Huli of a show

The Huli Duna cultural group from PNG was the best, attracting the young and old, during the Kundu music at the World Music Festival in Adelaide, Australia, last weekend.

PAPUA New Guinea’s Huli wigmen stole the show at the international music festival in Adelaide last weekend. The PNG community and former residents took on board the Huli Duna cultural group despite customs and immigration preventing the Huli’s their traditional singsing gears into Australia.
Chairman Simon Bole said, with the strict restrictions, the group was denied performance on Friday and Saturday but with the intervention by organisers, the Australian government allowed the groups’ traditional gear.
Adelaide media stated in its reports that the festival has sold out a record 334,000 tickets over the weekend fest and the Huli group was the first from PNG to perform.

Tamate's last appeal for more funding

By JULIA DAIA BORE

 

ACTING Public Prosecutor Jim Wala Tamate, who will vacate his job today, has called on the government to improve funding for the office of the public prosecutor, The National reports.

He said improved funding would greatly assist state lawyers execute their responsibilities in court and effectively uphold the laws of PNG.

“Adequate government funding was vital for the effective running of the office of the public prosecutor, whose major role is to ensure law and order is upheld.”

He made specific reference to the day-to-day running of the office and sending public prosecutors (state lawyers) to the provinces to prosecute court matters.

Tamate said another option to improve public prosecutor performance was to set up provincial offices, adequately manned by public prosecutors on the ground.

He said the staff ceiling requirement at the office of the public prosecutor was more than 100 personnel.

“However, what we have now is just over half that number.”

He said over the years, the public prosecutor had been running back and forth to Treasury to seek additional funding, even after the budget had been handed down.

On his future plans, Tamate said he would stay on in the office as a senior state lawyer.

His colleague Camillus Sambua will take over as acting public prosecutor.

 

 

Doctors to strike

Four major hospitals to be targeted over outstanding claims

 

By KARI TOTONA

 

DOCTORS yesterday decided to go on a nationwide strike starting next Friday, The National reports.

The National Doctors Association (NDA) yesterday confirmed the industrial action, saying this was because the departments of Health and Personnel Management had failed to honour commitments they reached in agreements and understandings last year to improve doctors’ work conditions.

The doctors were supported by the Nurses Association, which was also considering its options.

Trade Union Congress (TUC) secretary-general John Paska, who met with the doctors’ executive committee, condemned the inaction and called for the sacking of the departmental heads.

NDA president Dr Kauve Pomat said the strike could have been averted and expressed bitter disappointment at learning that the DPM had no knowledge of the NDA negotiations and the memorandum of agreement with draft awards signed in 2007.

The MoA draft agreement was for 2007-09 after the NDA came up with a job value study which resulted in two outcomes; the salary structure and the incentive packages.

“DPM has always been a party in the MoA signing and, so, we have gathered all regional representatives today to get their views.

“From today’s (yesterday) executive meeting, we have come up with the resolution to go on an industrial strike nationwide,” he said.

The president told the media that they would meet with the industrial registry office today to set the ball rolling.

“This is an indication of inefficiency of the employer (Health) and they have been known for signing MoU and MoA and not implementing them,” he said.

Another member Dr Thomas Vinit said that doctors had been considerate but the MoA had lapsed and there was no more agreement in place.

“The government of the day and the employer has to decide for the public what’s best for them and everyone else who will be affected by this,” he said.

Emergency cases would be attended upon advice during the strike.

Pomat also revealed that 68 doctors had left the industry to look for greener pastures while four hospitals remained closed.

About 20% of national doctors are not members of the NDA.

Paska said doctors in PNG should not be forced to walk out of their jobs.

“This is a huge disgrace to the country and those incompetent heads in the Health and Personnel Management departments should be sacked for their inaction,” he said.

He stressed that doctors could not continue to work under stress when the terms and conditions that go with their employment were sub-standard.

“Doctors are not the same as others because they deal with people’s lives and for the DPM to play marbles with them is injustice,” he said.

Paska said, if in the event that the doctors go on strike and any life or lives are lost, those concerned should sue Health and Personnel Management.

Nurses Association (NA) president Eimi Kaptigau said many doctors and nurses were either aged or sick and those able had to work twice as hard under poor conditions.

“Aren’t they concerned about the situation?” she asked.

She said doctors and nurses work for the same employer and that they were in this together.

Kaptigau said doctors and nurses “cannot be treated like this”.

“With the government’s Vision 2050, where is the human resource attraction in the health sector?” she asked.

The National understands that responses from provinces would come out in a scheduled executive meeting next week. 

 

 

East New Britain farmers target corn

By ELIZABETH MELCHIOR of FPDA

FARMERS in inland Baining area of East New Britain province are targeting corn as the major income earner to sustain their livelihoods.

Corn specialist Elizabeth Melchior with farmers during a corn-harvesting demonstration at Gaulim.

Already, over 100 farmers from four different wards in inland Baining are involved in the production and marketing of corn.
These wards include Gaulim, Kainagunan, Ivere and Ivongi.
The demand for the corn production follows a partnership pilot project between Fresh Produce Development Agency and Gazelle district.
FPDA is facilitating the training aspect of it.
FPDA is a semi-autonomous government agency established under the PNG Companies Act to develop a commercially-viable and sustainable horticulture industry for PNG.
The initiative by these two organisations is to encourage farmers to explore alternative means of earning an income.
In 2010, farmers from the vicinity of the four wards were searching for alternative means of earning an income when FPDA came to their aid and started providing technical trainings on producing vegetables.
Farmers in this location and other parts of East New Britain have lost most of their income from cocoa, which has been the main income earning commodity.
The loss was due to a major pest attack caused by cocoa pod borer that devastated the whole industry in East New Britain.
Introducing vegetable production in parts of inland Baining area has been an eye-opener for many farmers that have given up hope.
The farmers are now undergoing a series of trainings that is developing them to become more semi-commercial farmers.
The training covers vegetable production to marketing, gender and budgeting.
Currently, farmers are into their second crop with the assistance of FPDA and are now enjoying the benefits.
With the vast land areas of the inland Baining, farmers are fortunate to open huge areas for food production

Port Moresby farmer trainees graduate

By SOLDIER BURUKA of DAL
The Port Moresby Farmer Training Centre was established 10 years ago by a former secondary school agriculture teacher John Mebil.



Asseneth Tugiau, superintendent vocational education, Department of Education, presenting certificate to Natasha Noah, while John Mebil looks on.


Located at 12-Mile outside Port Moresby, the centre with about 30ha of land, provides agricultural training courses for school leavers, unemployed youths and interested people. Last week, five young men and women graduated with certificates in integrated farming after successfully completing a 12-months course.
The group was sponsored by Foundation for People and Community Development Inc. (FPCD) under its youth mental health programme funded by AusAid.
Mebil, the principal director, said the graduation also marked the centre’s 10th anniversary.
He said the turnout was small but everyone was happy and enjoyed the feast of cow, sheep and pig meat after the event.
The former Laloki secondary school teacher said he started the centre with the aim of continuing to teach and train young Papua New Guineans in agricultural farming for a sustainable livelihood.
Mebil said agriculture was the mainstay of our economy and provided the best opportunity for young people to participate in rural development.
Mebil said the five youths - who learned basic skills in livestock, food crops, rural engineering as well as eco-tourism and human spiritual development - did very well.
One of the incentives provided was in the form of savings with the PNG Microfinance bank.
Whatever the trainees produced and marketed during the training programme was saved in the bank and the accumulated savings was given back to them on graduation day.
The centre has the capacity to take up to 60 trainees and Mebil has appealed to the government, non-government organisations, donor agencies and private sector to provide more support to encourage young people to be trained in agriculture.



The five graduands sitting in front flanked by official guests during the ceremony.

 He said with major developments such as the LNG coming up there were more opportunities now for people in and around Central province to venture into food security activities.
“Young people should be encouraged to go into agriculture farming as there is a big demand for fresh produce, livestock and other agricultural industries,” Mebil said.
He thanked the agencies that either sponsored the centre or sent representatives to the graduation including FPCD, Education Department, Central provincial government, PNG Microfinance and Fresh Produce Development Agency.
He was disappointed that Department of Agriculture and Livestock did not send anyone.

Lower Watut cocoa farmers get small business training

Participants to the SYB training showing off their certificates.

Fifty-five cocoa farmers from 13 villages in the Lower Watut River community have successfully completed a two-week training to improve their business knowledge and management skills through a Hidden Valley mine sponsored start your business (SYB) programme last week. The SYB two-week training, facilitated by three certified Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) trainers, is aimed at helping equip the farmers and established cocoa groups in the Lower Watut region with the necessary skills to operate their cocoa businesses successfully.
The training programmes are part of Hidden Valley’s overall agriculture programme to compliment and build the capacity of local farmers.
Last year, following consultation and agreement with stakeholders, Hidden Valley engaged the services of SBDC to conduct two weekly training sessions for recipient communities under its various stakeholder community sustainable development (CSD) programmes.
Eric Ngawi, a local participant, thanked MMJV for funding the programme through SBDC, saying the training was timely and very useful as it would better equip them in the cocoa industry as well as enable them to take advantage of business opportunities that could arise from mining developments.
Huon district administrator Tony Ase, while thanking MMJV for the development programmes, challenged participants to take ownership of the training and utilise it through practice as well as to pass on the knowledge to others.
The SYB training comprises two phases: to do business awareness in analysing and understanding the local environment before deciding on business type or suitability for aspiring entrepreneurs; and to develop business plans taking into account marketing issues, business type, staffing, costing/pricing and starting capital/finance.
Wafi community affairs manager, Rolland Allbrook thanked participants and trainers for taking the time to attend the two-week training session.
“Agriculture is the backbone of this country and rightfully, your attendance is an indication of the desire to use the opportunity provided by developers such as MMJV to improve your knowledge,” he said.
“MMJV is happy to work with communities that show initiative, take ownership and are committed to improving their livelihoods, looking ahead into the future, because the mine will not be here for ever.”
Hidden Valley gold mine has also facilitated SYB training for coffee farmers in seven Biangai coffee growers’ groups, including farmers from two landowner villages of Winima and Kwembu; as well as for fish farmers under Middle Watut fish farmers’ cooperative.
To date, a total 131 participants and 25 observers have attended with more planned to follow suit.
Peter Piawu, SYB PNG programme manager, said SBDC was enjoying the partnership with MMJV, which was delivering a lot of business knowledge and skills to benefit the people on the ground that needed it.
The SYB training is internationally recognised and practised in 129 developing countries around the world.
The training is developed and certified by International Labour Organisation (ILO) and very high in material content.
According to SBDC, it has extensive training coverage throughout the country.

Lower Watut cocoa farmers get help from MMJV

A cluster nursery group tending to their hybrid cocoa seeds nursery at Mafanazo village, Lower Watut

Morobe Mining Joint Ventures, Hidden Valley mine has embarked on an intensive cocoa development and extension programme in the Lower Watut River communities aimed at establishing higher yielding crop varieties. The programme was initiated last year utilising partnerships with other service organisations and community service organisation, Bris Kanda Inc, and is set to benefit an estimated 900 farmers by building on and improving the existing work done by previous service providers.
Since June 2010, MMJV’s community sustainable development (CSD) agricultural team in consultation with the communities has helped to reorganise all existing cocoa groups’ farmers groups and emerging farmers under a cluster group system, where central nurseries are set up in each village to serve the planting material needs of the farmers.
According to a study facilitated by Bris Kanda, well over 90% of cocoa production in the Lower Watut impact region is based on low-yielding variety introduced in the colonial days.
With the cluster groups approach, it is envisaged that high-yielding cocoa varieties will be introduced and established, gradually phasing out the low-yielding variety that is currently grown.
Under the programme, over K120, 000 has already been injected into supporting this programme.
Some of these funds were used to provide materials to the 26 cluster groups comprising an estimated 900 farmers from 13 villages, to construct nurseries.
High yielding cocoa variety seeds from Cocoa and Coconut Research Institute (CCRI) at Murnas in Madang are also distributed to each group on a monthly basis.
To date 100, 000 hybrid seeds have been purchased with 61,000 distributed and established so far.
In addition, 100,000 polybags, 50 rolls of shade cloth and four cartons of nails were purchased and distributed for the construction of the 26 cluster group’s nurseries. Pruning and budding tools (six pole pruners, 10 secateurs, 10 punning saw, 58 budding knives and 594 budding tapes) were purchased and will be distributed during a field budding and training programme to be conducted in each of the villages which commenced in late February this year.
Already, further plans are in place to purchase an additional 50,000 polybags for the purpose of raising root stocks for budding superior clones.
This approach will assist the 26 cocoa cluster groups to raise and establish 150,000 high-yielding cocoa varieties in the farmer’s field in the first 12 months of rolling out this programme.
Each group has also been assisted with setting up bud wood gardens of 200-plus stands to provide bud stick requirements for a superior clone budding programme to be undertaken in the future.

Highlands farming field day at Tambul

By JAMES LARAKI of NARI
TAMBUL basin in the Western Highlands will come alive on Saturday when National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) highlands regional centre stages its third annual field day.

 Anton Kerru of NARI Tambul talking to visitors on the importance of field evaluation of potatoes during the second annual field day at Tambul in 2009.

This event will coincide with the 46th NARI council meeting which will be held at Tambul on Friday..
With the theme ‘Enhancing Sustainable Farming for Rural Farmers’, this event will provide an opportunity for the people of Tambul and visitors alike to learn about activities undertaken, meet scientific and technical staff, tour the campus and facilities, and gather information on other activities NARI undertakes throughout the country.
This event will provide the chance to people to find out more about the research and development activities undertaken by NARI in the high altitude highlands region of PNG and how they can source and adopt them.
Preparations are well under way to stage the event with the local MP and Minister for Civil Aviation, Benjamin Poponawa, confirmed as the chief guest.
Major activities that are to be displayed and demonstrated include kaukau (sweet potato) silage-making for pig feed, village broiler production, improved pasture species, wheat milling and cooking, high-yielding pyrethrum clones, early-maturing kaukau varieties, and mini tuber production of selected potato clones.
Representatives from divisions of primary industry in Enga and Western Highlands provinces, Enga Pyrethrum Company, National Development Bank, National Micro-Bank, Correctional Services of Baisu, Porgera Joint Venture, Christian Leaders Training College, Tambul/Nebilyer district administration, Fresh Produce Development Agency, Jiwaka Women’s Association, Highlands Farmers and Piggery Association, MKL Vegetables, Laiagam district project office, farmers, school children, and the general public are expected to attend.

NARI officers (left) explaining the various potato clones tested in PNG for resistance against potato late blight during the second annual field day in Tambul in 2009.

Field days such as the one to be staged in Tambul are one of the means that NARI uses to allow stakeholders to come together to share information, exchange views and see for themselves the agricultural technologies and innovations being developed and tested.
NARI is using various ways and means to be effective in innovation systems approach, which includes: agricultural innovations shows, community-based resource centres, information centres, regional research and development advisory committees, commodity committees, public and private sector partnerships, piloting and out-scaling and up-scaling models, and innovations systems approach to research and development.

Silage making from sweet potato for feeding pigs will be one of the technologies demonstrated at the field day: Michael Dom of NARI demonstrating the technology to visitors to NARI’s fourth innovation show at Bubia outside Lae last May.

NARI also shares its innovations and technologies through the media, various shows and other major events, various publications, audio-visual products, newsletter, and its website (http://www.nari.org.pg/).
Similar open days are organised in all NARI regional centres around the country including the annual innovations show which will be staged on May 5 at the Sir Alkan Tololo Research Centre at Bubia, outside Lae.

Chief justice erred in law

English judge says tribunal acted beyond its jurisdiction

 

By JULIA DAIA BORE

 

A MEMBER of the leadership tribunal yesterday expressed disbelief that PNG law could have intended for the prime minister to be treated less severely than other leaders, The National reports.

“I just can’t believe that the legislature could have intended that the prime minister could have lesser penalty than other leaders,” Sir Robin Auld said when explaining his “reserved” decision.

He further said the tribunal was forced to “act beyond its jurisdiction” when the decision was left to it to decide whether or not to suspend Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.

He was referring to the decision by Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia to leave the matter of suspension up to the tribunal to decide.

“The tribunal has been caused to act beyond its jurisdiction,” he said yesterday.

Sir Robin on Monday dissented from the decision by his two colleagues not to suspend the prime minister for the duration of the tribunal.

The Englishman, who now serves as president of the court of appeals in Solomon Islands, quoted relevant parts of PNG’s Constitution [section 142(6)] and the relevant Organic Law on the Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership (section 28), among others, and also made reference to the decision of the Supreme Court last May relating to the Ombudsman Commission (OC) versus Patrick Pruaitch.

He quoted the section where it made reference to the “automatic” suspension of a leader when referred for prosecution by the OC.

Sir Robin said Pruaitch’s Supreme Court decision, paragraphs 80-90, stated that a leader once referred, and when the chief justice convened a tribunal, that “all” leaders are deemed automatically suspended with full pay by the application of section 28 of the Organic Law “pending, and I repeat, pending” the tribunal, he said.

“The wording of section 28 is very clear,” he said.

Sir Robin added that the Organic Law was “mandatory” and that the outcome “does not produce any conflict”.

Read together with the constitution, Sir Robin’s indication was that the Organic Law on Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership and the constitution might have conflicted each other.

He pointed out that section 142(6) of the PNG Constitution granted the prime minister an exception to all other leaders.

The section stated: “The prime minister may be suspended from office (a) by the tribunal under an Organic Law made for the purposes of section 28, pending an investigation into a question of misconduct in office.” 

This is what Sir Robin could not “believe” was the intention of parliament for the prime minister to have a lesser penalty when all other leaders faced automatic suspension.

Sir Robin said since the tribunal had been granted the discretion to decide and, since his two pre-eminent colleagues had decided in favour of not suspending the prime minister, he had no option but to agree with them.

The hearing adjourned yesterday but did not set a time for it to reconvene.

 

 

Governor:K51 million used to garner MPs’ support

MORE than K51 million in special support grant (SSG) funds for Western was paid to MPs to garner support last November, Western Governor Dr Bob Danaya claimed yesterday, The National reports.

Claiming he has evidence of the transfer of his province's funds to pay MPs, Danaya said he had instructed Loani Henao Lawyers to take the matter up in court to force the government to reimburse the money.

He said the province was owed K60 million in outstanding SSG between the years 2000 and 2006.

This money had been reduced to K9 million, he said and claimed he knew where the missing K51 million had gone to.

"It was wrongly used by the government to bribe members of parliament," Danaya alleged in a statement.

"Only K9 million was transferred to the provincial government treasury account.

"This is gross abuse of power and funds earmarked for projects in Western.

"This is gross corruption at the highest political level."

Finance secretary Gabriel Yer confirmed last night that the government owed the Western provincial government a substantial amount of money but denied such funds had been used in the manner alleged.

Yer said: "It is correct that we owe them. They will still be paid.

"The money appropriated might have lapsed but a number of projects have been submitted and we are going through the process at the moment.

"Planning and finance are going through that process. We acknowledge that we owe money to Western and they will be paid."

Yer said projects worth about K30 million had been received and the government would honour its commitments.

He was uncertain about the exact amount owed and said he would need to consult with planning.

Danaya is the second governor to take the national government to court over outstanding SSG funds.

New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan has a case on foot against the government over an outstanding K400 million owed to his provincial government, being SSG money from the Lihir gold mine.

Danaya said he had traced some of the money to projects which were never budgeted for this year and which were not part of government's priority areas.

The angry governor expressed deep concern in the way the government was handling the finances of the nation.

"There is no control in Waigani in applying good governance so there is accountability and transparency.

"Political leaders do not care whether they breach laws governing financial management.

"Corruption has become systemic and systematic and is very fast destroying Papua New Guinea."

SSG funds are funds that are given to host provincial governments of resource projects by the national government.

It is a component of the national government's overall receipt from the mine, calculated at 0.25% of revenue.

The money is held in trust with the Department of National Planning and Monitoring.

Danaya called on the government to detail where the money had gone to and, furthermore, to reimburse Western's K51 million.

"I will not rest until justice is done," he said. "How they do it and where they get the money is their problem so long as they do not steal again during the process."

Murdered Belgian's widow reveals ordeal

By YVONNE HAIP

 

THE widow of the Belgian believed to have been murdered by locals in the remote Nondri area of Gumine, Chimbu, on Jan 27, is calling on police to speed up their investigations and arrest suspects, The National reports.

Tony Boddin, an elderly retired member of the British army, was allegedly killed by locals, while his pregnant wife was kidnapped and repeatedly raped for two days before she was rescued by tribesmen.

The child was lost as a result and the widow, Ronic Boddin, returned to Banz, Western Highlands, where she is from.

Speaking for the first time this week about the ordeal, the widow said she believed her husband’s body had been buried in a cave and was yet to be recovered.

She claimed the suspects operated as a syndicate and were responsible for a string of murders in the area, yet no one had been arrested.

She named the victims as a priest, a primary school teacher, a nursing officer, a tribeswoman and a father and son who were beheaded while crossing a river.

She claimed there were 12 suspects, including a university student and a woman, who is the mastermind.

Police knew their identities but were not doing anything, she claimed.

According to the widow, she and her husband were invited to Nondri village by a Francis Gore, a local Catholic catechist, and had travelled there last Dec 27.

She said they had stayed with the family for three weeks and were on their way to a nearby creek to do their laundry on Jan 9 when they were confronted by the gang.

She claimed that they were told to return home by one of the suspects while the woman member of the gang arranged for the other suspects, who were armed with axes, knives and two guns, to hold up the couple at gunpoint at the house they were staying in.

The suspects then axed her husband on his shoulder and tied him with a rope onto a post inside the house.

She said they then took her away at gunpoint and locked her inside another house where one of the suspects guarded her with a knife pointed at her heart while the other suspects stoned her husband and chased him down to the river.

Then the chasers returned and forced her to walk to a house located on a mountain where five men took turns in repeatedly raping her.

She named the suspects, saying they were related to the family the couple was staying with and did not understand why they would do such things.

She said she managed to escape while she was being escorted to another house and made her way to Kundiawa where the matter was reported to police.

Human rights advocacy group, Jiwaka Waal Daam Association (JWDA), which had been assisting Ronic Boddin fight for justice, called on police to fast-track the arrest of the suspects.

JWDA executive secretary Wilfred Kulno said yesterday this was a serious matter and no one had been arrested in over two months.

He said talks were progressing with the Belgian embassy in Canberra, Australia, which had agreed to help retrieve Boddin’s remains and accord him a decent burial in Banz where his relatives would also attend.

Chimbu police could not be reached for comments yesterday.

Japan unloads stake in Papua New Guinea gas venture

THE Japanese government has begun unloading its stake in a Papua New Guinea oil and gas joint venture with JX Holdings and Mitsubishi Corp, The National reports.

Last Friday, the government through its trade ministry, offered its 62% stake (159,120 shares in the joint venture Japan-Papua New Guinea Petroleum Co.

The tender closes on March 31, with bids to be opened immediately.

But a buyer is unlikely to be finalised for several months after the tender closes due to a need to clear various procedures involving the sale of a stake in an unlisted firm, a trade ministry official said.

The tender was part of a policy to divest upstream energy stakes held previously by now-defunct Japan National Oil Corp, once the sale was finalised, the official added.

The venture’s wholly owned unit Merlin Petroleum Co has a 4.7 % stake in Exxon Mobil-led US$15 billion (K50 billion) liquefied natural gas project.

Japan’s JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corp, a wholly owned unit of JX Holdings, holds 36.4 % of the venture, while Mitsubishi has the remaining 1.6%.

Exxon is the biggest stakeholder in the PNG LNG project, which will produce 6.6 million tonnes per year of LNG when it comes online in 2014.

The trade ministry last sold its share of upstream stakes in North Sea and Thai ventures in 2008 for a total of ¥31 billion (US$374 million) to two Japanese explorers.

 

 

Wewak tsunami costs at K5 million

Boram hospital shut, items worth K5million lost

 

By GABRIEL FITO

 

BORAM General Hospital in Wewak, East Sepik, has suffered damages running to about K5 million as a result of the Japan tsunami last Friday, The National reports.

The damage cost also included medical drugs and hospital equipment stolen by looters when the hospital’s power generator blacked out when the low-lying Boram peninsula, where the hospital is located, was pounded by metre-high waves.

Hospital CEO Dr Louis Samiak said yesterday they had scaled down services following the serious damages caused to key facilities.

The hospital was temporarily closed except for emergencies, the labour ward, surgical ward, the operating theatre and the special care nursery.

He said the hospital’s standby generator, kitchen, laundry and dispensary, located on the western end of the hospital, suffered most of the damage as the huge waves swept through the hospital ground, knocking down gas cylinders, other equipment and stocks of medicine at the pharmacy.

PNG Defence Force soldiers from Moem barracks yesterday helped the hospital staff in cleaning up around the hospital, including the dispensary area.

The low-lying section of peninsula where the hospital is normally bears the brunt of tidal surges that hit the coastline from time to time.

Samiak said before the waves hit on Friday night, all patients were evacuated to higher grounds.

He said opportunists took advantage of the power blackout by breaking into the storeroom and dispensary and stole medicine and equipment.

Samiak said 61 patients now at the hospital were surviving on biscuits and soft drinks because proper meals could not be prepared .

He said the hospital was also faced with shortage of drugs after the pharmacy was soaked and ransacked by opportunists.

East Sepik deputy provincial administrator technical services Benjamin Warakai visited the hospital and asked for a detailed report on the damage caused.

Samiak said yesterday that the provincial works department had completed a report on the damages and it would costs K5 million to restore all hospital services.

Australian aid worker carjacked in PNG

• From: AAP
• March 15, 2011 3:36PM

ANOTHER Australian aid worker in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby has been carjacked at gunpoint.

The female AusAID employee was returning home on Sunday night with a female friend when robbed by four men, at least two armed with firearms.

According to a widely distributed email, sent to Australian officials by security personnel, there were no injuries.

"The offenders attempted to keep the driver in the vehicle.

"The driver refused and pushed past them and ran down the hill to the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

"This particular location has experienced a number of reported carjackings in recent times," the email read.

It is the third Australian and fourth person working for the Australian aid program this year to be robbed near their home in the popular diplomatic and expatriate area, Touaguba Hill.

But numerous PNG citizens have told AAP they are also suffering a spike in violent carjackings across the city.

Last month, an Irish female media adviser with PNG's national radio station and a male Australian law and justice adviser were attacked separately on the same road.

A week before, an Australian aid adviser was carjacked and suffered "serious injuries" in an attack.

Australian High Commissioner to PNG Ian Kemish at the time met senior police to raise concerns over the carjackings.

The spate in Port Moresby is being blamed on a shortage of police, lack of political will and numerous police being deployed to protect a massive ExxonMobil resource project.

The Economist magazine regularly ranks Port Moresby as one of the five worst cities in the world to live because of violent crime, corruption and the absence of basic infrastructure.

Last November, a young group of Australian volunteers travelling in Madang, on PNG's northeast coast, was carjacked, tied up and robbed, with one woman raped.

Putting pearls before swine in Papua New Guinea

By MALUM NALU

 

Last Sunday, Papua New Guinea saw yet another case of a non-government organisation, which tries so hard to bring hope and change lives of people in this country, falling victim to a senseless case of robbery which only brings more shame to the country.

It only leads us to ask ourselves what PNG is coming to when we steal from, rape and murder people who come in to help us, literally biting the hand that feeds us.

Pearls before swine refers to a quotation from Matthew 7:6 in the discourse on holiness, a section of Jesus's Sermon on the Mount, implying that things (such as pearls) should not be put in front of people (or in this case, swine) who do not appreciate their value.

Thieves broke into HOPEworldwide (PNG's) 3-Mile office in Port Moresby and stole medical equipment, computers and staff belongings, and trashed the office.  

HOPEworldwide (PNG) is a Christian non-government organisation founded in 1994, whose mission is to bring hope and change lives by providing medical, educational, and social services to underprivileged Papua New Guineans. 

Those who know HOPEworldwide (PNG) country director, Tessa Te Mata, will know that she has made huge personal sacrifices to help the disadvantaged in PNG, including a well-paid diplomatic job to head up a small NGO with very few resources but full of people with great hearts.

"What is PNG coming to when thieves rob those who try to help the most-helpless?" she asked angrily when surveying the wreckage at the office.

 This is the third security incident in less than a week for HOPEworldwide (PNG).

 Last week, two of HOPE's staff at the 9-Mile clinic were attacked by a member of the public.

 Patients fled in terror and staff were traumatised by the incident. 

Nine-Mile is one of the busiest clinics in Port Moresby.  

HOPE also operates a HIV/AIDs outreach and counselling clinic - Helvim Bilong Yumi Project - at Lawes Road clinic. 

Operations were temporarily suspended last week after the husband of one of the main clinic's staff was car jacked in the car park. 

"HOPEworldwide (PNG) is not a rich organisation" Te Mata said.

 "We survive on donations and grants from overseas and here in PNG. 

"We barely have enough each month to pay our staff. 

"Yet, every year, our staff have to endure robberies and attacks, sometimes at gun point. 

"Every year, thousands of people depend on HOPEworldwide (PNG) for medical treatment and awareness about HIV/AIDs, diabetes and TB; we sponsor hundreds of children who would not go to school otherwise; we help dozens of farmers earn a living; and we have put millions of library books into schools across the nation. 

"Stealing from us is stealing hope and help from people like this."  

Te Mata called on the public to remember the work of faith-based organisations, NGOs and volunteers who work tirelessly for little or no pay. 

 "There is poverty and hardship in PNG," she said.

 "But instead of robbing each other we need to help each other.   

 "NGOs are here to help communities. 

"But communities need to help us too: do not shelter the heartless cowards who did this and do not buy cheap medical equipment or computers off the street because that encourages them to keep stealing.

"One day it might be your child or your mother we can't help because of break-ins like this."

It seems that, in PNG, we are self-immolating because of such animalistic behaviour by the lowliest of beasts.

The HOPEworldwide incidents add to a growing list of murders, rapes and robberies of NGO staff, overseas volunteers and church workers.

In one of the most-notorious cases, which made headlines around the world, an Australian youth ambassador on a surfing break in Madang was raped last November.

The victim was with three other Australians who had travelled to Madang's North Coast Road looking for surfing spots.

The four were carjacked, robbed and then taken to a secluded spot where they were bound to trees and the female raped.

Last month, a spate of car-jackings in Port Moresby gave rise to a climate of fear among some Australian officials, so much so Australia's High Commissioner to PNG, Ian Kemish, met with police chiefs to discuss their concerns.

One of these incidents included a male aid adviser working in PNG's National AIDS Council Secretariat (NACS) who suffered "serious injuries" in an attack in January during a car-jacking that required him to be flown to Brisbane for treatment.

In Manus, a Japanese volunteer was stoned by drunken youths in 2009, and had to return to his country to undergo brain surgery.

In February 2009, a team of foreign Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) doctors and nurses who were offering their services free of charge in Tari, Southern Highlands province, were evacuated after two of them were attacked by a drunk.

The world-renowned U.S. Peace Corps ceased operations in Papua New Guinea in 2001 due to security concerns.

And the list goes on, and on, and on.

Very soon, PNG will be ostracised from the rest of the world, as they will not want to put their pearls before swine like us.

Somare awaits fate as panel adjourns

By ILYA GRIDNEFF

AAP Papua New Guinea Correspondent  

A three-member tribunal hearing allegations of misconduct by Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare has adjourned to consider its final decision.

Tribunal chairman Roger Gyles today adjourned the hearing, then said it hopes to decide Somare's fate this week.
If the tribunal uncovers issues related to financial statements, the penalty would not be decided until next week, Gyles said.
The fourth day of the leadership tribunal in Port Moresby heard closing submissions from both sides relating to 25 allegations that Somare failed to lodge his financial records as far back as 20 years ago.
Somare told the court on Monday he had lodged his returns every year and suggested staff might have lost some records that were missing from the Ombudsman Commission.
But the commissioner who initiated the original investigation alleged that Somare had failed to lodge or did not lodge complete forms or did so late and thus breached his responsibility as prime minister.
On Monday, the tribunal decided not to suspend Somare as PNG leader for the duration of the trial.
On Friday last week, Somare's health was of concern after a brief breathing problem, and this week he was using a walking-stick.
Every day of the trial the packed courtroom has been a who's who of PNG's political elite, with numerous cabinet ministers supporting the prime minister, who's been at the forefront of the country's politics for over 40 years.

Cowards rob HOPEworldwide(PNG)

“What is Papua New Guinea coming to when thieves rob those who try to help the most helpless?” HOPEworldwide(PNG) Country Director, Tessa Te Mata asked angrily yesterday  when surveying the wreckage at their 3-Mile office in Port Moresby.
Thieves broke in on Sunday and stole medical equipment, computers and staff belongings and trashed the office.
This is the third security incident in less than a week for HOPEww(PNG).
Last week, two of HOPE’s staff at the 9-Mile clinic were attacked by a member of the public.
 Patients fled in terror and staff were traumatised by the incident.
Nine-Mile is one of the busiest clinics in Port Moresby.
HOPE also operates a HIV/AIDs outreach and counselling clinic (the “Helvim Bilong Yumi Project”) at the Lawes Road clinic.
Operations were temporarily suspended last week after the husband of one of the main clinic’s staff was car jacked in the car park.
“HOPEworldwide(PNG) is not a rich organisation” said Ms Te Mata.
“We survive on donations and grants from overseas and here in PNG.
"We barely have enough each month to pay our staff.
"Yet every year our staff have to endure robberies and attacks, sometimes at gun point.
"Every year thousands of people depend on HOPEworldwide(PNG) for medical treatment and awareness about HIV/AIDs, diabetes and TB; we sponsor hundreds of children who would not go to school otherwise; we help dozens of farmers earn a living; and we have put millions of library books into schools across the nation. Stealing from us is stealing hope and help from people like this.”
Ms Te Mata called on the public to remember the work of faith based organisations, NGOs and volunteers who work tirelessly for little or no pay.
“There is poverty and hardship in PNG.
"But instead of robbing each other we need to help each other.
"NGOs are here to help communities.
"But communities need to help us too - do not shelter the heartless cowards who did this and do not buy cheap medical equipment or computers off the street because that encourages them to keep stealing.
"One day it might be your child or your mother we can’t help because of break-ins like this.”

HOPE worldwide (PNG) is a Christian non-government organisation founded in 1994. Our mission is to bring hope and change lives by providing medical, educational, and social services to underprivileged Papua New Guineans.

Prime minister justifies his 1994-97 returns

By JULIA DAIA BORE and JACOB POK

 

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare yesterday said he has never had any other salary than his parliamentary salary ever since he entered parliament in 1968, The National reports.

He told the leadership tribunal investigating him that each year he had compiled his annual returns himself and denied failing to submit his annual returns of 1994 and 1995 to the Ombudsman Commission as claimed by the Ombudsman Commission.

Sir Michael maintained that he submitted all his returns from 1994 to 1997.

“I have always filled my annual statements every year all by myself. I know for a fact that I have fulfilled my obligations to fill my annual returns and submitted them to the Ombudsman Commission,” he said when cross-examined by the prosecuting lawyer, Pondros Kaluwin.

Sir Michael also maintained that he never received any income from his only business, a plantation he owned in Wewak.

“I have been living on a parliamentary salary from 1968 up until today; I do not have any other extra salary for any other businesses except for transport and travel allowances which are parliamentary benefits.”

He maintained all throughout the cross-examination that he had submitted all his returns.

However, Sir Michael said he fell behind in submitting his returns when he moved offices from being prime minister to being in the opposition and then having to move from Port Moresby to Wewak to be East Sepik governor.

The tribunal heard this was when he engaged family friend and accountant Glenn Blake to assist him with his overdue 1997-98 and 1998-99 annual returns.

The request was made in 2000, he added.

“If you indeed submitted the 1994 to 1997 statements of returns, then they would then be in the Ombudsman Commission’s file, is that right?” was Kaluwin’s final question to the PM, who said: “Yes, that is correct.”

Blake, who took the witness stand soon after, said he had filled out the OC’s required annual returns forms following the way previous forms had been filled up.

Asked if that was the first time he had filled these forms, he said “yes”.

Asked why he had not stated “nil” or “not applicable” where there was no required information, leaving blanks on the forms, Blake said he did not think that was required of him.

He added that when he left them blank, he had thought that they meant that there was no information for him to fill out on that space.

These included the parliamentary salary figures of the prime minister which, Blake insisted, he had great difficulties obtaining despite numerous attempts.

The tribunal continues today.

 

 

Prime minister defeats suspension

By JULIA DAIA BORE and JACOB POK

Legal eagles of the prime minister’s defence team Justine Wohuinangu (left), Ian Molloy and Kerenga Kua leaving the Waigani National and Supreme Court premises after they successfully convinced yesterday’s leadership tribunal that Sir Michael Somare should remain in office as prime minister for the duration of the inquiry. – Nationalpic by AURI EVA

SIR Michael Somare remains the prime minister of PNG for the duration of the leadership tribunal hearing alleged misconduct in office charges against him., The National reports.
This was the decision of the tribunal yesterday morning whose members conferred and agreed that the prime minister remains in office pending the final outcome of the tribunal, which seemed likely to conclude before the end of this week.
The two tribunal members who agreed on this decision were chairman Roger Gyles and Sir Bruce Robertson while Sir Robin Auld “reserved” his decision.
The decision was announced to a packed courtroom one at 11am yesterday following a 35-minute adjournment to reach that verdict on the issue of the PM’s suspension.
This became another first in the history of leadership tribunals in Papua New Guinea.
No other leader, covered under the leadership code, had come this far and remained in office while a leadership tribunal had proceeded with investigating allegations of misconduct in office against the incumbent.
All leaders have been suspended by automatic operation of the law upon the chief justice naming a tribunal but, in this specific instance because of some legal doubts raised over the standing of the prime minister, the chief justice, when naming the tribunal, had said the matter of suspension or not would be left to the tribunal to decide.
This – it did yesterday – creating a precedent and history.
Meanwhile, the prime minister, his accountant Glenn Blake who assisted him in filling out his annual returns forms and Chief Ombudsman Chronox Manek took the witness stand later in the morning and in the afternoon and gave their accounts to support their arguments before the tribunal.
Manek was in support of the referral of the prime minister while Sir Michael stood in his own defence, supported by Blake.
Prosecuting lawyer Pondros Kaluwin had, at the start of the tribunal last Thursday, called on the tribunal to immediately suspend the prime minister pending the duration of the tribunal hearing, arguing that the tribunal had the discretion to do so under section 142(6) of the constitution.
The tribunal agreed with the parties to deal with the matter on
Monday, which was yesterday.
Yesterday, while the tribunal agreed with the discretion aspect of their role and commended Kaluwin for acknowledging this, adjourned at 10.22am for 35 minutes and returned at 11am to rule that “there will be no order of suspension” on the prime minister which, effectively, meant that Sir Michael will remain the prime minister throughout the tribunal.
He will perform all functions and powers of the prime minister.
The final outcome of the tribunal would, ultimately, determine the fate of Sir Michael.

Abortions skew sex ratios in Asia

From: AFP

March 15, 2011 5:42AM

ABORTIONS of female fetuses have led to a massive surplus of young unmarried men in India and China, raising fears of an outcast group that could threaten the social fabric, a study says.

The trend took root in the 1980s when ultrasound technologies made it easier for families to detect fetal sex early and to abort if it was not what the parents desired, according to the analysis, which is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Sons have traditionally been preferred over daughters in many parts of China, India and South Korea due to social, cultural and financial motivations. Sex-selective abortion is outlawed but can be difficult to enforce.

The phenomenon was first spotted in South Korea in the early 1990s, when the sex ratio at birth (SRB) - typically 105 male births to every 100 female births - rose to 125 in some cities.

Similar rises in male births were seen in China, "complicated by the one-child policy, which has undoubtedly contributed to the steady increase in the reported SRB from 106 in 1979, to 111 in 1990, 117 in 2001 and 121 in 2005," said the study.

India has seen "sex ratios as high as 125 in Punjab, Delhi and Gujarat in the north but normal sex ratios of 105 in the southern and eastern states of Kerala and Andhra Pradesh," it added.

In parts of China where a second child is allowed, after a daughter is the first born, the SRB for the second is 143, suggesting that many choose to abort a second girl fetus in favour of trying again for a boy.

Estimates of China's actual population difference in 2005 pointed to 1.1 million excess males, with men under 20 exceeding the number of females by about 32 million, according to the study, which was led by Therese Hesketh, University College London Centre for International Health and Development.

"These men will be unable to marry, in societies where marriage is regarded as virtually universal, and where social status and acceptance depend, in large part, on being married and creating a new family," said the authors.

Referred to in China as "guang gun", meaning bare branches, these men are presumed to be unable to bear fruit by coupling and raising a family.

"In China and parts of India, the sheer numbers of unmated men are a further cause for concern," said the study.

"Because they may lack a stake in the existing social order, it is feared that they will become bound together in an outcast culture, turning to antisocial behaviour and organised crime, thereby threatening societal stability and security."

Other concerns include the possibility that the surge of unmarried men will boost the sex industry, which has already expanded in India and China over the past 10 years.

However, "the part played by a high sex ratio in this expansion is impossible to isolate; there is no evidence that numbers of sex workers are greater in areas with high sex ratios", said the study.

Ninety-four per cent of unmarried people aged 28-49 in China are male, and 97 per cent of them have not completed high school, it said.

"Despite the grim outlook for the generation of males entering their reproductive years over the next two decades, there are encouraging signs," said the study.

A crackdown on sex-selective abortion in South Korea has resulted in a more normalised male-to-female birth rate in recent years, and China and India are both down from their peak SRBs due in part to public awareness campaigns and relaxed one-child policies.

But it will likely to be several more decades before the sex ratios return to normal, the authors said.

The article was co-authored by Zhu Wei Xing of Zhejiang Normal University in China.