Bulolo MP takes offence at The National editorial

Caption: Bulolo MP Sam Basil (right) presents K20, 000 to Morobe police chief Peter Guiness as provincial administrator Patilias Gamato and others look on.

 

Bulolo MP Sam Basil has taken offence at today’s editorial in The National titled ‘Rushed aid is counterproductive’ which questioned his giving K100,000 to help victims of last weekend’s stand-off between Watut and Biangai tribes in Wau.

Greatly-distressed Mr Basil said today that the editorial was “very insensitive to the highly-volatile and sensitive situation in Wau at the moment”.

The MP made a commitment of K100, 000 to help those displace by the stand-off last Sunday, however, today’s editorial claimed that this would be “counterproductive”.

“If the Biangais were to mobilise tomorrow for a return raid and similar violence was visited upon the Watut, would it be incumbent upon the Member to offer similar assistance?” the editorial posed.

“Were the killers apprehended?

“What processes have been set in motion to determine who really are the rightful landowners?

“How will the Watuts react to their Member’s sudden outpouring of cash gifts towards their sworn enemy?”

Mr Basil replied that the editorial was only adding more fuel to the fire.

“I would appreciate your editorial comment as such to be made at least some days after the event,” he said.

“The money is, as you know, not only for relief supplies for the people who lost their homes, including a woman who gave birth in the bushes at Kaisenik village.

“It is also for the police operations as since their deployment on Friday/Saturday, they barely have rations, as Morobe Mining Joint Venture’s supplies have been depleted.

“The district administrator and his team also do not have capacity in terms of fuel, vehicles, food rations, camping gear, and many other contributing factors to handle the situation.

“It is not good to talk about what the Watut thinks about helping me their rivals!

“The way this paper has put it, is that it wants to spark more violence, by providing arguing points for the rival clans to use.

“I can't just watch the mothers hiding in the bushes giving birth while the children suffer from hunger and cold.

“The relief supplies from national and provincial governments, as we all know, all too often come too late after people die.

“For sure, if the Watuts suffer tomorrow, it is my duty to help, regardless of which ever side of the factions they come from.

“It may be best to ask all media to refrain from making such comments until the two factions come to the round table.”

Meanwhile, Mr Basil today presented K20, 000 – from his K100, 000 commitment - to Morobe provincial police commander Peter Guiness to assist police logistics during their stay in Wau.

Provincial administrator Patilias Gamato thanked Mr Basil for the money saying that “it is very timely as the police logistical support is minimal”.

“While the provincial and national government assistance is a while away, this help from the local MP is very timely,” he said.

Mr Basil said: “The remainder of the funds will be used for Bulolo district administration staff to help with logistics and administration, while the Biangai and the Watut people who lost their homes will be attended to by receiving relief supplies.”

 

Morobe government commits K300, 000 for Wau victims

The Morobe provincial executive council today made a commitment of K320, 000 to assist victims of the two-day standoff between Biangai and Watut villagers in Wau last Friday and Saturday.

Details are to be announced by Governor Luther Wenge.

Bulolo MP Sam Basil has already committed K100, 000 from his district funds while Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip has pledged K5, 000.

The provincial disaster committee has also provided relief supplies such as tarpaulin, rice and saucepans to Biangai villagers affected by the raid by Watuts.

Meanwhile, Mr Basil, provincial administrator Patilias Gamato and provincial disaster committee chairman Benson Suwang will visit affected villages tomorrow.

 

 

Wau situation quite, but tense, after two days of violence

The situation in Wau, Morobe province, remains tense but quite after the violence of last Friday and Saturday which saw two people killed, several injured, houses and property destroyed and the temporary shutdown of Hidden Valley gold mine and the evacuation of employees.
This was independently confirmed today (Monday) by Bulolo MP Sam Basil, district administrator Nemsin Kibisep, Bulolo-based police mobile squad (MS) 15 commander Michael Tilae and a Morobe Mining Joint Venture spokesman.
A mobile squad from Port Moresby is guarding the mine as local mine employees from either Watut or Biangai villages left for their own security
The Morobe provincial executive council was in a meeting for most of today to discuss the urgency of the situation and approve funding to assist those displaced after Watut villagers attacked Biangai villages last Friday and Saturday.
Mr Basil and other leaders will again travel to the affected areas tomorrow (Tuesday) to continue to broker peace among the warring factions.
“After the last two days of meeting with people from both sides, the Watuts and the Biangais, the situation has started to calm down,” Mr Kibisep said from Bulolo.
“Over the weekend, up until Sunday, we had the involvement of Bulolo MP Sam Basil, Morobe Governor Luther Wenge, Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip, provincial administrator Patilias Gamato, provincial police commander Peter Guiness, and all the local level government presidents of Bulolo.
“The purpose of the meetings at the weekend was to get both sides to lay down their arms and come to a roundtable discussion.
“Both sides have taken the message on board and laid down their arms.
“We’ve also given both groups seven days to identify the reasons they are fighting, especially the Watuts.”
Mr Kibisep said two people had been confirmed killed, the number of injured was unknown, while the whole village of Kaisenik and parts of Kwembu were burned down.
MS15 commander Mr Tilae said from Wau police were in the Biangai villages today helping dislocated people to come out of hiding in the bushes.
“Things are quite but I shouldn’t compromise on that,” he said.
A spokesman for MMJV, operators of Hidden Valley, said from Lae the mine re-opened on Sunday.
“Hidden Valley is back to normal despite the tension and problems,” he said.
“Contractors returned to the site on Sunday and this morning.
“The only people not on site are those local employees, who are from either Biangai or Watut.
“We had to temporarily suspend operations when the trouble flared up last Friday and Saturday.
“Otherwise, the situation is still sensitive, so we have to handle things in a very-sensitive manner.”

A song for Hula (on the 1st anniversary of her death today)

O past! O life! O songs of joy!  

In the air—in the woods—over fields;  

Loved! loved! loved! loved! loved!  

But my love no more, no more with me!

We two together no more.

 

(Out Of The Candle Endlessly Rocking, Walt Whitman)

In Loving Memory of Hula Debe Nalu

In loving memory of Hula Debe Nalu, who left us all alone on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008.

Sadly missed by husband Malum and children Malum Jr, Gedi, Moasing, Keith; relatives in Iruupi, Western province and Australia; in-laws in Lae and Port Moresby; plus friends in Lae, Goroka, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Australia and the world.

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glint on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush,

I am the swift, uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there, I do not sleep.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.

I am not there, I did not die!

Mary Frye (1932)

Bulolo MP commits K100, 000 for fight victims as Hidden Valley gold mine comes under tight security

Bulolo MP Sam Basil today (Sunday) committed K100, 000 from his district funds to provide immediate relief for victims of the two-day standoff between Biangai and Watut villagers last Friday and Saturday.

Mr Basil, flanked by Morobe Governor Luther Wenge, Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip and provincial administrator Patilias Gamato, made the commitment at Kaisanek village, which was burned to the ground by raiding Watut villagers last Friday, leaving 300-400 people homeless.

He said K40, 000 would go towards combating the existing law and order problem, while K60, 000 would help the affected villagers to rebuild their homes.

Mr Philip made a pledge of K5, 000 while the Morobe provincial government will have an urgent provincial executive council meeting today (Monday) to discuss its assistance.

Mr Basil urged Kaisanek and other Biangai villagers not to take the law into their own hands after being attacked by the Watuts.

Earlier, the group met with a group of Watuts at Wau, who said they would give their reasons for attacking the Biangai villagers within seven days.

The leaders late yesterday flew into Upper Watut, where tension was running high, and told the 1,000 or so people not to partake in any more violence as the matter was being looked into.

Meantime, the Hidden Valley gold mine is being guarded by a 40-man mobile squad from Port Moresby after being invaded by up to 2,000 Watut villagers last Saturday.

Provincial administrator Patilias Gamato said he and provincial police commander Peter Guiness saw 1,000-2,000 Watut people, mainly youths, converge on Hidden Valley last Saturday only to be turned back by the mobile squad.

“We brought in a police mobile squad from Port Moresby late on Saturday afternoon to guard the mine,” he said.

Mr Gamata said many long-running issues had contributed to the standoff, including a recent incident at the McAdam National Park, where a Watut man was allegedly killed by Biangais.

Just last week, up to 57 Biangai men were jailed, for allegedly fighting against the Watuts and killing the man.

 

Violence erupts in Wau, leaving three dead and Hidden Valley gold mine shut

Caption: Burnout remains of a house at Kaisenik village in Wau yesterday. Picture by SAM BASIL.

 

Violence erupted in Wau, Morobe province at the weekend, leaving three people dead, several injured, houses and property destroyed, and forcing the temporary shutdown of the Hidden Valley gold mine and the evacuation of employees.

The incident comes just before Hidden Valley is to pour its first gold and could have severe repercussions for Papua New Guinea on the international mining scene.

A long-standing land dispute between Biangai and Watut tribes over ownership of the 2076 hectare McAdam National Park between Wau and Bulolo came to a head last Friday and Saturday as the Watuts gathered in Wau in their hundreds and staged an early morning attack on the Biangai villages.

Lae Hospital’s emergency ward today (Sunday) confirmed receiving the bodies of two men and admitting two other with shotgun pellet wounds while several others were said to have been treated in Bulolo for pellet wounds.

Bulolo MP Sam Basil, Menyamya MP Benjamin Phililp, provincial administrator Patilias Gamato and police today (Sunday) held crisis meetings with the Watut people in Wau and later moved to Biangai to meet with the local villages.

The Biangai villages around Wau comprise of Wandumi, Kaisenik, Kwembu, Biaweng, Ilauru, Were Were and Winima while the Watut villages stretch all the way from Wau to the border with Menyamya,

A Watut man was allegedly killed recently by Biangais over a gold-bearing piece of land on the national park, which is said to have sparked the tension.

Commander of Bulolo-based police mobile squad (MS) 15 Michael Tilae said that last Friday, the Watuts gathered in Wau town, and in a well co-ordinated dawn raid, attacked Biangai villages all the way to Kaisinik.

He said a 15-year-old paralysed boy was burned alive in a house and an old man was murdered by the Watuts and other opportunists, who numbered more than 1,000.

Mr Tilae said that last Saturday, the Watuts gathered en masse and were trying to advance on Wandumi, when they were halted by police.

“We had reinforcements from Lae and they managed to contain the situation at Wandumi Bridge,” he said.

“The Wandumis shot five Watuts that morning, who were taken to hospital, including one dead.

“Shops are closed, people are not moving around.

“Things are very tense at the moment.”

Mr Tilae said other people took advantage of the situation to converge on the Hidden Valley gold mine.

“We have one mobile squad up at Hidden Valley,” he said.

“There’s a group of Watuts up there demanding things from the company.

“We don’t know what exactly they are demanding.”

A Morobe Mining Joint Venture spokesman said today: “It was just opportunists that were taking matters into their own hands.

“It’s mainly in Wau that the skirmishes are.

“There were those who were looking to get into the mine.

“We beefed up all our security to counter that.

“The situation got volatile last Friday and as a precautionary measure, we had to move the families that were situated in Wau to Lae.

“We’ve secured the entrance to the mine so that only absolutely-essential traffic comes inside the gate.

“I understand that because of the disturbance, and the possibility of opportunists, we’ve just suspended operations for the time being.

“That’s just a precautionary measure.”