A painful journey

By GABRIEL LAHOC in The National

One of the most eventful developments since the worst maritime disaster in Papua New Guinea on February 2, 2012 was the special and emotionally-charged voyage to Bobongara, Finshafen, by over 250 family members of missing passengers and crews of the sunken inter-island ferry, mv Rabaul Queen.

For them, the trip was an important one as they like the authorities have now officially recognised their loved missing ones as dead.

It was an opportunity to retrace the last moments of the missing people and ultimately pay their last respects.

Fathers, mothers, grandparents and children representing the different families of the more than 200 passengers and crews believed to be missing, made the solemn trip which was facilitated by the Morobe provincial disaster committee on a chartered trip on board Lutheran Shipping’s mv Mamose.

Two mothers from different ethnic background weeping in each others arms as others cast out their wreaths and flowers.-Nationalpics by GABRIEL LAHOC

Reverend Wala Baru Arua at the captain’s wheelhouse (centre) making the final prayer through the ship’s intercom before the casting of wreaths, witnessed by acting provincial deputy administrator, district services, Tony Ase (left) while mv Mamose captain Stephen Peki navigates the ship.

Family members of the missing tearfully casting their wreaths and bundles of flowers into the sea at Bobongara.

Three parents from different ethnic backgrounds,  after casting wreaths and paying their last respects,  starring out into the sea with teary eyes, lost in their own reminiscence of their loved ones.

Family members of the missing, facing the ocean and weeping as mv Mamose turns back to for the return trip to Lae.

Family members in calmer waters viewing the scenic Finschhafen coastline.

Families of missing passengers and crew on arrival at Maneba station, where the locals welcomed them in an emotional ceremony.

The Arua family led by United Church retired Reverend Wala Baru Arua (right), whose son was the missing chief engineer of mv Rabaul Queen, singing a traditional hymn during the special memorial service led by Simbang Lutheran parish Pastor Gaigami Tala.

Reverend Wala Baru Arua addressing the audience after the service. He plans to write a book and use proceeds towards the planned annual pilgrimage to Maneba and Pontification point which lied inland from Bobongara.

Locals lining the Maneba wharf and waving goodbye to the families of missing crew and passengers.

Accompanying the families were government officials led by acting deputy provincial administrator for district services, Tony Ase, the Morobe provincial disaster and emergency services officers, police and military personnel and the media.

The captain Stephen Peki sailed out of the LuShip wharf at Voco Point at 7am into a glorious morning complemented by fine weather and calm seas.

After eight hours the ship sailed into scenic the Maneba station which houses the Luship wharf, for the scheduled special memorial church service.

Locals at the wharf led by the local Mama Gejamsao (women’s group) from the local Lutheran Simbai parish, tearfully welcomed their visitors with their traditional mourning songs which set the emotional tone for the rest of the trip.  

They shared in their visitors’ mourning, reminding them that their loved ones, despite being strangers to them had died in their environment.

From a makeshift shelter at Maneba station some kilometers away from Bonga and Lakuna village, which are located inland from the famous Bobongara spot, the locals joined their heavy hearted visitors in the service led by Pastor Gaigami Tala, who commended the families for making that special trip.

After the service, Lakuna elder Tami Leona and Bonga elder Afeke Itum Eriasa took the stage to give their visitors an insight of the nature of the Bobongara and their firsthand account and experience of that fateful day when the ship sank.

The legendary Bobongara, the dreaded location just off Pontification point near the two villages, features the clash of some of the strongest currents which flow along the Vitiaz Strait located between Siassi Island and the Finschhafen mainland separating the northern Bismark Sea and Solomon Sea located on the south.

They said traditionally, passengers and seafarers demonstrated deep sense of respect of the Bobongara when crossing by being silent, and also by offloading cargo into the sea when the waves got bigger.

The locals who also spent their time in the search and rescue operation, said on that Wednesday afternoon, 12 hours before the ferry sank, they noticed the arrival of the Bobongara through the gathering of dark clouds on the horizon and tremors, without knowing that a tragedy was going to happen.

The most-touching message to the families was when the locals revealed that they had done traditional rituals in gathering the spirits of the missing before coming to meet the visitors.

“Their spirits are here with us, as we gather together today,” said Miring Bamiringnuc.

Reverend Wala Baru Arua, spokesperson of the aggrieved families, described their missing loved ones as voiceless victims.

“After losing my son, I now know how God felt when his son died, and I want to thank you the people of Finchhafen, we the families now know that our missing relatives are now with friends,” he said.

His request for permission for an annual pilgrimage and a monument at Pontification point was gladly granted by local elders.

After more than an hour the visitors were given a fitting traditional farewell for the final leg of the trip to Bobongara, local mothers tearfully sang and waved them farewell in true Morobe mourning fashion.

Just off Pontification Point some nautical miles, Captain Peki steadied the ship while Rev Arua led the families in prayer through the ship’s intercom before they cast their wreaths into the sea.

Loss and grief was the only thing these families and individuals had in common.

 It was an emotional scene, people from different ethnic backgrounds crying together for their loved ones.

Men, women and children solemnly paid their last respect, cast their wreaths of flowers, personal items of the missing, performed traditional burial rituals, wept openly and comforted each other on a calm, beautiful open sea.

Government disaster committee, after consulting the locals two weeks earlier, advised against the sinking of headstones and crosses.

 mv Mamose sailed into Voco Point at 1am Monday morning, families departed with soft spoken goodbyes and solemn faces.

The final task of Ase’s committee now is to establish a monument at Pontification point, inscribed with the names of all missing crew and passengers.

The monument will ensure regular visits   from families of the missing, who have established relationships with the locals.

Ase thanked all individuals and organisations who assisted to make the event a success.

Rev Arua plans to write a book about the shipping disaster and use the proceeds of its sale to organise and assist the new network of families who lost loved ones, to go on yearly pilgrimage to the monument.

How Frieda River copper and gold was discovered

By MALUM NALU

FRIEDA River copper and gold project, a tributary of the mighty Sepik River, is mooted as one of the great prospects in Papua New Guinea.

It was discovered by the legendary former kiap (patrol officer), Sepik River crocodile hunter and Member for Angoram in the first House of Assembly in 1964, John Pasquarelli.

John Pasquarelli with two locals on the day he discoovered Frieda River prospect on November 22, 1963. Sirum (right) was later take to Australia as a guest of Mount Isa Mines (MIM)

Pasquarelli came upon Frieda River quite by chance on November 22, 1963, a day forever etched in history as the day in which US President John F Kennedy was assassinated.
He has given his personal notes and pictures exclusively to The National.

John Pasquarelli with a local in new shorts on November 22, 1963. The local's nose has been completely eroded by yaws

“In November 1963, I was on a shield collecting expedition on the Frieda River, which is an upper tributary of the famous Sepik River system in Papua New Guinea,” Pasquarelli recalls.
“As the official collector for the Basel Museum in Switzerland at that time, I was exploring all the major Sepik tributaries for artefacts and this trip brought me to the Frieda River camp of Paupe.

Frieda River circa 1970-71. Jet barge in backwater at Frieda River. Wheelhouse at rear, foredeck and cargo-carrying area in front

“I was travelling in my large single dugout canoe that had been carved from a huge red cedar log that had cost me 10 Australian pounds and was powered by a Mercury 65HP outboard motor.
“Eight 44 gallon drums of fuel could be laid, end on end, lying down or standing up in this hull.
“The canoe had a Mercury steering wheel system and a canopy to protect passengers from the sun.

Caterpillar D6 at Frieda River - circa 1970-71. Norm Martin behind blade. Frank Martin working on engine and Kinook behind Frank

“I was accompanied by my team of Sepiks and one of my bosbois Sal, who hailed from Finschhafen and who was my first PNG employee when I met him on the lawns of the Wewak Hotel when I arrived on the Sepik as a cadet patrol officer in 1960.
“I was at the Paupe camp on the banks of the Frieda River, the day JFK was shot - Friday, November 22, 1963.

The first plane to land at Frieda River, a Britten Norman Islander, circa 1970-71

 “At the time of that first visit, the Paupe people had their houses high up on the surrounding ridges, giving them a good view of what was happening down on the river.
“Their camp on the river allowed them to do some hunting and gardening but they were not canoe people.

Frieda River airstrip circa 1970-71. Looking west from river. native labour camp on right and admin buildings on the left.

“I had mined opal at Coober Pedy in 1959, had some knowledge of PNG’s mining history and always carried a gold panning dish and geologist’s pick with me.”
Pasquarelli and his men walked upstream on the western bank of the Frieda a few kilometres before turning right into the Nena River and proceeding upstream.

Frieda airstrip circa 1970-71. Hangar building.

“Panning revealed good gold trace in the feeder creeks and rock samples that I recovered along the way were identified to me later as copper pyrites and copper sulphides,” he remembers.
 Pasquarelli’s communications with the famous Professor Alfred Buhler of the Basel Museum dated December 13, 1963,  record that this particular trip up the Frieda took one month,  during which time they walked over from the headwaters of the Frieda River to the headwaters of the Leonard Schultze River,  retracing their route,  returning back down the Frieda to the Sepik, travelling downriver and then up the Leonard Schultze River for a considerable distance, finally returning to Ambunti government station then Angoram.

Frieda airstrip circa 1970-71. Laura Martin wading ashore. She flew out in a Missionary Aviation Fellowship floatplane.

“I took my rock samples literally in a sugar bag and showed them to the famous explorer and prospector  Mick Leahy, when I spent Christmas 1963 with the Leahys at their farm at Zenag on the Lae -Bulolo Road,”he adds.
“  Mick told me to take out a prospecting authority but being 26,  and flat out running my trading business as well as learning all about Sepik art plus the fact that the then gold and copper prices were very ordinary, meant that I pursued what I was good at but kept the Frieda on my radar.

Helicopter landing at Frieda River airstrip, circa 1970-71

“Carpentaria Exploration (MIM) was granted PA 58 on March 20, 1968 over the Frieda River and surrounding areas and I was later to have dealings with their geologists Bob Hall and John Hartley.
“During 1966-1967 I met geologists Duncan Dow and Peter Macnab from the Bureau of Mineral Resources in Canberra.”

Hamilton jetboat running upriver. John Pasquarelli driving.

From  1964-1968 , Pasquarelli was the elected MP for the Angoram Open Electorate and during this time had the Haus Tambaran at Kanganaman declared national cultural property and was the prime mover behind the Gavien Land Resettlement Scheme at Angoram.
At the end of 1968, he organised selling his trading business Las Kompani, to Warren Hanson who had been his manager and took a year off in Sydney, where he bought a house in Balmain.

Frieda airstrip circa 1970-71. Wewak Transport office. Paul Martin (third from left), Jimmy Gordon (sitting leaft front), Frank Martin (sitting front and right of Jimmy Gordon) Norm Martin (standing behind Frank Martin) and John Pasquarelli (standing front right).

“During this time, I planned the construction of a tourist lodge at Amboin on the Karawari River and the method of transporting tourists safely and quickly would be by jet boat,” Pasquarelli says.
“I had built a trade store at Amboin under the Las Kompani banner, collected artefacts in that area and had already selected a site on the hill overlooking the Amboin patrol post, offering great views towards the Chambri Lakes to the north-west.”

Frieda airstrip circa 1970-71. Missionary Aviation Fellowship floatplane VH-WET at Frieda airstrip.

Frank Martin had been with Pasquarelli in the first House of Assembly as the MHA for Madang-Sepik (Special) and he and his schoolteacher wife Laura, operated Wewak Transport Service.
On his return to PNG, Frank and his brother Norm Martin joined him on the Karawari Lodge project and he started work on site preparation and soon had a team of Sepik carvers working on carving chairs and house posts, using traditional designs -from the beautiful and dense red hardwood, kwila.

Frieda airstrip circa 1970-71, Jimmy Gordon supervising uploading of Isuzu 6x6 tipper.

 The main feature of the lodge was the Haus Tambaran which housed the dining, recreational and office facilities.
In early 1970, Pasquarelli flew to Christchurch, New Zealand where he organised for two twin Holden 308 V8 powered fibreglass jet boats, fitted with Hamilton Colorado jet units, to be shipped to Madang, PNG.

Frieda airstrip circa 1970-71. May River and Frieda labourers clearing airstrip site.

Carpentaria Exploration had been drilling up on the Frieda River and the renowned chopper pilot Bill Dossett was doing a lot of the aerial work supplying the drill sites.
 Frank Martin told him that he had been approached by Carpentaria Exploration to build an airstrip on the banks of the Frieda River near the Paupe settlement and that McIntyres, a firm of engineers from Townsville would be involved.
Martin told Pasquarelli that a D6 dozer, International Drott tracked loader, grader and tip-trucks would have to be shipped to the site.
“It was a slow, hard grinding trip with a few scary moments but the D6 finally made it ashore to the Frieda River airstrip site,” Pasquarelli writes.
“The building of the Frieda River airstrip was a monument to the drive and natural mechanical and engineering skills of Frank Martin and the hard work of his PNG workers, led by Jimmy Gordon.
“Norm Martin and myself did our bit as did Kinook, Sal, Weliwan, Bundi, Patoman, Asa and the Frieda and May River locals who were recruited as labourers.
“Helicopters played a crucial role in the development of the Frieda project and still do but contact with the wider world was achieved with the first landing of Mount Isa Mine’s Norman Britten Islander on the new Frieda River airstrip.
“It is now 48 years since I made the first discovery of gold and copper mineralisation in that region of the Frieda River that Mt Isa Mines and now Xstrata Copper and its Joint Venture partner Highlands Pacific, have proved up in such a spectacular fashion - with Xstrata recently announcing a considerable increase in measured resources.
“If the Frieda River deposit proceeds to production, it is vital that this project is properly managed by government and the company to ensure that PNG and the Sepik people receive their just rewards.
“ For far too long, the East and West Sepik Provinces have been  left behind compared to development in other areas but now is the time for the Sepiks to seize this huge opportunity to change their standard of living for the better - time will tell.

Concern at rundown state of Angoram

By MALUM NALU

Pioneer East Sepik politician and Frieda River discoverer John Pasquarelli has expressed shock at the rundown state of Angoram, along the Sepik River.

John Pasquarelli as a cadet kiap (patrol officer) at Angoram along the Sepik River in 1960

Pasquarelli, 74, a kiap (patrol officer) who first came to PNG in 1960, crocodile hunter and Member of the first House of Assembly for Angoram from 1964-1968, said this in light of development of the Frieda River project.

 He beat Sir Michael Somare’s father, Ludwig Somare Sana, to become Angoram MHA in 1964.

 Sir Michael’s son, Arthur, is now Angoram MP but is under suspension.

 “I flew into Angoram as a cadet patrol officer in 1960 and four years later I was the MHA for Angoram Open, elected by the Sepiks over several other candidates including Michael Somare’s father, Sana, who was a friend of mine,” Pasquarelli said.

 “Angoram was once a thriving outstation with the Sepiks making plenty of money from crocodile skins,  carvings,  tourism, logs for the sawmills at Angoram and Marienberg and sending lots of saksak (sago)  into Wewak and Madang as well as providing labour for plantations and the mining and forestry at Bulolo.

 “That most of the aid posts no longer exist and the Angoram police station was burnt down is beyond belief. 

 “Who visits Sepik villages these days to check what is going on in respect of health, the economy and law and order? 

 “It was government policy to get rid of the kiaps and their ‘nasty’ colonial history but who replaced them? 

 “Who is speaking out for the Sepiks to make sure they get the best possible deal if the Frieda River project goes ahead? 

 “Where is the current MP for Angoram when he’s needed?”

A dream come true for journo, artist

By MALUM NALU

A DREAM comes true for journalist and artist, Joycelin Leahy, when her  new art gallery, Beyond Pacific Art, featuring Papua New Guinea and Pacific art,  opens in Brisbane on March 17, The National reports.
 The gallery is located 20 minutes from Brisbane.
Owner, arts entrepreneur Joycelin Leahy from Wagang village in Lae, says it will be the first time a gallery is opened in Australia to exclusively retail and promote PNG and Pacific arts.
Beyond Pacific Art (BPA) was originally established in PNG as Beyond Art by journalist and artist, Joycelin Leahy,  in 1991.

Joycelin Leahy

 It was a place for art retail and exhibition, providing the only retail gallery for PNG artists.
From its simple beginnings, BPA grew into a multi-facetted business for art, culture, and heritage projects and art advice.
BPA was also a manufacturer of PNG prints, local textile and furnishings.
Under clothing label KalemKollections, BPA set a new trend in PNG for corporate uniforms with indigenous art motifs.

 Suki baskets will be among other PNG and Pacific crafts to be sold at the gallery

Meri Simbu - artwork by Joycelin Leahy

Infinity - artwork by James Mason Lee, Fijian artist

 On interior and architectural work, BPA was responsible for wall features and wood carvings in the Bank of PNG.
BPA also sponsored and assisted in producing a number of major art shows for the Miss PNG Quest and PNG Red cross; the annual Waigani Art show; PNG Manufacturer’s show;  and Department of Trade and Industry business events and trade fairs.
BPA represented PNG internationally in the Festival of Pacific Art and World Festival for Island cultures.
In 2004, Leahy relocated to Brisbane to pursue a masters in museum studies.
 While studying, she continued her work in promoting handicrafts and contemporary arts of PNG and the Pacific Islands.
She wrote her thesis on how climate change affects intangible cultures in the Pacific Islands.
Her case study area was Tami Islands, in her home province of Morobe.
 With her business knowledge in the arts and, her traditional knowledge, she was regularly consulted on a number of reports and studies on cultural industries in PNG and the Pacific Islands through the Secretariat of Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Trade and Invest.
Her interest remained in promoting sustainable cultural industries in PNG and the Pacific islands in order to protect and preserve intangible cultures such as language, dance, music, weaving and painting.
While completing her masters, she created Pacific Storms, a contemporary art exhibition in Australia which features key works from Pacific islanders.
“Pacific Storms is known as the only art exhibition that attracts the largest collection of contemporary artworks and the highest number of indigenous Pacific Island artists to Australia,” she said.
“Pacific Storms creates awareness on how climate change, globalisation and other contemporary issues affect Pacific Island cultures.
“The exhibition shows contemporary artwork whilst combining performances, music, story-telling, food and other intangible skills of the Pacific people.
“This first exhibition in Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery, Queensland, attracted over 4, 000 people and later in Brisbane city, 12,000 people visited the show.
“It was opened by rugby legend Mal Meninga. “
The third Pacific Storms, with new artwork, curated by Leahy was shown to over 3, 000 in Logan Art Gallery from May to June last year.
“Pacific Storms 2013 has been invited to show in Pacific Islands Ethnic Art Museum in Los Angeles,” Leahy says.
There were three publications from Pacific Storms.
In addition, Leahy under Beyond Pacific Art was a major contributor to the 2009 Festival of Pacific Arts Report.
“This consultation project was undertaken to evaluate the festival and make recommendations on how it could be improved with economic benefits to the 27 Pacific islands state and territories,” she says.
“It was sponsored by UNESCO and SPC.
“Beyond Pacific Art’s current task is to build capacity for weaving and handicraft export in the mine closure project areas: Suki, Fly and Gogodala as well as Middle Fly.
“Under the Women and Children’s Plan 2009-2019, aimed at empowering and increasing women’s participation in social and economic development in the region, women leaders in the trust region undergo capacity building skills and learn how to transit from traditional to commercial production for income.
“The workshops will lead to local, national and international exhibitions to promote the region’s art, culture and heritage in order to generate other income opportunities.”
Beyond Pacific Art’s role covered a large field of expertise in arts, heritage and culture.
This is due to Leahy’s own traditional knowledge, qualification, local and international art knowledge, her own art skills and her large network consisting of artists, the grassroots, government and the private sector in PNG and the Pacific.
Contact: beyondart@tpg.com.au Joyce­lin Leahy, 23 Lather Rd, Bellbowrie. QLD 4070. Australia

Fuel products costlier

By BOSORINA ROBBY

PRICES of fuel products in Port Moresby continued to increase due to high crude oil prices in the world market, The National reports.
 This time, consumers will be paying K3.51 per litre of petrol, up from last month’s price of K3.43.
Diesel and kerosene prices had also increased by 3 toea and 5 toea respectively.

A service station attendant pumping diesel to a client at a service station along Waigani Drive yesterday.-Nationalpic by MALUM NALU

Diesel is now selling at  K2.99 per litre, up 3 toea, from K2.96 per litre; kerosene cost K2.87 per litre, from last month’s K2.82.
Independent Consumer and Competition Commission Commissioner Dr Billy Manoka said the price of crude oil had steadied slightly during the last months of 2011 from September.
He said however crude oil prices increased significantly last January and remained above US$110 per barrel on ave­rage.
Domestic retail prices in PNG normally follow the directions of the movements in international prices of crude oil.
However, the extent of the change in domestic prices would depend on the movement in the exchange rate of the kina against the US dollar and the quarterly freight rate submissions from major domestic oil companies.

ANZ chief: Bright future for PNG

By MALUM NALU

ANZ PNG chief executive Vishu Mohan has painted a bright picture for Papua New Guinea, The National reports.
 He however cautioned that good political leadership and governance were preconditions.
“I think the future augurs very well for the country, with good political leadership and governance,” he told The National.

ANZ PNG chief executive Vishu Mohan...optimistic of a bright future for PNG

“I think this country has the potential to become one of the highest per capita GDPs in the region.
“Nothing will stop this country going even further.
“There are a lot of good things happening for the country.
“All it needs is stable leadership and good governance.”
Mohan said ANZ PNG was doing very well with the favourable economic climate.
“We had a good financial year last year,” he revealed.
“This year, generally, we started off very well.
“Our market is still highly liquid, so borrowers are not borrowing as much as we want.
“The good news is that the PNG economy is doing very well.”
Mohan said ANZ PNG currently employed about 600 staff at its 13 branches around the country, and had 56 ATMs and EFTPOS.
He said ANZ Lae branch would move to Second Street this month after the fire at Fourth Street last July, which forced it to leave ANZ Haus for the main market.
A new branch will also be opened on gold-rich Lihir Island this month.
“After the fire we transferred operations to Lae market,” he said.
“We are almost ready to move into temporary premises opposite Melanesian Hotel, which should open up this month.
“We are also opening a branch on Lihir,” he said.
They are hoping to commission the unit next week with a formal opening soon.
Mohan said ANZ PNG was also working on other developments, announcements which would be made soon.
“We are very committed to investing in this country with our products and services,” he said.
Mohan said the bank was also expanding its distribution channels

Judges to meet over arrest of Chief Justice

By JACOB POK

JUDGES of the National and Supreme Court are expected today to meet in Port Moresby to discuss among other things, the arrest and charging of Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia, The National reports. Advice went out from the office of court registrar, Ian Augerea, for all judges in the provinces to fly in yesterday for the meeting.
Also yesterday, Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia briefly appeared at the Waigani Committal Court for mention following a charge against him of perverting the course of justice.
Sir Salamo appeared before magistrate Cosmos Bidar and stood in the witness dock when his charges were read to him.
The court adjourned the matter to May 7 to give time to the prosecution to prepare evidence.
Sir Salamo was released on his own recognisance after he was arrested by police on his way to the chambers on Tuesday morning and taken
for questioning at the police headquarters.
Police alleged that Sir Salamo disobeyed a court order and illegally redirected a payment of K213,000, which was meant for the adopted son of the late Justice Timothy Hinchliffe, to the court’s trust account.
They alleged that Sir Salamo and others had “conspired” and ignored a National Court order of 2009 issued by former judge, Justice Mark Sevua, ordering the National Judicial Staff Services to pay Hinchliffe’s entitlements to Hinchliffe’s adopted son Timothy Morere Sari Junior.
However, the payment was instead redirected to the court’s trust account on Sir Salamo’s instruction.
Police alleged that the actions of the chief justice to circumvent a valid order of the court were contemptuous and criminal in nature.
Police, therefore, carried out investigations and made the arrest.
All National and Supreme Court matters listed for hearing before Sir Salamo yesterday were deferred to tomorrow.
Matters before other judges were understood to be deferred as well.
Opposition leader Dame Carol Kidu said the implications of the action could shake the very foundation of government in PNG.
She was reported on ABC as saying: “It had better be pretty sound reasons for this, I think, for the sake of Papua New Guinea if they are going to be questioning the head of the judiciary.
“Because that does shake the very foundation of our democracy and our separation of powers.”
Former chief justice Sir Arnold Amet was also reported as saying that the timing of arrest and charging of Sir Salamo “smacked of being politically-driven” and the arrest of Sir Salamo by armed police was “heavy-handed”.
Sir Arnold, a member of the Sir Michael Somare faction, said the government’s handling of the matter was most inappropriate