Community response to the Maladina attack on the Papua New Guinea Ombudsman's powers

From PAUL OATES

A petition has been raised by Transparency Papua New Guinea in response to the recent proposal in PNG Parliament to weaken the PNG Ombudsman's powers. A Community Coalition Against Corruption is now asking people to sign this petition to help prevent this proposal from going ahead. This is a very important step in PNG's history.

The study of history is essential if one is to understand human nature. Afterall, we as a species haven't changed since we evolved. Nothing changes except the circumstances we live in. As an example, reflect on the circumstances 2,000 years ago in ancient Rome.

Quis custodiet ipsos! Custodes? Juvenal 60 -130 AD

'Who is to guard the guards themselves?'

When the separation of government powers becomes a murky, grey area, society starts falling apart. If PNG government ministers have now started to see themselves as rulers and above the law then they have lost sight of their role as the people's representatives.

Why would this be so? Juvenal comes up with another apposite quote:

'Nemo repente fuit turpissimus!'

"No one ever reached the depths of wickedness all at once."

Hitherto, traditional PNG culture helped repress any dissention and promoted the 'big man' concept. Little by little over the last 30 odd years, the public's individual rights have been continually 'white anted' away.

But when people start climbing the mountain of awareness, they see things from a whole new perspective. Younger PNG people are now prepared to draw a metaphoric line in the sand.

We are witnessing PNG's coming of age.