Bogia fight claims one

ONE person is dead and many others seriously wounded in a fight in Madang between the local Bogia people and villagers from volcano-stricken Manam Island, The National reports.

“The situation could get out of hand,” Madang police commander Supt Anthony Wagambie Jr said yesterday, adding that both sides were heavily armed.

Wagambie said depending on assessment reports today, he might recommend for Bogia to be declared “a fighting zone” because he did not have the manpower.

Ongoing tensions between Bogia landowners and islanders, who had been in care centres on the mainland since the Manam eruption in 2000, had been simmering for several years over land rights for gardening, hunting and building of permanent homes.

The latest clash took place last Saturday between islanders at the Asarumba care centre and locals near the Malala Secondary School market.

It erupted after six people attempted to knife a village councillor, who escaped and ran into a nearby trade store but, as fighting raged, an islander from the Sinbene area was killed and many others severely wounded, a local councillor said.

Wagambie said according to reports received, the warring factions possessed high-powered weapons and explosive devises, adding that “nine bomb blasts” were heard at the height of the confrontation last weekend, NBC national radio quoted him last night as saying.

“There is a build-up of arms on both sides and the situation could flare up,” he said.

However, while the situation was tense, police mobile squads 13 and 14 members from Lae and other local officers were on the ground to ensure the situation did not spill further.

Governor Sir Arnold Amet, who had been kept abreast of developments, said yesterday the Madang government could not do much because the care centres were under national government control.

However, his government was committed to ensuring that the welfare of the people was catered for.

Sir Arnold said it was in everybody’s interest to now discuss the future of Manam islanders at the three Bogia care centres.

He said given adequate funding from Waigani, his government would take the lead in finding a lasting solution to the islanders’ dilemma.

A village councillor at one of the care centres said clashes like last Friday’s would not have occurred if the government had permanently resettled them within the six months, as promised, after they were displaced by the volcanic eruption.

He said the islanders could not go back to the island because it was unsafe.

“The government must do something now as many clashes have erupted because we have been neglected for too long.”

More than 15,000 islanders had settled at the care centres at Bom, Asarumba and Posdem in Bogia for the past 10 years, waiting for the government’s promise to permanently resettle them elsewhere.

University of Goroka hosts another seminar on translation

Dr Deibler explaining a point to the audience at the seminar

By KATE GUNN of UOG

On Thursday, May 27, 2010 the University of Goroka (UOG) Language and Literature Department hosted its second seminar on language translation work entitled “Problems in Translation”.
The seminar was conducted as part of the department’s celebration of and participation in the United Nation’s proclamation on the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures.
Guest presenter of the seminar was again Dr Ellis Deibler, international professional translator with 20 years experience in Papua New Guinea and the Alekano and Yaweyuha languages.
The seminar, aimed at staff, students and members of the community with interests in documenting and preserving their own languages, was well received by a large number of participants who enjoyed an animated and informative presentation from Dr Deibler.
A six-member team from the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) also attended the seminar.
Dr Deibler presented to participants the many problems encountered when translating the meaning of text from one language to another.
These included: the audience; the two-step process of translation; grammar; order of phrases and clauses; pronouns; genitives and other figures of speech.
Dr Deibler will conduct a workshop on translation at the UOG on June 30.

Taiwanese company and NARI to develop jatropha in Papua New Guinea

NARI council chairman Dr John Kola (left) and general manager of ShineSun PNG Ltd Ken Cheng after signing the agreement on jatropha development in PNG. Looking on are representatives of NARI, Sunshine PNG and DAL

By UDAI PAL of NARI

National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) has entered into an agreement with Taiwanese investor ShineSun (PNG) Ltd for research and training on jatropha.

The key to the future of bio-fuel is finding inexpensive feed stocks that can be grown by farmers on marginal agricultural land and jatropha is one of many plants that hold a great deal of promise.

Jatropha proves to be a promising bio-fuel plantation and could emerge as a major alternative to diesel.

A memorandum of agreement was signed recently in Port Moresby by Dr John Kola, council chairman of NARI and Ken Yuan Chieu Cheng, general manager of ShineSun.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by NARI director general Dr Raghunath Ghodake, a representative of the Taiwanese ambassador, staff members of ShineSun, Department of Agriculture and Livestock and NARI’s southern regional centre based at Laloki outside Port Moresby.

The purposes of the agreement are to:

· Conduct and promote research on jatropha (Jatropha curcas) and provide training and planting materials to farmers who will become outgrowers of Jatropha in PNG;

· Share land and facilities at NARI Laloki for conducting research and promoting development of jatropa farming;

· Share knowledge and expertise of NARI and ShineSun on jathropa research and development;

· Implement the above basic objectives so as to help develop jatropha as an alternative cash crop for both smallholders and commercial plantations in Papua New Guinea and to help integrate jatropa cultivation in farming systems for sustainability; and

· Effectively pursue jatropha research and training to facilitate national jatropha technical steering committee for the development of jatropha biofuel project in PNG.

Jatropha oil displacing conventional fossil fuel makes the project fully eligible as recipient of carbon credits.
Jatropha qualifies to be a better alternative for bio-fuel than other food/oil crops such as corn, sorghum, cassava, soybeans or rapeseed as the use of these may lead to risk of global food scarcity and price rise.

Jatropha is an underutilised, oil-bearing crop.

It produces a seed that can be processed into non-polluting bio-diesel that, if well exploited, can provide opportunities for good returns and rural development.

Jatropha can also be used as a living fence to keep out livestock, control soil erosion and improve water infiltration.

The waste products from jatropha bio-diesel production can be used as a fertiliser for producing bio-gas, and the jatropha seedcake can potentially be used as livestock feed.

In addition to growing on degraded and marginal lands, this crop has special appeal, in that it grows under drought conditions and animals do not graze on it.

Businesses have 5 recommendations for APEC Trade Ministers

Issued by the APEC Secretariat

Sapporo, Japan, 1 June 2010 – As Trade Ministers from across APEC prepare for their annual meeting later this week, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) has delivered a set of five recommendations, with the intent that they be taken to APEC Leaders.  These are:

Recommendation 1: ABAC recommends that Leaders should re-commit to achieving free and open trade within the APEC region.  Taking account of the fundamental changes in APEC’s economic and social structures over the last sixteen years, and the fact that we are now in the era of the post-industrialized knowledge-based economy, ABAC recommends that a new vision is needed, building on the Bogor Goals to reflect the changing nature of modern Asia Pacific regional supply chains and value chains.  This vision should seek to liberalize flows of goods, services, investment, technology, e-commerce and people; and have a strong emphasis on balanced and inclusive growth and sustainable development.

Recommendation 2: ABAC recommends that Leaders agree that a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) is an aspirational but achievable vehicle for delivering free and open trade and investment within the region. ABAC is seeking from Ministers greater detail on the modalities and processes towards an FTAAP to enable active involvement by the business community.

Recommendation 3: ABAC recommends that Leaders recognize the importance of existing and progressing regional trade arrangements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, ASEAN+6 and CEPEA as potential pathways to delivering an FTAAP.  As these existing arrangements evolve, they should draw on previously developed APEC model FTA chapters covering goods, services and investment and other new business requirements to guide their progress.  ABAC further requests that Leaders of economies engaged in evolving regional arrangements direct their officials to share knowledge and substance about their respective negotiations in a timely and transparent fashion, while respecting the negotiating sensitivity of some issues.

Recommendation 4: ABAC recommends that as a new vision for APEC is developed, the business community is closely engaged so that policy makers draw on business leaders’ expertise in identifying practical initiatives and proposing workable solutions.  ABAC recommends that the links between the APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting and ABAC processes be better defined and integrated.

Recommendation 5: ABAC recommends that as part of achieving the Bogor Goals or a new vision, Leaders direct the APEC Secretariat to develop an annual set of ‘Regional Integration Metrics’ to monitor each economy’s progress towards greater regional economic integration and inclusive growth.  Such indicators are essential for benchmarking performance and creating accountability from Leaders.  ABAC recommends the creation of a one page “Regional Integration Dashboard” for each economy showing the level and change in various indicators of liberalization, including but not limited to, the flows of goods, services, investment, technology and people.

In fact, a key component of ABAC’s 2010 agenda is an assessment of APEC members’ achievement of the Bogor Goals* from the business perspective.  Last week, in a letter to Trade Ministers, ABAC members explained that:

“ABAC’s own review clearly identifies that many member economies have become considerably more open since 1994. Industrialized economies have made significant steps towards becoming more free and open, a trend apparent among developing economies as well.”

While the global economy has evolved considerably since 1994, ABAC cites a need to increase efforts toward deeper regional economic integration…

“More needs to be done to achieve the goal of free and open trade and investment in the APEC region.  This needs to encompass trade in goods, services, investment, ideas and the movement of people…. Trade and investment facilitation are also essential tools to enhance economic growth.”  

ABAC includes representatives from the business communities in each of APEC’s 21 member economies.  These representatives are appointed by APEC Leaders as a source of insight to the priorities and concerns of the business sector.

APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) are to meet in Sapporo, Japan, 5 – 6 June.

*In 1994 in Bogor, Indonesia, APEC Leaders committed to the goals of free and open trade and investment in the region by 2010 for industrialized members and by 2020 for developing members.

For more information, contact: media@apec.org

 

 

 

'Bill will strip rights to land'

SCIENTISTS and lawyers say that the amendment passed last Friday in Parliament will strip Papua New Guineans of their right to their land, The National reports.

It would also leave the companies or developers immune to law suits for compensation, “even if they were negligent or at fault”.

The landowners, particularly of the Rai Coast district in Madang, are claiming they had been hard done by the government.

“This is the worst piece of legislation on human rights that I have ever seen,” PNG Institute of Biological Research scientist Banak Gamui said.

“They have stripped the landowners of common law and customary law rights that they have had for over 10,000 years.”

He said developers could not be sued for compensation.

“The action for negligence is gone.

“Reason? The developer was just doing what it had planned to do but a blow out happened. 

“It does not matter if it’s its fault ... so long as the company was carrying out the activity it was authorised under the permit to do – it escapes all liability for environmental damage.”

Even when there are provisions for compensation provisions, he said: “Any compensation would be signed up and paid before the mining, gas, oil operation starts, provided the company predicts there will be any damage. 

“If the company predicts none, not only will it pay no compensation at the beginning under a compensation agreement – but if damage occurs – negligently, intentionally or unintentionally – the company will not have to pay a toea.

“If it creates more damage than predicted at the beginning, there is no recourse.”

Lawyers said if the bill was not certified, it could go back to Parliament and be changed under section 113 of the Constitution.

The landowners of the Rai Coast are the first to feel the impact of the law.

They will not be able to sue the developer CMCC of Ramu Nico over the dumping of waste into their sea.

They said the government made changes to sections of the Environment Act 2000 “to prevent landowners and concerned Papua New Guineans from “interfering’ with developing project like the Ramu nickel mine and LNG in the Southern Highlands”.

The landowners had petitioned the Deputy Prime Minister Sir Puka Temu and Environment Minister Benny Allan in Bongu village on April 10.

The petition deadline was yesterday.

“But the government has seen fit to insult landowners by changing the law!” landowner George Ireng said.

“This is an insult to the people of Rai Coast and all Papua New Guineans who are landowners,” he said.

“Personally, I am angered by the government’s actions.

“The change is a serious attack on our ability as landowners and Papua New Guineans to speak out against problems created by the actions of government and developers.”

Papua New Guinea treasurer suspended

THE Supreme Court has ordered the suspension of Finance and Treasury Minister Patrick Pruaitch from office, The National reports.

The high court made the decision yesterday, saying Pruaitch is suspended on full pay pending his substantive appeal against his referral by the Ombudsman Commission to the leadership tribunal.

The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court consisted of justices Nicholas Kirriwom, Les Gavera-Nanu and Catherine Davani.

They ruled that with Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia’s convening of the tribunal on Feb 3, this had immediately effected section 28 of the Organic Law on the duties and responsibilities of leadership (OLDLR).

Section 28 gives effect to the suspension of a leader who has been referred for prosecution before a leadership tribunal over allegations of misconduct in office.

The tribunal sat in February but did not commence hearing because of the restraining order obtained by Pruaitch. The tribunal comprises Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika, principal magistrate Peter Toliken and senior magistrate Nerrie Eliakim.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that as soon as the tribunal was convened, the suspension of the leader immediately came into effect. And, for the leader to go to the courts, to turn his situation around was “an abuse of process”.

“The office belongs to the people of Papua New Guinea and, therefore, for the leader to continue to remain in office when he had been referred is a mockery of the Constitution.

“Once the allegations were made against a leader, that leader’s integrity is called into question,” Kirriwom, who read out the decision, said.

“The suspension of the leader is automatic and he must vacate office immediately to preserve his good name,” he added.

The court’s decision was made following submissions on grounds of law from both parties between March and April.

The court also overruled an appeal against a decision by National Court judge Justice Ere Kariko. It also extended an interim stay order obtained from Justice Mark Sevua on Feb 19 pending disposition of the substantive appeal currently before the court.

In a directional hearing yesterday afternoon, the chief justice ruled that the substantive appeal be heard on June 30. He also directed parties to file their written submissions at least five days before the hearing date.

Pruiatch was referred to the tribunal over allegations of misconduct in office following investigations by the Ombudsman Commission.

The allegations included double-dipping into support vehicle allowances, double-dipping into operational cost allowances for support vehicles, improper receipts of public funds for fuel costs for private vehicles, double-dipping into entertainment allowances and misappropriation of 2003 district support grants.

 

 

Happy 3rd Birthday, Keith Nalu

Happy 3rd Birthday to my third son, Keith 'Baby' Nalu, who turns three years old today, Tuesday, June 1, 2010.

That is sadly without Mum, Hula, who left us so tragically in Easter 2008.
I love you son, and God Bless You as Your prepare to take your place in this wide, wide world.
Love from Dad, as well as big brothers Malum Nalu Jr, Gedi, and sister Moasing, plus family and friends in Daru, Lae, Goroka, Papua New Guinea, Australia and the world.
The world is your stage son!