By
GABRIEL LAHOC in The National
One of the most eventful developments since the
worst maritime disaster in Papua New Guinea on February 2, 2012 was the special
and emotionally-charged voyage to Bobongara, Finshafen, by over 250 family
members of missing passengers and crews of the sunken inter-island ferry, mv Rabaul Queen.
For them, the trip was an important one as they like
the authorities have now officially recognised their loved missing ones as dead.
It was an opportunity to retrace the last moments of
the missing people and ultimately pay their last respects.
Fathers, mothers, grandparents and children
representing the different families of the more than 200 passengers and crews believed
to be missing, made the solemn trip which was facilitated by the Morobe
provincial disaster committee on a chartered trip on board Lutheran Shipping’s mv Mamose.
Two mothers from different ethnic background weeping in each others arms as others cast out their wreaths and flowers.-Nationalpics by GABRIEL LAHOC |
Family members of the missing tearfully casting their wreaths and bundles of flowers into the sea at Bobongara. |
Three parents from different ethnic backgrounds, after
casting wreaths and paying their last respects, starring out into the sea with
teary eyes, lost in their own reminiscence of their loved ones.
|
Family members of the missing, facing the ocean and weeping as mv Mamose turns back to for the return trip to Lae. |
Family members in calmer waters viewing the scenic Finschhafen coastline.
|
Families of missing passengers and crew on arrival
at Maneba station, where the locals welcomed them in an emotional ceremony.
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Locals lining the Maneba wharf and waving goodbye to the families of missing crew and passengers. |
Accompanying the families were government officials
led by acting deputy provincial administrator for district services, Tony Ase,
the Morobe provincial disaster and emergency services officers, police and
military personnel and the media.
The captain Stephen Peki sailed out of the LuShip
wharf at Voco Point at 7am into a glorious morning complemented by fine weather
and calm seas.
After eight hours the ship sailed into scenic the
Maneba station which houses the Luship wharf, for the scheduled special
memorial church service.
Locals at the wharf led by the local Mama Gejamsao (women’s group) from the
local Lutheran Simbai parish, tearfully welcomed their visitors with their
traditional mourning songs which set the emotional tone for the rest of the
trip.
They shared in their visitors’ mourning, reminding
them that their loved ones, despite being strangers to them had died in their
environment.
From a makeshift shelter at Maneba station some
kilometers away from Bonga and Lakuna village, which are located inland from
the famous Bobongara spot, the locals joined their heavy hearted visitors in
the service led by Pastor Gaigami Tala, who commended the families for making
that special trip.
After the service, Lakuna elder Tami Leona and Bonga
elder Afeke Itum Eriasa took the stage to give their visitors an insight of the
nature of the Bobongara and their firsthand account and experience of that fateful
day when the ship sank.
The legendary Bobongara, the dreaded location just
off Pontification point near the two villages, features the clash of some of
the strongest currents which flow along the Vitiaz Strait located between Siassi
Island and the Finschhafen mainland separating the northern Bismark Sea and
Solomon Sea located on the south.
They said traditionally, passengers and seafarers demonstrated
deep sense of respect of the Bobongara when crossing by being silent, and also
by offloading cargo into the sea when the waves got bigger.
The locals who also spent their time in the search
and rescue operation, said on that Wednesday afternoon, 12 hours before the
ferry sank, they noticed the arrival of the Bobongara through the gathering of
dark clouds on the horizon and tremors, without knowing that a tragedy was
going to happen.
The most-touching message to the families was when
the locals revealed that they had done traditional rituals in gathering the spirits
of the missing before coming to meet the visitors.
“Their spirits are here with us, as we gather together
today,” said Miring Bamiringnuc.
Reverend Wala Baru Arua, spokesperson of the aggrieved
families, described their missing loved ones as voiceless victims.
“After losing my son, I now know how God felt when his
son died, and I want to thank you the people of Finchhafen, we the families now
know that our missing relatives are now with friends,” he said.
His request for permission for an annual pilgrimage and
a monument at Pontification point was gladly granted by local elders.
After more than an hour the visitors were given a
fitting traditional farewell for the final leg of the trip to Bobongara, local
mothers tearfully sang and waved them farewell in true Morobe mourning fashion.
Just off Pontification Point some nautical miles, Captain
Peki steadied the ship while Rev Arua led the families in prayer through the
ship’s intercom before they cast their wreaths into the sea.
Loss and grief was the only thing these families and
individuals had in common.
It was an
emotional scene, people from different ethnic backgrounds crying together for
their loved ones.
Men, women and children solemnly paid their last
respect, cast their wreaths of flowers, personal items of the missing,
performed traditional burial rituals, wept openly and comforted each other on a
calm, beautiful open sea.
Government disaster committee, after consulting the
locals two weeks earlier, advised against the sinking of headstones and crosses.
mv Mamose
sailed into Voco Point at 1am Monday morning, families departed with soft
spoken goodbyes and solemn faces.
The final task of Ase’s committee now is to
establish a monument at Pontification point, inscribed with the names of all
missing crew and passengers.
The monument will ensure regular visits from
families of the missing, who have established relationships with the locals.
Ase thanked all individuals and organisations who
assisted to make the event a success.
Rev Arua plans to write a book about the shipping
disaster and use the proceeds of its sale to organise and assist the new
network of families who lost loved ones, to go on yearly pilgrimage to the monument.
Very sad indeed may their beautiful Souls R.I.P
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