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Category: Wewak

  • Disaster minister Joseph briefs PNG on quake and crises hitting nation

    By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby

    Papua New Guinea’s Defence Minister and minister responsible for the National Disaster Centre Dr Billy Joseph confirmed today that the government — with coordinated support from all stakeholder agencies and development partners — was responding appropriately to the natural disasters that has hit many parts of the country.

    The National Disaster Center (NDC) is the national coordinating agency and is working with provincial governments and district development authorities (DDAs) as well as the Department of Works and Highways, PNG Defence Force and other stakeholders to coordinate and respond promptly.

    The East Sepik provincial earthquake on Sunday left at least three dead and more than 1000 homes collapsed.

    The US Geological Survey said it was magnitude 6.9 and just over 40 km deep.

    Dr Billy Joseph
    PNG’s Disaster Minister Dr Billy Joseph . . . “seven people are still missing [off the coast of New Ireland] and our search is still active.” Image: PNG Post-Courier
    A summary of the current crises impacting on Papua New Guinea.

    King tides and heavy flooding
    The minister confirmed that about 10 provinces are getting the necessary assistance from the National Disaster Center, including Goroka/EHP which was not included in the initial report provided to his office.

    PNG Defence Force troops are working closely with the Simbu Provincial Government and Gumine DDA and their respective leaderships as Simbu was one of the worst affected provinces.

    7 people missing off the coast of New Ireland Province
    Nine people boarded a banana boat at Kavieng for Emirau Island but did not make it due to heavy weather conditions when the boat capsized.

    Two of the young men swam to the island to look for help while seven others made a makeshift raft and floated awaiting assistance.

    “As of today, seven people are still missing and our search is still active — if we don’t find them after 72 hours, we will declare them lost and the search will be discontinued,” Minister Joseph said.

    The Australian Defence Force has provided a C27 aircraft to conduct low aerial surveillance of the subject areas.

    A PNGDF Navy Patrol Boat has also been deployed to the area but no sightings have been reported.

    The Search and Rescue operations are being coordinated by the National Maritime Safety Authority with oversight provided by the PNG Defence Force.

    East Sepik Province earthquake
    NDC is working very closely with the leaders of East Sepik, including the provincial government, to ensure much needed help reach the people that need it.

    An emergency allocation of K200,000 (about NZ$90,000) has been made available for food, water, shelter and medicines etc as seen appropriate by the Provincial Disaster Committee.

    It is at their disposal. A commercial helicopter is now in Wewak to assist in the relief operations and the PNDF military helicopter will join shortly.

    “We are also mobilising support from our bilateral partners to assist but the challenge is now for the Provincial Disaster Center to provide reports to NDC so we define and coordinate what kind of emergency assistance is required,” Minister Joseph said.

    Minister Joseph further warned Papua New Guineans to take precautions and not take risks, especially at sea, as the country’s emergency services are stretched and rescue efforts may not happen in time.

    Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Scott Waide: Grand Chief Somare and the wisdom he left for everyone

    COMMENT: By Scott Waide in Wewak

    I have not written anything on my blog My Land, My Country since our arrival in Wewak the Sunday before last.  In fact, it has been overwhelming.

    The demonstration of sorrow and the pride is something to behold here in Wewak and all over Papua New Guinea.

    I  stayed away from the livestream that we in EMTV produced out of Port Moresby. I did watch parts of it. But it has been hard to watch a full session without becoming emotional and emotion is  something that has been in abundance over the last 16 days.

    There are a thousand and one narratives embedded in the life of  the man we call Michael Somare.

    How could I do justice to all of it?

    Do I write about the history? Do I write about the stories people are telling about him? Do I write about his band of brothers who helped him in the early years?

    Narratives embedded
    There are a thousand and one narratives embedded in the life of the man we call Michael Somare.

    Sir Michael was, himself,  a storyteller.

    Narratives woven into relationships
    He didn’t just tell stories with words.  The narratives were woven into his existence and in the relationships he built throughout his life.  From them, came  the stories that have been given new life with his passing.

    I went to speak to Sir Pita Lus, his closest friend and the man who, in Papua New Guinean terms, carried the spear ahead of the Chief.  He encouraged Michael Somare to run for office.

    Sir Pita Lus
    Speaking to Sir Pita Lus, Somare’s closest friend and the man who, in Papua New Guinean terms, carried the spear ahead of the Chief. Image: Scott Waide

    He told me about the old days about how he had told his very reluctant friend that he would be Prime Minister.  In Drekikir,  Sir Pita Lus told his constituents that his friend Michael Somare would run for East Sepik Regional.

    Sir Pita Lus and his relationship with Sir Michael is a chapter that hasn’t yet been written.  It needs to be written.  It is up to some young proud Papua New Guinean to write about this colorful old fella.

    Sir Michael Somare
    Sir Michael Somare (1936-2021) farewells a nation … a livestreamed tribute by EMTV News. Image: EMTV News screenshot APR

    A chief builds alliances. But what are alliances? They are relationships. How are they transmitted? Through stories.  Sir Michael built alliances from which stories were told.

    When I went to the  provincial haus krai in Wewak, there were  huge piles of food. I have never seen so much food in my life.  Island communities of Mushu, Kadowar and Wewak brought bananas, saksak and pigs in honor of the grand chief.  They also have their stories to tell about Sir Michael.

    The Mapriks came. Ambunti-Drekikir brought huge yams, pigs and two large crocodiles.  The Morobeans, the Manus, the Tolais, West Sepik, the Centrals.

    In Port Moresby, people came from the 22 provinces …  From  Bougainville, the Highlands, West Sepik and West Papua.

    In Fiji, Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama sent his condolences as he read a eulogy. In Vanuatu, Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) members held a special service in honour of Sir Michael.  In Australia, parliamentarians stood in honour of Sir Michael Somare.

    Followed to his resting place
    Our people followed the Grand Chief to his resting place. The Madangs came on a boat. Others walked for days just to get to Wewak in time for the burial.

    How did one man do that?  How did he unite 800 nations?  Because that is what we are. Each with our own language and our own system of government that existed for 60,000 years.

    Here was a man who said, “this is how we should go now and we need to unite and move forward”.

    In generations past, what have our people looked for? How is one deemed worthy of a chieftaincy?

    I said to someone today that the value of a chief lies in his ability to fight for his people, to maintain peace and to unite everyone. In many of our cultures, a chief has to demonstrate a set of skills above and beyond the rest.

    He must be willing to sacrifice his life and dedicate himself to that  calling of leadership. He must have patience and the ability to forgive.

    The value of the chief is seen both during his life and upon his passing when people come from all over to pay tribute.

    For me, Sir Michael Somare, leaves wisdom and guidance – A part of it written into the Constitution and the National Goals and Directive Principles. For the other part, he showed us where to look.  It is found in our languages and in the wisdom of our ancestors held by our elders.

    Asia Pacific Report republishes articles from Lae-based Papua New Guinean television journalist Scott Waide’s blog, My Land, My Country, with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • A moment with Grand Chief Somare on his last journey home

    By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby

    Teenager Edward William Kaile captured the mood of a grieving nation when he ran, carrying a Papua New Guinea flag, alongside the cortege of Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare.

    On Friday, he was challenged by an aunt to run alongside the casket as it made its way to the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium for the funeral service.

    At 5-Mile, the 17-year-old grabbed a PNG flag and ran barefoot alongside the casket until the funeral procession reached the Poreporena Freeway.

    On Sunday, Edward, again, ran alongside the cortege making its way to the Jackson Airport for the flight home to Wewak, where Sir Michael was buried at his Kreer Heights property in Wewak after an 18-day national mourning period.

    Kreer Heights overlooks Wewak town in East Sepik.

    Kaile joined the cortege near the end of the Kumul Flyover at Erima and ran alongside the casket to the Apec Terminal at 7-Mile.

    Touched hearts
    Pictures of him running and carrying the PNG flag touched the hearts of many.

    His parents are from Tufi in Northern and Makerupu in Central.

    He told The National from his home at Gordon in Port Moresby that when he took up the aunt’s challenge, he did not realise that people were taking pictures of him.

    All he knew was that he was running with Sir Michael, letting him know that he was there to support him on his final journey.

    Edward Kaile PNG
    Edward Kaile … one of the images that went viral on social media of his two runs alongside Sir Michael Somare’s cortege to escort the Grand Chief during his last journey to Port Moresby airport for Wewak. Image: The National

    Kaile knew he was representing the country by carrying the PNG flag alongside the “father of the nation”.

    “As I ran, I thought about how this was the last time I would run alongside him,” he said.

    “I was proud but also sad that I was saying goodbye to him too.

    “To me, it wasn’t a challenge.

    ‘I was doing it for everyone’
    “I was doing it to represent everyone around the country.

    “When we neared the Apec Terminal gate, I missed a turn and did not finish the run.

    “But I was happy I escorted him to the airport. When I returned home, I was told that my picture had gone viral on Facebook.”

    Prime Minister James Marape even shared the picture, saying Edward represented the future of Papua New Guineans who would continue the legacy of Sir Michael.

    Edward said: “I did it to remember what he did for the country and what I have today is because of him.”

    Asia Pacific Report publishes EMTV and The National reports with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Papua New Guinea in grief after Grand Chief Somare, 84, passes on

    Asia Pacific Report

    Papua New Guineans awoke this morning to great sadness, reports the PNG Post-Courier.

    As the bells tolled with the sad news of the passing of the much beloved statesman and the founding father of the nation, newsfeeds and social media were abuzz with shock, grief, sadness and tributes to the great man who led his country to independence in September, 1975.

    Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare was 84 when he succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the Pacific International Hospital in the country’s capital Port Moresby.

    The national government has ordered all flags lowered to fly half mast as the country prepares to mourn a man considered the architect and cornerstone of a free and democratic Papua New Guinea.

    The Somare family announced his passing in a brief media statement saying Michael Thomas Somare had passed away at 2am today.

    In a statement his family announced: “Sir Michael was only diagnosed with a late stage of pancreatic cancer in early February and was admitted to hospital on Friday, 19 February 2021.

    “Sadly, pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers that are rarely detected early. We as a family had only two weeks to look for possible treatments.”

    “Sir Michael, born on 9 April 1936 in Rabaul, was a pivotal politician leading PNG to independence on 16 September 1975.

    “His political career spanned half a century from 1968 until his retirement in 2017. He had been the longest-serving prime minister (17 years and four terms of office).

    “He had been minister of foreign affairs, leader of the opposition and governor of East Sepik.

    “As a man of great faith, Sir Michael was able to be given his last rites and anointing by Cardinal [John] Ribat. In our presence Sir Michael opened his eyes to acknowledge the blessing by his eminence before passing away peacefully. We take this opportunity to thank the cardinal for making himself available so quickly.”

    The family said that Sir Michael would be taken home to his final resting place in the East Sepik province.

    “We, his children, know that it is the wish of both our parents to be laid to rest together on Kreer Heights in Wewak.

    “We thank everyone who in those few days had worked so hard to save Sir Michael’s life be it through a Medivac, healthcare itself or providing transport. We also thank everyone who wrote in to express their support and offer their prayers to our father and our family. We are humbled.”

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.