International peacekeeping is not national priority

By REGINALD RENAGI  

 

 Madeline Arek’s recent The National newspaper report, “PNGDF for peacekeeping duties” and Defence Minister Dadae’s media statements compels me to add that International peacekeeping is not a national priority as discussed here. 

According to this news report, Parliament also recently passed the PNGDF Amendment Bill 2008 to allow among other things, committing our military to international peacekeeping duties in future.  A youth and school cadet programmes towards nation building and national security are also in the pipeline. 

The Minister’s statements have important strategic implications for PNG.  It surprisingly comes amidst no Peal parliamentary discussions on this issue and on related national security matters. 

This important Defence Bill and others over the years are passed with little or no in-depth debate by politicians in parliament, and excludes the public.  Ongoing public opinion do determine much of our public policy considerations in formulating strategic government policies, hence, it is most crucial parliament fully debate all strategic implications with this bill before any legislative decisions can be made for obvious reasons.  

Defence must plan its future roles and activities better from here on as despite two Defence White Papers in 1996 and 1999 respectively and a near 62% cut in 2001, core Defence capacity has substantially eroded.  This seriously has affected Defence’s effectiveness to rapidly respond to national emergencies in recent years.  Here is the way ahead. 

First of all, overseas peacekeeping missions for the PNGDF should not be a national priority at this stage.  Today’s national priority must be to now focus on homeland security by seriously addressing the most basic things lacking with our military.  The government must fully ensure the PNGDF is well equipped to deal with the many transnational security concerns PNG has now.   

Secondly, get the PNGDF to start doing its basic functions well and fully resource it with a realistic budget of some 2.8% of GDP.    

Thirdly, implement a realistic action plan now to systematically upgrade all three force elements in the next decade sound management synergies with all levels of the Defence organisation. 

Fourthly, rather than deploy troops on peacekeeping duties overseas, get our Defence Force to do more national development programs in rural PNG.  The government must immediately establish a “Reserve Force” to directly contribute towards national security and development.  A ready reserve scheme can be activated immediately today in the provinces to ensure effective management of government goods and services to all provinces. 

Last but not the least, develop and implement a creative youth and school cadet program.  We must inculcate general, positive attitude and strong committed ethos of service to others by our young people.  It is time we fully harness them in leadership endeavours. 

PNG can now adopt a military reserve force concept to develop the mindset of our growing young population to serve their country to their fullest potential with pride, dedication and commitment.  This is one good way to protect PNG as a well secured and developed nation tomorrow.

Notwithstanding, I want to commend Minister Bob Dadae in trying his best these past two years to improve Defence under very difficult conditions.  Defence is a difficult portfolio for any MP in recent years to successfully manage, especially when the government and parliament clearly lacks the required knowledge and skills in most matters concerning national security of PNG.  What Defence Ministry urgently needs now is an immediate increase in manpower and budgetary support from the Government and Parliament, the Department and Defence Force, industry and general community. 

 

  

 

 

Waria warrior of Morobe province, Papua New Guinea

Abandoned tea trees now overgrown by bush

The author trying out the new telephone link in Garaina

Cr Amos Sega (left) with his son Terute (holding bow) besides the memorial cairn in Garaina, dedicated to the famed Sgt Maj Sega Birito

Cr Amos Sega, 7th born child of Sgt Maj Sega Birito, at the grave of his father. Resting on headstone are the campaign medals of Birito, which include the Bronze Star

The Garaina Tea Factory, now shut down. At its height, it was the number one tea in PNG

The mighty Waria Valley from where Sega Birito walked into Wau in the far distance to join the New Guinea police force

By PATRICK LEVO

The grave yard is overgrown with bushes. The plain white cement headstone is sun bleached and cracked, the epitaph is faded and moss covered at the sides.

But in this simple grave under the scorching Papuan sun lies one of PNG’s greatest heroes of World War II – a man of remarkable courage – a man of the true warrior class who rose above his humble uneducated beginnings to shine on the battlefield among foreign troops.

The mighty Waria Valley is the final resting place of one of its finest sons and a legend of Papua New Guinea - except the legendary exploits of Sergeant Major Sega Birito is sadly, unknown outside his native Waria land.

Having visited the Waria Valley last week and being privileged to pay my respects at his graveside, I feel it my obligation to re-tell the people of PNG, Australia and the USA, of the fearsome Waria warrior who served all three nations with the highest credentials.

This is the story of a simple village boy from Sopa village in Garaina who fell in love with the police force, signed up with ANGAU in 1926 at Wau and served the New Guinea Armed Constabulary, going on long range patrols all over Papua and New Guinea with patrol officers, gold prospectors and even missionaries.

Birito later served on Bougainville Island as a policeman and it was his knowledge of that part of the country that was to distinguish him in battle during the war.

When hostilities commenced in WWII, Birito was on holidays in Garaina planning on getting married when ANGAU recalled him to police headquarters. He was immediately bundled off for scout training with the now famous coast watchers.

Strong and fearless, the tall rangy Waria warrior came to the notice of the Americans while undergoing specialist training in Melbourne, Australia.

The US Navy Special Forces, forerunner to the Navy Seals, enlisted Birito (or rather snatched him) from the Australians in Melbourne after noticing his remarkable courage in training and engaged him as a scout in their “M” Force.

The simple boy from Waria, appreciated for his camaraderie with the Australians and Americans, and known for his fearless spirit in battle, landed with the US Marines at Tulagi and at Guadalcanal. It was on Bougainville that he distinguished himself in gallantry.

His Bronze Star citation read: “Constable Sega, ANGAU, distinguished himself with meritorious achievement at Bougainville, Solomon Islands, from September 22-28, 1944. While making reconnaissance into enemy territory, he came upon a village occupied by hostile troops. Crawling among the native houses, he collected information regarding enemy strength and dispositions. After reporting this information, he returned with a combat patrol which successfully attacked the village. On a later recon, he located a hostile camp and leading American troops, assisted in killing 14 of the enemy.”

Sgt Maj. Sega Birito is the first and only Papua New Guinea soldier I know to have received the American Bronze Star for gallantry in combat.

General Douglas MacArthur, the US General famed for his ‘I shall return’ promise to take back the Philippines from the enemy in WWII, conferred Sega Birito with his star at Wau.

Birito saluted the mighty US General as 10,000 of his tribesmen armed with bows, arrows and clubs applauded from the sidelines in a resonating cheer that echoed down the Waria Valley.

At the Queen’s Coronation in 1952, Birito was invited to visit England but fell sick at the last moment. However, when the Queen did visit PNG in later years, the Bronze Star hero met the Head of the Commonwealth.

She conferred on him the Queens Medal for Exemplary and Long Distinguished services to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.

In Garaina, beside the old RSL (Waria) building stands a simple stone flagpole. It was erected in 1973 by the American Government in appreciation of Birito’s services to the US Marines, following a visit by Colonel Douglas Hubbard, director of the Admiral Nimitz Centre in Fredricksburg, Texas.

Why would the Americans send such a high ranking officer to visit an old policeman in an unknown part of PNG? The answer lies in his Bronze Star citation. Americans revere and worship their heroes and Birito to the US Navy’s “M” Force was a fearless hero whose exploits are held in high regard.

His only complaint against the Americans was crooked job a medic did on his ear, which had been partially shot apart by enemy fire. The US Marine medics did a pretty hasty job on their trusted forward scout that when the wound healed a few weeks later, his ear was set a bit crookedly, which he blamed of robbing him of his once handsome looks!

The Americans erected a memorial cairn which reads: “To the memory of Sergeant Major Sega Birito of the Royal Papua New Guinea Armed Constabulary whose personal efforts during the Pacific Campaign in World War II resulted in his being awarded the American Bronze Star for gallantry, while serving with the United States Forces on Bougainville in September, 1944. In grateful appreciation, erected by the Government of the United States of America and the Admiral Nimitz Center.”

Birito, the son of a mighty chief, died in 1976 – a year after independence – at about 70 years of age.

Now his son Amos, the councilor for Ward 11 in the Waria Local Level Government, is taking up a new fight in his father’s respected name.

Amos wants the Australian, PNG and US Governments to fund the building of a government centre and a double classroom in Garaina.

Amos said: “I don’t want any other benefit; certainly I don’t want any money. I just want these governments to recognise the efforts of my father during his service to the armed forces and to erect a building in Garaina to house the local level government offices.

“I also want to see a double classroom built at Garaina Primary School and both buildings to be named Sega Birito so that younger generations will know and honor the memory of this foot soldier.”

Cr Amos is the 7^th born of Sega Birito and his wife Teira Ponito, both of Sopa village.

The Birito clan is Baru (deceased), Steven, who was a police inspector, Lyn, who now works for Trukai Industries, Jack (deceased), Naru, Reuben, Amos, Eero, Martha and William.

Cr Amos can be assured part of his problem has been solved with the arrival of a new VSAT telecommunications system, linking the Garaina Station with the rest of the world.

The system was recently installed by Telikom PNG technicians Henry Esara, Gideon Kore, both Waria boys, power engineer Brian Inamo and engineer Peter Khaya.

In the days of old man Birito, there was no such telecommunications. Now with a vibrant visionary young leader in local MP Sam Basil, the winds of change are descending on the windswept Waria plains.

Mr Basil, who only collected seven votes from 4000 voters in the last election, has promised K2 million from his district services improvement funds to revive the Garaina Station and kickstart the ailing economy of the once vibrant tea and coffee industry.

Waria LLG president Morokai Gaiwata is upbeat about the future of Garaina. On the list of musts are the return of police, a dozer and an ambulance for the health centre.

One old man told me: “Member is giving us a lot of money. But before that money comes, law and order must return to Garaina.” True words of a wise old man.

As he was departing the beautiful valley, an old lady stepped up to Mr Basil and gave him a string of dog tooth and said: “This is the money of my forefathers. It has lasted for generations. You are giving us K2m but will it last?”

On the plane back, the maverick politician, feared in the halls of Waigani for his no nonsense approach to tackling corruption, showed me his dogtooth money: “This Valley will rise again,” he promised.

Certainly, for better or worse, one councilor will be watching and waiting, Cr Amos Sega.

Today's lesson for Papua New Guinea

From PAUL OATES in Queensland, Australia 

Spraying some cows and calves this morning for Buffalo fly I noticed something significant. While the cows looked on, I took the pictures of the flowering gum and a strange narrow trail in the grass. The trail was made by millions of tiny feet going to and from my compost bin. An ant's nest has discovered rich pickings and were making the most of it, walking between the bin and their nest.
Now why would I think that very significant? Well, one ant can't make much impression on the landscape but many can and do.
Likewise, if one person stands up against corruption, not much happens. If many do however, they can and will make an impression.

'Asalu Ngayam' from Salamaua

Big Pat in Busamang village, Salamaua

Lae expats returning after an unsuccessful hunt for the submarine tunnel

Salamaua at dawn

The narrow Salamaua isthmus showing signs of severe erosion

Big Pat (second from left) and friends at Busamang village, Salamaua

Big Pat (left) and friends at a Japanese WW11 machine gun at Salamaua Point

By PATRICK LEVO

New Year Greetings from Salamaua Point. As they say in the local Gawac lingo – ‘Asalu ngayam’ or ‘good day’ which is the same as ‘sare lareva’ in my Toaripi of Gulf, ‘jobe’ in Garaina, ‘awinje’ in Menyamya and ‘zoang biang’ in Kote of Swit Finsch.

From Malalaua to Salamaua is a long, long way. There are many rivers to cross and many more mountains to climb and an ocean to swim. But after many years of wondering in amazement and wandering around in circles, I finally set foot on the narrow isthmus that joins Salamaua peninsula to the mainland.

I fulfilled my childhood dream of visiting this legendary place on Boxing Day last year in the company of another first timer Dadarae Logona and his son Titus. The Logonas are from Tubusereia in Central Province.

They say Salamaua is magical. I say it is still salacious and I will be going back. In its heydays, it was the place to be. Even now, it still has that magnetism.

Lae expats have holiday homes here and they say the fishing is good, so good they always keep coming back for more refreshing Huon Gulf sea breezes and to test their angling skills where once warships zigzagged to test the accuracy of allied bombers in WWII.

Sadly the isthmus that connects Salamaua is slowly being washed away. Where once a road connected Salamaua point to the mainland, rising sea levels have eroded much of the land and the point is in danger of being cut off from the mainland.

Valiant attempts have been made to save the isthmus including dumping huge tyres and rocks as a sea wall but to no avail as nature carves a future for the peninsula.

Will Salamaua point, original home of the Buakap people become an island as a result of global warming and rising sea levels? I don’t know but if it does, one piece of history and my footprints will be washed away forever.

My old man was a colonial era teacher. One fine day, he brought a text book home which had pictures of Salamaua, Rabaul, Wewak and Goroka. It was post card perfect, the coconut palms dancing in the breeze, a boat in Salamaua harbor and locals walking along the isthmus carrying coconuts.

I asked the old chalk: “Where is this beautiful place?” He replied: “Son, Salamaua is near Lae. And Salamaua is very far from Malalaua.”

From then on, even as a little kid back in the early 70s, I promised myself that one day I would walk on that same isthmus. I left my Kerema footprints there on the morning of Dec 26.

When you stroll through that former colonial outpost, there are certain reminders of the past; a history steeped in affluent times gone by where the tapestry of the New Guinea coast and its inland growth was once weaved forlornly, fluently and feverishly through here.

Salamaua was the one time staging post for the gold rush into Wau Bulolo in the 1920-30s and a wartime foothold captured by the Japanese on March 8, 1942 and then retaken by the allies a year later after much fierce aerial bombardment and ground offensive.

The town was recaptured by Australian and United States forces lead by the fearless General Douglas MacArthur on September 11, 1943 during the Salamaua-Lae campaign. During reoccupation the town was destroyed.

Salamaua was originally built by the Germans and given the exotic south seas name Samoahafen just as Dregerhafen and Finschhafen up the north east coast remain today as reminders of the Kaiser’s influence in New Guinea of the 1800s.

When gold was discovered at Wau, miners came from all over the world and made for the goldfields through Salamaua via the rough Black Cat Track which is today a major tourist attraction and an epic test of endurance for those foolish enough to retrace history.

Today the villages of Kela and Laugwi still occupy the site as well as well as a variety of holiday homes, mainly for Lae based expatriates eager to escape the potholed city.

Walking through the narrow strip, I could not help noticing adventurous names such as ‘Gilligans’ where you can get a cold drink, and ‘Margaritaville’ where they say the food is exceptional.

Even the nearby Salamaua Guest House, owned by the Morobe Provincial Government offers a self contained room for K44 per night and you can always find the friendly caretaker manager Mathew Gomuna from Garaina ready to help you.

Local legend has it that when the Japanese captured the town, they built an underwater tunnel under Salamaua Point to save their submarines and light landing craft.

Our hunt for this piece of history turned up fruitless as our guides could not agree to the exact location. So we turned our attention to just enjoying the Huon Gulf cool breezes.

According to the online free encyclopedia, Wikipedia, early in 2007, a video production company from California explored the rain forests of Salamaua.

The "Destination Truth" expedition team was looking for the ropen, a cryptid that is described in terms suggesting a Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur, whatever lareva that is!

The explorers, including the leader Joshua Gates, videotaped a glowing flying object that seemed to correspond to local native ideas about the glowing ropen.

I did not see one such prehistoric creature but I came away happy at having fulfilled my childhood dream.

On the dinghy back to Busamang village, we passed the villages of Asini, the mission station of Malalo perched high on a hillock and the village of Buakap and the beautiful Buki Lakes.

I have a sentimental attachment to Asini but I know that I may never get to set foot on its beach. Perhaps, I will try one fine day.

Finally, farewell to sportswoman Florence ‘Floss’ Bundu, who was a team mate at the Stars Club in the 1980s at Hohola basketball courts, and to Ovia ‘OT’ Toua of HB, who was the first PNG Chief of Staff of this paper and to my good mate the late Henry ‘HK’ Kila, who was never ever short of jokes! Thanks for the happy memories.

Join me next week as we attempt to reel in the big one in one big fishing misadventure in Busama Bay. bigpatpng@gmail.com for more.

Patrick Levo is Post-Courier Bureau Chief in Lae

Port Moresby transforms into a farming city

A green thumb...Me and my beloved late wife Hula surrounded by brocolli and tomato in our vegetable garden at our home in Goroka, 1999

FPDA study shows that capital produces bulk of fresh vegetables

Port Moresby’s looking so green and pretty after all that rain over Christmas and New Year and is going to be like that for at least the next three months.
During the brief respite during the December to March period, rain comes down in buckets and vegetables – especially corn – abound all over the capital city.
These create queues at many gardening shops in Port Moresby, such as major agricultural supplier Brian Bell.
As early as 7am, a long line of people gather in front of the Brian Bell Plaza at Boroko to buy their supplies of seeds.
During this period, vegetable gardens can be seen all over the city, including precarious hillsides.
Vegetable gardens are sprouting up all over the city and its perimeters and markets are chock-a-block with green leafy vegetables, complemented by fresh fish and other seafood, wallaby, deer and bandicoot.
It reminds so much of my late wife Hula, someone who was so passionate about being self-reliant, about growing our own food.
In Goroka, where we lived for almost five years from 1998 to 2002, my wife and I grew our own potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cabbages, tomatoes, and a whole range of other highlands vegetables.
All we need to buy was some steak or pork (or in real Highlands style, lamb flaps) and coleslaw for a salad, and that’s all that we needed for a delicious meal.
Moresby and its at times hard and rocky soil didn’t deter Hula when we moved to Port Moresby in 2002.
Wherever we lived, she somehow managed to grow our own vegetables such as tomatoes, silverbeet, Chinese cabbage, cabbage and chillies.
Hula also grew local favorites such as aibika, aupa, peanuts, cassava and bananas.
Regular watering and compost, and after about three months, we started to reap the fruits of what we sowed: tubs of tomatoes, silverbeet, Chinese cabbage, chillies, cucumbers and other garden-fresh produce.
We would have made a killing had we gone to market, but this was strictly for family consumption and for distribution among close friends.
All forms of gardening are rewarding and satisfying.
But vegetable gardening, largely because the gardener can be in charge of the whole operation from seed collection to consumption, is possibly the most-rewarding.
In addition, well-grown home-produced vegetables cannot be matched for flavour and nutritional value.
With care, considerable savings – especially in a city like Port Moresby – in the family’s food budget are possible.
The point of all this is that, contrary to what many people think, the majority of fresh produce in Port Moresby is supplied by local sources and do not come from the Highlands
This includes those from the many hillside gardens popping up everywhere, settlements and surrounding areas such as Laloki, Bomana and Sogeri.
The Fresh Produce Development Agency dropped this bombshell recently with its recently-released ‘Feeding Port Moresby Study’, which shows that Port Moresby supplies most of its fresh produce.
Other key findings were:
- The volume of fresh produce being supplied from the Highlands into Port Moresby appeared to be decreasing while supplies from Central Province and NCD are increasing;
- Increasing amounts of fresh produce marketed into Port Moresby were handled through middlemen, rather than by grower-vendors themselves and their wantok networks. However, some farmers still preferred to sell their produce themselves at the open market;
- The annual volume of fresh produce imported into Port Moresby in 2007 was estimated to be just under 7, 500 tonnes, comprising 2,500 tonnes from international air and sea arrivals; 3, 500 tonnes from domestic sea arrivals; and 1, 430 tonnes from domestic air arrivals;
- Fresh produce production in the peri-urban areas was approximately 8, 500 tonnes during the dry season from the six surveyed settlement areas, which translated into a total production of 50,000 tonnes per year from all settlements;
- Most fresh produce was sourced from Central province and the NCD and very little was sourced from overseas or the Highlands. The total supply of fresh produce to Port Moresby was estimated at 57, 780 tonnes, with 7, 430 tonnes (15%) coming from overseas and rest of PNG, and 50, 350 tonnes (85%) from peri-urban production;
- Annual demand for fresh produce in Port Moresby was estimated to be around 140, 500 tonnes;
- Shortfalls between estimated demand and supplies were significant in volume and likely to come from Central province and home gardens;
- Facilities in the six open markets in Port Moresby are of poor quality, with common complaints from the vendors being lack of shade; poor water and sanitation facilitation facilities; and the need for benches to better look after their produce during wet days;
- Temperate vegetables continue to be supplied from the Highlands, however, green leafy vegetables and perishable fruit vegetables were supplied from NCD. Hardier crops such as sweet potato, banana, taro and yams come from Central province;
- Buyers and re-sellers stated that graded products (even if only by appearance) sell better;
Buyers tended to buy on short notice and formal supply arrangements were rare, Buyers prefer carton packaging for leafy vegetables and bags for sweet potato and potato, with some limit on size/weight; and
- Imported produce were only relied upon by retailers but not to wholesalers or hotels and restaurants except in the case of some fruit produce.
“The increase in peri-urban production has vastly improved Port Moresby’s capacity to feed itself,” according to the study.
“There are several reasons for the increase.
“Firstly, there is emigration of more-experienced and innovative farmers, especially from the Highlands, into Port Moresby.
“Secondly, horticultural techniques have vastly improved and the use of fertilisers, herbicides and insecticides has allowed huge increases in productivity.
“Finally, in recent years, weak PNG currency, which increases the price of imports, has also increased the demand for cheaper, locally-grown food and has helped to spur local production.
“Peri-urban producers have several advantages over their Highlands and rural counterparts in supplying the Port Moresby market.
“Firstly, peri-urban producers tend to be better informed and better linked to the market than farmers in the rural and more-remote areas.
“Seeds and other farm inputs are cheaper, fresher, of higher quality and more-accessible.
“Peri-urban producers are better equipped, as the cash flow from off-farm incomes enables purchase of agro-chemicals and better equipment.
“Proximity to the market and the city enables farmers to spot and respond to price signals.
“However, there are concerns over land tenure and food safety associated with the use of contaminated water and soil for food production.”

Paintings by John Pasquarelli

Paintings by former Papua New Guinea crocodile hunter and politician John Pasquarelli, who is now an artist and political commentator based in Australia.

 

White tribesman at home in a wild world

By ROWAN CALLICK in The Australian

 

THE hunger-striking NSW farmer Peter Spencer (pictured) is also an initiated member of Papua New Guinea's Jiga tribe and was the chief of staff for Paias Wingti during his second term as prime minister from 1992-94.

Spencer was the dazzling star of PNG's embryonic tourism industry in the 1980s, when he developed his Plumes and Arrows Inn -- nicknamed the "Sticks and Feathers" - at Kagamuga airport just outside Mount Hagen.

He would cordially greet groups of American or Japanese tourists in the hotel lounge in his Aussie persona, organise refreshments for them, and then return triumphantly in traditional Highlands dress - “arse grass" hanging off a belt around his waist, wooden shield, bow and arrows, and brightly painted face.

As his piece de resistance, the wirily built Spencer would insert a bone through his nose, which had been pierced as part of the painful and onerous initiation rites he had undergone.

He was a popular and well-informed guide for the mostly well-heeled visitors.

This was a colourful haven in a colourful era. In 1988, PNG was the scene of the world's then biggest gold rush, at its helter-skelter height, with 10,000 Highlanders clawing nuggets worth overall more than $100 million.

Australian accountant Ron Mealing, who had flown up from Sydney to become a gold buyer on the muddy slopes of Mount Kare, said at the time he had given up.

"It's very, very wild up there," he said, shaking his head.

"I realised Western rules do not apply here."

It was a wild world where Spencer, however, felt very much at home.

He became close to Jiga tribesman Wingti whose power base was in Mount Hagen, and who used his hotel as a base for plotting his comeback as prime minister.

Wingti brought Spencer with him to his office in Port Moresby when he swept back to power.

Spencer exercised close control over media access, and also pursued some of his favourite big-picture themes, drafting documents positing solutions for PNG's many challenges -- just as he has been doing more recently, in his struggles over the constraints on Australian farmers.

Spencer has since said he left PNG about 15 years ago after a group of men invaded his house and tried three times to shoot him but the rifle misfired on each occasion.

They burned down his home and he flew back "down south" to Australia.

He told then Courier-Mail columnist Michael Duffy "his efforts to reform PNG had cost him his marriage, his job and his house".

When Wingti was displaced by Julius Chan in 1994, Chan ordered a review of the visas of some expatriates associated with the Wingti administration, including Spencer.

During the turmoil of the next election, in 1997, when Wingti lost his seat, an attempt was made to burn down the Plumes and Arrows, which survives but no longer attracts the tourist parties of the Spencer years.

 Like many of the Australians working in the Highlands in the years immediately before and after independence in 1975, Spencer felt that PNG had been short-changed.