plane crash in Papua New Guinea's north coast in which 28 people are believed to have died.

Only four people are believed to have survived the crash in dense forest, near the mouth of the Gogol River, about 20 km south of Madang.

Airlines PNG Dash 8 plane, which was carrying 32 people, was on a flight from Lae to Madang, when it crashed about 5pm yesterday.

"All I can tell you is there have been reports of survivors and reports there have been fatalities," the PNG Accident Investigation Commission's spokesman, Sid O'Toole, told AAP.

He said it wasn't clear how many survivors there were. It is believed most of those aboard the plane were PNG nationals.

The 64-year-old Australian pilot, from Queensland, has decades of experience flying in PNG. The other survivor was a New Zealand pilot, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said.

She said there were no indications at this stage that Australians were among those who died, adding that the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby has been liaising with Airlines PNG and local authorities. Consular officials would be travelling to Madang today, she added.

Airlines PNG has grounded its fleet of 12 aircraft until further notice. A full investigation is underway by authorities and Airlines PNG as to the possible cause of the accident," the airline said in a statement on its website.

"Airlines PNG fully supports the action of local authorities at Lae who have quarantined aviation fuel at Lae airport from where the aircraft originated. Our prayers and thoughts are now with all those affected by this very sad day for Papua New Guinea."

ABC Television cited residents in Madang as saying there was a violent storm in the area at the time of the crash. The plane was a scheduled flight and it was believed most of the passengers were parents travelling to a university graduation ceremony scheduled to be held in Madang this weekend.

More than 20 planes have crashed since 2000 in PNG. A 20-seat Twin Otter crashed in August 2009, killing nine Australians and one Japanese tourist on the short journey from Port Moresby to Kokoda.

That accident - in which an aircraft ploughed into a mountainside - also involved an Airlines PNG plane, with a subsequent report ruling pilot error was likely at fault in conditions of poor visibility.

PNG has since introduced legislation requiring all aircraft carrying more than nine people to have a cockpit recorder installed.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/aussie-pilot-survives-as-28-die-in-png-plane-crash-20111014-1lnof.html#ixzz1aiDDkSww

Sources: AAP/AFP, 14 October

YESTERDAY’S CRASH of an Airlines PNG Dash 8 near the mouth of the Gogol River is one of Papua New Guinea’s worst aviation disasters.

Thirty-two people were aboard the aircraft that went down in dense forest about 20 km south of Madang.  It was on a flight from Lae and crashed at about 5 pm..

Local villagers told the National Broadcasting Commission they believed there were four survivors.

“‘All I can tell you is there have been reports of survivors and reports there have been fatalities,’’ PNG Accident Investigation Commission’s spokesman, Sid O’Toole, told AAP.

He said it wasn’t clear how many survivors there were, although reports this moning suggested both pilots were among them.

Local firefighter Joe Dunar said the crash happened at Gogol and that rescuers had reached the scene at about 9 pm.

The thoughts of PNG Attitude and its readers are with the families and friends of the victims.

Photo: Airlines PNG Dash 8 at Mt Hagen airport [Peter Kranz]

Sources: ANC, NBC, AAP, 14 October

CONCERNS HAVE BEEN raised about the use of Australian banks and real estate markets by corrupt Papua New Guinean politicians and public figures as a place to hide their money.

Professor Jason Sharman from Griffith University in Queensland addressed the issue at a conference in Brisbane focussing on law and order in Australia and in the region.

He said the people at the conference and their political masters needed to deal with a problem which is costing Pacific nations millions of dollars a year.

Professor Sharman told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat that examples of corruption are not hard to find.

"There's something ironic but also rather sad about the fact that Australia is giving billions of dollars to PNG to improve public services and at the same time public services are being undermined as senior leaders steal money and then funnel it back into Australian bank accounts or Australian luxury real estate," he said.

Source: Australia Network News, 7 October

MOMASE POLICE commander Giosi Labi has cautioned police not to rush into charging trustees of the National Museum and Art Gallery while a court order is in place for a judicial review of their alleged June sacking by former Culture and Tourism Minister, Guma Wau.

President of the NMAG Board of Trustees, Julius Violaris [pictured], met Mr Labi in Lae yesterday after learning police were going to arrest him over allegations of conspiring with others to defraud the museum and art gallery.

This followed last Thursday's arrest by Boroko police of the respected bank executive Aho Baliki on fraud allegations.

Police alleged Mr Baliki conspired with three other trustees to defraud the museum.  His arrest had come after police acted on a complaint lodged by museum director and chief executive officer, Meck Kuk.

Mr Baliki’s arrest angered Mr Violaris, who had been working with him to protect NMAG's funds and assets from theft and maladministration.

Last Friday Mr Violaris wrote to Finance Minister Don Polye advising him that the charges against Mr Baliki were “trumped up and malicious”.

He said they were “vindictively applied by the current director of the museum Meck Kuk because we have denied him unaccountable access to the NMAG’s funds”.

During the meeting with the Momase police commander, Mr Violaris gave him copies of documents relating to the matter, including National Court orders that the minister’s decision to sack the Board be stayed and that the Board be granted leave to apply for judicial review of the minister’s action.

After studying the documents, Mr Labi took to the telephone advising his superiors and colleagues in Port Moresby to take care with the case while the court orders are in place.

Bradshaw Lawyers, acting for the Board of Trustees, explained that the Court decision means that Mr Violaris and his Board continue to remain in office.

After leaving Mr Lab, Mr Violaris instructed his lawyers to serve a letter on Joseph Tondop, the National Capital District Metropolitan Police commander, reminding him of the court orders.

The letter advised Mr Tondop that Julius Violaris, Peter Loko, Andrew Abel, Maria Kopkop, Nora Vagi Brash and Dr Michael Mel are current trustees of the NMAG.  A copy of the court orders staying proceedings was also enclosed in the letter to Mr Tondop.

“The effect of the stay order is that our clients continue in office as Trustees and can exercise and perform functions as Trustees,” the letter stated.

Prior to Mr Wau being replaced as Minister he had received a letter from Bradshaw Lawyers telling him he did not have power to suspend any of the Trustees.

Bradshaw Lawyers also advised that the Trustees have the power to determine how the bank accounts of the museum should be operated in compliance with the law.

Mr Violaris is expected back in Port Moresby today and will meet with Public Service Minister Bart Philemon to discuss this matter and the position of the NMAG chief executive officer.

Source: Post-Courier, 28 September, and other sources

THE FIRST of two new Australian Visa and Application Centres was officially opened in Port Moresby on Monday by High Commissioner Ian Kemish.

The centre provides more convenient access to immigration and citizenship services for Papua New Guinea.

Mr Kemish said the most notable of improvements to the services are the extended operating hours of 8:30am-4:30pm, Monday to Friday, with phone lines operating until 7pm.

The Port Moresby centre is located in the Steamship head office building. A second centre will be opened in Lae at the end of October.

Applications will continue to be assessed and decided by the immigration section of the Australian High Commission. Centre staff will have no involvement in decision-making or have any knowledge of the outcome of applications.

Photo: Mr Kemish cuts a ribbon to officially open the new centre. Beside him is Raj Kiran, project manager for the centres in PNG

Source: Australian High Commission

IN A MOVE foreshadowed in PNG Attitude late last year by High Commissioner Ian Kemish, the Australian Government has announced the establishment of two new visa application centres in Port Moresby and Lae.

The centres will provide more convenient access to immigration and citizenship services for clients in PNG.

From Monday 26 September, all clients who wish to lodge Australian visa and citizenship applications in PNG will do so at the centre located in Port Moresby. The second centre in Lae will be operational from the end of October.

The centres will offer extended operating hours and convenient and comfortable offices for clients. Opening hours will be 8.30 am - 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday, with phone lines operating until 7 pm.

The centres will also offer additional service options including SMS notifications, an internet kiosk and photocopying.

The Port Moresby centre will be located at Steamships Building at the corner of Hunters Street and Champion Parade.

Contact details --

Postal and courier applications: TT Services, PO Box 4444, Boroko NCD

Phone: (675) 321 1113

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.ttsaustralia.com

Source: Australian High Commission, 15 September

AID WORKERS say more than 6,000 people on a remote cluster of islands off the north-east coast of Papua New Guinea have been left food insecure following an extended drought.

"The situation is now under control, but these people will need food in three months," Ruger Kahwa, head of the Humanitarian Support Unit of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said from Port Moresby.

The government has distributed 34,000kg of rice to the isolated islands, expected to last a few months, but post-distribution monitoring is needed, Mr Kahwa said.

Data on rainfall is not collected for this area, but the Nissan, Carteret, Mortlock, Fead, Pinipel and Tasman islands of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville traditionally experience a dry season from October to April.

The rainy season, May to September, is critical to the harvest of sweet potato, banana and taro, the staple foods in an area where many residents are subsistence farmers.

This year, however, the rains have largely stayed away, leaving islanders, disconnected from the rest of PNG, with a food shortage.

"Because of the very hot sun, everything was wiped out. There was a water shortage, and the coconut plants went dry so people could not drink coconut water either," said Franklin Leslie, coordinator of aid distribution for Bougainville.

Islanders normally resort to the clear liquid of young coconuts when faced with short-term water scarcity.

"There are no international NGOs or outside donors helping with money, supplies, or support," said Godfrey Hannett of the National Agriculture Research Institute and a former resident of Nissan Island.

Having a dry period is normal for these islands, Mr Leslie noted, but it is more difficult for the small islands and atolls to prepare for unpredictable changes in climate. "It is very hard to predict weather patterns now. It is very different from what we experienced in the past," he said.

Agricultural scientist Mike Bourke of the Australian National University said islanders would have to modify their subsistence lifestyles to avoid being disproportionately harmed by adverse weather conditions.

"The common factor in those places which experienced higher death rates on the mainland during the 1997-98 drought was poverty and remoteness. They did not have money. Where people had money they bought rice in very large quantities," he said.

Climate change will have a big impact on these small islands, experts say. Unpredictable changes in weather patterns are making life harder for farmers, while rising sea levels are causing erosion and the salinisation of fresh water due to storm surges crashing over the atolls.

"Every single model predicts rainfall will increase in the Western Pacific. It all says it will get wetter, not drier," Bourke said. This will pose a serious challenge to the dietary and agricultural habits of the islanders, he said.

"The best option is for people to engage in more trading. If you're not linked to a larger economy, you are potentially much more vulnerable," Bourke said. "Drought is much easier to worry about and it is on everyone's mind because of the events of 14 years ago. But the problem of increasing rainfall is far more insidious."

Source: Irin Asia - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 5 September
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=93653

BY DOUGLAS MARAU

PRIME MINISTER Peter O’Neill has voiced frustration over misuse of funds as a result of the incomplete construction of the PNG chancery in Honiara.

Mr O’Neill said he has been advised that funds allocated for the construction of the chancery were remitted to the contractor but the contractor has failed to deliver the project.

Trans World Construction, owned by local Solomons businessman Thompson Turueke, won the contract but Mr O’Neill said it had been a failure.

He was responding to questions raised by the Solomon Star about why construction work had been halted since July 2010.

“The PNG government is disappointed that the money allocated for the chancery was mismanaged by the contractor and also our own people,” Mr O’Neill said.

He said his government would be conducting an investigation into the procurement process because it was done outside normal procedures.

“We will get to the bottom of this,” he said.

He has also asked his Solomon Islands counterpart Danny Philip to open a separate investigation to help get to the root of the problem.

Source: Solomon Star, 5 September
http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/12000-png-pm-disappointed

AAP IS REPORTING that the Australian government's top legal adviser has confirmed it may be impossible to resurrect the Howard government's asylum seeker detention centres in Manus and Nauru under current laws.

Stephen Gageler has given the government written advice confirming the High Court's decision to scuttle the controversial Malaysian people swap deal last week has far-reaching implications for all offshore processing.

Mr Gageler and two other senior counsel, Stephen Lloyd and Geoffrey Kennett, say they "do not have reasonable confidence" that the government could legally send asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea and Nauru as a result of the judgement.

Read the full story here

Source: AAP, 4 September

SIR MICHAEL SOMARE is set to return to Port Moresby this weekend after nearly five months of medical care in Singapore.

This week Sir Michael issued a statement declaring he remained the country’s prime minister and intended completing his term.

A month ago Sir Michael was controversially replaced by Peter O’Neill after a parliamentary vote declared his seat vacant.

Sir Michael’s son, Arthur, says the return to Port Moresby will allow the veteran leader to attend the early recall of parliament on Tuesday.

Arthur Somare says his father’s attendance at that session is critical to a Supreme Court reference that he and other East Sepik MPs have sought following the change in leadership.

“It is absolutely necessary that he be in Parliament on Tuesday because the core question that we have before the Supreme Court is the issue of vacancy itself,” Arthur Somare said.

“The laws of Papua New Guinea are quite clear. If Sir Michael misses three sittings of Parliament then there will be a vacancy, so he needs to make that journey down.”

Source: Radio New Zealand International

BY SUSAN MERRELL

THEY SAY there’s no such thing as objectivity, even in journalism – one person’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter.

Language is revealing. No more so than in the recently released Wikileaks cables from the US Embassy in Port Moresby which must be proving to be a source of great embarrassment.

The cables display a profound disrespect and contempt for the Solomon Islands’ government. The intemperate language suggests disdain.

Robert Fitts, the US Ambassador is the author and, as there is no diplomatic US mission in Honiara, it is reasonable to assume that the US is using their ‘deputy in the Pacific’ – Australia as their source.

One cable, dated 22 September 2006, deals with the political situation in the Solomon Islands at that time. It was sent to Washington, Canberra, Wellington and Honolulu.

Under section headings An Odious A/G [Moti], An Erratic PM [Sogavare], Birds of a feather and An unpredictable parliament, the diplomatic cable slanders many prominent members of Solomon Islands’ political society including the then prime minister and members of his cabinet.

The arguably libellous accusations stand as justification for the writer to canvass ways to influence the then upcoming vote of ‘no confidence’ against the prime minister while maintaining an official position of not interfering in the political affairs of a sovereign nation.

Many of the assertions in the cable are, at best, widely inaccurate, suffering from egregious omissions - the assertions coming from a jaundiced and self-interested viewpoint.  At worst, there are lies and distortions of the truth.

The cable fires its first bullet at Julian Moti. It’s widely known that Moti who had been appointed attorney general of the Solomon Islands just days before this cable was written has been fighting charges of child-sex tourism in the Australian courts since his arrest in Brisbane 2007.

There’s a plethora of evidence that this charge was to remove Moti from political influence. With the release of this cable it has become even more evident. The cable uses increasingly pejorative adjectives to describe Moti saying: “In a region strewn with dubious characters, Moti is particularly odious.”

On what do they base this? The cable makes four accusations in support.

Firstly, Fitt accuses Moti of “in 1994 […] pressing the then Governor General to bring down a government which was trying to assert control over Malaysian/Chinese logging companies which had retained Moti.”

Whereas, the truth of the matter is that Moti only ever once represented a logging company and this was in an industrial dispute.  In this matter, he appeared with Dr Gavan Griffith, former Solicitor-General of Australia. Moti’s position was, in fact, anti-logging, not pro-logging as the cable suggests and in this, he often found himself at odds with his political allies. 

In a sworn affidavit dated 27 March 2009 he states: “Notwithstanding my friendship with many leaders of the […] Government, I did disagree with a number of policy decisions made by the Government in relation to logging…” The year in question was 1995.

Secondly, referring to the charges of the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl in Vanuatu in 1997, the cable says, “he [Moti] beat the rap” on a technicality, as if that was illegal or immoral while the cable studiously ignores the questionable actions of the prosecution in their desperation to have Moti removed from political influence in the Solomon Islands.

BY KEITH JACKSON

LAST FRIDAY Wikileaks published 27 cables, all of them categorised as ‘unclassified', generated by the US embassy in Port Moresby between April 2006 and February 2010.

These are the first cables from the Port Moresby embassy to be disclosed by Wikileaks, which on 28 November last year released the first of over 250,000 leaked confidential diplomatic cables from 274 US embassies and consulates worldwide.

In this first collection from the American embassy in PNG, the cable of greatest interest - categorised as unclassified but marked “sensitive” - is entitled “Anti-Chinese outbreaks hit Port Moresby and Lae”.

The cable - which was copied to US embassies in Beijing, Canberra, Jakarta, Suva and Wellington – reports on the May 2009 riots in the two major cities which eventually spread to highlands’ and other towns.

The cable comments that “political leaders and police appeared surprised by the incidents” and that “rising anti-Chinese sentiment in PNG comes about at an awkward time for the Government, which is attempting to attract more Chinese investment, most recently during PM Somare's weeklong visit to Beijing in April”.

The cable then details information about how the disturbances began and spread, noting that “PNG residents tend to lump all East Asians together as ‘Chinese’. Chinese businesspersons now dominate the small- and medium-scale business world throughout Papua New Guinea”.

Analysing the riots, the cable observes that “the rising number of legal and illegal Chinese immigrants, most in the small business sector, has fed popular resentment.”

It quotes a ‘rioting youth’ as saying that: "We are frustrated with small Asian shops sprouting unnecessarily, selling cheap items around the city.  Who is allowing these Asians to come into our country and own small businesses which should be owned by Papua New Guineans?”

The cable then notes: "Embassy officers frequently hear similar comments from PNG nationals.”

Continuing its commentary, the cable says: “The government has not yet done much to reconcile its desire for PRC money with growing anti-Chinese sentiment among the public.”

The cable concludes with a section headed ‘The Government's Dilemma’, which is worth citing in full:

The recent outbreaks represent a departure from past violence. PNG violence has tended to be tribal in nature, reflecting the social makeup of the country.  No one tribal group dominates.  As a result, PNG has not seen nationwide violence against any one group.

The atomized tribal nature of the country has also kept strong national sentiment from emerging.  The latest disturbances stand out because protestors phrased their attacks in nationalist rather than tribal language.

The Government has yet to take a stand on the recent incidents beyond [then deputy prime minister] Temu's statements, no doubt because of the dilemma it faces inviting the very sort of PRC investment which stokes growing anti-Chinese sentiment by bringing in more Chinese immigrants and small entrepreneurs.

Unlike other Wikileaks’ cables, the Port Moresby material is not the stuff of scandal – but it does show that the Americans are very interested in what grassroots Papua New Guineans are saying and, as you might expect, that the US Embassy in PNG has a pretty good handle on PNG society and affairs.

You can read all the Port Moresby cables for yourself at http://wikileaks.org/origin/71_0.html

THE OPENING of two Australian visa application centres in Port Moresby and Lae will result in faster processing of applications.

Australian High Commissioner Ian Kemish has announced changes that will see visa lodgement hours extended from 8.30am-4.30pm on weekdays, almost double existing access times.

Phone lines will also be open to handle questions and enquiries from 8.30am until 7pm on weekdays.

“We’ve listened to the feedback from our clients, and I am pleased to announce the establishment of two Australian visa application centres in PNG,” Mr Kemish said.

“I am especially happy to say that travellers in Lae will now find it considerably easier to gain access to visa services.

“As Australia’s closest neighbour and the largest Pacific Island country, it is only right that it is here that Australia looks to improve our visa processing systems in the Pacific,” he said.

Work on opening the new shopfronts is underway, and the offices will be open to the public between September and October. Staff will be trained to a professional standard and applicants’ personal information will be protected in line with Australia’s privacy rules.

Applications will continue to be assessed by the visa and immigration office at the Australian High Commission.

Source: Australian High Commission

THE PNG cabinet has approved reopening the asylum-seeker detention centre to be run by Australian officials on Manus Island.

This is welcome news to the Australian government, which is struggling to deal with unauthorised boat arrivals to Australia.

In Port Moresby, prime minister Peter O’Neill said his government had approved the reopening of the Manus Island detention centre but it was up to the Australian government when it would be up and running again.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard welcomed the news and thanked Mr O’Neill for promptly considering the request.

“Arrangements are being made for a high-level delegation of Australian officials to travel to Papua New Guinea in the very near future to finalise a memorandum of understanding regarding the centre,” Ms Gillard said.

“We are committed to working in partnership with PNG to examine how such a centre might operate, including how it might best complement broader regional activities.”

Source: The Canberra Times

THE AUSTRALIAN government is hoping the new O’Neill administration in Papua New Guinea will move quickly to allow the re-opening of the detention centre on Manus Island.

Australia is forging ahead on talks with PNG to reopen the Manus centre at the same time it is fighting a High Court challenge aimed at stopping refugees being sent to Malaysia.

While confident of winning the Malaysia case, a government source said a permanent facility on Manus Island would take some of the political heat out of the Malaysian plan.

The source said that children could be sent to what would be an Australian-monitored facility instead of to Malaysia, which has a poor record in human rights.

The government believes it needs both the Manus and Malaysia options to end people smuggling.

Talks with the interim Abal government foundered despite strong Australian pressure to re-open Manus Island.

But the Australians believe the O’Neill government will be much more sympathetic.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/children-could-be-sent-to-png-centre-20110809-1ikz6.html#ixzz1UZAR3pkR

PAPUA NEW GUINEA's top policeman has issued a dramatic statement guaranteeing there will not be a military coup in response to last week's dramatic events that saw Peter O'Neill installed as prime minister.

Port Moresby was abuzz with rumour this morning that a contingent of soldiers loyal to former prime minister Sir Michael Somare and deputy Sam Abal had flown from Wewak to the capitalto take part in a military coup.

Police Commissioner Anthony Wagambie issued a statement aimed at quelling the rumour late this afternoon after receiving calls from journalists throughout the day.

"If there are people out there planning anything, then they better have second thoughts because the law will come down hard on them," Mr Wagambie said a statement.

"Police are gathering intelligence to ascertain where, how and why the rumour started."

"A coup cannot happen and will not happen. I can guarantee that."

He said both the police and defence forces were loyal to the government and condemned the rumour for spreading anxiety.

Commissioner Wagambie and defence force chief Brigadier General Francis Augawi had been summoned by Mr O'Neill to a meeting earlier today.

They both assured the PM that the rumoured coup would not take place.

Mr O'Neill could not be reached for comment.

Mr Wagambie said police were searching for a "certain NGO activist" who they said started spreading the rumour via text message and on the internet late last week.

Source: Television New Zealand

PAPUA NEW GUINEA’s attorney general says human rights abuse cases brought against state departments are costing the government millions of dollars.

The police department alone has cost the state more than 43 million dollars in compensation payments over the past 10 years.

Police beatings, mistreatment, and destruction of property, account for many of the cases.

Sir Arnold Amet, who’s also Minister of Justice, says a number of government departments have contributed to the litigation costs but the police and defence force top the list.

He says part of the problem with the police is the standard of recruits isn’t high enough.

“The entry level qualification, education needs to increase and then the length of their training is inadequate and so it contributes to the lack of discipline progressively in dealing with the civil rights of the public,” he says.

Sir Arnold Amet says thousands of other cases against the State are still pending.

Source: Radio New Zealand International

A REPORT on the health of Sir Michael Somare by his personal physician, Professor Isi Kevau, has been handed to cabinet.

Sir Michael, 75, has been recovering in hospital in Singapore since undergoing heart valve surgery in mid-April.

"His physician... has his report and has given his copy to the acting prime minister," spokeswoman Theresia Kumo told AAP today. "It is for the government to have a look at.

"If needs be they (cabinet) will decide to ask the governor-general to instruct the PNG medical board to appoint two doctors to assess Sir Michael's condition."

The findings of the report have not yet been made public.

Acting prime minister Sam Abal was expected to hand the report to governor-general Sir Michael Ogio this afternoon and brief him on Sir Michael's condition.

Mr Abal told the Post-Courier newspaper that briefing the governor-general was the first step in a process of determining if Sir Michael was physically unfit for office.

Source: Eoin Blackwell, AAP Papua New Guinea Correspondent

RAMU LANDOWNERS have secured another injunction preventing a mine from dumping millions of tonnes of waste into the sea.

It was only last week that the landowners, from Madang in the country's north-east, lost a long-running legal battle to prevent the Ramu nickel mine from dumping tailings into Astrolabe Bay.

The National Court rejected their bid for a permanent ban despite finding the dumping was likely to cause serious environmental harm.

But the landowners appealed to the Supreme Court and, with the consent of the mine, have secured another temporary injunction.

Their lawyer Tiffany Nongorr says the National Court's ruling was unreasonable.

"Substantial damage is going to occur and that needs to be prevented," she said.

The injunction will stay in place until the matter returns to the Supreme Court later this month.

Source: Australia Network News

PAPUA NEW GUINEA’s largest bank says new anti fraud rules planned by police could seriously hinder public service road, health and education projects.

Bank South Pacific’s chief executive officer, Ian Clyne, said that guidelines from the fraud squad’s Financial Intelligence Unit might be well-meaning but are unlikely to reduce fraud and will delay development and infrastructure projects.

Mr Clyne says banks will need to recruit a large number of lawyers, civil engineers and auditors to comply with the guidelines which is not their role.

He says he’s concerned about the lack of public debate on the police assertion that 25-40% of all government payments are defrauded.

Mr Clyne says it’s the responsibility of the auditor-general, attorney-general, government department secretaries and the ombudsman commission to ensure there is transparency and accountability in government transactions.

Source: Radio New Zealand International

IN AN ANALYSIS of Australia’s refugee dilemma [Asylum partners rocked by troubles], Rowan Callick reports in The Australian today that the PNG government is in an awkward position in trying to reach a deal on refugee processing.

In trying to stabilise its government, Callick reports, Papua New Guinea has failed to resolve the need for a new prime minister in the absence for four months of Michael Somare.

“Two of its most senior ministers, Arthur Somare and Patrick Pruaitch, are facing imminent court appearances, charged with corruption. Its Attorney-General, former chief justice Arnold Amet, is at public loggerheads with the judiciary.

“The Acting Prime Minister, Sam Abal, has been suspended from his own National Alliance Party for two months, while he has in turn replaced as deputy leader for the Highlands in the party the former foreign minister he sacked a few weeks ago, Don Polye.

“The country's administration is faltering in the face of the infighting and indecision at the top.”

Nevertheless, Callick says both the government and opposition generally support an asylum-seeker deal.

“PNG Foreign Minister Ano Pala told Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd in Bali at the weekend that cabinet would discuss it in a fortnight. But there is no guarantee that the same cabinet will be in place then.”

Read  the full story here

PAPUA NEW GUINEA’s first national census in 11 years is expected to confirm a growing trend towards urbanisation.

The census was meant to be held last year but was delayed because of logistical and funding problems.

The director of the Institute for National Affairs, Paul Barker, says it is believed the PNG population probably exceeds seven million.

And he says more people are moving to the cities.

“There’s a feeling that over the last 10-11 years there’s been a major shift towards the urban areas partly as a result of perceived opportunities in the towns and the poor services that are available for people out in the rural areas and we really want to know to what extent that has been occurring and to which towns,” he said.

Detailed results from the census won’t be available until next year.

Source: Radio New Zealand International

IT IS ESTIMATED that 25% of Papua New Guinea is comprised of evangelical Christians.  But many people have yet to have the Bible translated into their own native languages.

Some 830 languages are spoken in PNG, representing 12% of the world's languages.  To help push the translation projects toward completion, the Bible translation ministry, Wycliffe Associates, is raising funds for the New Ireland Translation Institute.

Wycliffe Associates is helping national teams at the Institute to get the New Testament translated into the last 15 languages in the province that are without scripture.

National translators living in New Ireland regularly travel from their villages to the Institute to undertake translation. They rely heavily on the support of Wycliffe Associates for everything from their food during the training to the computers they use for translation.

"These people are committed to bringing God's Word to their people," says Bruce Smith, president and CEO of Wycliffe Associates.

"Despite impossible travel conditions, health problems and personal tragedy, they persevere. Nothing can stop them, except for a lack of funds."

This year, it will cost $270,000 to fund the 15 translation projects underway at the Institute.

Source: Mission Network News

BY KEITH JACKSON

A GROUP OF expatriate Papua New Guineans is seeking to source funds to support the campaigns of what it terms “a select group of PNG wantoks” in next year’s national election.

And it has warned that weapons are being amassed and that “chaos could reign supreme” when “warlords” face off during the election campaign.

The email marked ‘strictly confidential’ obtained by PNG Attitude says that a bus kivung is planned to be held in Cairns at the end of next month, at which a delegation from PNG will meet with unnamed expatriate Papua New Guineans interested in funding an elite team of candidates.

“I know for certain that all our PNG wantoks in Mount Isa will be organising several fund raising events to help generate funds to support these highly intellectual achievers to gain or form a block (sic) for a good, open and transparent governance in our beloved country Papua na New Guinea,” the writer says.

He continues: “I am only a mere pawn in this struggle to improve the quality of life for ALL of her citizens. I would like your financial support to bring about a change of government for the betterment of olgeta pipol insait long kantri bilong yumi olgeta - PNG.”

The email continues in Tok Pisin: “We must unite to support young men and women who understand how to get rid of the present politicians to clear the way for closer relations with Australia and the Pacific to strengthen the region.”

“The 2012 elections will be contested vigorously,” the writer says.  “I have heard very strong rumours that there will be problems, and chaos will reign supreme as firearms are now being amassed in certain provinces.  We must avoid a warlord situation to manifest itself in PNG.

“Please, we expatriate PNGS must prevent this happening.  PNG is our home too.  Those that have called PNG their home for so many years, do not turn your back on her now.

“We need your support to help finance a group of elite PNG members, the creme de la crème who can govern the country without fear or favour and create stability for all of her people to enjoy.”

The group is seeking funding and networking from Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere in the Pacific.

BY KEITH JACKSON

IT’S A GREAT SHAME that the end of Sir Michael Somare’s political career seems to be ending in confusion and contradiction.

Now into his third month in hospital in Singapore, there remains continuing uncertainty over whether or not his resignation as prime minister, reported by his son Arthur, is effective.

Sir Michael has been in hospital since April and two weeks ago Arthur cited his ill-health as triggering his decision to quit politics.

But, the PNG constitution requires a medical report by two PNG doctors to verify a prime minister’s physical or mental incapacity to carry out his duties.

Specialist surgeon Dr Kristoffa Ninkama has told The National that such verification is impossible because no PNG doctor is registered with the Singapore Medical Council.

He says a PNG doctor checking on Sir Michael would not be recognised as a medical practitioner.

The way forward seems to be to get two PNG specialist doctors registered in Singapore post haste.

BY BRIAN THOMSON

Prime minister Sir Michael Somare has accused Australian mining giant Rio Tinto and its subsidiary Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) of being behind the PNG military's bloody suppression of Bougainville rebels opposed to the company's Panguna copper mine.

An affidavit written by Sir Michael when he was Opposition Leader in 2001 - and never made public - alleges that Rio played an active role in military operations that ultimately led to a civil war and blockade of the island in which 15,000 people died between 1989 and 1997.

''Because of Rio Tinto's financial influence in PNG, the company controlled the government,'' Mr Somare's affidavit states.

''The government of PNG followed Rio Tinto's instructions and carried out its requests … BCL was directly involved in the military operations on Bougainville, and it played an active role. BCL supplied helicopters, which were used as gunships, the pilots, troop transportation, fuel and troop barracks.''

The Somare affidavit was lodged as part of an ongoing class action in the United States by the islanders against Rio Tinto.

The case has been bogged down in legal argument for 10 years, preventing much of the evidence, including the Somare affidavit, from being made public. In his signed statement, Sir Michael claims that without Rio Tinto, there would never have been a war.

''It is my opinion that absent Rio Tinto's mining activity on Bougainville or its insistence that the Panguna mine be re-opened, the government would not have engaged in hostilities or taken military action on the island.''

The affidavit will complicate Rio Tinto's current attempts to reopen the mine, which is being supported by Sir Michael's government.

Sir Michael was unaware that SBS's Dateline program had obtained his signed statement from sealed US court material until his office was contacted this week. Sir Michael is recovering from double heart surgery in Singapore and his office was unable to say if he still stood by his comments.

The ailing leader's statement reinforces claims from the islander litigants and former rebels that Rio Tinto had a hand in the military's efforts.

Sam Kauona, a former fighter, said: ''It didn't surprise me, all the time we knew.  ''We knew that BCL was financing this war on Bougainville because when we were fighting … all the BCL vehicles were being used by the security forces.''

Panguna landowner, former rebel and local chief Philip Miriori said Sir Michael's statement backs up his long-standing claims about Rio's complicity with the PNG military.

BCL chief executive Peter Taylor was aware of the affidavit, but said he was surprised Sir Michael would ''make these accusations knowing they're completely unfounded''.

Brian Thomson's report on the war in Bougainville screens on Dateline on SBS1 at 8.30 tonight

Source: The Age

PRIME MINISTER Michael Somare’s family will gather round the old man’s bedside in a Singapore hospital this week to decide whether he can continue in the top job.

The family gathering indicates that retirement, after 42 years in parliament and a decade as Prime Minister, is near.

His son Arthur, the Minister for Public Enterprise, has given the first account of his father's health issues since the ailing prime minister flew to Singapore three months ago.

Arthur Somare told media in Port Moresby that Sir Michael, 75, had developed a problem with his heart's aortic valve, which was replaced successfully in a first operation at Raffles International Hospital.

But one of his kidneys and his lungs then began to malfunction, requiring two further operations.

It took some time for his kidney to start functioning again. And he also suffered a fungal blood infection.

Arthur Somare said the family was "quite concerned" they might lose their father during the second and third operations.

But now, he said, "the kidney is functioning and his health is stabilising", although he has been in the hospital's intensive care unit for almost five weeks.

"Next week, we hope he is out," Arthur said. The family decided not to allow visits by well-wishers. Now, Mr Somare said, "we are hopeful that he can recover in his own time without pressure" - reinforcing the likelihood of retirement.

Source: The Australian

SIR MICHAEL SOMARE is expected leave intensive care in his Singapore hospital next week.

It has been more than two months since Sir Michael, 75, went to Singapore to have surgery to replace a valve in his heart.

Today his son Arthur spoke publicly about his father's condition for the first time.

He confirmed Sir Michael twice required corrective surgery and has suffered from other issues including lung and kidney problems.

"There is great uncertainty as to the period of time for his recovery," he said.

"We anticipate by Tuesday next week that he will be out of ICU."

He says it is too soon to say if Sir Michael will return to work.

Source: Australia Network News