Prime Minister James Marape … “Our resources. Our country. We deserve more.” Image: Scott Waide/Lowy Institute
COMMENTARY:By Scott Waide in Lae
Dear Prime Minister Marape
Our government has to admit the fact that there is a glaring imbalance between Papua New Guinean and foreign ownership of businesses. We own very little in our country.
The retail, wholesale and real estate in our towns and cities are controlled by Chinese interests. We own almost nothing in the logging industry. It is, as we all know, controlled by Malaysian interests.
There is an increasing push by (new) Chinese business owners who are buying up National Housing Corporation (NHC) properties and forcing out Papua New Guineans – YOUR people – onto the streets.
There is no strong legislation that prevents 100 percent foreign ownership of property and land. We need those laws in place now. We need the political will to do it. Now.
The justice system can’t protect our people. They don’t have the money to fight long protracted legal battles… …and the syndicate – yes, syndicates – know this and they take advantage of it.
Recently, local people along the North Coast of Madang protested against a sand mining proposal. The people associated with the sand mining company have also evicted families from NHC properties in Madang.
It is no secret. It was reported by the media.
Tack Back PNG more than a slogan Take Back PNG must not remain a political slogan for elections. The people must live it.
I am calling for legislation that protects the social and economic rights of our people. I want lower taxes (or no taxes at all) for struggling SMEs.
Give them tax holidays like the government did for RD Tuna and the petroleum sector. Give them REAL financing. Not a figure on paper they can’t access.
We want shop spaces in the centre of our towns and cities. Give it to us. This is our country. We want what is ours.
If the laws don’t allow it. Change the laws to suit our people’s needs.
We cannot continue to exist on the fringes of a large Pacific economy that boasts a “healthy” GDP yet cannot show it in the impact on the lives of our people.
Tax the alcohol companies. They contribute to the widespread abuse and the violence associated with it.
Society not mature enough Our society is not mature enough to allow the widespread consumption of alcohol.
Tax the cigarette companies. Make them all pay for the ill health of our people.
We are not taking back PNG by allowing these cancers to continue untreated. We are in fact, selling off PNG’s future.
Reduce the cost of medical treatment at the private clinics and hospitals. Reduce the cost of dental care. It’s UNAFFORDABLE. How can a papa or mama in the village afford K500 for a tooth extraction.
Give your people the means to look after themselves. Give your people the means to pay for their children’s education so they don’t become enslaved by politicians who peddle election policies that don’t really serve our people.
We don’t want to be dependent on government. We want to make our own money. Wealth in the hand of its people is real wealth.
We demand preferential treatment for US.
Our resources. Our country. We deserve more.
Scott Waide is a leading Papua New Guinean journalist and a senior editor with a national television network. He writes a personal blog, My Land, My Country. Asia Pacific Report republishes his articles with permission.
Former PM Sir Mekere Morauta … as Papua New Guineans come to grips with the void left by his death on December 19, the impact of his decisions at the turn of this century will continue to be felt decades into the future. Image: Loop PNG
OBITUARY:By Scott Waide in Lae
For many Papua New Guineans, Sir Mekere Morauta will be remembered as the straight shooting politician and the reformist Prime Minister, whose work came to be appreciated more than a decade later.
Up until the 1990s, Mekere Morauta’s public life was rather low key.
He thrived behind the scenes, helping to develop, shape and implement important government policies.
He was the first graduate in economics from the University of Papua New Guinea and with it came important responsibilities both for his people and the country.
In 1971, he began a career in the public service as a research officer with the department of Labour. A year later, he took up a job as economist in the Office of Economic advisor.
When Papua New Guinea became self-governing in 1973, the government of Chief Minister Michael Somare sought out its best and brightest to help run the young democracy.
At 27, Mekere Morauta was thrust into a position of power and responsibility with his appointment as Secretary for Finance – a post he held for nine years.
Important influencer He was always an important influencer in the banking and financial sector of Papua New Guinea.
In 1983, he was appointed managing director of the Papua New Guinea Banking Corporation. He held the position for another 9 years until his upward transition to a new job as the Governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea.
It was during this short stint as the central bank Governor that he shot to prominence as an outspoken enemy of the corruption that was infecting PNG government institutions.
Sir Julius Chan was Prime Minister then and in a foreign documentary about corruption in Papua New Guinea, Mekere Morouta spoke out describing the rampant corruption and “systemic and systematic.”
He was removed one year into the job.
Scott Waide reflects on his association with Sir Mekere Morauta, former #PNG prime minister who died earlier this week. “The ease with which Sir Mek explained economic theory brought it to life. He was a guru, a brilliantly articulate economist politician” https://t.co/XAhDvtyTdM
The period from 1994 to 1997 was politically turbulent.
The international attention on government institutions and the corruption highlighted by key figures in Papua New Guinea, including Sir Mekere, caused many Papua New Guineans to demand a change in leadership and management.
The seeds had already been planted.
South African mercenaries In 1997, when the government of Sir Julius Chan opted to bring in South African mercenaries to end the Bougainville crisis, PNGDF commander Brigadier-General Jerry Singirok called for the prime minister to step down and riots broke out.
It was months before the elections and when Sir Julius was voted out of office, a new group of political leaders, including Sir Mekere Morouta were voted in.
For the next three years, the country faced deep economic trouble.
The decade long closure of the Bougainville mine, a severe drought and high unemployment and government institutions in desperate need for reform… this was the scenario in 1999 when Sir Mekere took over from Bill Skate as prime minister.
In the next three years, Sir Mekere had the most impact on Papua New Guinea’s political and economic future.
In 2000, the Mekere government introduced sweeping reforms in the finance and banking sector. He introduced legislative reforms that strengthened the superannuation funds and banks, effectively eliminating much of the political interference that these institutions had long been burdened with.
Through the reforms, Nasfund and other superfunds which were on the brink of collapse, were revived and strengthened
In the political sphere, constitutional changes were made to strengthen political parties and other institutions of state.
As Papua New Guineans come to grips with the void left by Sir Mekere’s passing on December 19, the impact of his decisions at the turn of this century will continue to be felt decades into the future.
Scott Waide is a leading Papua New Guinean journalist and a senior editor with a national television network. He writes a personal blog, My Land, My Country. Asia Pacific Report republishes his articles with permission.
As late South African President Nelson Mandela said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Papuan Governor Lukas Enembe also believes this.
Enembe made a remarkable decision to provide scholarships to Papuan students to obtain education overseas such as in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the US and other countries across the world.
He has realised that having West Papuan students in many world ranking universities will help raise the profile and dignity of Papuans on the global stage.
This year, six Papuan provincial government scholarship recipients have graduated from several universities in New Zealand. About 160 Papuans are currently studying in New Zealand.
Marius Elabi graduated with Master of International Relationship and Security Studies from Waikato University on December 8, and Anggie Freesia Maritje Kapisa with a Bachelor of Science major in microbiology and Stephanie Verneytha Dike with a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition from Otago University on December 16.
Fredy Nawalyn with a Bachelor of International Business Management, Erli Enambere with a Bachelor of Contemporary International Studies and Prisilia Samori with a NZ Diploma in Tourism and Travel also graduated from the Institute of the Pacific United New Zealand on December 18.
Kapisa, who is the first child of her family to achieve education overseas said she was so humble and grateful to set an example for her younger sisters.
Even though Otago University did not hold its usual full graduation ceremony, a graduation ceremony was staged for Pacific students at the university campus.
Grateful for study opportunity
Kapisa said that she was so grateful to have a Pacific community at Otago University, so her West Papuan friends who were studying in New Zealand could come and celebrate the graduation together.
“I am so grateful to have my Pacific community here and West Papuan friends because my family could not attend my graduation,” said Kapisa.
Kapisa always stayed close to her family said that during her study she had encountered a lot of challenges knowing that came from a non-English speaking country and a different education system.
But with her commitment and perseverance and with the support from the people around her, she completed her study.
Governor Lukas Enembe … he realises that having West Papuan students in many world ranking universities will help raise the profile and dignity of Papuans on the global stage. Image: West Papua Today
“Off course, I was homesick, but I must keep my health. It is not only my physical health but also my mental health,” she said.
“As you don’t know what I am going through, so it is important for me to have someone to talk to.
“I know that if I could make it, other girls can also make it,” said Kapisa.
Governor Enembe’s scholarships
Stephanie Verneytha Dike, who also graduated from Otago University, said she was extremely grateful to all the lecturers and academic supports staff who had helped her during her study.
She said she was so grateful to the government of Papua province and particularly Governor Enembe for granting her the scholarship to study in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Being an international student and studying overseas in a new environment and social life was always challenging, Dike said.
Dike who is also the first born in her family said that she faced a number of challenges that she managed to overcome.
She said the language barrier was the first challenge she faced along with social life.
Papuan microbiology graduate Anggie Kapisa at Otago … “I know that if I could make it, other girls can also make it.” Image: APR
Another challenge was the study because students were very competitive in class, so she had to study really hard.
“The challenges came from various factors, from education, the life like socialisation, and living far away from family – but the biggest challenge was competition in class,” she said.
‘Motivation to study hard’
“We have to pass the paper because we have the scholarship from the government, and we don’t want to waste the chance that the [Papua provincial] government has provided for us.
“Even though it is a pressure, we need to take it as our motivation to study hard,” said Dike.
Marius Elabi, who graduated from Waikato University, said that getting an opportunity to obtain knowledge from one of the universities in New Zealand was a fulfillment of his dream.
He said students needed to be grateful for the current provincial government’s programme to send students to pursue education in developed countries like New Zealand.
Elabi left his wife and children in West Papua and said it is really hard to be a student when you have got a family. But he was grateful to have a supportive family.
“I am so fortunate to have such a great wife and beautiful children who always get my back.
“My wife is a civil servant, but she is a great woman like other Melanesian and Pacific women,” he said.
“We West Papuans are capable to compete with other students here in New Zealand and in other countries, but we don’t have much opportunity,” said Elabi.
Father of three
Elabi, who is the father of three children, said that studying in New Zealand was not like in Indonesia where he had completed his undergraduate studies.
He said the challenges were similar to what Kapisa and Dike experienced, but one other issue that challenged him throughout his study was “family burdens”.
In order to be able to provide needs for his family back in West Papua, he did part time work as a cleaner and fruit picker.
“Even though I have to study and complete my thesis, I spent a couple of hours to do cleaning,” he said.
“During school break, I work with other West Papuan students at the farm.
“When you are students, never be shy to do any kind of work,” said Elabi.
Kapisa, Dike and Elabi said that they hoped the government of Papua province would send more Papuan students to New Zealand so that they could have a chance to know their brothers and sisters in the Pacific from New Zealand.
Presented achievements to family
The graduates said they presented their achievements to their mother, father, brothers, sisters, wife, children, extended family and all West Papuans.
Marveys Ayomi, a scholarship coordinator for Papuan students in New Zealand, said he was extremely proud of all the West Papuan graduates from Waikato, Otago and IPU New Zealand.
“First of all it is a big achievement for the people of Papua and we also need to acknowledge such an important role of the government of Papua plays from the very beginning since the establishment of the programme, specially a big thanks to our Governor bapak Lukas Enembe for providing this opportunity to many of our Papuan students.
“This is once in a lifetime opportunity for many of them and some of them in fact never travel out of Papua. Most of the students are highly motivated and driven to succeed.
“Now over the last three or four years we are averaging over five sometimes 10 students graduating over the last few years,” said Ayomi.
“This is the example of how successful the programme has been.”
Ayomi, a Papuan who has been living in New Zealand for 20 years and is a lecturer at the IPU New Zealand, said that there were many challenges that every student faced.
Adapting to new culture
Every student faced challenges like adapting to the new culture, academic system and other things.
Coming from Papua and culturally as a Melanesian and with a Pacific background, he said that New Zealand was a very unique and beautiful country for Papuans to be. He said in terms of the culture, there was a lot of similarity between Papuan culture and Māori culture.
“It is a different country, but I think culturally speaking we share a lot of commonalities and also similar cultural practices and traditions,” he said.
“The people of Papua have got a lot of hope for a bigger, better, brighter Papua in coming years. I call this day, the Golden Generation of Papua.”
He hopes everyone will succeed in their studies and enjoy their experience as much as possibly they can, take a lot of positive things that they can learn from New Zealand – “the beautiful nation and its people”.
Transfer some of those skills to your own people when you return home at some point,” said Ayomi.
“But if you still continue your studies, continue to do well and always put people in your land first before anything else.”
Laurens Ikinia is a Papuan Masters in Communication Studies student at Auckland University of Technology who has been studying journalism. He is on an internship with AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.
Papuan students in New Zealand pictured with Governor Lukas Enembe. Image: APR
A Pacific Climate Warrior today told of personal struggles that impact on island people in the region and how this inspires them to take action for climate justice.
But Wellington coordinator of the Pacific warriors Mary Moeono-Kolio appealed to politicians and policy leaders to take real action fast – before it is too late for the world’s children.
She was making an acceptance speech on behalf of the laureates for the Pax Christi International Peace Prize 2020 at the St Columba community centre in Ponsonby in a livestream broadcast organised by the local chapter Pax Christi Aotearoa.
The audience was called into the community hall by the blowing of a conch shell, followed by a mihi whakatau.
“Climate change is more than just an environmental issue, but a manifestation of the much larger ecological crisis not of our making – one that the Pacific are evidently the first ones to suffer from,” said Moeono-Kolio.
“In my own home of Falefa in Samoa, my dad – who is here today with my mother – has seen within a period of just 50 years, his primary school grounds disappear under the waves.
“His mother’s village of Ti’avea – where he grew up as a young boy playing with his friends – is today, essentially deserted due to the frequent severe weather events such as cyclones and floods that have rendered the village uninhabitable.
‘Our lives are being destroyed’
“For me and my fellow Warriors here today and around the world, examples such as this is why climate change is so personal.
“It’s personal because it is the lives and livelihoods of our families that are being destroyed and continue to suffer due to the consequences of inaction by some and the complicit silence of so many others.”
The Pacific Climate Warriors introduced themselves in turn, and global messages of congratulations and hope were broadcast along with a video of the young campaigners saying how climate changes had impacted on them.
The Pacific Climate Warriors – linked to the global non-governmental climate action organisation 350.org- is a vibrant network of young people who live in 17 Pacific island nations and diaspora communities in the United States, New Zealand and Australia.
Their mission is to peacefully raise awareness of their communities’ vulnerability to climate change, to show their people’s strength and resilience in the face of extraordinary challenges, and to nonviolently resist the fossil fuel industry whose activities damage their environment.
Past winners of the international peace award have included Brazilian Farmworkers Union president Margarida Maria Alves (1988), the Women’s Active Museum on War and Peace in Tokyo (2007), music peace ambassadors Pontanima (2011), and European Lawyers in Lesbos (2019).
Pacific Climate Warriors and family … celebrating the peace award for their struggle on behalf on Pacific Islanders and people impacted on by the climate crisis. Image: PMC
Rabuka told Parliament his departure would pave the way for the President, Jioji Konrote, to ask Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama to work with the new leader of the opposition and party members.
Rabuka said he could not continue as opposition leader and an MP because the prime minister did not trust him enough to work with him.
But Dr Ratuva, director of the MacMillan Brown Pacific for Studies at the University of Canterbury, said there was more to it than that.
It also signalled more trouble for SODELPA, which has been rocked with months of tensions which split the party in April.
SODELPA was suspended by the Supervisor of Elections over breach of political rules and the party constitution.
The suspension was lifted 35 days later but factions within the party remain.
On November 27, Rabuka was replaced as leader by Gavoka who had supported his predecessor to remain as SODELPA leader.
Rabuka’s resignation ‘no surprise’ Ratuva said Rabuka’s resignation was no surprise to him.
“It was coming because of the leadership struggle within the party and the multi-layered tensions to do with vanua politics, regional loyalty, personality differences, gender ethnicity and the generational gap,” he said.
“They are all packed on top of each other and Rabuka had to resign as a result of all of these complex tensions within the party.
“The writings were on the wall.”
Ratuva said it was unfortunate because Rabuka had the biggest voter-pulling power in SODELPA.
That was evident at the 2018 election when Rabuka returned to politics and led SODELPA to win 21 seats in the 52-seat parliament, Ratuva said.
He was not sure if Gavoka had the same charisma and mana to pull the voters into SODELPA.
“But certainly Rabuka was [able to pull the voters],” he said.
“And Rabuka could have easily won the next election if he had continued with the leadership of the party.”
Rabuka was elected leader of SODELPA in 2016, succeeding high chief Ro Teimumu Kepa, who publicly disapproved of Rabuka’s nomination to replace her at the time.
On 26 November 2018, Rabuka was appointed as the leader of the opposition to Parliament following the party’s 2018 election defeat.
But this week, Rabuka – who led two coups in 1987 – announced he was leaving the august house.
No-one knows how long for – all Rabuka said was he would go away and ponder his next move.
Mixed reactions
Reactions have come fast and hard following Rabuka’s resignation, and they have been mixed.
New SODELPA leader Viliame Gavoka said he was shocked and saddened because he looked forward to contesting the 2022 polls with Rabuka by his side.
Gavoka said Rabuka had the firepower to help SODELPA win the election.
“This country needs a lot of institutions to be strengthened and someone like him is someone we can call up for help and he has agreed to do that.
“We are still trying to process this, no doubt at the end of the day we’ll know where we stand.”
Ro Teimumu said Rabuka had left a “huge gap” with his departure from parliament.
The Roko Tui Dreketi thanked Rabuka for his contributions, saying “his shoes would be difficult to fill”.
Ro Teimumu said it took a lot of courage for Rabuka to do what he did.
“He departs the opposition and the parliament with a clean heart and a clear conscious and he is a happy man believing that what he has done was the right thing to do.”
There’s no doubt that the future of SODELPA will determine Rabuka’s next move.
Prime Minister Bainimarama and the attorney-general acknowledged Rabuka’s contributions to the house.
Opposition whip Lynda Tabuya said she supported Rabuka’s move.
Tabuya lost the deputy leader position to Suva lawyer Filimoni Vosarogo when Rabuka was replaced.
MP Mosese Bulitavu said Rabuka’s resignation did not come as a surprise, saying he had “done the honourable thing”.
National Federation Party (NFP) leader Professor Biman Prasad said the NFP had always supported Rabuka and was sad to see him leave parliament.
Road to recovery Ratuva said SODELPA now had its work cut out, less than two years out from the general election.
SODELPA needed to maintain the support Rabuka had brought to the party, “which it is probably going to lose”, he said.
Although he has said he would remain with SODELPA, Rabuka had options elsewhere if he wanted to distance himself from the tensions within party, Ratuva said.
“He’s got a number of choices either to remain within the party – which means that his role will diminish significantly – or he moves on and joins perhaps the Fiji Unity Party which is growing in terms of its significance and attractiveness to voters at the moment.
“The Fiji Unity Party is the only party now which has a coherent plan for economic rehabilitation and development for the country.
“Led by the former governor of the reserve bank, the Unity Party is well positioned to welcome some of those supporters of SODELPA who are probably looking for alternatives.”
Ratuva said if Rabuka joined the Unity Party, he would take his voters with him and “some of his supporters have been with him since 1987”.
Rabuka was still “seen as a hero to some Fijians, although that may be misplaced… But they are that voting block that Rabuka still has some degree of control over.”
If that did happen, SODELPA would lose that group of voters and the Unity Party could come out on top, Ratuva said, adding that the Unity Party could be the only people who would gain from Rabuka’s departure from SODELPA.
This article is republished by the Pacific Media Centre under a partnership agreement with RNZ.
The Pacific Media Centre students, staff and journalists gathered at Auckland University of Technology this week and debated reset strategies for the future in a “rollercoaster” symposium.
They also farewelled the founding centre director, Professor David Robie, who is departing after 18 years at AUT in a surprise announcement. He wishes to concentrate on his journalism, book, research and innovative projects.
Centre volunteer photographer and publications designer Del Abcede, who is also leaving, captured these images on the day. The programme featured a group of West Papuan postgraduate students from Auckland and Waikato who gave a cultural performance.
Master of ceremonies was Tagata Pasifika reporter and presenter John Pulu.
PMC1: Pacific Media Centre director Professor David Robie introduces the waka travellers on a Malcolm Evans cartoon. Image: Del Abcede
PMC2: Del Abcede, Professor David Robie and Tagata Pasifika’s John Pulu, the MC. Image: PMC
PMC3: The PMC Advisory Board chair … Associate Professor Camille Nakhid. Image: Del Abcede
PMC4: PMC Advisory Board member and Pacific Journalism Review assistant editor Khairiah Rahman.
PMC5: Some of the participants at the symposium. Image: Del Abcede
PMC6: PMC Advisory Board member Jim Marbrook and Fetaui Iosefo. Image: Del Abcede
PMC7: Former PMC Advisory Board chair Isabella Rasch. Image: Del Abcede
PMC8: PMC Advisory Board member Dr Janet Tupou
PMC9: Incoming Pacific Journalism Review editor Dr Philip Cass. Image: Del Abcede
PMC10: The “PMC Voices’ panel … Newshub Nation political reporter Corazon Miller, TVNZ Fair Go producer Blessen Tom, and West Papua postgraduate communications student Laurens Ikinia. Image: Del Abcede
PMC11: Sri Krishnamurthi, John Pulu and Blessen Tom. Image: Del Abcede
PMC12: Postgraduate students and graduates Karen, Jonah Lim and Laurens Ikinia. Image: Del Abcede
PMC13: Retired PMC Advisory Board member Tui O’Sullivan. Image: Del Abcede
PMC14: School of Communication Studies manager Edelita Clark and PJR contributor and researcher Norman Zafra. Image: Del Abcede
PMC15: PJR designer and PMC TOKTOK editor Del Abcede introducing a political presentation. Image: PMC
PMC16: Norman Zafra, Donna Coventry, and Dr Janet Tupou. Image: Del Abcede
PMC17: Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies deputy dean Professor Fiona Peterson welcoming participants. Image: Del Abcede
PMC8: West Papuan students singing a traditional song dedicated to PMC director Professor David Robie. Image: Del Abcede
