The challenges of rural development in PNG

Inequalities in Developing Rural Communities in Papua New Guinea - A Pangia Perspective

Author Stanley Kuli Liria

As a Third World country, rural development is a major concern in Papua New Guinea.
The Constitution, through goal Nos. 1 and 2 of the national goals and directive principles (NGDPs), provides for equal development for every individual and every society.
Government policies and development framework such as the medium term development strategies (MTDS), and the provincial and district development plans provide the platform to enhance visions for rural development embraced in Goal Nos. 1 and 2 of the NGDPs.
In that respect, the focus for rural development is founded on the Constitution, and therefore, it is an important sector.
However, whether rural development plans in the form of MTDS or provincial and district development plans are implemented to achieve their purposes depend first and foremost on the leaderships provided at various levels of our government and administrative structures.
They must take the lead to budget for and implement the plans which will start up rural development.
Ad hoc approaches are not only destructive for initiatives for properly-planned rural development pathways, but are more likely to disorient social order in the rural communities.
Inequalities in Developing Rural Communities in Papua New Guinea – a Pangia Perspective, a new book by author and lawyer Stanley Liria, presents an analysis of challenges in rural development in PNG with respect to the Wiru society of Pangia in Southern Highlands Province.
It draws its analysis of development issues based on the author’s first hand field research and experiences.
Fittingly, the book will be launched by Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane, at Tunda Primary School in Pangia, Southern Highlands, next Friday, May 8.
“As in any traditional community in Papua New Guinea, the Wiru showcases the challenges rural development encounters due to the impacts of competitions in elections and the ‘bigman’ culture, conflicts between the customs and the introduced or Western cultures and the modern laws, influence of cultures and traditions on social relations, and aspirations of the people against realities in life,” Mr Liria says.
“It also reveals that while the elected leaders play a pivotal role in guiding rural development, the rural people must be willing to accept change in their communities because change of attitude by individuals to adopt fair and equal relations in family or community is a positive path for rural development.
“Through its analysis and observations reached for the Wiru society, it poses a challenge to those concerned with rural development.
“This book should therefore be of special interest to district and provincial administrators, planners, development partners, leaders, researchers and school children or any one concerned with rural development.”
Stanley Kuli Liria comes from Tunda village of Pangia in SHP.
He is a practicing lawyer and principal of Liria Lawyers.
He has a bachelor of laws degree with honours from the University of PNG in 2000 and got admitted as a lawyer in 2001.
He has also practiced law with established law firms based in Port Moresby.
Mr Liria is a member of the upper secondary legal studies subject advisory committee for the newly-introduced subject of legal studies course for upper secondary school students in PNG.
Apart from engaging in legal practice, he has shown special interest in research and writing on issues affecting PNG communities.
His writing is aimed at educating majority of the less-educated Papua New Guineans to appreciate their rights, freedoms, obligations and values in society which seem marginalised by the growing desire for rural development and relations in society.
He is also the author of A Law Awareness for Papua New Guinea – Our Guide to the Rule of Law, which was published in December 2004.
The 200-page book is on sale for K100 from publisher Niugini CrossRoads Ltd, P.O Box 82, Konedobu, National Capital District, Papua New Guinea, telephone + (675) 321 0616, mobile + (675) 6907536, facsimile + (675) 321 0463, and email ncrossroads@datec.net.pg or lirialawyers@datec.net.pg.


Inequalities in Developing Rural Communities in Papua New Guinea – A Pangia Perspective
ISBN 13: 978 - 9980 - 86 - 091 – 0
Publication Date: 2009
Binding: Softcover
Written by STANLEY KULI LIRIA
Star Printers

New sawmill for rural Bulolo village

Caption: The wokabaut sawmill at Timini village today. Picture courtesy of SAM BASIL via BlackBerry

A wokabaut sawmill was launched at Timini village in Mumeng, Morobe province today (Tuesday, April 28, 2009) as part of the Bulolo district building & maintenance programme (BDRMP).
The sawmill will be operated by trained operators and will supply timber deckings for the district's road maintenance programme.
After the launching, the operators were tasked to mill timbers for the new Patep/Munanung Bridge and carry out repairs for the Latep/Leklu Bridge.
 Other bridges that will benefit from this programme will be Manianda, Biaweng (three) and others.
This programme will also see cash being injected back into the tree owners’ pockets back at the village level.
A long-term arrangement will see each of the six local level governments of Bulolo electorate owning one wokabaut sawmill for its programmes.
Also during the ceremony, 13 boxes of books were donated to Timini Primary School courtesy of Hope Worldwide, AusAID, New Zealand AID, Nestle (PNG), Consort Shipping and Express Freight. Management.
 Headmaster Simon Koaria and board chairman  Aaron Nathan were there to receive the books and convey their thanks to the various sponsors.

Preserving Port Moresby’s WW11 history

Thomas Richard Auhava at the crash site of Australian ace air John Jackson, after whom Jackson's Airport is named, at Mt Lawes behind Laloki

The impromptu Schwimmer War Museum at Laloki outside Port Moresby

US dog tags, shaving handles, keys, coins and other items

US machinery from WW11

Assorted bottles from WW11

Some time ago, a friend of mine asked me to be a tour guide for a retired American WW11 veteran, who is also a bit of a history buff.
The old American wanted to be shown all the prominent WW11 sites around Port Moresby, war relics, Bomana war cemetery, as well as the start of the Kokoda Trail at Owers’ Corner.
To prepare for the job, I had to be well-versed in the WW11 history of Port Moresby, so I brought down all my old books down from the shelves, made notes, as well as searched the Internet.
The big day came, and I showed the US veteran such places as Burns Peak, Paga Hill and the wreck of the Macdhui near Tatana Island before we hit the highway bound for Bomana war cemetery and Owers’ Corner.
We made a brief stop at what used to be the site of Schwimmer Drome at Laloki, on the banks of the great river of the same name, where we inspected all the WW11 relics at an impromptu war museum run by Gulf man Thomas Richard Auhava.
By 1944, Port Moresby had six airfields, one of which was Schwimmer.
Jackson was the largest of these, and was named after Australian ace pilot John Jackson, leader of RAAF Squadron 75, who was killed in a dogfight against Japanese planes over Port Moresby on April 28, 1942.
The wartime airfields were Kila Drome (3-Mile) airfield for fighters and bombers; Ward Drome (5-Mile) airfield for heavy bombers and transport planes; Jackson (7-Mile) main airfield still in use today; Berry Drome (12-Mile) fighter and medium bomber base near Bomana; Schwimmer (14-Mile) fighter and medium bomber base; Durand (17-Mile) fighter and medium bomber base; Rogers (Rarona, 30-Mile) fighter and medium bomber and Fishermen’s (Daugo) emergency landing strip on offshore island.
Schwimmer Drome, according to various airmen who served from it, was the “eye and mind” of the 1942-1945 Pacific War, because it was from here that aerial surveillance missions of Japanese positions were made.
The US airmen forming the 8th Photo Squadron commanded by First Lieutenant Karl Polifika, a Russian, first landed at Schwimmer on May 2, 1942, and flew from Schwimmer until July 27, 1944, when the squadron moved to Durand Strip.
There are also other squadrons from the US Air Force like 435th Bomb Squadron, 3rd Attack Group assigned to do fragmentation bombing, 43rd Bomb Group assigned to do long-range bombing missions, 39th Fighter Group and 9th Fighter Group.
Mr Auhava has, over the years, been collecting the numerous war relics in and around the site of the old Schwimmer Drome in a labour-of-love.
He is fighting a lonely battle against scrap metal hunters and dealers, who without any scruples, do anything to get an extra buck.
He has brought a proposal to the National Museum and Art Gallery in Waigani, Port Moresby, for funding to set up a proper museum.
Mr Auhava has been living at Laloki for the last 20 years and knows every nook and cranny in the area.
“Over the years,” says the former PNG Defence Force soldier, “I’ve been collecting these war relics and I’ve been featured in newspapers.
“Because of this media publicity, tourists started visiting, and I’ve decided to start a proper museum.
“The proposal for the museum has been signed by the landowners already and will be handed over to the National Museum.”
The war relics include human bones, helmets, dog tags, tools, hand grenades (defused), bombshells, bullets, coins, jerry cans, 1940’s Coca-Cola bottles and assorted paraphernalia.
One of the prized possessions of the collection is the remains of the plane of Australian air ace, John Jackson, after whom Port Moresby’s famous Jackson’s International Airport is named.
Jackson crashed on the hills overlooking Laloki after a heroic dogfight against Japanese fighters.
Mr Auhava, originally from Iokea village in Gulf province, is a self-taught historian and is a walking encyclopaedia as I found out.
“History is very important,” he extols.
“This generation, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to know anything about the war.
“Historical sites like Schwimmers should be preserved for educational purposes, tourism, etc.
“These relics should be preserved and protected.
“Scrap metal vendors are getting their hands on these war relics.
“If we lose these war relics, we lose history.
“People are just taking them out and selling them to scrap metal dealers.
“I decided to bring them all to one place and take care of them.
“After that, I began to find out about the place itself, its history.
“I borrowed some WW11 books from a historian and did research.
“I realised that it (Schwimmers) was a WW11 US airbase.”
According to Mr Auhava’s proposal to the National Museum, a museum built under the name ‘Schwimmer War Museum’, would be a fitting tribute to the thousands of Americans and Australians based in Port Moresby during WW11.
It would focus on history, war surplus material protection, a site for educational excursions and a shrine for the future generations.
It would also protect war relics from being sold to unscrupulous scrap metal dealers and would promote community tourism values
“I’m submitting a proposal to the National Museum to see if they can gurantee a budget for the (Schwimmer) museum, because these relics are State property which I’ve been protecting,” Mr Auhava said.
“The government talks so much about war surplus materials, and yet, they are not putting their money where their mouth is.
“Looking after these relics is hard work, for which I’m not paid.”

Oseah Philemon back from retirement to head The National Lae

The National newspaper today announced the appointment of Oseah Philemon as Regional Editor, Lae, effective as of today, April 28.

Mr Philemon is one of Papua New Guinea’s best-known newspapermen, being former Editor–In-Chief of rival daily newspaper, the Post-Courier.

He brings a wealth of experience to The National, now Papua New Guinea’s leading daily newspaper.

 

What's in a name? - Voco Point

Boats at Voco Point, Lae. Picture by MALUM NALU

Voco Point 1966Voco Point 1967

Voco Point late 1960s

Voco Point. Picture by MALUM NALU

This is the first of a series of online columns about places in Papua New Guinea and how they got their names. Today, we start with Voco Point in Lae, Morobe province. Contributions from people around the country and overseas would be much appreciated. Our former kiaps in Australia would know a lot. Email me at malumnalu@gmail.com.

Voco Point

Voco Point, Lae, is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country!
On any given day, coastal vessels from throughout the country – from Alotau to Manus, from Lihir to Vanimo – line up at the wharves.
The passenger boats ferry people to Finschhafen, the Siassi islands, Kimbe, Rabaul, New Ireland, Oro Bay, Alotau, Madang, and Wewak.
The local shops make fortunes every day and the roads are chock-a-block with humans and vehicles.
In a nutshell, Voco Point is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country.
It continues a great tradition started by Morobeans of long ago.
The pre-World War 11Vacuum Oil Company – Mobil – had a depot at the site of Voco Point; hence, Voco is short for Vacuum Oil Company.
Mobil Oil Australia was established in Australia in 1895 and traded as Vacuum Oil Company.
It was the first oil company to operate in Australia, New Guinea, and of course Lae.
As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Vacuum Oil Company (Voco) Point, and remained as the main wharf until after the war.
The local Lae villages call Voco Point Asiawi, and in days of yore, it was a traditional trading ground that bustled with activity.
They came from as far away as the Siassi and Tami Islands, Bukawa, Salamaua, and Labu to meet and exchange goods in this ancient market place.
Researchers know that around the Huon Gulf, a complex and extensive trading system – dependent on canoe voyages – had existed long before contact with Europeans.
The greatest mariners were the Siassi and Tami Islanders, whose boats sailed up the Rai Coast towards Madang, plied the coast of New Britain, and penetrated far to the south in the Huon Gulf.
The Lae, unlike their Labu neighbors, were not great mariners but did build two types of canoes: a small dugout for local fishing and the larger Kasali (sailing canoe) for longer trips.
Supply lines stretched across the Vitiaz Strait to New Britain, up the Rai Coast towards Madang, and deep into the Upper Markham and the high valley of the Huon Peninsula.
According to one researcher, the distinctive feature of this trade was specialisation in the production of certain goods.
The Lae produced taro and fruits; the Labu specialised in woven handbags and baskets; the Bukawa produced taro, fruit, rain capes and mats of pandanus leaves sewn together; the Tami Islanders carved a variety of wooden bowls; while Siassi Islanders acted as middlemen, trading Huon Gulf products into New Britain and bringing back obsidian for knife blades and ochre for paints.
The inlanders and mountain people brought to the beach produce that the coast did not grow so well: yams, sweet potato, and tobacco.
They also brought with them items of wealth such as birds of paradise plumes, dog’s teeth, and cockatoo feathers.
In return, they took shells and shells ornaments, pigs, fish, and salt.
The inland trade route at Lae ran through Yalu to the Markham Valley and through Musom to the highlands of the Huon Peninsula.
Trading was carried out through a system of partnership with certain individuals and families at different ports.
This may explain how traces of the old Ahi – Wampar language are said to exist as far away as the coast of West New Britain.
It may also explain the undercurrent of friendship and co-operation between the people of the Huon Gulf coast, from Salamaua to the Siassi islands.
In 1979, a strange phenomenon occurred when a whirlpool came and tore away a large chunk of land and destroyed part of the Yacht Club.
This surprised many people, but not the local landowners, who said it was an evil spirit called Yaayaa.
According to the traditions of the Gwatu clan of Butibam Village, their original village, Ankuapoc, was near Asiawi.
Asiawi, according to mythology, used to be a long point which went out much further than today but was eaten by the evil spirit called Yaayaa which comes in a whirlpool and takes away chunks of land, the last of which was in 1979.
As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Voco Point and remained as the main wharf until after the war.
Voco Point is now the terminal for local shipping and small boats, second to the Lae Port.
But it has made an indelible mark on the history of Lae, Morobe Province, and Papua New Guinea, and continues in the same vein.
Where once ancient mariners braved the rough seas, with only the moon and stars to guide them, now modern coastal vessels load machinery for the new gold mine on Lihir.
This is Voco Point, also known as Asiawi.

Your pig or your life?

“Your pig or your life?”

That is the million-kina question all Papua New Guineans, and particularly Highlanders, must now consider with the swine flu outbreak.

But, seriously, it is a matter of life or death, and surely, pigs should be slaughtered en masse (and eaten?) to save the lives of thousands of Papua New Guineans.

 

Swine flu red alert

Deadly virus sparks panic

 

By KESSIE TADAP in The National

 

HEALTH and quarantine officials are keeping a close watch on the deadly swine flu outbreak in Mexico that has spread to several countries, including New Zealand, and poses a risk of becoming a global pandemic.

The illness has claimed 103 lives in Mexico and dozens of cases have been reported in seven countries including the United States, causing the US government to declare a health emergency.

National Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA) chief quarantine officer of animals, Dr Nime Kapo, told The National that NAQIA and the Health Department were working together in keeping a close eye on the current situation in Asia as well as having a contingency plan for PNG should the pandemic reach our shores.

“Yes we are monitoring the situation together with the Health people,” Dr Kapo said.

“We are also working on a national flu plan that will be used if the flu is detected in PNG.”

He said this outbreak was not among pigs although it originated from pigs, so it is really the Health Department which should be the right people to have a say on this because the epidemic was an outbreak among humans.

“We have had a lot of queries from the media and press, so the Health Department and NAQIA are putting together an information sheet that will hopefully be put out in public and in the media about the swine flu,” Dr Kapo said.

In PNG, pigs are of significant value and are an important part of compensation payments and important items during bride price, death, initiation and other traditional and customary feasts.

Several countries including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Russia and China stepped up quarantine measures and drew up contingency plans to stop the spread of swine flu.

Stock markets across the globe took a battering as investors reacted to the news.

The World Health Organisation has declared the deadly outbreak a public health emergency of “pandemic potential” after the deaths of 103 people in Mexico from what was described as pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness.

WHO director-general Margaret Chan said last week that the outbreak was of a never before seen virus and that it was a very serious situation.

WHO said that some of those who have died were confirmed to have a unique version of the A/H1N1 flu virus that was a combination of bird, pig and human viruses.