Councils and democracy - a pathway for Papua New Guinea

By JOHN FOWKE

John Fowke

The citizens of Australia, like those of all free, progressive democratic nations hold as their first and second most-dear possessions their families and their homes and real property.

 The great issues of tax, trade, foreign affairs and defence are generally regarded without question as the province of the Federal Government, but  ordinary people are quick to stand up and speak on  issues affecting their daily lives, their households, health and their children’s’ welfare, and their investments.

 There is nothing more destabilising and aggravating than unauthorised changes to laws and autocratic and, worse, corrupt decisions by a government.

In most democracies, the primary level of government provides both a forum and conduit for complaint or adjustment or suggested improvement.

This means the state or province, the town or rural local government institutions which protect citizens’ most prized  assets – homes, businesses, power, water and sewerage, schools and hospitals, law and order- these institutions are the forums most accessible and most responsive to the expressions of John and Joan Citizen.

 These institutions are basic to a settled, productive and satisfied society.

 This goes back to tribal times when no matter how impoverished and how low down in the tribal pecking order one was, there was always a right to stand forth in front of one’s clansmen and women and be listened to when there was general concern or a worry present in the community.

Such a system was formalised, for instance, amongst the Scandinavian raiders who conquered and settled large areas of England, Scotland and Ireland 1,400 years ago.

The tribal court was called the Witan, and here disputes and offences by tribesmen were settled according to custom.

 This ancient, basic right has been eroded in PNG to the stage where it is now almost non-existent.

Citizens feel a sense of powerlessness.

This is because traditional leadership which today is represented by the LLG Councillor and his Local Level Government have been neutralised as a force in politics.

This has been done simply and deliberately by cutting out the financial support necessary for LLGs to function other than in a ceremonial, flag-raising manner.

 By starving the LLGs of funds over a decades-long period the party system has intentionally connived to emasculate them; has rendered them without influence or effect in any real sense, especially in the provision of effective local communal leadership and representation.

This situation may be reversed- not without difficulty- by turning the LLGs into communally-aligned “quality control units” rather than physical service-providers with tip-trucks and bridge-carpenters and so-on.

LLGs should become communal quality-controllers, criticising and bringing to provincial and Waigani-based authorities’ attention all and any deficiencies in the function of service-providing departments and government agencies.

 This to be done through MPs whose loyalty is tied by agreement to the LLGs in each electorate.

 This will be resisted strongly by the political class and aspirants to this status because it cuts out the “parties”- the running sores within the PNG polity, source of personal advantage and enrichment of MPs.

An egalitarian society like PNG never needed”parties” as such.

The basis of all needs and identity in PNG is clan membership, home region, "ples matmat bilong tumbuna”; not occupational status, caste, or levels of wealth.

It was surprising and pleasing to see the union movement come together on the “2 PM’s “ issue recently; for a moment there was a flicker of trans-tribal unity on a political issue.

Evidence that a “workers party” could be a reality one day, instead of a mere shield covering the activities in Port Moresby of MPs and their associates.

An opaque ceiling, in effect, imposed between advantaged ”us” and “ them”, the electorate, kept downstairs in the dark.

That which has been suggested here may be accomplished legally, constitutionally, if a large enough number of LLGs can be persuaded to choose a preferred candidate within their electorate- (even though in some cases electorates and LLG districts overlap this is not an insurmountable barrier) - and then oblige the chosen one to sign an agreement tying his whole attention and all funding he is able to extract to the issues nominated by resolution of the LLGs in duly-managed-and -minuted session.

Very briefly, this is what I have been advocating as a remedy for today’s travesty where PNG, a self-declared and wealthy democracy is actually a corrupt hegemony managed for their own benefit by the makeshift mechanism of “parties” which have absolutely no meaning, nor meaningful manifestos, as far as ordinary people are concerned.

Pictures of yesterday's Airlines PNG Dash 8 fiasco in Daru

January 21 is 70th anniversary of Japanese bombing of Salamaua, Lae and Bulolo

Lest we forget, Saturday, January 21, will be the 70th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of Morobe's three golden towns - Salamaua, Lae and Bulolo. 

It is my hope that locals can get together, in whatever little way, and reflect on the significance of the occassion. 

In the lead-up to the anniversary, I'll be running a series of articles on Salamaua, Lae and Bulolo.

Rabaul marks 70th anniversary of Japanese bombing

By MALUM NALU

Wednesday, Jan 4, 2012, marked the 70^th anniversary of the first Japanese bombing of Rabaul on Jan 4, 1942.

Sadly, this day went by unrecognised by many people in Rabaul, East New Britain and Papua New Guinea.

The Japanese dropped their first bombs on Rabaul on Jan 4, 1942, and continued with almost daily air raids until the 5, 000-strong Japanese invasion force attacked Rabaul soon after midnight on Jan 23, 1942.

The New Guinea campaign opened with the battles for New Britain and New Ireland.

In the first month of the war in the Pacific, Japanese aircraft reconnoitred the islands and in response, Australian Hudson bombers and Catalina flying boats flew reconnaissance and bombing sorties over the Japanese naval bases in the Caroline Islands.

The first casualties occurred on Jan 4, 1942, when three New Guinean workers were killed in an air raid on Rabaul.

 On Jan 22–23, the Japanese invaded Rabaul and Kavieng.

Rabaul had been the administrative capital of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea.

Its pre-war populace included about 1,000 Europeans, 1,000 Asians (mostly Chinese), but also a few Japanese and about 3,000 New Guineans.

 Villages and plantations were spread across New Britain and New Ireland.

Australian troops, local police and some civilians retreated south but the Japanese captured over 500 European civilians, six army nurses and some wounded soldiers (some of whom were executed) in and around Rabaul.

These captives included 350 missionaries, priests and nuns who were interned.

The Chinese were especially fearful, as the Japanese had massacred Chinese in other countries.

Some were executed soon after Rabaul fell but there was no large-scale massacre.

Instead, they were ordered to live in designated areas outside Rabaul.

Men were forced to work as labourers alongside Chinese prisoners of war brought to the island.

An unknown number of women and girls were raped and, in the worst instances, forced to serve for periods as “comfort women”.

 The situation might have been even worse had the Japanese not begun importing some Japanese, Korean and Chinese “comfort women”, who were housed at “China Town” in Rabaul.

In July 1942, , about 1, 000 of the captured Australian men, including civilian internees, were drowned when the Japanese transport ship Montevideo Maru was sunk by an American submarine off the Philippines coast en route to Japan.

The ill-fated Montevideo Maru. In July 1942,  about 1, 000 of the captured Australian men from Rabaul, including civilian internees, were drowned when the Japanese transport ship was sunk by an American submarine off the Philippines coast en route to Japan.

 Only the officers and nurses, sent to Japan on a different ship, survived.

The small Australian garrison, Lark Force, was overwhelmed and most of its troops, including six army nurses, captured.

Approximately 400 of the troops escaped to the mainland and another 160 were massacred at Tol Plantation.

“Some villagers remained staunchly pro-Australian but several villages turned pro-Japanese to ensure survival under the new regime or (sometimes) to facilitate ‘payback’ against rival groups,” writes John Moremon of the Australian War Memorial.

“The Japanese were fortunate to have at least one pre-war Japanese resident who arrived with the invading force and was able to advise on Australian administrative methods.

“The Japanese adapted the system of delegating to lululais and tultuls (village chiefs); the few who refused to comply were punished harshly, and sometimes killed.

“About 8,000 New Guineans from the mainland and some Bougainvilleans who had been employed around Rabaul were trapped on the island.

“Most ended up having to fend for themselves or work for the Japanese because local villagers were not very welcoming; this was due partly to ethnicity and partly the fact that locals could not feed all of the outsiders, as the island was in drought.

“The Japanese appointed some of these men as police while others were later transported to the mainland to work as carriers and labourers.”

“Roman Catholic missionaries and a few other civilians from neutral nations (such as Sweden) were interned separately at Vanuapope, outside Rabaul.

“They established gardens and lived relatively well, but in 1944 their camp was bombed mistakenly by Allied aircraft.

“A few internees were killed in the raid, and others had died of disease.

“The 158 survivors moved to Ramale where they were liberated at the end of the war.

“The Japanese developed Rabaul as their principal base in New Guinea.

“Over 100,000 navy and army personnel eventually would be based there.

“The workforce was bolstered by local Chinese and New Guineans and from mid-1942 by thousands of Chinese, Indian and British prisoners of war shipped to New Britain.

“From March 1942, the Allies responded with a bombing campaign and fierce aerial battles were waged over Rabaul.”

There were six airfields used by the Japanese, and several seaplane anchorages in Simpson Harbor.

Reportedly, 367 anti-aircraft weapons (192 army, 175 navy) were emplaced around Rabaul by late 1942.

The harbors were defended by an estimated 43 costal guns and 20 searchlights, according to US Strategic Bombing Survey in 1943.

The Rabaul area was the most heavily-defended target in the South-West Pacific area.

Bypassed by the Allies, Rabaul remained in Japanese hands for the duration of the war and was subject to almost daily air raids, until the Japanese surrender in 1945.

Americans dropped 20,000 tons of bombs on the town and vicinity.

 Conditions for the Japanese deteriorated once they were cut off from supply.

They were forced to commandeer food from the natives and to fend for themselves by large scale gardening.

War had begun in the Pacific with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on Dec 7, 1941.

Rabaul was bombed on Jan 4, 1942 followed by Lae, Salamaua, and Bulolo on Jan 21.

Bitapaka War Cemetery, not far from Rabaul, is a peaceful and beautiful cemetery containing the graves of over 1, 000 Allied war dead and the Rabaul Memorial commemorates those who have no known grave.

Bitapaka War Cemetery, not far from Rabaul, is a peaceful and beautiful cemetery containing the graves of over 1, 000 Allied war dead and the Rabaul Memorial commemorates those who have no known grave.-Picture by MALUM NALU

The cemetery is maintained by the Office of Australian War Graves, Department of Veterans' Affairs, on behalf of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

It is located near the site of the first Australian action of World War I when the Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) captured a German wireless station on Sept 11, 1914.

Each grave is marked by a bronze plaque set on a low concrete pedestal with 500 marked 'Known to God'.

As well as Australians, the cemetery contains the graves of Indian and British prisoners of war who were transported to New Britain by the Japanese as a labour force.

The peace of the setting and the enormous number of white crosses shocked me with the contrast.

It was here that I began to grasp the sacrifice made by those who give their lives for their country.

Bitapaka War Cemetery respects and honors those who made the supreme sacrifice for their people.

It also serves as a reminder that war kills, not just a few, but many hundreds of thousands, and on both sides.

Bitapaka – like other war cemeteries in Papua New Guinea – offers an opportunity to create goodwill amongst all the living so that the same tragedies may not be repeated.

It creates strong feelings of sacredness, tranquility, spaciousness, peace and beauty, and is immaculately maintained by devoted staff.

Bitapaka War Cemetery contains 1, 111 burials of WW11: 12 from the Navy, 1,042 from the Navy, 55 from the Air Force and two civilians.

Of these, 35 are British, 420 are Australians, one is a New Zealander, 614 are Indians, 34 are Fijians, two are Western Solomon Islanders, and five are Allies.

The memorial commemorates 1,113 Australian soldiers, 104 airmen and eight Papua New Guineans who have no known grave.

The Indian soldiers were prisoners of war from the Malayan Campaign, while the remainder of the burials and all the names on the memorial are of men who died in New Britain and New Ireland.

The cemetery also contains 28 burials of WW1: 27 Australian and one British.

The cemetery and memorial were constructed and are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Lest we forget!

Journalists urged to write and sell books

By ABIGAIL APINA

GRAND Chief Sir Paulias Matane has challenged members of the media to write books, The National reports.
He issued the challenge while congratulating secretary for Education Dr Musawe Sinebare for his book, Path of Success, which was published recently.
He said those in the media were in a better position to write about any subject and he failed to understand why most of them had not tried writing books on local issues and subjects.
“We have so many things in the country to write about,” he said.
There were 52 people in the country who had written books while others were in the process of having their work published.
He said more people should write and sell their books to schools.
Sir Paulias said the market was not very good compared with other countries because Papua New Guineans were not readers.
“The market in PNG is poor because we are not readers, we are talkers,” he said.
He said the lack of proper market was not a problem but a challenge for the people.
Sir Paulias urged people to improve the market by writing more books and encouraging youths to develop the habit of reading books.
His 46th book, titled From Jungle House to Government House, would soon be published and be launched in March or April.
He said people should make time to write books if they managed their time well

Family and friends farewell Tony Subam

By SALLY POKITON
UPNG journalism student

MUSIC legend Tony Soru Subam, who died on Christmas Day at age 53, was a positive man who believed in the power of the mind, a farewell service in Port Moresby was told yesterday, The National reports.
Sebastian Miyoni, a fellow founder of the renowned Sanguma band formed in 1978, told a gathering of colleagues, family and friends to celebrate Subam’s life at the St Joseph’s Catholic Church,  his band mate meditated a lot to find an inner peace.
Subam’s son, Siaro Subam, paid tribute to his father on behalf of the family saying he was a loving, humble and caring person.
“His work and commitment to his students, you can see the connection he had with them,’’ he said.
“To me he was a strong man, he believed in what he thought was right.
“He always pushed away the negative things in life and told me and my siblings to move forward.”
Subam, of Kairuru in East Sepik and Yabob in Madang, was the third of five boys who grew up in Madang, Goroka and Lae where his father worked.
He attended the Holy Spirit “A” Catholic School then went on to Malala Catholic High School in 1970 before going on to Kerevat National High School in 1974.
Subam enrolled at UPNG in 1976 to study science but withdrew to enroll at the National Arts school to study music where he majored in  saxophone and flute.
He formed the Sanguma band with fellow National Arts school pioneer students Thomas Komboi and Miyoni in 1978.
The band which grew to include Buruka Tau, Raymond Haken and Aaron Murray, performed in Germany, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US and other Pacific islands.
At the time of his death, he was the head of the UPNG creative arts music section.
One of his former students, Richard Mogu, described his mentor as an ambassador of PNG culture.
His body leaves for Madang today.
He is survived by his two partners, four sons and one daughter

High drama in Indonesian airspace involving PNG Falcon jet

THE Indonesian military scrambled two aircraft to track Air Niugini’s Falcon jet last November as it was returning home from Malaysia with VIPs on board, including Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah, it has been disclosed, The National reports.
The P2ANW flight was in Indonesian airspace when the drama unfolded on Nov 29, unbeknown to Namah and his entourage.
He had demanded an explanation from the Indonesian Embassy in Port Moresby.
However, his request for a meeting with the Indonesian Ambassador was not granted.
According to protocol, it was required that the Foreign Affairs secretary would summon the ambassador and present a protest note on behalf of the PNG government to the Indonesian government.
Details on the incident surfaced in PNG in recent days when an Indonesian journalist started asking questions through PNG sources about the government’s reaction to it.
It was known that the Falcon F900 had left Subang, Malaysia, on Nov 29 for Port Moresby and was flying through the approved route which included flying over Indonesian airspace.
According to the Indonesian journalist, Indonesian authorities were tipped off that the aircraft was carrying substantial amount of cash in US dollars.
Indonesia, which has very strict laws on money laundering, scrambled two military jets to “escort” the PNG carrier through its airspace until it reached PNG airspace.
The crew on the aircraft included Capt Christopher Gregory Smith, Capt Vincent Kipma and attendant Dessie Benson.
The passenger manifest listed Namah, Obura-Wonenara MP John Boito, Bulolo MP Sam Basil, private lawyer Bonny Ninai, Australian Anubhav Tadav and Malaysians Tee Kim Tee, Tan Bing Hua and Tan Keh Feng.
The Falcon crew had furnished a three-page report about the incident which would be delivered to the PNG government for further action, including an official protest note to Jakarta.
Namah yesterday vehemently denied that he or his group were carrying substantial amount of US dollars aboard the Falcon.
“We went through the normal immigration and customs checks to get clearance to fly to Papua New Guinea,” he said