By MALUM NALU
James Chalmers was the so-called “Livingstone of New
Guinea”.
He was a star in the London Missionary Society’s firmament.
For 34 years from the 1860s onwards he preached the Gospel
in the South Seas .
He also loved whisky, enjoyed exploring the unknown
territory and had a genuine rapport with the Papuan people.
But not even this charisma and courage could save him when
late in his career he and his party were lured into an ambush on Goaribari Island
They were beheaded
and eaten by the natives.
It is the Goaribari
incident that lies at the heart of Gulf man Peter Memafu’s extraordinary theory
of why Gulf is the most-undeveloped province
of Papua New Guinea
This is a history that proves that fact is indeed stranger
than fiction.
Sorcery, magic, head-hunting and cannibalism were rife in
those days.
To possess a skull collection was to enhance one’s standing
in the spirit world.
In 1901, on Goaribari
Island
Memafu’s theory is
that if Gulf is to develop, it must first reconcile for the terrible sins of
its fathers for the murder of Chalmers and his party.
“Since 1973, PNG
had initially attained self-government and eventually gained full independence
on September 16, 1975,” Memafu says.
“Seeing as the rest
of the country had also gained independence, the Gulf province was no
exception.
“However, after almost 35 years of Independence
“Leaders of the Gulf people also need to seriously look into dealing
with our ill-fortunes and socio-economic demise of our people and work together
to correct all this appropriately before any real development issues or
initiatives are discussed or ventured into.
“Gulf’s adversity
had begun almost 109 years ago but the misfortunes were only realised much
later when PNG had gained its independence in 1975.
“It was April 8,
1901, the date of Rev James Chalmers (known to the natives as Tamate), Rev
Oliver Tompkins and eight natives who were murdered at Dopima village of the Goaribari Islands
“This
terrible wrongdoing also signifies Gulf province’s mission history but more
evidently it paints some of Gulf’s major unfortunate past mistakes in history
and has seriously tainted and cursed the Gulf province for more than 109
years.”
Memafu says succinctly that Gulf “is commonly known to the whole country
as the very, very least-developed province”.
“However, when
considering some historical facts and events of the colonisation wave
throughout PNG, so many Gulf people have extensively contributed immensely
towards the advancement in terms of social, economic and political developments
of our beautiful country and nation.
“People of Gulf were sent all over PNG to help build and develop the
country.
“Before independence the people of Gulf were scattered by
the colonisation impact to help build and develop the rest of PNG.
“Our people went to
almost all other parts of the country as carpenters, clerks, plantation bosses
and laborers, leaders, cargo boys and teachers.
“Over the years Gulf
“Its people have come
to serve PNG as chief executive officers, managing directors, departmental
heads, senior statesmen and women, leaders, politicians, ambassadors, high
commissioners.
“Even two former governors general (Sir Tore Lokoloko and Sir Serei Eri)
and two previous prime ministers (Sir Mekere Morauta and Sir William Skate) had
come from the Gulf province.
“Gulf under the
colonial rule achieved so much progressive development.
“When we perceive
Gulf’s social and economic developments during pre-independence and under the
colonial rule, there were so much progressive developments that took place all
over the province.
“Gulf’s
co-operative societies were booming, more and more money and services were
going down directly towards the rural people within the village and
community-based levels.
“Well before independence, the Gulf province had continued
to thrive with all its forest timber resources, its abundant marine as well as
its potential prawn and fishery prospects.
“Social services
such as education, regular health provisions, law and order including tourism,
banking, and post office services, trade stores and as well as basic privileged
benefits were once enjoyed by people of the Gulf province.
“Thirty-five years after independence and Gulf is totally
deprived of everything.
“One would say that
time itself has literally stood still over the whole of Gulf province.
“There is hardly any
form of social or economic developments or even any infrastructure improvements
in Kerema, or the whole of the province itself.
“Gulf saw the end to
co-operative societies, which resulted in less money flowing into all the rural
areas.
“All basic services
began to decline and came to a grinding halt.
“Poor health and
education services were now more evident, while the increase in unemployment
and social disharmony just continued to grow and grow with very poor and
unmaintained roads, air and sea infrastructure networks.
“Gulf province has become a spectator even though it is rich
with so much in abundant natural and marine resources.
“Gulf has enormous
potential in prawn resources but unfortunately most of it is been constantly
ripped off while all our small businesses and other commercial activities have
virtually come to a standstill.
“To
date Gulf has not progressed at all and yet the province itself still has vast
prospective in one the richest marine and timber resources PNG has to
offer.
“It still has an
endless venture for tourism and agriculture and now its shores are used as exit
points for the lucrative oil and gas fields of the Southern
Highlands .
“The liquefied
natural gas project is happening at our doorsteps while we the Gulf people
continue to remain passive spectators on our very own turf.”
It is Memafu’s
steadfast belief that Gulf province remains under a generational curse from God
himself directly related to the shedding of the innocent blood of Chalmers and
Tomkins.
He says several
biblical references point to bible text or scriptures that may support this
curse in the Old Testament in the Books of 2ndKings 24:3, Jeremiah 26:15 and
Joel 3:19 as quoted here:“Manasseh has spilled innocent blood and filled
Jerusalem – OT 2nd Kings 24:3-4 Surely at the command of the Lord it came upon
Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according
to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood, which he shed, for he
filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord would not forgive.
“As Prophet Jeremiah
faces death, he speaks these words: OT Jeremiah 26:15 Be assured, however, that
if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on
yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord
has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.
“Land becomes defiled because of innocent blood shed – OT Joel 3:19 But
Egypt will be desolate, Edom
a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah
Is there any hope for
the Gulf province?
“Yes there is hope
in God because He alone pardons our sins and will heal our land when we
reconcile with Him by asking for repentance and total forgiveness for all our
forefathers’ wrongdoings,” Memafu says.
“The Old Testament
Bible in the Book of 2nd Chronicles 7:14 reminds us that, ‘If my people, which
are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and
turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin, and will heal their land’. “
“Therefore, and in
order for the Gulf province to really move forward and start talking about real
social, economic and developments issues, we must first correct our past mistakes,
our terrible wrongdoings, our generational sins and curses that have allowed
God to curse our land and our people who live on it.”
