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Category: Mourning

  • Massive Crowd Bids Farewell To Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah

    Hundreds of thousands gathered in the Lebanese capital on 23 February to take part in the funeral of the late Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, and his short-lived successor, Hashem Safieddine.

    Mourners started to gather at the Camille Chamoun Sports City stadium in Beirut from the early hours of Sunday. Local estimates suggest that around 1.4 million people, including visitors from nearly 80 nations, united to pay their respects to the Lebanese resistance leaders killed by Israel.

    “Today, we say farewell to an exceptional, historical leader, a national, Arab, and Islamic figure who has become a symbol of freedom for oppressed people worldwide,” Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem told the sea of people.

    The post Massive Crowd Bids Farewell To Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • The Mourning After

    Ralph and the team invite cofounder of RootsAction, Norman Solomon, to autopsy the carcass of the Democratic Party after Donald Trump’s decisive defeat of Kamala Harris in the presidential election. They dissect what happened on November 5th and report what needs to be done about it. 

    Norman Solomon is co-founder of RootsAction.org and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He is the author of War Made Easy, Made Love, Got War, and his newest book, War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine.

    The Democrats couldn’t even get their base vote out that they got out in 2020. And what are they looking at? Are they looking at themselves in the mirror for introspection? Are they cleaning house? Do they have any plan whatsoever— other than collect more and more money from corporate PACS? This is a spectacular decline.

    Ralph Nader

    We kept being told that party loyalty über alles, we had to stay in line with Biden. And…that lost precious months, even a year or a year and a half, when there could have been a sorting out in vigorous primaries. We were told that, “Oh, it would be terrible to have an inside-the-party primary system.” Well, in 2020, there were 17 candidates, so there wasn’t space on one stage on one night to hold them all—the debates would have to be in half. Well, it didn’t really debilitate the party. Debate is a good thing. But what happened was this party loyalty, this obsequious kissing-the-presidential-feet dynamic allowed Biden to amble along until it became incontrovertible that he wasn’t capable.

    Norman Solomon

    A lot of people on that committee—and of course, running the DNC—they and their pals had this pass-through of literally millions of dollars of consultant fees. Win, lose, or draw. It’s like General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman, they never lose a war. And so, these corporate donors, they never lose a presidential race. They didn’t lose what happened with Harris and Trump. They cashed in, they made out like the corporate bandits that they are.

    Norman Solomon

    One reality as an activist that I’ve come to the conclusion on in the last couple of decades is that progressives tend to be way too nice to Democrats in Congress, especially those that they consider to be allies. Because they like what some of the Democrats do…and so they give too many benefits of the doubt. It’s like grading them on a curve. We can’t afford to grade them on a curve.

    Norman Solomon

    In Case You Haven’t Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 11/6/24

    1. As of now, Donald Trump is projected to win the 2024 presidential election by a greater margin than 2016. In addition to winning back Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia and Arizona, Trump also appears to have flipped Nevada – which went for both Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Most shocking of all, Trump has won the national popular vote, something he failed to do in 2016 and 2020 and which no Republican has done in 20 years. Democrats also faced a bloodbath in the Senate elections, with Republicans on track to win a 54 seat majority in the upper chamber.

    2. Bucking tremendous party pressure, Representative Rashida Tlaib declined to endorse Kamala Harris at a United Autoworkers rally in Michigan just days before the election, POLITICO reports. Tlaib urged attendees to turn out but “kept her speech focused on down-ballot races.” Tlaib is the only member of “the Squad” to withhold her support for Harris and the only Palestinian member of Congress. She has been a staunch critic of the Biden Administration’s blind support for Israel’s campaign of genocide in Palestine and voted Uncommitted in the Michigan Democratic primary.

    3. Along similar lines, the Uncommitted Movement issued a fiery statement on the eve of the election. According to the group, “Middle East Eye ran a story…[which] contains unfounded and absurd claims, suggesting that Uncommitted made a secret agreement with the Democratic Party to not endorse a third-party candidate.” The statement goes on to say that “this baseless story…is misguided at best and a dishonest malicious attack at worst.” Uncommitted maintains that “leaders and delegates are voting in different ways, yet remain untied in their mission to stop the endless flow of American weapons fueling Israel’s militarism.” In September, Uncommitted publicly stated that they would not endorse Kamala Harris, citing her continued support for the Biden Administration policy toward Israel, but urged supporters to vote against Donald Trump.

    4. Progressive International reports that over 50 sovereign nations have called for an immediate arms embargo on Israel, calling it “a legal, humanitarian and moral imperative to put an end to grave human suffering.” This letter cites the “staggering toll of civilian casualties, the majority of them children and women, due to ongoing breaches of international law by Israel, the occupying Power,” and warns of “regional destabilization that risks the outbreak of an all-out war in the region.” Signatories on this letter include Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Norway, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, Cuba, Bolivia, and China among many others.

    5. Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush have sent a letter to President Biden accusing him of illegally involving the American armed forces in Israel’s war without proper Congressional authorization. Per the accompanying statement, “The Biden administration has deepened U.S. involvement in the Israeli government’s devastating regional war through comprehensive intelligence sharing and operational coordination, and now even the direct deployment of U.S. servicemembers to Israel. Not only do these actions encourage further escalation and violence, but they are unauthorized by Congress, in violation of Article I of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973.” The letter concludes “The Executive Branch cannot continue to ignore the law…In the absence of an immediate ceasefire and end of hostilities, Congress retains the right and ability to exercise its Constitutional authority to direct the removal of any and all unauthorized Armed Forces from the region pursuant to Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution.” This letter was endorsed by an array of groups ranging from the Quincy Institute to Jewish Voice for Peace to the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, and signed by other pro-Palestine members of Congress including Ilhan Omar, Summer Lee, and André Carson – though notably not AOC.

    6. In a story that touches on both the election and labor issues, the New York Times Tech Guild voted to go on strike Monday morning. The Times Tech Guild, which represents “workers like software developers and data analysts,” at the Times negotiated until late Sunday night, particularly regarding “whether the workers could get a ‘just cause’ provision in their contract…pay increases and pay equity; and return-to-office policies,” per the New York Times. The Guardian reports “The Tech Guild’s roughly 600 members are in charge of operating the back-end systems that power the paper’s…[coverage of] the presidential election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump – but also the hundreds of House and dozens of Senate races across the US that will determine who will secure control of Washington in 2025.” Kathy Zhang, the guild’s unit chair, said in a statement “[The Times] have left us no choice but to demonstrate the power of our labor on the picket line…we stand ready to bargain and get this contract across the finish line.”

    7. In more labor news, AP reports the striking Boeing machinists have “voted to accept a contract offer and end their strike after more than seven weeks, clearing the way for the aerospace giant to resume production.” The deal reportedly includes “a 38% wage increase over four years, [as well as] ratification and productivity bonuses.” That said, Boeing apparently “refused to meet strikers’ demand to restore a company pension plan that was frozen nearly a decade ago.” According to a Bank of America analysis, Boeing was losing approximately $50 million per day during the strike, a startling number by any measure. The union’s District 751 President Jon Holden told members “You stood strong and you stood tall and you won,” yet calibration specialist Eep Bolaño said the outcome was “most certainly not a victory…We were threatened by a company that was crippled, dying, bleeding on the ground, and us as one of the biggest unions in the country couldn’t even extract two-thirds of our demands from them. This is humiliating.”

    8. Huffington Post Labor Reporter Dave Jamieson reports “The [National Labor Relations Board] has filed a complaint against Grindr alleging the dating app used a new return-to-office policy to fire dozens of workers who were organizing.” He further reports that NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo is seeking a “Cemex order” which would “force the company to bargain with the [Communications Workers of America].” In a statement, CWA wrote “We hope this NLRB filing sends a clear message to Grindr that…we are committed to negotiating fair working conditions in good faith. As we continue to build and expand worker power at Grindr, this win…is a positive step toward ensuring that Grindr remains a safe, inclusive, and thriving place for users and workers alike.”

    9. In further positive news from federal regulators, NBC’s Today reports “On Oct. 25, the United States Copyright Office granted a copyright exemption that gives restaurants like McDonald’s the “right to repair” broken machines by circumventing digital locks that prevent them from being fixed by anyone other than its manufacturer.” As this piece explains, all of McDonald’s ice cream machines – which have become a punchline for how frequently they are out of service – are owned and operated by the Taylor Company since 1956. Moreover “The…company holds a copyright on its machines…[meaning] if one broke, only [Taylor Company] repair people were legally allowed to fix it…due to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act…a 1998 law that criminalizes making or using technology, devices or services that circumvent the control access of copyrighted works.” This move from the Copyright Office reflects a larger pattern of regulators recognizing the issues with giving companies like Taylor monopolistic free reign over sectors of the economy and blocking consumers – in this case fast food franchisees – from repairing machines themselves. With backing from public interest groups like U.S. PIRG, the Right to Repair movement continues to pick up steam. We hope Congress will realize that this is a political slam dunk.

    10. Finally, in an astounding story of vindication, Michael and Robert Meeropol – sons of Ethel Rosenberg, who was convicted of and executed for passing secrets to the Soviet Union – claim that long-sought records have definitively cleared their mother’s name. Per Bloomberg, “A few months ago, the National Security Agency sent the Meeropols a box of records the spy agency declassified…Inside was a seven-page handwritten memo…The relevant passage…is just eight words: ‘she did not engage in the work herself.’” Put simply, Rosenberg was wrongfully convicted and put to death for a crime she did not commit. The article paints the picture of the men uncovering this key piece of evidence. “After he read it, Robert said his eyes welled up. “Michael and I looked at it and our reaction was, ‘We did it.’”

    This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven’t Heard.



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    This content originally appeared on Ralph Nader Radio Hour and was authored by Ralph Nader.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • We Must Refuse “Normal Life” After Police Violence Like Killing of Tyre Nichols

    My stomach turned when I first watched the video of Memphis police officers yanking Tyre Nichols out of his car to Tase and pursue him, and then beat him. I felt my heart wrench while watching the police officers prop a beaten and handcuffed Nichols against a patrol car only to hear one officer yell, “Bruh, sit up!” after Nichols fell over, as if he were in any condition to comply.

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • ‘Not my king’: do we have the right to protest the monarchy at a time of mourning?

    ANALYSIS: By Maria O’Sullivan, Monash University

    During the present period of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, public sensitivities in the United Kingdom and Australia are high. There is strong sentiment in both countries in favour of showing respect for the Queen’s death.

    Some people may wish to do this privately. Others will want to demonstrate their respect publicly by attending commemorations and processions.

    There are also cohorts within both countries that may wish to express discontent and disagreement with the monarchy at this time.

    For instance, groups such as Indigenous peoples and others who were subject to dispossession and oppression by the British monarchy may wish to express important political views about these significant and continuing injustices.

    This has caused tension across the globe. For instance, a professor from the United States who tweeted a critical comment of the Queen has been subject to significant public backlash.

    Also, an Aboriginal rugby league player is facing a ban and a fine by the NRL for similar negative comments she posted online following the Queen’s death.

    This tension has been particularly so in the UK, where police have questioned protestors expressing anti-monarchy sentiments, and in some cases, arrested them.

    But should such concerns about the actions of the Queen and monarchy be silenced or limited because a public declaration of mourning has been made by the government?

    This raises some difficult questions as to how the freedom of speech of both those who wish to grieve publicly and those who wish to protest should be balanced.

    What laws in the UK are being used to do this?
    There are various laws that regulate protest in the UK. At a basic level, police can arrest a person for a “breach of the peace”.

    Also, two statutes provide specific offences that allow police to arrest protesters.

    Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 UK provides that a person is guilty of a public order offence if:

    • they use threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour
    • or display any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening or abusive.

    The offence provision then provides this must be “within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress” by those acts.

    There is some protection for speech in the legislation because people arrested under this provision can argue a defence of “reasonable excuse”. However, there’s still a great deal of discretion placed in the hands of the police.

    The other statute that was recently amended is the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act of 2022, which allows police to arrest protesters for “public nuisance”.

    In the context of the period of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, the wide terms used in this legislation (such as “nuisance” and “distress”) gives a lot of discretion to police to arrest protesters who they perceive to be upsetting others.

    For instance, a protester who holds a placard saying “Not my king, abolish the monarchy” may be seen as likely to cause distress to others given the high sensitivities in the community during the period of mourning.

    Is there a right to protest under UK and Australian law?
    Protest rights are recognised in both the UK and in Australia, but in different ways.

    In the UK, the right to freedom of expression is recognised in Article 10 of the Human Rights Act.

    In Australia, there’s no equivalent of the right to freedom of expression at the federal level as Australia doesn’t have a national human rights charter. Rather, there’s a constitutional principle called the “implied freedom of political communication”.

    This isn’t a “right” as such but does provide some acknowledgement of the importance of protest.

    Also, freedom of expression is recognised in the three jurisdictions in Australia that have human rights instruments (Victoria, Queensland and the ACT).

    Can the right to protest be limited in a period of mourning?
    In this period of public mourning, people wishing to assemble in a public place to pay respect to the queen are exercising two primary human rights: the right to assembly and the right to freedom of expression.

    But these are not absolute rights. They cannot override the rights of others to also express their own views.

    Further, there is no recognised right to assemble without annoyance or disturbance from others. That is, others in the community are also permitted to gather in a public place during the period of mourning and voice their views (which may be critical of the queen or monarchy).

    It is important to also note that neither the UK nor Australia protects the monarchy against criticism. This is significant because in some countries (such as Thailand), it is a criminal offence to insult the monarch. These are called “lèse-majesté” laws — a French term meaning “to do wrong to majesty”.

    The police in the UK and Australia cannot therefore use public order offences (such breach of the peace) to unlawfully limit public criticism of the monarchy.

    It may be uncomfortable or even distressing for those wishing to publicly grieve the Queen’s passing to see anti-monarchy placards displayed. But that doesn’t make it a criminal offence that allows protesters to be arrested.

    The ability to voice dissent is vital for a functioning democracy. It is therefore arguable that people should be able to voice their concerns with the monarchy even in this period of heightened sensitivity. The only way in which anti-monarchy sentiment can lawfully be suppressed is in a state of emergency.

    A public period of mourning does not meet that standard.The Conversation

    Dr Maria O’Sullivan, associate professor in the Faculty of Law, and deputy director, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, Monash University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Flags at half mast across the Pacific as leaders pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth

    RNZ Pacific

    Flags are flying at half mast across the Pacific and leaders are paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who died at Thursday at the age of 96.

    The Queen visited the Pacific multiple times during her 70-year reign, with a visit a few months after her coronation to Fiji and Tonga, in December 1953.

    Here are some of the tributes paid so far:

    Cook Islands
    Cook Islands’ Prime Minister Mark Brown has acknowledged the Queen’s death “with great sadness”.

    He said all her people of the Cook Islands would mourn her passing and would miss her greatly.

    He said the Queen leaft behind an enormous legacy of dedicated service to her subjects around the world, including Cook Islanders.

    All flags in the Cook Islands will be flown at half-mast until further notice, and a memorial service will be held on a date yet to be announced.

    A condolence book will be opened for members of the public to sign in the Cabinet Room at the Office of the Prime Minister.

    “Her reign spanned seven decades and saw her appoint 15 British prime ministers during her tenure. As world leaders came and went — she endured and served her people,” he said.

    Fiji
    Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama tweeted his condolences.

    “Fijian hearts are heavy this morning as we bid farewell to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” he said.

    “We will always treasure the joy of her visits to Fiji along with every moment that her grace, courage, and wisdom were a comfort and inspiration to our people, even a world away.

    Hawai’i
    Governor of Hawai’i David Ige posted this on Facebook:

    “The State of Hawai’i joins the nation and the rest of the world in mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II. Many years ago, Hawai’i hosted the Queen at Washington Place.

    “Her graciousness and her leadership will always be remembered.

    “I’ve ordered that the United States flag and the Hawai’i state flag be flown at half-staff in the State of Hawai’i immediately until sunset on the day of interment as a mark of respect for Queen Elizabeth II.”

    Niue
    Premier Dalton Tagelagi expressed his deepest sadness on the death of “a most extraordinary woman”.

    He said her faithfulness to her duties and dedication to her people was the reflection of a most remarkable leader.

    Flags will fly at half-mast to mark the Queen’s death.

    Papua New Guinea
    In a condolence message, Prime Minister James Marape said: “Papua New Guineans from the mountains, valleys and coasts rose up this morning to the news that our Queen has been taken to rest by God.”

    He said: “she was the anchor of our Commonwealth and for PNG we fondly call her ‘Mama Queen’ because she was the matriarch of our country as much as she was to her family and her Sovereign realms.

    “God bless her Soul as she lays in rest. May God bless also King Charles III. Her Majesty’s people in PNG shares the grief with our King and his family.”

    Solomon Islands
    MP Peter Kenilorea Jr posted a photograph online of his father, Sir Peter Kenilorea Sr, being knighted by the Queen.

    “It was an honour to witness her knighting my late father in 1982. I was 10 and my sister and I were honoured to witness this solemn ceremony at Government House. It was a privilege to meet her.”

    Tahiti
    French Polynesia President Édouard Fritch said the life of Queen Elizabeth II marked upon “the history of the world”.

    The Queen made a stop-over in French Polynesia to refuel with her husband Prince Philip on her way back from Australia in 2002.

    The late Queen Elizabeth with Tahiti's then Vice-President Édouard Fritch in 2002
    The late Queen Elizabeth with Tahiti’s then Vice-President Édouard Fritch in 2002. Image: La Presidence de la Polynesie.

    Fritch, who was Vice-President of the territory at the time, said today:

    “My sincere condolences to the family of the Queen and the people of the United Kingdom. May the Queen’s work for peace continue to reassemble the United Nations among the ‘Commonwealth’ and around the British crown. My prayers will join them in this ultimate voyage of their sovereign.”

    Fritch reminisced on his time meeting the Queen for an hour when they discussed topics on French Polynesia, the Pacific and the Commonwealth.

    Tonga
    Tongan Princess Frederica Tuita made the following statement:

    “We join millions of people in sadness after hearing the news of Her Majesty’s passing. She was loved and respected by our family.

    “We have so many cherished memories including this one of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with our late grandfather Baron Laufilitonga Tuita. Further right is His late Highness Prince Tu’ipelehake and behind Her Majesty is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.”

    Tuvalu
    From the Ministry of Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs:

    “The Ministry mourns the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Through 70 years of dedicated service, the Queen provided stability in a consistently changing world, and deepest condolences are extended to the family and loved ones of the Queen in this time of loss.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘Fijian hearts are heavy’ says PM as Pacific mourns Queen Elizabeth II

    RNZ Pacific

    Queen Elizabeth II — 1926-2022

    Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama tweeted today “Fijian hearts are heavy this morning as we bid farewell” as global messages of condolences flooded in with the news that Queen Elizabeth, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96.

    She reigned for 70 years.

    “Fijian hearts are heavy this morning as we bid farewell to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” tweeted Bainimarama.

    “We will always treasure the joy of her visits to Fiji along with every moment that her grace, courage, and wisdom were a comfort and inspiration to our people, even a world away.”

    The Queen visited the Pacific multiple times during her reign, with a visit a few months after her coronation to Fiji and Tonga, in December 1953.

    The Queen’s family gathered at her Scottish estate after concerns grew about her health earlier on Thursday.

    The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change.


    UK’s Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96 | Al Jazeera Newsfeed

    King Charles leads mourning
    With her death, her eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will lead the country in mourning as the new King and head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms.

    In a statement, King Charles III said: “The death of my beloved mother Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

    “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”

    All the Queen’s children travelled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision.

    Queen Elizabeth’s tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from empire to Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War and the UK’s entry into – and withdrawal from — the European Union.

    Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill, born in 1874, and including Liz Truss, born 101 years later in 1975, and appointed by the Queen earlier this week.

    Queen’s many visits to the Pacific
    Among the Queen’s multiple visits to the Pacific, she attended the opening of the Rarotonga International Airport in 1974.

    In October 1982, her tour included Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji.

    Together with her husband, Prince Philip, the Queen visited Fiji on February 16-17, 1977, as part of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of her accession to the British throne.

    Fiji media had reported that during a banquet dinner held in her honour in Suva, the Queen told the 300 guests present Fiji was the first Pacific country she had seen in 1953.

    The Queen visited Fiji six times during her reign.

    RNZ coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II
    RNZ coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Image: RNZ screenshot APR

    Matangi Tonga reported Queen Elizabeth had a special relationship with Tonga and Tonga’s Royal Family after Queen Sālote Tupou III attended her coronation in London.

    In 1953 Queen Elizabeth made a special visit to Tonga. She laid a wreath at the cenotaph in Pangai Si’i, a small park that Queen Sālote had developed (now the site of the St George Government Building) and attended a feast at the Royal Palace in Nuku’alofa.

    At the time of the Queen’s 70th jubilee, British High Commissioner to the Kingdom of Tonga, Lucy Joyce, wrote that Queen Elizabeth’s links to Tonga went back to her coronation.

    She visited the Kingdom three times: in December 1953, in March 1970 when the couple were accompanied by Princess Anne; and during the Silver Jubilee year of 1977.

    The UK was also on hand to provide assistance after the volcano and tsunami in February.

    Joyce wrote it was a clear recent example of the solidarity between Commonwealth nations.

    In Wellngton, RNZ reports New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Ardern said the Queen’s commitment to her role and to “all of us has been without question and unwavering”.

    “The last days of the Queen’s life captures who she was in so many ways, working to the very end on behalf of the people she loved.

    “This is a time of deep sadness. Young or old, there is no doubt that a chapter is closing today, and with that we share our thanks for an incredible woman who we were lucky enough to call our Queen,” Ardern said.

    “She was extraordinary.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    Queen Elizabeth II ... multiple visits to the Pacific
    Queen Elizabeth II … multiple visits to the Pacific. Image: RNZ/Getty ImagesBettmann

  • New Caledonia votes ‘non’ – but huge Kanak boycott of French referendum

    Voters in New Caledonia have overwhelmingly rejected independence from France in a referendum spurned by a massive boycott from the pro-independence camp.

    With vote counting almost complete, unofficial results last night showed more than 95 percent had voted against independence in the third and last such plebiscite under the 1998 Noumea Accord.

    Pro-independence parties had called on their supporters not to vote after France refused to postpone the referendum because of the impact of the pandemic on the indigenous Kanak population.

    Final NC provisional results
    Provisional results of the New Caledonia independence referendum last night … 95 percent no, 5 percent yes, but less than 50 percent turnout because of the pro-independence boycott. In 2020, the turnout was 86 percent. Image: APR screenshot Calédonia TV

    The customary Kanak Senate had declared Sunday to be a day of mourning for the 280 people who died in the pandemic.

    The French High Commission said voting was peaceful and there were no incidents.

    All communes voted against independence, including those where last year more than 90 percent voted for independence.

    On Belep, turnout was 0.6 percent, while on Lifou, which is also a mainly Kanak island, some voting stations had not a single voter.

    However, anti-independence leaders welcomed the result.

    Philippe Michel, a Congress member since 1999, said the voters’ verdict was “indisputable”.

    Gil Brial, who heads MPC, said the victory was not only a legal one but also a political one because it was the pro-independence parties which had demanded the third referendum.

    Nina Julie of Generations NC said this victory meant that New Caledonians would keep their French passports.

    Before the vote, the pro-independence parties said they would not recognise the result, and ruled out any negotiations on any future status before next April’s French presidential election.

    They also ruled out meeting the French Overseas Minister Sebastien Lecornu who arrived in Noumea at the weekend for post-referendum negotiations.

    The decolonisation mechanism, at play with two main accords since 1988, has now reached its formal end without the full participation of the colonised Kanak indigenous people at the centre of the process.

    New Caledonia has been on the UN decolonisation list since 1986.

    Pro-independence parties said before the plebiscite that in case of a third no vote they would seek direct bilateral talks with Paris on the territory’s decolonisation.

    The December date for the referendum was chosen by Lecornu in June after he dismissed calls by the pro-independence parties to hold it in late 2022.

    His position echoed the consensus that the referendum date should in no way overlap with the campaign period for the French presidential and legislative elections due next year.

    In the two preceding referendums under the Noumea Accord, the percentage of people voting no fell from 56.7 percent in 2018 to 53.3 percent in 2020.

    After the 2018 referendum, the then French prime minister Edouard Philippe expressed satisfaction that all agreed on the indisputable nature of the result of this referendum.

    With the overwhelming no vote, today’s referendum decision puts the onus back on France to find a new way to accommodate the Kanaks’ right to self-determination.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    Christian Toumidou
    Christian Toumidou, a Northern provincial advocate for Calédonie Ensemble, talks to Calédonie TV. Image: APR screenshot

     

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • French minister’s visit ‘a provocation’, say pro-independence parties

    RNZ Pacific

    New Caledonia’s pro-independence parties say the French overseas minister’s visit in the next few days is unwelcome, describing it as “another provocation”.

    Overseas Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced his trip as New Caledonia readies for Sunday’s third and final independence referendum after rejected pleas by the pro-independence parties to postpone it to next year because of the pandemic.

    While the minister said he would outline details of the 18-month transition phase following the vote in upcoming talks in Noumea, the pro-independence parties have ruled out meeting him.

    They said any negotiations will have to wait until after the French presidential election in April.

    The customary Kanak Senate, which is a forum of traditional leaders, has now declared Sunday as a day of mourning for the victims of the pandemic and called on Kanaks not to vote.

    Its president, Yvon Kona, has also appealed for calm so there would be no trouble on polling day.

    An extra 2000 police and military personnel have been flown in from France to provide security across the territory.

    Complaint that Lecornu flouted covid rules
    Meanwhile, a small pro-independence party has lodged a formal complaint against Lecornu in France after reports that the minister flouted covid-19 restrictions during his visit to New Caledonia in October.

    The French investigative news site Mediapart reported that Lecornu had gone for drinks at a meeting with anti-independence New Caledonian politicians.

    The complaint alleges that by breaking the rules he imperiled the health of others.

    The ministry said the event was a work-related multilateral exchange.

    It said in turn it intended to lodge a complaint against the party for defamation.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Yellow lighting, ribbons display across Philippines in honour of Aquino

    Rappler reporters

    Filipinos honoured the late Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III by lighting buildings up in yellow, tying yellow ribbons around trees and lamp posts, and staging makeshift memorials in their area.

    Aquino, son of two of the country’s greatest democracy icons, died from kidney disease on Thursday at the age of 61.

    His funeral mass was held on Saturday and President Rodrigo Duterte declared 10 days of national mourning.

    Aquino, the country’s 15th president, was inaugurated in June 2010 following a landslide election win delivered on the back a strong anti-graft campaign.

    Calls for him to run mounted after the death in August 2009 of his mother, Corazon Aquino, a former president and wife of  For supporters, an Aquino was the answer to the massive corruption plaguing the country.

    Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr, was assassinated in 1983 on the tarmac of Manila International Airport — subsequently renamed in his honour — as he returned from exile in the US.

    The opposition leader’s callous murder was the catalyst for People Power, the revolutionary movement that brought down the Marcos dictatorship and catapulted Corazon Aquino, a housewife, into the presidency.

    Buildings lit up
    Several institutions including the Philippine Educational Theater Association, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), and Roxas City Heritage Zone lit up their buildings in yellow to pay homage to “Noynoy” Aquino III.

    The CCP explained that the color was a “symbol for freedom from dictatorship and reinstating democratic institutions.”

    De La Salle University’s St La Salle Hall was lit in Philippine flag colors and adorned with black and yellow cloth to “honour President Aquino’s service to the Filipino people”.

    While some individuals took to social media to say thanks to Aquino, so much so that #PaalamPNoy became a top trending hashtag on Twitter, there were also many Filipinos across the Philippines who brought their tributes to the streets.

    Supporters of Noynoy Aquino offered flowers and prayers at a makeshift memorial near his residence at Times Street, Quezon City.

    Others, meanwhile, placed black and yellow ribbons on the fence of the Ateneo de Manila University campus on Katipunan Avenue. The wake of the former president was earlier open for public viewing at the Ateneo’s Church of the Gesu.

    Some had tied yellow ribbons around trees and lamp posts, while others had set up makeshift memorials in their own areas.

    Here are some of the tributes that Filipinos made for Aquino:

    The Philippine Educational Theater Association decorates its building with yellow ribbons and yellow lights. Image: Rappler
    The iconic St La Salle Hall is lit in Philippine flag colors and is adorned with black and yellow cloth to honor President Aquino’s service to the Filipino people. De La Salle University. Image: Rappler
    Yellow ribbons, which symbolise the Aquino legacy, are tied to the centre island railings of España Boulevard in Sampaloc, Manila. Image: Rappler
    The stretch of Espana Boulevard in Manila feature yellow ribbons. Image: Rappler
    Supporters of former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III offer flowers and prayers at a makeshift memorial near his residence at Times Street, Quezon City. Image: Rappler
    Supporters of former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III offer flowers and prayers at a makeshift memorial near his residence at Times Street, Quezon City. Image: Rappler

    Republished with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • West Papua closes national mourning for Pastor Nafuki – prays for MSG

    By Benny Mawel in Jayapura

    The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has held national mourning ceremonies at the weekend for the death of Vanuatu independence campaigner Father Allen Nafuki and prayed for the Papuan people to be accepted as full members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

    The closing ceremonies were held in both Jayapura and at the ULMWP office in Wamena on Saturday.

    “Interim President Benny Wenda announced national mourning with Vanuatu. Today, we close our mourning with our brother Vanuatu,” said Markus Haluk, head of the ULMWP Office in West Papua, in his closing remarks.

    Pastor Allen Nafuki RIP 150621
    Pastor Allen Nafuki … highly regarded in West Papua. Image: ULMWP

    The ceremony in Wamena was marked by slaughtering 6 pigs, while in Jayapura 2 pigs were slaughtered with traditional Melanesian earth oven cooking  — known as “bakar batu” in West Papua and as “mumu” in other parts of Melanesia.

    Haluk said that the closing of mourning also started with prayer and fasting for 9 days. The people of West Papua together with the prayer group also performed a koronka prayer in support of the forthcoming MSG meeting.

    The head of the ULMWP Legislature, Edison Waromi, said that the joint prayer to close and escort the spirit of Pastor Allen Nafuki was an important part of the series of struggles of the Papuan people to be free from Indonesian colonialism.

    Pastor Allen was regarded highly by the people of West Papua, as an advocate for Papuan independence with the governments of Melanesian countries throughout his life.

    “Prayer and fasting are also important because the power of prayer is the power of struggle. Consistent prayer while carrying out acts of liberation will become a reality,” said Waromi.

    “With prayers and fasting, the Papuan people with the ULMWP will be accepted as full members of the MSG.”

    This article has been translated by an Asia Pacific Report correspondent from Tabloid Jubi and is republished with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Muslim community to pray in private on anniversary of NZ attacks

    Police outside Al-Noor Mosque in Christchurch on Saturday as people gathered to remember the attacks two years ago. Image: RNZ/AFP

    RNZ News

    Christchurch’s Muslim community will today hold private prayers to remember the 51 people killed in the terror attacks on the Masjid Al-Noor and Linwood mosques two years ago today.

    Hundreds of people attended the official commemorative services marking the second anniversary on Saturday.

    The imam of Masjid An-Nur Gamal Fouda said today’s prayers will be held at both mosques to remember those who lost their lives.

    “Families will remember their loved ones in different ways, many will pay their respects today by visiting the graves of those who died.

    “Saturday’s service went very well, it was great to see so many families coming together again, the wider community provided so much support,” he said.

    Imam Gamal Fouda of Masjid An Nur. March 13, 2021, Christchurch. Gamal Fouda at the national remembrance service on Saturday. Image: Mark Tantrum/RNZ

    Gamal Fouda said messages, flowers and cards from all over the world had helped families get through a very hard week.

    “All we can do is repeat our message that only love can heal us and make the world greater for everyone.

    ‘Sad and peaceful’
    “Today I feel sad and peaceful at the same time, sad for those who have left us but grateful that we can all come together again to remember our loved ones and friends.”

    Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said it took a while for the full horror of what had happened that day to sink in.

    “I was at a student protest in the square when we were first told something had happened, by the time we got back to council a staff member came up to me and said the police have said there’s been a shooting and at least 20 people have been killed.”

    Dalziel said she was close to the Muslim community through her history as Immigration Minister and as a mayor who presided over citizenship ceremonies.

    “I know some of the families personally so it’s been difficult coming to terms with what’s happened,” she said.

    “Some of them came here as refugees and the essence of refugee status is offering people a level of protection they can’t get in their own country but we couldn’t protect them from the behaviour of a extremist, someone who was motivated to carry out a terrorist attack on innocent people as they were praying.”

    She said it was sad that New Zealand still had some way to go to get rid of Islamophobia from our society.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

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    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Muslim community to pray in private on anniversary of NZ attacks

    RNZ News

    Christchurch’s Muslim community will today hold private prayers to remember the 51 people killed in the terror attacks on the Masjid Al-Noor and Linwood mosques two years ago today.

    Hundreds of people attended the official commemorative services marking the second anniversary on Saturday.

    The imam of Masjid An-Nur Gamal Fouda said today’s prayers will be held at both mosques to remember those who lost their lives.

    “Families will remember their loved ones in different ways, many will pay their respects today by visiting the graves of those who died.

    “Saturday’s service went very well, it was great to see so many families coming together again, the wider community provided so much support,” he said.

    Imam Gamal Fouda of Masjid An Nur. March 13, 2021, Christchurch.
    Gamal Fouda at the national remembrance service on Saturday. Image: Mark Tantrum/RNZ

    Gamal Fouda said messages, flowers and cards from all over the world had helped families get through a very hard week.

    “All we can do is repeat our message that only love can heal us and make the world greater for everyone.

    ‘Sad and peaceful’
    “Today I feel sad and peaceful at the same time, sad for those who have left us but grateful that we can all come together again to remember our loved ones and friends.”

    Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said it took a while for the full horror of what had happened that day to sink in.

    “I was at a student protest in the square when we were first told something had happened, by the time we got back to council a staff member came up to me and said the police have said there’s been a shooting and at least 20 people have been killed.”

    Dalziel said she was close to the Muslim community through her history as Immigration Minister and as a mayor who presided over citizenship ceremonies.

    “I know some of the families personally so it’s been difficult coming to terms with what’s happened,” she said.

    “Some of them came here as refugees and the essence of refugee status is offering people a level of protection they can’t get in their own country but we couldn’t protect them from the behaviour of a extremist, someone who was motivated to carry out a terrorist attack on innocent people as they were praying.”

    She said it was sad that New Zealand still had some way to go to get rid of Islamophobia from our society.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘Bittersweet day for my family’, says Dulciana at Somare funeral

    PNG founding father Sir Michael Somare’s funeral pallbearers in Port Moresby yesterday. Image: EMTV livestream screenshot APR

    By Gorethy Kenneth in Port Moresby

    The youngest daughter of the Somare family Dulciana Somare-Brash told mourners the state funeral for Papua New Guinea’s Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare was a bittersweet occasion for her family.

    “Today is a bittersweet day for my family, we come here to farewell our patriarch, our protector, and our human shield in a place where he stood to raise our flag [for independence] all those years ago for our new nation,” she said at Friday’s state funeral.

    “It was here that he made his mark on this land, a land with plenty, beaming with resources that require our care now.

    “Late yesterday [Thursday] afternoon I watched my father the great Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare leave Parliament for the last time.

    “From 1982 when the Australian gifted that House, he would proudly walk proudly through its doors.

    “Yesterday he was carried into the chamber and as he lay in state I fought back tears, that he had dreamt, then felt, then he had left for us to complete.

    Sir Michael Somare 040321Sir Michael Somare … he became Papua New Guinea’s founding prime minister in 1975. Image: RNZ

    “I wept bittersweet tears for all that he had left behind and all that he had abruptly left for us to do. Yesterday was a hard day sitting in Parliament, a building so familiar to me and my mother and my siblings.

    ‘Wonderful tributes’
    “I heard wonderful tributes from my father’s peers, papa [Sir Julius] Chan spoke of a lifelong friendship, and papa [Paias] Wingti lamented over a mentor and friend he treasured.

    “Prime Minister James Marape referred to my father as a bulldozer yesterday which makes perfect sense actually as we’ve always joked that our mother [Lady Veronica] was the handbrake without ever referring to our father as a bulldozer.”

    The state funeral was held at the Sir Hubert Murray stadium in Port Moresby yesterday.

    Today, the body of the Grand Chief will be flown to East Sepik ahead of his burial at his property in Wewak.

    Thousands of people have converged on both Port Moresby and Wewak for the respective services to pay respects to Sir Michael, reports RNZ Pacific.

    EMTV Somare screenshotA screenshot from yesterday’s EMTV News live streaming on social media. Most news media carried live feeds of the four-hour funeral.

    Gorethy Kenneth is a senior PNG Post-Courier reporter.

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    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • ‘Bittersweet day for my family’, says Dulciana at Somare funeral

    By Gorethy Kenneth in Port Moresby

    The youngest daughter of the Somare family Dulciana Somare-Brash told mourners the state funeral for Papua New Guinea’s Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare was a bittersweet occasion for her family.

    “Today is a bittersweet day for my family, we come here to farewell our patriarch, our protector, and our human shield in a place where he stood to raise our flag [for independence] all those years ago for our new nation,” she said at Friday’s state funeral.

    “It was here that he made his mark on this land, a land with plenty, beaming with resources that require our care now.

    “Late yesterday [Thursday] afternoon I watched my father the great Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare leave Parliament for the last time.

    “From 1982 when the Australian gifted that House, he would proudly walk proudly through its doors.

    “Yesterday he was carried into the chamber and as he lay in state I fought back tears, that he had dreamt, then felt, then he had left for us to complete.

    Sir Michael Somare 040321
    Sir Michael Somare … he became Papua New Guinea’s founding prime minister in 1975. Image: RNZ

    “I wept bittersweet tears for all that he had left behind and all that he had abruptly left for us to do. Yesterday was a hard day sitting in Parliament, a building so familiar to me and my mother and my siblings.

    ‘Wonderful tributes’
    “I heard wonderful tributes from my father’s peers, papa [Sir Julius] Chan spoke of a lifelong friendship, and papa [Paias] Wingti lamented over a mentor and friend he treasured.

    “Prime Minister James Marape referred to my father as a bulldozer yesterday which makes perfect sense actually as we’ve always joked that our mother [Lady Veronica] was the handbrake without ever referring to our father as a bulldozer.”

    The state funeral was held at the Sir Hubert Murray stadium in Port Moresby yesterday.

    Today, the body of the Grand Chief will be flown to East Sepik ahead of his burial at his property in Wewak.

    Thousands of people have converged on both Port Moresby and Wewak for the respective services to pay respects to Sir Michael, reports RNZ Pacific.

    EMTV Somare screenshot
    A screenshot from yesterday’s EMTV News live streaming on social media. Most news media carried live feeds of the four-hour funeral.

    Gorethy Kenneth is a senior PNG Post-Courier reporter.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Gallery: Somare tribute marches from Hela, Western Highlands and Jiwaka people in Port Moresby

    Asia Pacific Report newsdesk

    Sir Michael Somare. Founding father and three times prime minister of Papua New Guinea. Born Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, April 9, 1936. Died Port Moresby, February 26, 2021, aged 84.

    As the nation has mourned for the past two weeks for one of the Pacific’s leadership giants in the cultural process known as haus krai, Papua New Guinea television journalist and blogger Scott Waide threw open his blog, My Land, My Country, for tributes and photographs to the great man.

    On this gallery page is a selection of some of the photos provided by the country’s “citizen photojournalists” from the tribute marches of tribespeople from Hela, Western Highlands and Jiwaka in the capital of Port Moresby on Tuesday.

    The state funeral is on Friday.

    Asia Pacific Report republishes items from Waide’s blog with permission.

    Haus Krai for Sir Michael Somare
    1 of 8
    Somare tribute marches
    Haus Krai 1. Image: Scott Waide blog
    Haus Krai 2. Image: Scott Waide blog
    Haus Krai 3. Image: Scott Waide blog
    Haus Krai 4. Image: Scott Waide blog
    Haus Krai 5. Image: Scott Waide blog
    Haus Krai 6. Image: Scott Waide blog
    Haus Krai 7. Image: Scott Waide blog
    Haus Krai 8. Image: Scott Waide blog

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Port Moresby to get bronze statue of PNG founding father

    By RNZ Pacific

    The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape, has directed that a bronze statue be erected in honour of Sir Michael Somare on Independence Hill in Port Moresby.

    Sir Michael, PNG’s founding prime minister, died last Friday.

    The PNG Post-Courier also reported the government had accepted Sir Michael’s wish that he be buried at Kreer Heights in Wewak, East Sepik.

    Marape said the normal Melanesian haus krai is to be held in the National Capital District until Thursday next week.

    It is being held at the Sir John Guise stadium.

    On Thursday next week Parliament will hold a special sitting with Sir Michael’s body lying in state.

    On Friday, March 12, which is a public holiday, the funeral will be held, after which Sir Michael’s body will be flown to East Sepik.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Rioters, looters strike PNG cities as nation mourns death of Somare

    By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby

    Rioters described by Papua New Guinea police as “opportunists” taking advantage of the death of Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare have looted shops and destroyed cars in three provinces – Morobe’s Lae, National Capital District (NCD) suburb Gordon and New Ireland’s Kavieng.

    Shots were fired and people ran helter-skelter, scurrying for cover, as police were stretched to bring the looters under control on Monday.

    Police Minister William Onglo sternly warned opportunists not to take advantage of the loss of PNG’s founding father to riot or cause public disorder.

    “Rioters and looters will be dealt with in the strongest term possible,” he said.

    “Rioting and looting will never be the way the Melanesians resort, please show respect and honour during mourning.”

    Onglo said the PNG and Melanesian way was to take the loss of Sir Michael Somare on Friday to heart.

    Lae’s metropolitan commander Chief Inspector Chris Kunyanban said a crowd had gathered at 2-Mile outside Lae with the intention of marching to the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium.

    Police confront crowd
    “Police confronted the crowd at 2-Mile and told them they were not allowed to stage such a march,” he said.

    “The crowd started pelting the policemen with whatever they could get their hands on.

    “Several shots were fired from the crowd at the policemen and we had to fire tear gas into the crowd.

    The National 010321
    “End of an era” – how The National reported the death of founding Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare on Monday. Image: The National

    “The crowd was dispersed, however, another group started gathering at Bumayong and Bumbu.

    “Both areas were contained by police.”

    Across to Kavieng, the largest supermarket, Joe Tong, was raided by opportunists who waited for police to leave after an awareness programme on the public holiday.

    A crowbar was used to open the doors and the rioters rushed in to loot the supermarket.

    Raiders in and out
    Station commander Chief Sergeant Gabriel N’Drihin said the raiders were in and out in seconds.

    Policemen arrived when they had already left.

    In Port Moresby’s Gordon, a shop was looted after it was alleged that the shop owner tried to open its doors and looting was also reported at 2-Mile.

    Assistant Commissioner of Police NCD/Central command Anthony Wagambie Jr said citizens would have access to basic necessities throughout the mourning period.

    “We will be out in full force to ensure people moved about peacefully,” he said.

    Later in the afternoon, The National’s Lae reporter Jimmy Kabele reported several attacks on PMVs, private vehicles and stores in Lae.

    Kalebe went to the area and said several roadblocks were set up by people and sticks and stones were strewn across the road.

    The situation on the ground in Lae was tense and police were out on main roads to tell people to go home while vehicles were told to get off the roads for the day.

    Chief Superintendent Kunyanban said some police vehicles were stoned.

    Asia Pacific Report republishes The National articles with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Tongan missionaries ‘in hiding’ in PNG as angry looters target Asian shops


    By Kalino Latu, editor of Kaniva Tonga

    A group of Tongan missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Papua New Guinea has gone into hiding in a church in Lae as unrest and violence erupted in the country yesterday.

    The chaos came after days of mourning following the death on Friday of the nation’s longest serving Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.

    Somare, 84, known as the “father of the nation,” died after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a key leader in wresting the Pacific nation’s independence from Australia.

    Police faced a mob at what appears to be a road in front of the LDS church in Lae, a Facebook live video seen by Kaniva News showed.

    Shootings were overheard as hundreds of people fled the scene before they stopped and attempted to reorganise themselves.

    It was alleged the shootings came from police who were trying to disperse the mob.

    The crowd were attempting to rob a nearby Chinese shop, it has been claimed.

    Looting in Gordon
    The lootings and chaos in Gordon as well as in Eastern Boroko in Poprt Moresby were also caught on camera and shared on Facebook.

    Tongan president ‘Isileli Fatani of the LDS Mission in Lae, the second largest city in PNG, who was in a building few metres away from the scene, said the situation “was terrifying”.

    Fakalotolahi pe ki he kau faifekau Tonga ‘i Lae, PNG lolotonga hono laiki ‘e he kakai ‘o e fonua’ e ngaahi pisinisi…

    Posted by Kaniva Tonga on Monday, March 1, 2021

    Sir Michael Somare, 84, died on Friday. He was Papua New Guinea’s prime minister for a total of 17 years.

    Fatani said he had just arrived at their accommodation after driving down the road seeing people looting shops and businesses and fighting in other parts of the country.

    He was overheard telling one of the missionaries to lock the gate.

    He said they were hiding inside the church property while he was livestreaming the incidents.

    He was also overheard asking one of the PNG missionaries at the property whether it was safe for them to leave the church and move to town.

    Motive behind the chaos
    Fatani claimed the motive behind the attacks was a reaction by the locals after the death of Somare.

    “He was a prime minister they loved most,” Fatani said.

    His video had racked up 1300 comments and 1400 shares within 10 hours after it was published to Facebook yesterday.

    In a post on Facebook by the PNG government current affairs an administrator said the operations of the Asian businesses during a public holiday set in memory of Somare disappointed the locals.

    “If all the PNG citizens can [whole]heartedly respect the great loss of our Founding Father Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare and the Prime Minister of the Day through NEC Declare Public Holiday today, which government law or order will these so called Asians be following or governed by?” the post read.

    “I would suggest let there be a looting. Police must not deter any looting because these Asians must respect PNG law, respect our country’s Father’s mourning.

    “Permitting looting will put a complete stop for any shop to operate.

    “Let’s all respect our legendary father for the last time because he will never be seen again till we meet again in paradise.”

    Agence France-Press reports that PNG security services called for calm as the incidents of rioting and looting followed the death of Sir Michael Somare.

    Police Minister William Onglo warned officers would “step in to fully restore order” after disturbances in Port Moresby and the second city of Lae.

    Several stores were reportedly ransacked during a national day of mourning for Sir Michael.

    Kaniva Tonga reports are republished by Asia Pacific Report in partnership.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.