Misima people regret life after mine closure

By STEPHANIE ELIZAH

 

LANDOWNERS of the Misima mine in Milne Bay have called on the government to review their mine closure plan and the memorandum of understanding affecting the closure, The National reports.

The Eguma special mining lease (SML) landowners also requested that the state honour its mine closure commitment to conduct a socio-economic feasibility study before the end of this year.

Managing director Taulea Mosebi claimed that after Misima Mines Ltd ceased operations, no socio-economic impact study had been conducted.

He said the people’s standard of living had not improved despite the good things that Misima mines brought when it was in operation like well-maintained and supported health, education, transport, electricity and banking services.

Mosebi said apart from the current monitoring of the environment’s rehabilitation, there had been no major economic development on Misima to boost the livelihood of the islanders.

“Our people are struggling.

“No one has made any attempt to find solutions to the problems.

“Since 1989, Misima mine had earned more than K9.9 billion for the state. Yet, after the mine ceased operations, we have rundown buildings, inconsistent power supply and landowner projects initiated during the mine life have not continued,” he said.

Mosebi said Eguma landowners had taken the initiative to spearhead a Misima island project, which is aimed at assessing the island’s social, economical, environmental, cultural and political status.

“We seek to revive the island’s economy and, as such, we have obtained the support of the Milne Bay provincial administration, Department of Agriculture and Livestock and the provincial industry and support services as part of the steering committee,” Mosebi said.

 

Outsiders warned to stay away from LNG wastes

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

A LANDOWNER company from the LNG project area in Southern Highlands is up in arms over the recent announcement of a new joint venture to manage wastes in the project area, The National reports.

Chairman of Hides Waste Management Company (HWMC) Thomas Potape had written to Esso Highlands Ltd warning of possible disturbances if project landowners were bypassed in spin-off businesses.

He said the HWMC is a legitimate landowner company, sanctioned by the Hides Gas Development Company (HGDC), to participate in spin-offs from the LNG project.

Potape said HWMC is registered with IPA and is in advanced stage of permit application with the Department of Environment and Conservation to be involved in waste treatment and disposal activities in Hides PDL 1, Hides PDL 7, Angore and Juha.

Potape said the four major LNG gasfields are located within the geographical boundaries of Komo with a population of 27,000 people.

He said the early works, including the Komo International Airport, major roads from Tari to Komo and from gasfields to Komo station and construction phase of LNG facilities, had started and there was evidence of huge volumes of wastes being generated.

“The local people, who have lived generations in these beautifully pristine environments, are not used to large volumes of wastes in all forms which will be created by a project of this scale, which will seriously affect their lifestyles.

“As a local landowner company, HWMC must be recognised by Esso Highlands to be involved in project spin-off activities as outlined in the national content plan.

“We have reputable overseas joint venture partners who are well placed to enable HWMC vision of waste management in the project areas.

“We have the capacity, the partners and technological know-how to realise our vision, and we believe Esso Highlands and its partners will have to take note of our intentions,” Potape added.

“We will be spending more than K7.5 million for the purpose of contending the environmental effects that may occur as a result of the developments at the LNG project fields and the surrounding communities.”

He said this would include the costs of construction of landfills and other waste treatment plants, storage facilities and other equipment and materials required to effectively manage all waste streams that would be created.

“It is important to note that early works have started with huge volumes of wastes to be produced daily.”

Potape said environmental approvals, which had been granted for early works activities, were conditional to the project developer following approved waste management practices.

“To date, there is no proper permitted company associated with the project to effectively deal with waste management and, as such, our proposed set-up will have to be recognised and considered by the proponent of the LNG project.”

He said recent media reports of Eco Care Engineering and Transpacific, a waste management joint venture, was an attempt by outsiders using their contacts in Oil Search to sideline legitimate landowner companies.

“As there is already an existing HWMC, under no uncertain terms an outside company will be allowed into the project areas of Hides PDL 1, Hides PDL 7, Angore, Juha airport facility and Hides conditioning plant area.” Potape warned.

APEC Ministers' Meeting - Upcoming

APEC Ministers to meet in Beijing on September 16-17

Issued by the APEC Secretariat

 

Singapore, 9 September, 2010 – Ministers responsible for Human Resources Development from APEC member economies will meet in Beijing next week to address issues such as unemployment and improving social safety nets to protect the vulnerable following the global financial crisis.

The 5^th APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting will tackle the importance of achieving inclusive economic growth so that all sectors of society can share the benefits of free trade and investment and economic integration in the Asia Pacific region.

The meeting, to be held on September 16-17, will be chaired by China’s Minister for Human Resources and Social Security, Yin Weimin, and will provide valuable input to the work of developing APEC’s Growth Strategy, which will be presented to APEC Leaders meeting in Yokohama, Japan in November this year.

The Asia Pacific region is the world’s engine of growth and many member economies are leading the recovery from the global financial crisis. But common concerns remain, including the need to foster job creation, improve social protection and enhance education and training. Many member economies also face long-term challenges such as ageing populations and demands for flexible and adaptable workforces.

During the two-day meeting, Minister Yin Weimin will give a key note speech at the Great Hall of the People. Ministers from member economies will also make presentations and they are expected to adopt and release a joint statement and action plan at the conclusion of the meeting.

The meeting will be attended by Ministers responsible for Human Resources Development, officials and support personnel. The ministerial will follow a meeting of APEC HRD Senior Officials in Beijing on September 15.

For more information, contact Trudy Harris at th@apec.prg or +65 6891 9671.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where is justice?

From IAN TAUKURO

 

I've been following the story in the Post-Courier of the young man who was charged with killing another young man about four years ago through that absolutely stupid male cult practice called 'skelim bros' and was shocked today to learn that the court has now ordered a four year suspended sentence on the perpetrator.

 

The newspaper did not report on the reaction to this sentence from the deceased's parents/family but I'm sure they must be feeling a real sense of injustice right now.

 

Where is justice being served for a boy, who was probably talked into skipping school that fateful day by boys older than himself, forced into drinking homebrew as part of the 'skelim bros' rite of passage nonsense, then held up against a wall and punched to death violently and repeatedly in the chest by the perpetrator, another boy, probably older and who was also drunk not just from the alcohol, but from the sense of power that all bullies possess when they target the weak.

 

And, bullying is what 'skelim bros' is all about. It's protectionism for male teenagers. If you don't get punched in the chest until your sternum/ribs snap or bend inward, at least, you are not considered man enough to be part of the crowd. You are an outsider whom others can ignore and prey on, because you are viewed as being different - and lord knows that is not a feeling you want to have when you're a teenager. It's not exactly a nice feeling when your peers ridicule you or, worse, belt you up.

 

Whilst following the articles, I thought the courts were presented with a good opportunity to send out a strong message that 'skelim bros' and bullying in general, which is, unfortunately, common place in most schools, is wrong and if you punch someone in the chest so hard that the impact collapses the chest cavity, snapping the ribs in the process and causing the broken bones to tear flesh, pierce the heart or lungs and thereby cause a very painful death, you, the bully, will go to jail because you have killed someone deliberately.  

 

But, alas, today, I read that the courts have imposed a slap-on-the-wrist sentence and you can just imagine the relief and happiness that the perpetrator would have felt as he was embraced by his equally relieved family as they walked out of the court room into the fresh air and warm sunshine. It was a beautiful day for them.

 

Meanwhile, the soul of the poor deceased boy, despatched so ruthlessly to the sheer blackness of eternity, roams the great void angrily, restlessly, eternally. And, somewhere, at a school in this country, some poor male student, the child of parents of have worked hard to put their son in school, is either preparing to undergo 'skelim bros' or is either being considered for 'skelim bros' by his peers. The cycle of violence rages on restlessly, eternally.   

 

Tagis queries varsity’s security

By JULIA DAIA BORE

THE director-general of the Office of Higher Education (OHE), Dr William Tagis, has questioned the effectiveness of the security management of the University of Technology in Lae, The National reports.

He said there had been student deaths in the past five years, with the recent one last Thursday when a first year engineering student from East Sepik was killed, allegedly at the hands of a highlands student or students.

“A death or deaths, even injuries, of any student at a university campus, is a very serious matter,” Tagis said yesterday.

“No university should allow ethnic groupings.

“Such activities must be stopped because they are not helping anyone,” he added.

Tagis said Unitech should instead encourage “academic groupings” which he said were more healthy as they were made up of mixed groupings of students from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Tagis said about a year or two ago, there was another killing of a highlands student, followed by heightened unrest on that campus with another student being badly-injured.

Last week, the first year engineering student was killed.

“A university that is allowing such continuing unrest brings about questions about the executive management of the institution; particularly, its management of security system of all living on campus – students and staff like.

“Students must feel safe to study and move about on a university campus.

“With the continuing deaths of students, there must be questions as to the effectiveness of its administration, particularly security.

 “It brings to my mind why there is no disciplinary control in a university campus,” Tagis said.

He pointed out that “ethnic groupings” must not be allowed and called on the Unitech administration to immediately do away with such practices by its students on campus.

He said it encouraged the breeding grounds of the current on-going ethnic clashes leading to killings of innocent students whose reasons for being in a higher education institution was to gain valuable education which would benefit PNG.

Tagis dispatched one of his senior officers to the university on Monday and expected him to return with information of what was really going on.

He said based on this information, his office would make its next moves to assist Unitech to reach a long-term objective on better control of the safety of students on campus.

Papua New Guinea businesswomen off to China

Councillor Elizabeth Gonoua of Central (from left), Julie Keni of East Sepik, Sophie Kaupa of Chimbu, PNG Women in Business president Janet Sape, Lari Fareho of Port Moresby and vice president of the People’s Action Party Martha Kaia showing off their passports for a trip to the Shanghai 2010 world trade expo.

By BOSORINA ROBBY

FIVE Papua New Guinean businesswomen will be going to China to celebrate the country’s independence at the Shanghai 2010 world trade expo this weekend, The National reports.

The women, who are engaged in small to medium-sized businesses, were the winners of the PNG Women in Business (WIB) expo held in Lae earlier this year.

The trip to Shanghai was one of the incentives of WiB.

The women are Kuni/Mekeo councilor Elizabeth Gonoua, who is a rubber farmer; Julie Keni, a guest house proprietor in East Sepik; Sophie Kaupa, a tailor with branches in Lae and Chimbu; Lari Fareho, a local jeweller in Port Moresby; and bilum wear specialist Florence Jaukae. 

In a small ceremony yesterday, PNG WiB president Janet Sape thanked the women and their families for their commitment to support the organisation which aims to equip mothers who are venturing into small businesses.

Sape said many women in PNG were very skilled but did not have anywhere to go to further their skills and market to expose their products.

She had encouraged all interested women to visit the PNG WiB office at the DCI Textile building at Gordon to know more about how they can participate in moving PNG forward through their own business ventures.

She also acknowledged Minister for Commerce and Industry Gabriel Kapris and his department for supporting this incentive and assisting to set up WiB and sponsoring the trip.

The women were presented with their passport by People’s Action Party vice-president Martha Kaia, on behalf of Kapris.

Jails to buy 1,500 semi-automatic weapons, 50,000 rounds from Australia

CORRECTIONAL Services Minister Tony Aimo has confirmed overseas media reports that the Correctional Services will buy non-lethal weapons worth more than K9 million for its jails from Australian defence technology company Metal Storm Ltd, The National reports.

The Brisbane-based company announced separately on its website that the Correctional Services planned to have about 1,500 of these weapons in service starting next year.

Aimo said CS had placed orders worth US$3.364 million (K9.1 million) but no payments had been made as arrangements were being done on a government-to-government level.

The minister, reinstated CS commissioner Richard Sikani and deputy commissioner operations Henry Wavik will travel to Brisbane next week to check on the weapons.

Metal Storm said this week it would supply 500 weapons and 50,000 rounds of ammunition in a deal signed with Aimo.

The semi-automatic weapons would be used with non-lethal ammunition and would be deployed to CS officers in charge of security at jails throughout the country, providing non-lethal response capabilities that could be lifted to immediate lethal response if necessary.

 “PNG is delighted to be able to source weapons at the leading edge of shotgun technology and we hope in due course to have about 1,500 of these weapons in service,” Aimo said.

He said he expected ratification of the urgent purchase through the usual government protocols shortly and the first 50 weapons to be delivered by next February.

Aimo said CS would be getting non-lethal weapons while the police and defence would be beefing up their firepower with lethal weapons.

He said orders had been placed and were going through the normal procurement process.

“If things go well, Correctional Services will be the first to get non-lethal weapons that is aimed at injuring rather than killing of escapees.

“We do not want to kill prison escapees, the message we want to get across is for escapees to go back and serve their jail term, and we (CS) will rehabilitate you into the community as a reformed person.”

Aimo said that CS saw the capacity of the weapon to deliver a rapid and escalating response as exactly what was necessary for security in PNG jails.

Metal Storm CEO Dr Lee Finniear said the production contract was a watershed for the company after many years of research, development and testing.

He said that an additional advantage for the CS was that weapons that were lost or stolen could not be used with conventional illegally obtained ammunition.

“Illegal arms possession is a big problem in PNG and the government are determined to tackle the issue on a variety of fronts.

“By purchasing Metal Storm weapons, the PNG Correctional Services is contributing to government arms control by ensuring that, if stolen, its new weapons cannot be used effectively by criminals,” Finniear said.