I'm currently in my hometown of Lae, Morobe province, and am enjoying every minute of it.
I'll post all pictures and stories of my stay in Lae.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Friday, July 03, 2009
Classrooms without books in Papua New Guinea
Eric Johns...someone who is passionate about putting books in all classrooms of Papua New Guinea
PNG History Through Stories, Book 2
Ahuia Ova, PNG's first anthropological researcher in the 1920s. His story is told in PNG History Through StoriesA sad but true fact about Papua New Guinea is that our young people know very little about the rich and proud history of the country.
There are books that tell that history, which should be in schools, however, are not.
A number of concerned former PNG residents, seeing this state of affairs, are now working quietly behind the scene to change this trend.
They include writer Eric Johns, Australia’s pre-eminent historian on PNG Emeritus Prof Hank Nelson, and PNG Association of Australia president Keith Jackson.
“The need is urgent,” Prof Nelson says.
“Few schools – or towns – have libraries and some schools are almost bookless.
“The one or two books on the history of PNG in a school may be coverless and one may have been written when Australia was still the administering power.
“The teachers, often facing large classes and without the promised support for major topics in the syllabus, need relevant textbooks – for themselves and for every student,” he said.
“Papua New Guineans need a consciousness of what they have in common.
“A knowledge of a shared history is basic to the building of a nation-state.”
Eric Johns worked in PNG from 1960-1973, teaching at Rigo Intermediate High School (later Kwikila HS), Bugandi High School Lae, KilaKila High School Port Moresby and the Port Moresby Teachers College.
He completed his BA at University of PNG and MA at Australian National University.
When Mr Johns was lecturing at Port Moresby Teachers College 1969-72, he was appalled by the lack of history and social studies resources available to teachers.
He found it especially deplorable that there was almost no readily-accessible information about the history of PNG.
So before he left PNG at the end of 1972, he started to correct this by interviewing a few historically-prominent Papua New Guineans, intending to write their stories.
When he retired from teaching he resumed this work, which was eventually published by Pearson/Longman as 69 stories in two volumes, PNG History Through Stories Books 1 and 2.
The books are aimed at classes below Year 10, where there is no material available for teachers or their students about PNG history.
Most of the details in his books do not exist in any other single book.
A major incentive for Mr Johns in writing these books was the fact that students of PNG were without knowledge of important, ordinary, heroic and notorious Papua New Guineans who lived during the long period before Michael Somare came to prominence.
“Citizens of every nation should know about their own historic heroes and villains,” he says.
The need for these books is enormous.
“In 2004 and 2006, Pearson Education published two history books, expecting that they would be distributed to schools throughout Papua New Guinea,” Mr Johns said.
“Unfortunately, although the books were approved as school texts by the PNG education department, they are still sitting in a warehouse in Australia and are likely to remain there for some time.
“Many other books produced by Pearson and other publishers share the same fate, sitting on shelves waiting to be sent to their intended readers, the long-deprived students and teachers of Papua New Guinea.
“The reason for this deplorable situation is simple – nobody is willing to pay for the books.
“It was different before 2002, when the Australian aid agency AusAID was a reliable purchaser and supplier of classroom materials, but since then the powers that be have taken a different tack.
“Books have been pushed aside, their place taken by consultant-driven curriculum development. “This changed policy, which has been in operation for several years, ignores the basic tenet that teachers – no matter how well designed their curriculum - cannot teach without books and other classroom materials.
“Curriculum is important, but this unbalanced aid policy has done nothing to alleviate the all too common tragic situation in PNG schools – classrooms with few or no books.
The two history books mentioned above are examples of what is waiting unread on the shelves.
PNG History Through Stories Book One and Book Two have a selection of 69 well-researched true stories about people and events in PNG’s past.
They are purpose-designed for PNG classrooms, complete with student exercises and lots of illustrations and maps.
Their purpose is to introduce students in upper primary and junior secondary levels to PNG history - with emphasis on important PNG people, and events affecting PNG people – the kind of history that should be taught in our schools.
For example in Book One the story, The Rabaul Strike, which takes place in colonial Rabaul in 1929, tells of how two men, boat captain Sunsuma, and police sergeant-major N’Dramei, decided to challenge their Australian masters by organising a peaceful and disciplined general strike in demand for higher wages.
Such action was unheard of at the time and many Australians were enraged when they woke to find that all New Guinean workers in Rabaul, except for police on duty, had disappeared overnight, having assembled near mission stations at Malaguna and Rapolo.
The strike failed and those taking place were punished severely, especially the leaders, Sunsuma and N’Dramai, who were imprisoned and beaten.
Sunsuma was unbowed by this experience and ended his days as a respected leader on his island home of Boang, off the east coast of New Ireland.
It could be argued that Sunsuma and N’Dramei should be remembered with pride by Papua New Guineans for their courage in taking on the powerful white establishment, and that their story should be known to all school students.
In Book Two another story, Ahuia Ova, is about a man from Kilakila village near Port Moresby who became prominent as Papua New Guinea’s first anthropological researcher, one of its earliest writers, a leading man of Hanuabada Village and a friend of lieutenant-governor Sir Hubert Murray.
In 1904 the renowned British anthropologist Charles Seligman was so impressed by Ahuia’s talents that he asked him to assist with his studies of the customs of the Koita people.
In the 1922-23 Papua Annual Report, Ahuia published his own study called ‘Motu Feasts and Dances’.
He also recorded stories about the origins and genealogy of the Koita people who lived in Hanuabada, and wrote articles in a government magazine, the Papuan Villager.
The story of Ahuia’s achievements, and how he managed to cope with the demands of Koita, Motu and Europeans societies, and with the opposing forces of Protestant and Catholic churches, is an example of culture clash at several levels that should interest all students.
“If only for the sake of national pride in the achievements of early Papua New Guineans, the names of people such as Ahuia Ova, Sunsuma and N’Dramei, and many others mentioned in these books, should be made known to all school students in Papua New Guinea,” Mr Johns said.
“There is also the question of what constitutes a rounded education, for how can a Papua New Guinean said to be educated who does not know about the heroes, villains and events of the past that shaped his or her own country?
“The immediate and crucial question is, how long will it be before PNG History Through Stories and the dozens of other books, written specially for PNG children but now sitting on warehouse shelves, get to where they should be – in the PNG classrooms?”
“Since completing PNG History Through Stories Book Two I have been researching and writing a history of PNG that will cover the period from prehistory to 1975,” Mr Johns said.
“It will be big, comprehensive and well illustrated, and will take me at least another two years to complete.
“It is intended that it will be a text for senior students and for anyone with an interest in PNG history.
“I hope it eventually gets into the schools!”
Eric Johns can be contacted on email eric@johns.com.au
There are books that tell that history, which should be in schools, however, are not.
A number of concerned former PNG residents, seeing this state of affairs, are now working quietly behind the scene to change this trend.
They include writer Eric Johns, Australia’s pre-eminent historian on PNG Emeritus Prof Hank Nelson, and PNG Association of Australia president Keith Jackson.
“The need is urgent,” Prof Nelson says.
“Few schools – or towns – have libraries and some schools are almost bookless.
“The one or two books on the history of PNG in a school may be coverless and one may have been written when Australia was still the administering power.
“The teachers, often facing large classes and without the promised support for major topics in the syllabus, need relevant textbooks – for themselves and for every student,” he said.
“Papua New Guineans need a consciousness of what they have in common.
“A knowledge of a shared history is basic to the building of a nation-state.”
Eric Johns worked in PNG from 1960-1973, teaching at Rigo Intermediate High School (later Kwikila HS), Bugandi High School Lae, KilaKila High School Port Moresby and the Port Moresby Teachers College.
He completed his BA at University of PNG and MA at Australian National University.
When Mr Johns was lecturing at Port Moresby Teachers College 1969-72, he was appalled by the lack of history and social studies resources available to teachers.
He found it especially deplorable that there was almost no readily-accessible information about the history of PNG.
So before he left PNG at the end of 1972, he started to correct this by interviewing a few historically-prominent Papua New Guineans, intending to write their stories.
When he retired from teaching he resumed this work, which was eventually published by Pearson/Longman as 69 stories in two volumes, PNG History Through Stories Books 1 and 2.
The books are aimed at classes below Year 10, where there is no material available for teachers or their students about PNG history.
Most of the details in his books do not exist in any other single book.
A major incentive for Mr Johns in writing these books was the fact that students of PNG were without knowledge of important, ordinary, heroic and notorious Papua New Guineans who lived during the long period before Michael Somare came to prominence.
“Citizens of every nation should know about their own historic heroes and villains,” he says.
The need for these books is enormous.
“In 2004 and 2006, Pearson Education published two history books, expecting that they would be distributed to schools throughout Papua New Guinea,” Mr Johns said.
“Unfortunately, although the books were approved as school texts by the PNG education department, they are still sitting in a warehouse in Australia and are likely to remain there for some time.
“Many other books produced by Pearson and other publishers share the same fate, sitting on shelves waiting to be sent to their intended readers, the long-deprived students and teachers of Papua New Guinea.
“The reason for this deplorable situation is simple – nobody is willing to pay for the books.
“It was different before 2002, when the Australian aid agency AusAID was a reliable purchaser and supplier of classroom materials, but since then the powers that be have taken a different tack.
“Books have been pushed aside, their place taken by consultant-driven curriculum development. “This changed policy, which has been in operation for several years, ignores the basic tenet that teachers – no matter how well designed their curriculum - cannot teach without books and other classroom materials.
“Curriculum is important, but this unbalanced aid policy has done nothing to alleviate the all too common tragic situation in PNG schools – classrooms with few or no books.
The two history books mentioned above are examples of what is waiting unread on the shelves.
PNG History Through Stories Book One and Book Two have a selection of 69 well-researched true stories about people and events in PNG’s past.
They are purpose-designed for PNG classrooms, complete with student exercises and lots of illustrations and maps.
Their purpose is to introduce students in upper primary and junior secondary levels to PNG history - with emphasis on important PNG people, and events affecting PNG people – the kind of history that should be taught in our schools.
For example in Book One the story, The Rabaul Strike, which takes place in colonial Rabaul in 1929, tells of how two men, boat captain Sunsuma, and police sergeant-major N’Dramei, decided to challenge their Australian masters by organising a peaceful and disciplined general strike in demand for higher wages.
Such action was unheard of at the time and many Australians were enraged when they woke to find that all New Guinean workers in Rabaul, except for police on duty, had disappeared overnight, having assembled near mission stations at Malaguna and Rapolo.
The strike failed and those taking place were punished severely, especially the leaders, Sunsuma and N’Dramai, who were imprisoned and beaten.
Sunsuma was unbowed by this experience and ended his days as a respected leader on his island home of Boang, off the east coast of New Ireland.
It could be argued that Sunsuma and N’Dramei should be remembered with pride by Papua New Guineans for their courage in taking on the powerful white establishment, and that their story should be known to all school students.
In Book Two another story, Ahuia Ova, is about a man from Kilakila village near Port Moresby who became prominent as Papua New Guinea’s first anthropological researcher, one of its earliest writers, a leading man of Hanuabada Village and a friend of lieutenant-governor Sir Hubert Murray.
In 1904 the renowned British anthropologist Charles Seligman was so impressed by Ahuia’s talents that he asked him to assist with his studies of the customs of the Koita people.
In the 1922-23 Papua Annual Report, Ahuia published his own study called ‘Motu Feasts and Dances’.
He also recorded stories about the origins and genealogy of the Koita people who lived in Hanuabada, and wrote articles in a government magazine, the Papuan Villager.
The story of Ahuia’s achievements, and how he managed to cope with the demands of Koita, Motu and Europeans societies, and with the opposing forces of Protestant and Catholic churches, is an example of culture clash at several levels that should interest all students.
“If only for the sake of national pride in the achievements of early Papua New Guineans, the names of people such as Ahuia Ova, Sunsuma and N’Dramei, and many others mentioned in these books, should be made known to all school students in Papua New Guinea,” Mr Johns said.
“There is also the question of what constitutes a rounded education, for how can a Papua New Guinean said to be educated who does not know about the heroes, villains and events of the past that shaped his or her own country?
“The immediate and crucial question is, how long will it be before PNG History Through Stories and the dozens of other books, written specially for PNG children but now sitting on warehouse shelves, get to where they should be – in the PNG classrooms?”
“Since completing PNG History Through Stories Book Two I have been researching and writing a history of PNG that will cover the period from prehistory to 1975,” Mr Johns said.
“It will be big, comprehensive and well illustrated, and will take me at least another two years to complete.
“It is intended that it will be a text for senior students and for anyone with an interest in PNG history.
“I hope it eventually gets into the schools!”
Eric Johns can be contacted on email eric@johns.com.au
Thursday, July 02, 2009
New recreational facilities for Port Moresby, but we must take care of them
Note: I originally posted the article below on May 17, 2009, however, have decided to repost to protest against the senseless taking away of recreational facilities for our children by "wolf in sheep's clothing" politicians like Deputy Prime Minister Sir Puka Temu and business houses who have no concern for the community except filling their pockets. You can post your comments below or take a vote at right...Malum
All over
For instance, at Gerehu Stage Two where I live, two new basketball courts are going up, and I can't wait for them to be opened so that I can take my kids to the courts for a fun arvo.
Towards the end of last year, playground facilities were set up, bringing so much joy and enjoyment to children.
The NCD Commission spends a lot of money on facilties, and the least we can do, as responsible citizens, is to have a sense of ownership and take care of them.
I took my kids to the playground a couple of days ago and was taken aback by the sight of litter including plastic bags, soft drink bottles, cigarette butts, and betlnut stains.
Please stop doing this!
Such facilties also keep our young people occupied and away from a life of alcohol, drugs, and crime.Lutheran team in Germany
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea general secretary Isaac Teo heads a four-man ELCPNG delegation which is currently in
The team, which left for
They will spend three weeks in
“The purpose of my trip is to strengthen relationships with our partners,” Mr Teo said before leaving for
“The other thing I will be doing is visiting the LWF in
“Our visit to LWF will portray a good image of the country.
“We’re going to have a very tight schedule, one in which it will also be an opportunity to meet with former missionaries who used to work in PNG.”
Mr Teo said Siassi district president Mr Max would use the opportunity to establish contacts before Siassi celebrates 100 years of Lutheran presence in April 2011.
The team returns to PNG at the end of July.
Montevideo Maru tragedy remembered
This was the 67th anniversary of the sinking of the Montevideo Maru (pictured) off the
Japanese hospital ship Montevideo Maru was carrying 845 troops from
The youngest was a boy of 15.
“There were fathers and sons, civilians and troops, missionaries and traders, businessmen and administrators,”
“They had all been captured and interned by the Japanese in Rabaul.
“They all died.
“The youngest, the 15-year old, was Ivan Gascoigne, recorded as a clerk, the son of Cyril Gascoigne, who also died.
“The sinking of the Montevideo Maru at 2.40 am on Wednesday July 1, 942 was
The unmarked Japanese ship left occupied Rabaul on June 22, 1942, but nine days later on July 1, American submarine USS Sturgeon torpedoed it off Luzon in the
The saddest thing is that the wreck has never been found to this day, and both
“To the best of our knowledge, she carried 1,053 prisoners from the
“It remains one of our country’s worst disasters.
“This memorial to the Hell Ships of World War 2 now includes a commemorative plaque to mark the tragedy of the sinking of the Montevideo Maru 67 years ago today.
“The plaque has been placed here as a result of the generosity of a number of private organisations - the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles/PNG Volunteer Rifles Ex-Members Association, the Lark Force Association, the Papua New Guinea Association of Australia and the Greenbank Returned Services League Club in
“This tragedy is not forgotten.
“The families are not forgotten.
“These men are not forgotten.”
Call for review of Sorcery Act
By PISAI GUMAR in The National,
A CONFERENCE in Madang has called for a major review into the Sorcery Act of 1971.
There were recommendations that the act be redrafted with clear definitions.
The “Law on sorcery and sorcery-related killings” conference was held at the police training centre in Madang.
The conference was organised by the Public Prosecutions office and was attended by
Acting Public Prosecutor Jim Wala Tamate told the conference that the courts were dealing with “belief systems and not mere criminal acts, or rather, with criminal acts based on belief systems”.
He also said that sorcery was deeply rooted into customs and traditions.
Mr Tamate said that belief in the effectiveness of magical and sorcery practices were widespread in the country in various ethnic groups and levels of society.
He stated that sorcery was a very broad field because the practices were performed based on various general and personal interests including land matters, courtship, family and marriage relationships and much more.
Mr Tamate said that the subject needed proper research by knowledgeable researchers from different fields to define clearly the meaning of the various sorcery practices in PNG.
He also said that the penalties on sorcery-related crimes also had to be tougher for the sorcerers and “torturers” based on how serious the matter was.
“Sorcery should be clearly defined to help police and the courts to perform their duties effectively,” Mr Tamate said.
He added that sorcery practices had both good and bad side.
Good sorcery, he said, related to social support services to individual, family and community while bad sorcery meant killing a person without good reason.
Prime Minister shocked at reclassification of Unagi Park
By MADELEINE AREK in The National,
A previous member of the Lands Board may have conducted himself improperly in the sale of the land known as
The reclassification of the
In November 2005, and again in June 2007, the Prime Minister wrote to Lands Minister Sir Puka Temu to investigate this land deal.
Sir Michael said if the land was indeed granted initially to the National Capital District Commission for recreational purpose, then the reclassification (to commercial) should be reversed.
It is unclear if any investigation requested by the Prime Minister was carried out.
Sir Puka refused to comment when contacted by phone yesterday.
He said he would make a detailed public statement today.
The Prime Minister’s Media Unit also declined comment, referring The National to the Lands Department.
Two companies, Virgo No. 65 Limited and Fairhaven Limited, are claiming ownership of the land and have asked NCDC to remove all playground equipment from the park.
The NCDC is opposing this, insisting the land is reserved as a park and is preparing to go to court.
Company documents obtained by The National show that former Lands Board chairman John Tangila was a shareholder of Virgo No. 65 Pty Ltd, a company incorporated on Jan 19, 1998.
The documents show a number of other people, believed to be family members of Tangila, as shareholders.
They all have a Mt Hagen address.
The company was later sold to three naturalised citizens, who now want to have the
A number of church, women and youth groups, opposed to this land being developed for commercial purpose, approached the Prime Minister to intervene.
In November 2005, the Prime Minister instructed Sir Puka to provide him with an intense brief into how the reclassification of
In the second letter, written in June 2007, Sir Michael expressed “surprise and shock” that his orders in 2005 for an investigation into how the land was reclassified were not adhered to.
Sir Michael had expressed concern that the land was not lawfully obtained by individuals and organisations stating claim to it, and had advised the minister to immediately investigate how it was reclassified.
The brief was to include whether the mentioned parcels of land (allotments 4 to 16, section 122, Hohola, Gordon) were first granted to the NCDC as special purpose; why the lease granted to NCDC was cancelled and the area rezoned to commercial; if there had been any new grants done to other persons or organisations and, if there had, then to whom were the respective parcels granted to and when.
The report was to be made available to Sir Michael “as soon as possible”, as he strongly believed that “if all investigations reveal that these parcels of land were firstly granted to NCDC to be used for recreational purposes, then all or any other grants should be cancelled”.
On June 29, 2007, in another letter to Sir Puka, Sir Michael expressed frustration that despite his Government’s election promise to investigate all unscrupulous land deals in the country as a matter of priority, the
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Latest pictures of my cucumber garden
And for those of you who have been following the saga of my kids, me and our cucumber garden, here are latest pictures of our cucumber patch today.
Nice, green, and flowering.
I'll keep you posted.
Malum
Let's keep the playground
Editorial in The National,
DEPUTY Prime Minister and Lands Minister Sir Puka Temu cannot just remove from the public a prime piece of land which has been zoned reserve land for recreational purposes.
We understand that the said land has never had its “special purposes lease for recreation” revoked. This piece of land, for those familiar with
Just rezoning the land for “commercial purposes” does not make it right or legal as the particular tract of land in
We refer Sir Puka to the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee report into this portion of land which was originally described as section 122 Hohola.
The PAC reported the Lands Board has “granted and the department (of Lands) has issued State leases over land that was, and still is, zoned as Reserved Open Space Land for the benefit of the public”.
The PAC report reads in part: “Consideration of the facts shows a clear pattern of conscious illegality in the Lands Board and (at best) cooperation by the Department of Lands and Physical Planning.
“The dealings also well demonstrate the paralysis of action that attends the Department of Lands, even when the illegalities of lease issue are known to the department and have been publicly acknowledged by it.
“The history of this parcel is complex ... but the grants and issues of private title over all of section 122 Hohola are unlawful and require immediate action from the National Government to rectify the defects and/or reinstate this valuable public asset – if indeed it is not too late to do so.”
The PAC report containing the above comments and recommendations was presented to Parliament long before Sir Puka made his decision.
Apparently, the National Government took no action to rectify the defects or reinstate this valuable public asset and it is already far too late.
The land was zoned as “
It acquired the name Unagi Oval after the late former lord mayor of
That land has been subdivided into many lots and according to the PAC, has been “unlawfully granted to private ownership”.
The entire tract of land was declared in 1969 as section 122, Hohola. The first subdivisions were made in 1982 and the land was divided into lots 1-7.
On Nov 28, 1985, allotment 1 section 122 was “reserved from lease” for the purposes of “public recreation”, published in the National Gazette and a trusteeship was vested in the NCD Interim Commission.
In 1990, further subdivisions were done and others subsumed under the new lots. A 15m wide road was then carved out from part of the land. After yet another subdivision and merging action in 1997, lots 1 to 5 and 11 of section 122, Hohola were cancelled. They ceased to exist.
Although these sections ceased to exist subsequent dealings were conducted with allotments 1, 2, 12 and 13 by the Lands Board and the Department of Lands and Physical Planning.
This is the confusing state of affairs surrounding this piece of land which the minister has now decided to pass off as commercial land.
While it is his prerogative to do so, we are alarmed and disturbed that the minister has chosen to do so when the capital city is deprived of recreational land.
The PAC concluded, following its examination of the relevant details that “the State has been deprived unlawfully, of a large and valuable tract of land for no or no adequate recompense, that the State has been exposed to liability by departmental actions and failures and that the public have been deprived, quite illegally, of prime recreational land”.
The PAC report refers to certain illegal deals and transfers of titles between certain private companies, various Lands Board chairmen and the Department of Lands but we will not go into that.
Suffice it to say that the NCDC and the public had lost zoned
More worrying is the failure of the department to protect this asset in the first place.
The whole saga is very complicated and should be the subject of a deeper inquiry not to be bundled off and forgotten by a rezoning decision. It just will not do, Mr Minister.
Activist campaigns to save Unagi Park.
By MADELEINE AREK in The National,
A WOMAN activist has gone on the campaign trail following the reclassification of the
She is calling on everyone in the city to help her fight against the commercialisation of the park.
The park has been reclassified from an open space or public reserve to a commercial area by a May 6 National Gazettal notice authorised by Lands and Physical Planning Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sir Puka Temu.
Dorothy Tekwie, a staunch human rights yesterday initiated the “Save Unagi Oval/Children playground Campaign” in a bid to allow the area to remain as it currently is – a park to be used by city residents, especially children.
In an email note to friends and colleagues, Ms Tekwie said for far too long, the Government had stood by and watched recreational areas being sold off to “greedy foreign business interest” and she would not watch the same being done to the
She said her campaign was to “save these last pieces of limited public recreational land in the city for our children to play and enjoy”.
She urged city residents to join her expose another insensitive, irresponsible and corrupt decision by the Government to deny children and others the right to recreational services in the city.
Since The National ran the story yesterday, city residents have expressed disgust at the Government over its actions, calling it an act of greed that was in the interest of foreign businesses.
Several people The National spoke to raised concerns over the manner in which Sir Puka had gone back on his earlier decision to allow the land to remain a public reserve.
They also expressed concern that in future,
Michael, who lives at Hohola Four, makes the weekly pilgrim there with his daughter Aliya, who has fallen in love with the slide.
When told about the reclassification of
“Take a look around the city and you will see new buildings springing up everywhere. But there’s no place for our children to play and enjoy themselves.”
Janet, who lives at Erima and regularly commutes to work along that route, said “it’s a bad decision”.
“The park is nice as it is.
“It allows a break for the eye, especially when you’re bombarded with ugly buildings all over the place and betelnut vendors plying their untidy trade,” the young mother said.
She continued: “I don’t know who the developers are but if they want to change that into an amusement park or someplace where families can retire to, then okay, but another ugly building smack bang in the middle of that beautiful peace of land would be a disaster and the minister should seriously reconsider his decision.”
Linda, a betelnut vendor who has been enjoying the facilities with her children since NCD Governor Powes Parkop “lit up the place”, was extremely annoyed when she sighted The National yesterday and said the minister had lost the plot.
“He said something and then went back on his word.
“These businesses who have title to the land should go to Eight-Mile or Nine-Mile and conduct their affairs. “Leave the park alone,” the disgruntled Engan woman said.
Papua New Guinea climate change boss suspended
From The National,
THE head of Office of Climate Change and Environment Sustainability (OCCES), Dr Theo Yasause, has been suspended.
Government sources said Cabinet made the decision to suspend Dr Yasause from office pending a full-scale investigation into operations of the office.
Cabinet made the decision last Friday based on a submission by Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill.
Mr O’Neill is away in
But Government sources spoken to said the decision was made by Cabinet, and a formal announcement was pending.
It is understood the secretary for the Department of Environment and Conservation, Dr Wari Iamo, will be the acting director-general of the OCCES.
Acting secretary for the Department of Personnel Management John Kali will head an inter-government agency team to conduct the full-scale investigation that will look into all aspects of this office and its operations since it was established.
Recently, the media revealed allegations that the OCCES had been selling carbon trading projects to a number of overseas companies without having any policy or legislative framework in place to do so.
Since then, there have been calls for Dr Yasause to step down for an inquiry into all these allegations.
Even Kevin Conrad, the PNG Ambassador of Climate Change based in
In a recent conference of governors, it was resolved the OCCES and its head be referred to the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee for an investigation into its affairs. This referral is pending.
Meanwhile, AusAID will have an adviser attached to the OCCES for three months.
The corporate planning adviser will be based in
This would involve providing technical advice on financial and accounting systems, IT and communications and HR processes, including staff recruitment, sources said
Ministerial press release on Montevideo Maru
Veterans' Affairs Minister Alan Griffin released the following media statement this morning to mark today’s anniversary of the sinking of the Montevideo Maru.
I think we will all appreciate the sentiments Mr Griffin offers.
The memorial service at Subic Bay is to start in a few minutes, at 11 am
REMEMBERING
On the 67th anniversary of
“War brings many tragedies and today we remember one of the greatest tragedies of the Second World War,” Mr Griffin said.
Speaking on indulgence in Parliament last week, Mr Griffin said the story of the sinking was an unfortunate and lesser known episode of the Second World War.
“On 1 July 1942, a United States submarine, USS Sturgeon, torpedoed and sank what it believed to be a Japanese merchant vessel. It was in fact the Montevideo Maru, carrying Australian prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians who were locked in the hold with no means of escape once the ship was struck,” he said.
“On board were 1053 Australian prisoners of war and civilians who had been captured and held by the Japanese at Rabaul on the
“The Montevideo Maru took 11 minutes to sink. No Australians survived. It was not until after the war that Australian authorities discovered the tragic fate of those captured at Rabaul.
“The families and associations with connections to the Montevideo Maru have never lost sight of the tragedy that occurred 67 years ago. That some questions concerning the ship may never be answered must also add to their sense of loss. It is something that we as a nation should never forget,” Mr Griffin said.
Mr Griffin said a local ceremony would be held in
“Today the Australian Ambassador to the
Mr Griffin also confirmed he has approved a $7200 grant to enhance the central plinth at
“Later in the year, under a grant made by the Australian Government to the RSL Angeles Sub-branch in the
The funds have been granted through the Overseas Privately-Constructed Memorial Restoration Program, which recognises the contribution that organisations around the world make to honouring
New community website / www.8milesettlement.com
From Sean Davey
Dear Friends,
This is a courtesy email to notify you of the new website of the 8-Mile Settlement community in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
www.8milesettlement.com
Here you can find information, photos, stories, art and craft relating to 8-Mile Settlement.
Have a browse and enjoy. Please forward this news to anyone you know who may be interested.
Regards,
Sean Davey
This is a courtesy email to notify you of the new website of the 8-Mile Settlement community in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
www.8milesettlement.com
Here you can find information, photos, stories, art and craft relating to 8-Mile Settlement.
Have a browse and enjoy. Please forward this news to anyone you know who may be interested.
Regards,
Sean Davey
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The fall of Rabaul and the Montevideo Maru
By Elizabeth Thurston & Andrea Williams in PNG Attitude
A memorial to the sinking of the Montevideo Maru,
The Montevideo Maru left Rabaul on 22 June 1942 with 1053 prisoners of war, all of whom tragically died when the ship was torpedoed on this day in 1942.
The establishment of the memorial has been coordinated by the Montevideo Maru Memorial Committee supported by the NGVR/PNGVR Ex-Members Association, Lark Force, the PNGAA and Greenbank RSL. The site is part of the Hellships Memorial dedicated to prisoners of war who suffered on Japanese vessels.
With the outbreak of World War 2, Rabaul became of strategic importance. The Army authorised the formation of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles (NGVR), a militia unit formed from Rabaul’s white residents. A detachment of young Chinese men, determined to contribute, formed an Ambulance Brigade which became part of the NGVR.
In March 1941, with the threat of Japanese invasion looming, the Australian Government sent Lark Force to Rabaul - 1400 men from the 2/22nd battalion and other units. Their band comprised the Brunswick Salvation Army band from
On neighbouring
Most European women and children had been evacuated from Rabaul on the Macdhui and Neptuna by Christmas 1941. The hospital nurses were offered evacuation but remained. The army nurses were not offered evacuation. Some civilian and missionary women stayed in the Rabaul area.
Because they were not Australian citizens, Chinese and mixed-race women and children did not qualify for evacuation. The civilians who remained in Rabaul consisted of administration officers, planters, businessmen and traders. Most of the women and children evacuated never saw their husbands and fathers again.
On 19 January 1942, the Norwegian cargo ship Herstein arrived in Rabaul to load copra. When it was bombed in a Japanese air raid, the civilian population suspected it had lost its last opportunity to leave. Although no one knew it then, the Australian Government had already made the decision that the men in Rabaul were ‘hostages to fortune’.
When the Japanese invaded with 5000 troops on 23 January 1942, Lark Force had little chance. The men of the 2/22nd put up a gallant fight but were overpowered.
The order “Every man for himself” was given and the men who had survived the battle tried to escape to the north and south coasts of
The Japanese dropped pamphlets declaring they would be treated as prisoners of war and many surrendered. Most returned to Rabaul and about 150 were executed at Tol Plantation on the shores of
On 22 June 1942, 845 members of Lark Force and 208 civilians were marched aboard the
The captain of Sturgeon, Commander Wright, had no idea the Montevideo Maru was carrying allied POWs. The men from Rabaul were all lost. The sinking of the Montevideo Maru became the greatest maritime disaster in Australian history.
A statement by the Minister for
Lest We Forget.
Tragedy in the ring
Pro boxer dies after pounding
By PETER PUSAL in The National,
TRAGEDY has struck the professional ranks of PNG boxing after 23-year-old Manus welterweight Joel Hayeu succumbed to injuries sustained during his professional debut in a boxing show held last June 21 in Port Moresby.
Hayeu, from the Pontoon boxing club of Manus, who fought a torrid six-rounder against Hohola boxing club fighter Kevin Baki, collapsed in his corner after the bout, having only moments earlier congratulated his conqueror after losing a unanimous decision to the 37-year-old Baki.
He died last Saturday after being comatose for six days.
The young Manusian was commended at ringside by many who witnessed the bout, saying he had shown “unbelievable” courage in a fight he was losing on the cards.
Experienced former Australian lightweight champion and current trainer Jeff Malcolm, a man credited with more than 30 years in boxing business, was distress at the manner in which the bout was handled, saying it should have been stopped earlier.
“That kid was hurt pretty bad, and it was clear for everyone to see that he was taking a beating, but for some reason, he was allowed to finish the fight,” Malcolm said of Hayeu.
“He fought with a lot of heart, and I don’t think I ever saw a braver fighter in all my time.”
The PNG Professional Boxing Federation-promoted “Contender” series was geared towards providing a pathway for aspiring professional boxers in the country to eventually compete for regional titles and gain world rankings.
The PNG Professional Boxing Control Board, the body tasked with regulating pro boxing, is inactive after years of dormancy.
In the shadow of this latest tragedy, calls have been made for the Government to re-establish the board.
A grieving John Hayeu said in Pidgin yesterday he was greatly aggrieved by his son’s demise, adding that his immediate concern was to take his boy home.
Children's park to close
Temu classifies playground for commercial purpose
By MADELEINE AREK and TRAVERTZ MABONE in The National,
THE Unagi Oval and the park and playground for children and residents of National Capital District at Gordon recently created by Governor Powes Parkop for their enjoyment will soon be a thing of the past.
This is because the National Government has reclassified the land as “commercial”.
Lands and Physical Planning Minister Sir Puka Temu, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, abandoned an earlier decision of his, and decided to declare it commercial.
This week, lawyers representing Virgo 65 and Fairhaven Limited, purported owners of the land, instructed the National Capital District Commission to remove all playing equipment at the children’s playground and Unagi Oval.
The lawyers told NCDC to comply with the National Gazette of May 6, 2009.
In documents made available to The National, Sir Puka appears to have abandoned an earlier recommendation by the PNG Physical Planning Appeals Tribunal.
The land was previously considered as “open space” or public reserve.
Documents show that in December 2007, Sir Puka had upheld the tribunal’s appeal not to rezone
He had stated then in part that he wished to protect public interest by “ensuring that land is used in accordance with sound physical planning principles (and/or) the need for continuity and consistency of policy or another reason”.
But the May 6 National Gazette now says the land has been rezoned. It is unclear why there has been a change of heart.
NCD Governor Powes Parkop said he would reserve his comments until he spoke with Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and Sir Puka.
He admitted that he was not happy with the rezoning but would talk to the minister.
“
It is understood NCDC has already instructed a law firm to go to court to fight this decision.
Virgo 65 and Fairhaven Limited are believed to be owned by individuals of Asian origin.
Mothers, children and youths who were using the park yesterday afternoon expressed their disgust when told about this decision.
One of the mothers who took her children out to enjoy the facilities yesterday Pat Nguna was worried and said that “If they removed the facilities then our children wont have a place to go to.”
Mrs Nguna and another mother Cathy Collin said there were no other place safer and convenient than that specific area as Erima is too dangerous and the other places are too far.
Jonathan Wii and Jonathan Kunjil were against the idea of developing the area for commercial.
Mr Kunjil said: “Why remove something that people enjoy, the government should allocate land elsewhere on unused land or remove settlements that occupy prime land to cater for commercial activities.”
A resident of Wewak Steven Tom who was transiting through
He said “You hardly find these sorts of facilities around the country for families to enjoy and
Prime Minister Somare steps in to fix LNG mess
PRIME Minister Michael Somare has taken personal charge of advancing PNG’s second liquefied natural gas project development to project agreement status within days.
The Grand Chief has become the Mr Fix-it for poor showing by his ministerial and public service minions.
He has directed officials to furnish to him a professionally and PNG-produced project development agreement for Liquid Niugini liquefied natural gas project by Wednesday morning, (01 July 2009).
According to staffers, a visibly fuming Prime Minister told ministers and officials after a special cabinet meeting that their deceptive schemes and conspiracies to derail one project and behave as salesmen for another project was not in the nation’s best interest. The Grand Chief made his intervention last Friday after several of his key ministers and hand-picked Waigani bureaucrats connived to undermine progress of locking in InterOil Corporation’s planned two-train liquefied natural gas development project. Sir Michael wants both the InterOil and ExxonMobil projects developed simultaneously and on the same terms offered by the State.
The Prime Minister vented his ire on ministers and officials when he was given a project agreement concocted by a United Kingdom-based law firm called Allen & Overy who were engaged by the Department of Treasury to produce the document a week ago.
The law firm is also retained by ExxonMobil. The document produced at the behest of Treasury Department officials did not carry any negotiated and agreed position both the State and InterOil Corporation negotiation teams worked on over the last two years. The document was worded to deny InterOil’s LNG development company, Liquid Niugini Gas Limited any reasonable concessions and tax breaks that were accorded to ExxonMobil’s PNG LNG project.
Yet the State solicitor was coerced into giving his legal clearance to the hurriedly produced document last Wednesday.
Petroleum Minister William Duma and Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Paul Bengo became suspicious when they realised there were two documents doing the rounds in Waigani and not one.
That was when the Prime Minister made his intervention.
He ordered officials to give him one negotiated and agreed project agreement within five days commencing Friday afternoon and inclusive of Saturday and Sunday. Government officials spend Saturday and Sunday huddled in thought and work at a
ExxonMobil and its partner Oil Search Limited are progressing towards building an LNG project in PNG for a total development cost of some K12 billion and InterOil is doing similarly for total development cost of some K10 billion.
Most of ExxonMobil’s LNG facility feedstock is located in PNG’s Southern Highlands Province.
InterOil Corporation’s LNG plant will rely on the company’s own Elk-Antelope world-class natural gas and crude oil reservoirs in the
- Susuve Laumaea is an award-winning veteran PNG newspaper journalist. He writes a popular weekly Public Affairs column in Port Moresby-based weekly newspaper, Sunday Chronicle.
Crackdown
By ISAAC NICHOLAS in The National,
SIX suspects have been rounded up as police moved swiftly with bulldozers demolishing unlicenced liquor outlets and food stall from
Police, in a joint operation with PNG Power, NCDC and Eda Ranu, cut off illegal water and power connections while chainsaws were used to clear the rain trees, bananas and food gardens.
Almost 100 cartons of beer sold in unlicensed premises were confiscated by police as NCD metropolitan commander Chief Supt Fred Yakasa gave a stern warning to settlers to respect the laws or go back home to their village.
He also told the people that from now on, there would be no more sale, consumption of liquor and gambling along that stretch of road.
“My policemen will patrol these roads and they have been instructed to brukim lek na han (break legs and hands) of people caught breaking that order,” he warned.
Settlers gathered last Friday afternoon at Erima oval where Chief Supt Yakasa and his deputy Chief Insp Anderson Bawa appealed to them to hand in more than 10 people involved in the slaying of Dei MP Puri Ruing’s son and a relative last Wednesday night after the State of Origin II game.
Chief Supt Yakasa said six suspects had been taken in for questioning and appealed to the community to help surrender another 10-12 suspects still at large.
“Enough is enough. We have to do this operation to tell the people that there is law and people must have respect for the laws.” he said.
“I will continue to bulldoze illegal settlements. The Government now has a lot of money and what is a legal suit of K4 million compared to the lost of innocent lives.”
Chief Supt Yakasa said settlers had made illegal power and water connections and had been illegally selling alcohol for a very long time.
“What we are doing is to show you that your behavior and attitude is not accepted.”
He also commended Mr Ruing for not taking the law into his own hands and telling his people not to retaliate.
“Mr Ruing is a strong leader. I admire him and commend him for letting police handle the matter,” Chief Supt Yakasa said.
He also warned other settlements at Vadavada, Nine-Mile, Gerehu and Two-Mile Hill that police would move in and flush out people who harbour criminal elements.
He said police would move into Two-Mile Hill settlement on Wednesday and he would close all bus-stops along Two-Mile Hill where there have been numerous hold-ups and bag snatching from passengers.
Monday, June 29, 2009
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