Basil calls for unity on Indonesian military jet incident

Minister for National Planning and Monitoring Sam Basil today urged the nation to remain united over the Indonesian military jet incident involving the Falcon jet.

 “No nation, however large or small, however rich or poor, however large or small its army, should be allowed to intimidate, coerce, manipulate and dominate another,” Basil said. 

 “That is one of the pillars that hold up the United Nations and the basis upon which Deputy Prime Minister  Belden Namah raised the issue on the November 29, 2011 incident.”

 Basil was referring to the much-publicised issue on an intercept by two Indonesian military jets on the Air Niugini-managed Falcon jet. 

Namah and his business partners together with Minister for Police ohn Boito and Basil were on-board as well flying over Sulawesi in the Indonesian air space when the incident happened. 

 “I am urging Papua New Guineans not to be swayed by malicious and untrue suggestions that the Falcon jet was carrying US$250 million," Basil said.

"That is a red herring – a mere diversion from the real issue. 

 “The Falcon jet was chartered by the Bewani oil palm project and was ferrying business partners in the project which included Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah, Minister Boito and myself.

“I was there because the trip offered insights into oil palm project management which is useful in the light of the Tekadu oil palm project in my Bulolo electorate as well as the Markham Valley oil palm project in Morobe generally – not to mention that as National Planning and Monitoring Minister I would sooner or later have to deal with oil palm-related issues.

“As a commercial chartered aircraft, all of us were subject to the rigorous checks required under customs, immigration and civil aviation laws of the various countries where we landed. 

"That includes declaration if any one of us was carrying more than the equivalent of K10,000 in cash which we all complied with.  

"“With the kind of portfolio held by Boito and my own strong stance in fighting corruption shown in the Investigative Task Force Sweep, why would we be a party to money laundering or any kind of illegal activity for that matter?

“If there was the slightest sniff or suggestion of money laundering or illegality of any kind, I personally would have distanced myself from the trip.”

The Bulolo MP added: “Spearheaded by Mr Namah, we formed the new O’Neill-Namah Government that wants to see issues like lying over shares one holds, resisting and delaying legitimate Ombudsman Commission processes through the court system, unexplained missing Taiwan dollar-for-Ddplomacy funds, breaking multitude of PNG, Solomon Islands and international aviation laws highlighted in the Defence Force Inquiry into the Julian Moti Affair and extensive waste of funds in the Commission of Inquiry into the Department of Finance with no one charged or prosecuted to date.”

 Basil said that the Deputy Prime Minister, a national leader of Papua New Guinea hasdexpressed concern based on what was observed and the reports of the pilot and co-pilot on the incident involving the two Indonesian military jets.  

A diplomatic note has given to the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia who have in turn responded suggesting discrepancies in dates approved when the Falcon jet would be using Indonesian air space and as justification for the actions of their military jets.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, as executive head of Government has accepted the response subject to clarification on the dates and assured the Republic of Indonesia on the importance of amicable bilateral relations between our two countries.

Basil said that he personally finds the Indonesian Embassy response shallow and wanting.

Referring to the Occurrence Report - O471-11 Apparent Intercept by Military Jet Aircraft over Indonesian Airspace by Captain Christopher Smith, Basil said that the Falcon jet despite being on course and on altitude was given a traffic alert on their traffic collision avoidance system and a resolution advisory which caused Captain Vincent Kipma to disengage the autopilot. He had to make a steep climb “to avoid a collision”.

 Following the “bizarre confrontation”, Captain Smith radioed Ujung control asking if they had the Falcon jet’s overflight permit which was issued on November 27, 2011 and valid for seven days.

The report states: “After several minutes, they responded with an affirmative. A phone call was then placed to Universal Weather from the flight phone explaining the engagement and to check the validity of the Overflight Permit. 

"They acknowledged that it was valid and said they would follow up with Indonesia on their end.”

Basil concluded: “I agree there is a discrepancy. 

"Someone is not telling the truth – and the truth as a way of sipping out despite best efforts to cover up – even by nations.”

Progress made on Purari hydro project

National Executive Council has endorsed a submission to take the next step towards development of the proposed Purari hydroelectricity scheme in Gulf Province.

The submission, presented to NEC jointly by the Minister for Public Enterprises, Sir Mekere Morauta, and the Minister for Petroleum and Energy, William Duma, envisions a project worth between $US5 billion and $US10 billion (K12-25 billion).

It would be the biggest power project in the Oceania region and one of the biggest projects of any sort in Papua New Guinea’s history.

“This is a very significant project that can transform the economy of the nation and in particular the Southern Region,” said Acting Public Enterprises Minister and deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah.

“It can bring power to hundreds of thousands of people in the Gulf, Western and Central provinces, create jobs in some very-disadvantaged areas, and spur agricultural and industrial development.

“The impact on national development and local economic opportunity of this one scheme should not be underestimated, and neither should its beneficial impact on living standards.”

The project is being promoted by the Government through IPBC in partnership with PNG Energy Developments Limited, a 50-50 joint venture between PNG Sustainable Development Limited and Origin Energy of Australia.

Substantial equity will be offered to the Government if the project goes ahead.

Cabinet supported the proposed scheme and directed that a working group of relevant departments and government agencies be formed to liaise with PNG EDL on a range of issues including ownership of assets, state equity, taxation arrangements and State, provincial and landowner royalties.

It also agreed to targeted import duty exemptions for the project and to consider exemptions from GST.

A K250-million study under which PNG EDL is looking at the project’s technical, social and environmental feasibility has already begun.

Preliminary studies show that the project could generate up to 2500 megawatts of electricity, almost four times the nation’s entire present generating capacity.

Its huge output could feed into the Port Moresby and Highlands grids and allow for the development of new industries, particularly in the Southern Region, as well as the export of electricity to Australia.

Power from the scheme would also be used for rural electrification in the Gulf and Western Provinces.

About 5000 local families could be supplied with power in the early stages, and up to 300,000 families when fully operational.

Milne Bay Butterflies discovered

A survey of the butterflies of Milne Bay Province islands, which started in 2010 by British entomologist John Tennent, Scientific Associate at the Natural History Museum in London, is in its final phase.

 Tennent returned to the province last October and plans to stay until the project is completed in April this year. 

He has recently returned from the eastern Louisiades, where he surveyed islands not previously visited, including Lowa Island, east of Rossel and the most-easterly island in Papua New Guinea. He also looked at the small island groups at the western end of the Calvados chain, south and west of Misima (Duchateau, Montemont, Jomard, Duperre, Torlesse groups), finding butterfly species previously unknown from Milne Bay on Panavalavalan (small Panasia) and the Torlesse group.

 Tennent, who has now visited 134 different islands in Milne Bay, said “There are more different butterflies on the islands than anyone realised when I started the survey – probably 260 or so, and many are more widely-distributed than previously understood. Although there are more than 1,000 species known from Papua New Guinea as a whole, this is a very respectable number for the islands”.

 British High Commissioner to PNG, Jackie Barson, said the discovery of more than 260 different butterflies on the outer islands underlines again PNG’s reputation as a world biodiversity hotspot.

 “The fact that these tiny islands scattered all over the tip of PNG have an abundance of wildlife is amazing and emphasises the need for more conservation programmes,” she added.

 There are a few more islands to visit by Tennent before finalising the project, which will result in the first book devoted to the butterflies of Milne Bay Province islands.

This will illustrate all the butterfly species and subspecies known from the islands and be the major reference work on the region for the foreseeable future.

 The project is funded by the National Geographic Society in America, the Natural History Museum, Royal Entomological and Linnean Societies in England, and private funding. 

It is also supported by the University of Papua New Guinea, the National Research Institute and the Department of Environment and Conservation.

The last person to carry out a comprehensive butterfly research on Milne Bay island was   A.S. Meek, an English collector in the early days of the 20^th century.  

Remembering Asaro’s favourite son

By Dr HENRY OKOLE

I drove into the car park of the Shady Rest Motel at about 10 am. It was 28 of December
2011, the third last day of the year. The rain that morning was not going to keep me away
from this appointment, with an iconic figure of Papua New Guinea.
I stepped out of the vehicle and gazed at the throng of people around to see if I could
recognise a face that would resemble a younger version that I recalled from pictures of
yesteryears. There he was, I figured, sitting at ease beside the reception area. I walked up to
the elderly person, not sure really, but thankfully his face broke into a big grin when our eyes
met. ‘Yu orait yangpela?,’ he greeted me in Tok Pisin as he stretched out his hand for a firm
hand shake. We made our way to a table just outside the restaurant where we ordered coffee.
Such was my meeting with perhaps Asaro’s most famous son: Sir Sinake Giregire.

Sir Sinake Giregire, 28 December 2011 at the Shady Rest Motel.-Pictures by Dr HENRY OKOLE

As fatewould have it, this was to be my first and last meeting with Giregire. It was his last interview
too. He sadly passed away a week later - on 4 January this year aged about 75.
I wanted to talk to Giregire for two reasons - firstly, I have always been fascinated by
accounts of people who played a role in laying the foundation of PNG. No level of
education, or ounce of sophistication, could ever replace the wisdom, vision and commitment
of such individuals. That is why, for me, it is a sacrilege when the pillars of the state are
disrespected. Secondly, I was assigned to rearrange the platform for the PNG Country Party
in preparations for the 2012 national elections as part of a project at the National Research
Institute.

From left areWilson Thompsons-Orlegge (general secretary, PNG Country Party), James Mehuwo (vice-president, PNG Country Party) and Sir Sinake Giregire

Out of personal interest, I wanted to meet the man behind the party’s ideas.
Giregire founded the party in 1974, a splinter group that left the United Party.
Listening to Giregire’s life story was like looking through a colourful prism. The different
stages of his life, from education to adulthood, depicted a chapter in his life which
corresponded with an epoch in PNG’s history. While many of us remember him as among
the country’s pioneer politicians in the likes of Sir Pita Lus, Sir Michael Somare and the late
Sir Albert Maori Kiki. Giregire was relatively young and a businessman by the time he
entered the House of Assembly in 1964 as the elected Member for Daulo/Goroka/Unggai-
Bena – now three distinct electorates.
Giregire hailed from Gimisave No.1 village, nestled at the base of Asaro valley in the Eastern
Highlands province. His education commenced just after World War II at the Asaroka
Lutheran Mission School where he did Years 1 – 6. Later he transferred to Finschhafen
where he attended the Heldsbach Secondary School for three years. Malaria however
curtailed his schooling in the Morobe province and therefore he went back home to Asaroka.
Living outside his province allowed the young man to be acquainted with business ideas.
Giregire saw a lot of potential in agriculture in particular, a factor that was to be the bedrock
of his political vision years ahead. The development of the agricultural sector became
synonymous with rural development and particularly for PNG Country Party.
Initially, Giregire started by working as a mechanic in Goroka before moving to the Aiyura
valley where he became an agricultural assistant. With some assistance from an expatriate
brother in-law, Giregire started his own business venture. He first set up a pit sawmill
operation in Kainantu before tapping into alluvial gold mining, hence establishing a prospective gold mine operation in Yonki. Around 1958, while still in his 20s, Giregire
acquired 40 acres of land back in Asaroka where he planted coffee. It was the biggest
indigenous-owned plantation of the time. He also planted vegetable crops. During the course
of hiring locals, Giregire also benefitted from free clan labour. His business success further
allowed him to have a trucking business and a trade store that he operated out of the Asaro
government station by the early 1960s.
Giregire’s business acumen could no longer be ignored. With other indigene planters, they
made headways in the late 1950s when they became full members of the hitherto allexpatriate
Highlands Farmers and Settlers Association. This opened the door for Giregire to
encourage local farmers to get more involved in the agricultural sector. He made immense
contributions in many ways - one of them being his efforts to organize local people to
purchase land from expatriates and use them for agricultural and plantation purposes. He
also used his sizeable agricultural estate to provide coffee seedlings to local farmers.
On the side of politics, the 1950s started with developments that were to forever change the
political landscape of PNG. The Legislative Council, established in 1951, was the first
national legislature of PNG. Over the years that followed village councils were formed
around the country. Among them was the Asaro Watabung Local Government Council, of
which Giregire was elected president in 1958. This marked his entry into politics.
Meanwhile, the international community and especially the UN Trusteeship Council - was
urging Australia to prepare its territories of Papua and New Guinea for independence.
Giregire successfully contested the first national elections in 1964. He was then appointed
the Assistant Administrator for the Highlands region, one of four regions of that time. Like
many of his colleagues who entered the House of Assembly with him, Giregire was forced to
think on his feet as he absorbed the decisive issues at the national level. Paramount was how
to reconcile the political aspirations of the two territories.
Giregire wanted a united Papua and New Guinea. He recalled how he personally went out of
his way to appeal directly to certain Papuan Members who wanted a separate political status.
He was also a member of the embryonic legislative group during the 1964 – 1968 legislative
term that convened the early discussions of a national constitution. He was a friend and
colleague to his expatriate colleagues both in the House of Assembly and in the business
community, but he never fully trusted them. He would always side with nationals whom he
feared were vulnerable to manipulation.
Giregire’s view of independence was aligned with his fellow Highlands Assembly Members.
The Highlands bloc that time wanted a deferral of independence for the country until their
region reached a degree of development parity with coastal areas. This view was further
crystallized after the 1968 elections through what was called the Compass Group (short for
Combined Political Associations). He mingled in this group with the likes of Dennis
Buchanan (Eastern Highlands Regional and later founder of Talair), John Watts (Western
Highlands Regional), Ian Downs (Central Highlands Regional), Kaibel Diria (Waghi) and Tei
Abal, Hon. Sam Abal’s father.
Giregire was still adamant during our December meeting that their position was still the
better option. Compass Group soon became the United Party under the leadership of Tei
Abal. Giregire’s increasing impatience with politics in the United Party, which allegedly was
dominated by white interests, was what caused him to eventually create the PNG Country Party. In 1975 Giregire narrowly lost by three votes to Sir John Gaius in his bid to become
the country’s first Governor-General. He eventually lost the Daulo Open seat in 1977. He
contested the same seat for the last time in 2002 and he came a closed third.
Giregire went to reminisce about the early days of the PNG Country party when he had
meetings from time to time with his officials of the Australian Country Party. The PNG
Country party ranks with Pangu Pati, People’s Progress Party, National Party and United
Party as among the longest existing parties in the country. The PNG Country Party has
contested every National election since its conception and has been a coalition partner of
many governments since independence.
Leading into the 2012 national elections, Giregire reiterated his party’s goals as enshrined in
its platform. He firmly believed that the future of the country depended on the need to
introduce development policies that targeted rural communities where the bulk of the people
lived. His party, now under the parliamentary leadership of Hon. Jamie Maxtone Graham
believes that urgent government attention through people-centred policies is absolutely vital
and integral to development initiatives in rural areas. Apart from securing basic services in
the form of education, health and infrastructure development, the Country Party wants to see
more effective policies that empower local people, and enhanced their opportunities to earn a
living through the resources that they have in abundance.
To the families and close friends of Sir Sinake Giregire, the country conveys its condolences
to you during your time of bereavement. To the people of Asaro and the Eastern Highlands
province, we thank you for the services of one of your finest that this country has ever seen to
have donned a clock of national leadership. The country certainly misses individuals of Sir
Sinake’s calibre at this tumultuous time - people with great ideas and a touch of fervour and
humility.

Dr Henry Okole is a Senior Research Fellow under the Institutional Strengthening Pillar at the
National Research Institute

Sir Michael: All deals by O’Neill-Namah invalid

GRAND Chief Sir Michael Somare says all dealings, including appointments by the O’Neill-Namah regime since Aug 2 last year, are invalid and not binding on the people of Papua New Guinea, The National reports.
“All agreements, treaties, memoranda of understanding, contracts, appointments and undertakings given by the O’Neill-Namah regime since last Aug 2 are dealings by an illegitimate government and, therefore, invalid and not binding on the people of PNG,” he said.
“At the appropriate time in the near future, my government will review each of these agreements and dealings and ratify or strike out where necessary.
“It is important, however, that my government remains calm and does not act hastily and prejudice ongoing court proceedings.
“How can any investor, international or national, feel investments are safe if parliament and departmental heads intentionally ignore court orders?
“How can investors feel safe when knowing they can be thrown out of the country on the whim of politicians unable even to return and defend their assets before the courts? 
“We cannot deport people without due process of the law.”
Sir Michael said ministers of the illegal regime flew the Falcon jet to Asia on “personal business” carrying an international fugitive on board and attracted serious concerns about laundering hundreds of millions in cash without explaining the truth to the people.
“In fact, US$250 million could indeed be carried on the Falcon jet if needed,” he said.
“These illegal ministers threatened to expel diplomats to deflect attention from their own misdeeds. They expend K500 million from the state coffers to buy influence without proper legal approvals.
“All expenditure and procurements done by the O’Neill regime have not been made by a legitimate government. All appointments and sackings are invalid and, therefore, cannot be implemented.”
He said the state would not be bound by any deals done by an illegal regime.
“Companies and countries who seek to deal with this illegal regime must do so at their own risk.
“The Supreme Court decision of Dec 12 is available on the internet to everyone wishing to read the orders of the court.
“The courts have clearly ruled that the O’Neill-Namah regime is an illegal government.
“This is a challenging time for PNG.
“Over the years, I have known and seen the aspirations of many of the leaders and have tried to accommodate them and balance them against the interests of the nation.
“Today, it seems, the nation’s interest has been trampled by greed and self-interest.
 “This regime has broken down almost every government institution, including the judiciary, and is still adamantly continuing its reign of devastation.
“However, none of us should sit idly by and watch a rogue government destroy our proud nation in a matter of months.
“I call on the people of Papua New Guinea to join with me in being patient and calm and wait for the courts.

Bonga accepts fist-fight challenge

NAWAE MP Timothy Bonga yesterday accepted a challenge by Kerowagi MP and Defence Minister Guma Wau to a fight, The National reports.
“I will fight him,” Bonga said.
“I will fight him outside parliament any time any day.”
The two men, both towering six-footers, got into a heated exchange on Wednesday when the speaker refused to recognise Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare and ordered him from the chamber of parliament.
As the Somare faction walked up to the speaker’s chair to present a petition to take their rightful place on the government benches as the court-reinstated government, Wau shouted at Bonga: “You are a criminal.”
He threatened to come out and fight Bonga but was restrained by other MPs.
“He is the criminal,” Bonga said yesterday.
“He has criminal charges against him, not me. He has been charged with trying to murder a man.
“But I am not afraid of him. If it is a fight he wants, I will fight him any time outside of parliament.”

Grand Chief: Barring MPs is dictatorial

BARRING members from entering parliament and threatening to arrest them is criminal and dictatorial, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare said yesterday, The National reports.
He said he was shocked to learn that Prime Minister Peter O’Neill had threatened to order police to arrest him if he ventured near parliament again.
“This is the first time this has happened in 36 years of Independence,” Sir Michael said.
“Respect must be given to the house. No police has any right to stop me or any other member from entering the people’s parliament.”
He likened the presence of armed policemen at the entrances to parliament and the threats of arrest as a dictatorial act.
Nipa-Kutubu MP Philemon Embel agreed with Sir Michael.
“It is criminal to prevent an MP from performing his duties as a representative of the people,” he said.
Sir Michael said he went to parliament to serve the speaker the orders of the Supreme Court “since he seems unaware of it”.
“Yesterday (Wednesday), we went there to remind the speaker, who was an intervener, that there are explicit orders that he must comply with,’’ he said.
“Due notice was given to the speaker the previous day.
“He cannot tell us that he is unaware of the orders or that he does not understand anything.
“We have to be seen to do the right thing. We exercised our rights to enforce the orders.
“Now we want him (speaker) to grant us our seats on the government benches in parliament. O’Neill and his team can then use their numerical strength and section 145 of the Constitution to remove me. There is nothing wrong with that.”
That then is the Somare camp’s “way forward” from the political impasse that has had two camps claiming to be the legitimate government since the Supreme Court decision of Dec 12 which nullified O’Neill’s election on Aug 2.
The Somare group wanted Speaker Jeffrey Nape to grant them their seats on the government benches in parliament in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court and for the O’Neill group to then use its numerical strength to vote them out of office.
This suggestion mets with two obvious problems: Invoking section 145 means a motion of no confidence but the constitution forbids any such motions within 12 months of the general election, now a mere four months away.
Secondly, the speaker and the O’Neill camp are adamant that there is no vacancy in the government seating arrangements.
On his status as the regional member for East Sepik, Sir Michael said the court had reinstated him as MP. And, even if the O’Neill camp claimed to have removed him again, the process is not complete until it is declared so by the National Court, which alone has the powers to invalidate the membership of a member, he said.
That was confirmed by the Supreme Court decision (order No.3) which stated that the “National Court has exclusive jurisdiction as to whether the seat of a member has become vacant”.