Violence rocks Mendi

By JEFFREY ELAPA and JAMES APA GUMUNO

MANY people were wounded and thousands of kina worth of pro­perties damaged as armed supporters of two acting provincial administrators clashed in the Southern Highlands capital, Mendi, yesterday, The National reports.
Provincial police commander Chief Supt Teddy Tei confirmed that the supporters of reappointed provincial administrator William Powi and those backing sidelined acting admi­nistrator Lawrence Olkoben clashed using sticks, stones and bush knives.
There were reports of guns being used but police could not confirm that.
Reports that two men died in the clash could not be confirmed as well last night.
Tei said as Powi flew into Mendi to take up his acting appointment as ad­ministrator, armed supporters of Ol­koben tried to prevent him from entering the seven-storey Agiru Centre.
Fight then broke out in front of the provincial administration building with bush knives, sticks and stones being used.
"I condemn the action of the people of Nipa for supporting the sidelined administrator by arming themselves and having no respect for the law and other people of Southern Highlands.
"These are the actions of lunatics. They are not human beings with common sense," Tei said.
He commended the handful of policemen and local leaders who ma­naged to contain the situation from spreading further.
All government offices and stores in town closed as the violence spread onto the streets.
Many vehicles had their windscreens smashed by flying missiles.
Olkoben confirmed that several of his supporters were wounded while thousands of kina worth of properties was damaged.
He said the provincial government would pay for all the damages as assured by Governor Anderson Agiru yesterday.
He said seven people were cri­tically wounded and had to be admitted at the Mendi General Hospital while another three were transferred to Mt Hagen in Western Highlands.
Olkoben said he would continue to occupy the office until a permanent appointment was made by the NEC.
Powi blamed Olkoben for starting the commotion.
He said he flew into Mendi to take up his acting appointment but was surprised by the armed supporters.
He said NEC was the final appointing authority and the PEC and Olkoben had to respect due process and allow him to resume and take control of government administration in the province.
A government spokesman said cabinet last week rescinded the appointment of Olkoben because it did not follow proper process.
"Olkoben's appointment fell short of the Public Service Commission requirements and cabinet acted to correct this," he said.
 "People must understand this process and what happened in Mendi is a criminal act that the police must deal with," the source said.
Powi was appointed by NEC last Thursday during the changes to some departmental heads.
Mendi hospital chief executive officer Joseph Turian confirmed yesterday afternoon that nine people had sustained pellet wounds and were treated at the hospital.
Turian said while the hospital was opened yesterday, those who sought treatments were charged K1,000 each.
He said the high fee was imposed because hospital staff were forced to attend to patients as a result of a problem brought on by their own doing.

Mt Hagen ends 50th cultural show

By YVONNE HAIP

THE country's spectacular and diverse culture was showcased during the three-day Mt Hagen Cultural show's 50th anniversary at Kagamuga, Western Highlands, from Friday to yesterday, The National reports.

Two girls leading adults in a singsing group.-Nationalpic by YVONNE HAIP

The annual event, which was sponsored by Digicel, was attended by a bumper crowd and attracted a large number of tourists.
Although the Enga cultural show was held over the weekend, the show, which was first held in 1961, attracted some 570 tourists, a 100% increase, compared to last year's 250.
Two Italian tourists, Gio­vani Rainero and Fran­­cesca Fronte, who travelled from Milan, said it had been worth getting first-hand expe­rience of Papua New Guinea.

Tourists mingling with traditional dancers

As first-timers to the country, they said they had been told negative stories about PNG and its crime rate but they had disproved that and had met many friendly people and they would return.
Many singsing groups from all over the country took part and it was a display of PNG's unique and diverse culture.
Several local singers, including Lista Serum and K-Dumen belted out their hits and the amphitheatre, as usual, was packed to capacity.
Some youths, despite the mud after the rainy season, danced away as their favourite bands played.
The show was witnessed by a delegation of ministers, led by Deputy Prime Minster Belden Namah.
Culture, Arts, and Tourism Minister Benjamin Philip said culture was an important heritage of the country and had to be upheld and strengthened.
He said westernisation was luring youths away from culture but he urged the people to uphold their identity.
He committed K10,000 towards the show's organising committee.
Governor Tom Olga, who officially opened the show, said culture was the pride of their ancestors, the current and future generation and should be passed on

Cases against government thrown out

By JEFFREY ELAPA

THE court proceeding taken against the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and his deputy Belden Namah by the former forest minister Timothy Bonga and national president of the National Alliance party Simon Kaiwi has been withdrawn, The National reports.
The parties named in the proceeding were O'Neill, Belden Namah, Bulolo MP Sam Basil, Hagen MP William Duma, Speaker Jeffery Nape and Attorney- General Dr Allan Marat.
O'Neill told reporters that Bonga and Kaiwi filed a notice to withdraw the Supreme Court judicial reference last Tuesday but the reason for the withdrawal had not been made known.
Court documents were filed at the court registry last week and the matter is expected to be withdrawn officially in court today.
Late last week, O'Neill said: "So far there is no case before my government after the previous Supreme and National court references by Abal have been thrown out.
"It was obvious that 70 members have supported me for a change of government, therefore, there was no need for any court cases," he said.
However, when asked about another court proceeding taken by the East Sepik provincial executive council for a judicial constitutional reference,  O'Neill said he was never served any copy of the proceeding and, therefore, he was not aware of it.
He said he only learnt of it in the media.
But to date he was satisfied that there was no pending case against his government after the two previous supreme court interpretation proceedings had been thrown out.
He said his ministers were starting to settle into their new ministries and he was confident all would go well in the next nine months.
He said his government was serious about addressing corruption and maintaining good governance.
Meanwhile on the issue of the Manus asylum seekers detention centre, O'Neill said the NEC had approved the request by the Australian government.
He said a delegation will be flying into PNG to talk about setting up the centre and signing a memorandum of agreement.
He said as a signatory to the Bali agreement on human smuggling, PNG had to work with neighbouring countries like Australia to counter human and drug-smuggling as a security issue in the region.

Parkop slams Manus plan

NCD Governor Powes Parkop has reiterated his opposition to the deal to send Australia's asylum seekers to Manus Island, saying it is illegal and unconstitutional, Radio Australia reported, The National reports.
Parkop, a human rights lawyer who is from Manus, told the Australian broadcaster last Friday that he would challenge the Manus plan in court.
The cabinet of Prime Minister Peter O'Neill agreed last Thursday to re-open the Manus detention centre to accept asylum seekers from Australia.
This prompted his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard to announce that a memorandum of understanding with PNG on the centre would be signed soon.
However, Parkop, a key player in changing government on Aug 2, told Radio Australia people could only be detained in PNG if they had been charged with a criminal offence.
Australia said the fa­cility on Manus would be a processing centre but the governor said if people were locked up it was illegal.
"That can open the floodgates for, you know, police or migration here to put anybody in detention," he said, adding that he was prepared to go to court.
Parkop told Radio Australia: "I think it's not right that Australia keeps on passing this problem to its neighbouring (countries such as) PNG and Nauru and now Malaysia.
"Not just (immoral) but improper for them to flaunt their international obligation by coming up with these schemes."
It also quoted Australia's immigration minister Chris Bowen as saying it would be several weeks before the centre was up and running.
Australian refugee groups have condemned the agreement, saying asylum seekers would not get the treatment they needed on Manus.
Australia's parliamentary secretary for Pacific island affairs Richard Marles said the asylum seekers would be treated with respect.
"We will be approach­ing this issue in a way which makes sure that those people who are transferred to Manus Island are dealt with in dignity and
as efficiently as possible," he told Radio Australia.
"That will be the underlying principle behind the way in which we deal with the individuals who go there."

13 die in related accidents

By PISAI GUMAR
THIRTEEN people died instantly within 30 hours at the same location in two road accidents at Sasiang Farm in Morobe, The National reports.

The semi-trailer and truck after last Saturday's accident.-Nationalpics by PISAE GUMAR

A closer view of the truck crushed under the semi-trailer

When the Lae Fire Brigade was contacted after the second accident, seven officers led by chief provincial fire com­mander Alphonse Aime rushed to the scene of the accident.
But, on their way at a sharp corner past Erap Bridge, the two front tyres of the fire truck blew.
The fire truck veered off the road and overturned, with Aime and another officer suffering injuries to the head, shoulder and arms.
In the initial accident, the PMV Coaster was on its way to Lae from Mt Hagen when it collided with a KK & Sons semi-trailer.
The Dyna truck was returning from Madang when it, too, ploughed head-on into the semi-trailer left by the roadside.
Mutzing health staff said five people from the PMV died instantly with the others suffering severe body injuries and were taken to the Angau Memorial Hospital.
First Const David Waiko from Mutzing police, who attended the first accident, said he had asked the truck owner to remove the vehicle and trailer.
But the police instructions were ignored with the trailer left on the highway for a day and two nights. 
The second accident occurred in the early hours of Saturday.
The Mazda Dyna was loaded with empty gas cylinders and boxes of medical drugs with six male passengers.
The vehicle, owned by a Manus man, is contracted to the Lae area base medical store for drug procurement, and was returning to Lae after delivering drugs to the Modilon General Hospital in Madang.
Patsy Saku, from Buingim village in Bukawa, Morobe, said 12 people had boarded the truck in Madang to go to Lae. But, at the Ono Bridge, Saku and five others got off and transferred to a Toyota Land Cruiser, leaving the others to continue the trip to Lae on the Dyna truck.
Zifasing rural police station commander Simon Sinanu and highway patrol senior constables Simon Auma and Moses Aris could not confirm the cause of the accident.  
However, they said the impact of the collision
pushed the trailer 37m off the road and ripped off the truck's cabin, killing the driver instantly.
The crew member and two others in the cabin were crushed while four others at the back were trapped between the empty gas cylinders and the caved-in cabin.
All were crushed to death. Two were believed to be from Manus while six were from Bukawa.
Vehicles from East West Transport, Hi Lift and Shorncliffe (PNG) Ltd helped remove the trailer before Mutzing health officers could retrieve the bodies.
The semi-trailer was looted after the first accident. The accidents occurred along the Markham plains in Morobe while the vehicles were travelling to Lae from Mt Hagen (Western Highlands) and Madang respectively.
In one incident, a 25-seater Coaster PMV bus collided with a 22-wheel semi-trailer between 6pm and 9pm last Thursday, killing four passengers and a driver. Then, at 1am last Saturday, a Mazda truck returning from Madang crashed into the semi-trailer involved in the previous accident, which had been left without warning signals at the roadside, killing all eight aboard.

Papua New Guinea girl on US soccer scholarship

Proud Papua New Guineans in Western Australia have farewelled young female soccer player Zachirra Kanari for another term of her soccer scholarship in the United States of America.

Soccer star Shakira Kanari (third from right, front row) with members of the PNG community in Newman, Western Australia

Kanari is from Dagua, East Sepik and she has been playing soccer in Western Australia for the past two years prior to being selected for a scholarship.
She was on holidays last month in Newman-BHP Billiton Iron Ore’s mining township where her father Willie Kanari works as an engineering technician / tradesman.
The Kanaris are one of the 15 PNG families who reside there.

Shakira Kanari with her father Willie and mother Hedwig Kanari

She told the community about her experience in America and how challenging it had been since she took up the opportunity to play soccer and do her studies at the same time.
She is studying engineering at Pensacola College in Port Angeles, Washington State.
“I find it very challenging and I can say I am one of the fortunate young people to be selected from an Australian soccer team in Perth for a scholarship,” Kanari said.
“The training and fitness programme in America is of very high standard and I aim to do my best.
“I have set my goals to complete my studies and I know that to be successful it requires much effort and dedication.”
Her father Willie and mother Hedwig are proud parents and are encouraging other Papua New Guineans to support their children not only in academia but also in sports and whatever talents or interests they have.
The PNG-Newman community comprises of mine engineers, geologists, technical engineers and engineering technicians/tradesman in various trades.
Many of them have worked together in PNG and know each other from the mines.
The community is a registered not-for-profit organisation that was first established in 2007 by a number of members like. Wesley Peni who still resides in Newman, Carl Pelini and those who have left Newman to pursue other careers abroad and in Australia at large.
The members often have community gatherings through which they socialise and annually celebrate PNG’s independence.
They also raise funds to support charity and mid-last year they sponsored Pacific Adventist University students who participated in the Walk against Corruption.
The club also plans to make charity donations to the Royal Flying Doctors in Western Australia.
Treasurer and executive of the PNG-Newman Community, Joseph Aroviri acknowledged all members and thanked them for their efforts and support towards making this year a successful one.
“We are Papua New Guineans who have created a home-away-from-home where we maintain a strong community and we support each other as we go along,” he said.
Soccer is a common game in Newman and most of these families play the game.
They encourage their children to play the game as well and Miss Kanari has definitely set an example for them.

Goroka Show gets more support

By MALUM NALU

Support for next month's Goroka Show is gaining momentum with two more sponsors hopping on the bandwagon last week.

Barrick Kainantu came on board with K5, 000 while the Institute of PNG Studies chipped in with K1, 000 to help stage the Sept 16-18 event, which will coincide with independence celebrations.

Barrick representative George Pirie, while handing over the money, said although the sponsorship was small, he was hopeful that it would assist the show organising committee to achieve its objectives

Executive officer of Goroka Show and secretary of the Eastern Highlands Agricultural Society, Tom Soles,   received the money and thanked Barrick Kainantu for coming on board once again

 He said Barrick Kainantu initially came on board with a sponsorship of K20, 000 in 2008 but in the ensuing years, had scaled it down to K5, 000.

"This is understandable, given Barrick's scaled-down operations in Kainantu," Soles said.

"However, they have always endeavoured to make their presence felt annually at the Goroka Show, which is very encouraging.

 Soles called on the coffee companies and other business houses in the province to make their presence felt.

 "You have to give something back to the province for hosting you, and you have to reciprocate this by supporting community events like Goroka Show and others," he said.

Institute of PNG Studies director Don Nile said its K1, 000 was not much but he hoped it would go a long way in assist the committee's endeavours.

He said IPNGS would be documenting some traditional dances at the show for archival purposes.

Soles said the IPNGS proposal to document traditional dance and folklore was timely, given the onslaught of westernisation among young people.