Lawyer’s assault warranted police action says Acting Deputy Commissioner Andrews

Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Operations Jim Andrews said yesterday the actions taken by Boroko police to arrest four detectives involved in the assault of lawyer Sam Bonner was necessary under the laws and functions of police, as Director of the Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate Mathew Damaru failed to comply with orders to bring the four suspects to Boroko for interviews and arrests.

Andrews said the remarks by Director of Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate Mathew Damaru on EMTV’s news telecast on Wednesday Oct 22 were "pathetic and misleading".

Andrews said Damaru had stated at his media conference that Bonner had refused arrest and therefore necessary force was applied to restrain and arrest him at the Waigani court premises, which was a misleading statement to the public.

 Andrews rebutted Damaru’s statement, saying Bonner was at the Waigani Court Premises in his gown when he was surrounded and assaulted by armed policemen several months ago.

 He said Bonner complained of serious assault in which he was scarred at the Boroko Police Station in the National Capital District. The matter was pursued by NCD police and four suspects were arrested at the office of the National Fraud and anti-Corruption directorate on Tuesday, which were normal follow-up arrests on the complaint laid.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Andrews said, “Damaru and the media are not the judge and juror to discuss how the assault happened. It is for the accused to prove that they acted within the confines of the law when the matter is heard in court.”

Commissioner Vaki directs immediate action on policemen consuming alcohol in uniform

Commissioner of Police Geoffrey Vaki has directed that members of the Special Services Division (SSD) pictured in uniform with alcohol in the Drum column of the Post-Courier newspaper on Tuesday be immediately identified and suspended from duty.
Furthermore, Commissioner Vaki has directed that the members be served Serious Disciplinary Offence Report (SDOR) and transferred out of SSD forthwith.
These actions are to be taken by Friday October 24, Commissioner Vaki directed in a minute to Acting Deputy Commissioner Operations Jim Andrews.
Vaki said it appears that Director SSD is not coming down hard on ill-discipline by SSD members nationwide despite his earlier directive for all commanders, provincial police commanders and the two metropolitan superintendents in Lae and Port Moresby to address ethical, dress and grooming standards and discipline.
Vaki said the report on the Drum column is "a testimony to a total decline in firm command and control".
"Contrary to what critics have been saying, I am taking a zero tolerance attitude to corrupt, abusive and ill-disciplined policemen or women. Enough is enough, as I have stated.
"Whilst not making any excuses, I ask that critics be more reasonable and constructive as I have been in the job only five months. Prior to my appointment and for five years I was fighting my case in the National Court.
"Anyone who knows me know that I am very passionate about discipline. I will hold all commissioned officers as well as non-commissioned officers accountable for the actions of their subordinates."

PM attends Indonesian presidential inauguration

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill yesterday attended the presidential Inauguration of the newly-elected President of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Joko Widodo, in Jakarta.

He travelled to Jakarta on Sunday after briefly meeting with his Australian counterpart, Tony Abbot, to discuss the Regional Resettlement Arrangement (RRA) in Manus and strengthening of the presence of the Australian Federal Police in PNG. 

The Australian Prime Minister was travelling en route to Jakarta to attend the same event, when he stopped by to meet with O’Neill to discuss these issues.

Both leaders were invited to the Inauguration in Jakarta. Also in attendance were Heads of Government from the region and globally.

O’Neill will meet with President Widodo this morning to make his official acquaintance as well as discuss the Plan of Action to implementation of eleven MoU’s on trade and investment relations, business cooperation, border development and administration, development and technical cooperation and air services which were concluded during his official visit to Indonesia in June 2013.

In regional and international issues, Prime Minister O’Neill will seek reaffirmation of Indonesia's support for PNG's hosting of the APEC Leaders Summit in 2018.

He returns to PNG on this evening in time for the October Parliamentary session.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Ministers, Rimbink Pato (Foreign Affairs) and Ben Micah (State Enterprises).

PM O’Neill expresses nation’s gratitude for Gough Whitlam

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has extended his condolences to the family of former Australian Prime Minister Edward Gough Whitlam, following his passing overnight, and expressed the nation's gratitude for the role Whitlam played in Papua New Guinea's attainment of independence in 1975.
Gough Whitlam was appointed as an Honorary Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL), that carries the title of Chief, in recognition of his role in supporting Papua New Guinea to attain sovereignty and his enduring support to the development of the nation. 
O'Neill said the people of Papua New Guinea forever appreciated the steadfast support that Whitlam gave to the nation's move towards self-government and ultimately independence.
"Chief Whitlam will always hold a unique and special place in the history of Papua New Guinea as the Australian Prime Minister who worked with our founding fathers to achieve Independence for our nation," the Prime Minister said from Jakarta.
"Before he became Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam provided ongoing support for Papua New Guinea's emergence as an independent nation.
"When he became Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam worked closely with our then Chief Minister, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, and other founding fathers to deliver self-government in 1973 and independence two years later."Gough Whitlam's Prime Ministership was almost synonymous with Papua New Guinea's transition to independence and the people of our nation express our gratitude.  The Whitlam Government was elected in the lead-up to self-rule and was in office on the day of Papua New Guinea's Independence."
O'Neill is currently in Indonesia where he attended the Inauguration ceremony for President Joko Widodo.  
He will hold a bilateral meeting with the President today before returning to Port Moresby in the evening.

Papua New Guinea-Australia PM’s meeting on Manus asylum seekers

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill had a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott today on the Regional Resettlement Arrangement (RRA) of asylum seekers at the Lombrum Regional Processing Centre in Manus.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was accompanied by Australian Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Scott Morrison, stopped over for the briefing en-route to Indonesia.
At the briefing,  O'Neill expressed his support of the work done by officials from both countries in addressing the resettlement of the asylum seekers in Manus.
"We are pleased to have worked with your government on this important initiative,"  O'Neill said.
"The RRA, combined with Australia's other maritime patrol measures, have stopped maritime people smuggling in our region and the associated loss of life at sea."
 O'Neill added that after the unfortunate incident at the processing center in Manus, measures have been taken to improve security and management of processing at the center.
"There is now improved coordination between the PNG Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority (ICSA), Police and center security, installation of CCTV cameras and the refugee status determination process is progressing."
In terms of a refugee settlement policy,  O'Neill said due to lack of understanding and support for refugee settlement in PNG communities, he has instructed that a new policy be prepared with increased focus on consultations and building public awareness and support.
"The new policy will be considered by cabinet after these comprehensive public awareness and consultations are completed," O'Neill said.
O'Neill assured  Abbott that PNG is committed to the implementation of the RRA and given its sensitivities, requires time to work through this issues.
O'Neill is travelling to Indonesia to witness the inauguration of the newly elected President of Indonesia, to establish contact with the new president, discuss bilateral issues and to invite the President to visit PNG.
He is accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs Rimbink Pato and Minister for State Enterprises  Ben Micah.

Tony Abbott visits PNG

ABC

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has flown to Indonesia to attend tomorrow's presidential inauguration of Joko Widodo in Jakarta.

On the way, Mr Abbott made an unexpected visit to Papua New Guinea.

The ABC understands Mr Abbott met PNG prime minister Peter O'Neill today and discussed the threat of the Ebola virus as well as resettling asylum seekers.

There have been problems with the Government's asylum seeker arrangements in PNG but Mr O'Neill has apparently said the resettlements will begin soon.

On Monday Joko Widodo will be sworn in as Indonesia's next president, taking over from Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who has been in the job since 2004.

Mr Abbott said in a video statement that Mr Widodo's inauguration was an important event for Australia as "Indonesia is a hugely important neighbour".

"It has the world's largest Muslim population, it is the world's third largest democracy and, along with India, it's the emerging democratic superpower of Asia," he said.

"Almost one million Australians visit Indonesia, including Bali, every year and over 17,000 Indonesian students study here in Australia each year."

Mr Abbott said he is looking to strengthen Australia's social and economic ties with the nation.

"On present trends, Indonesia will be the fourth biggest economy in the world by mid-century. This is why our foreign policy needs a Jakarta focus rather than a Geneva one," he said.

"There's the New Colombo Plan, which will see more young Australians study in Indonesia.

"There's the new Australia Indonesia Centre at Monash University which promotes greater understanding of Indonesia and its importance to us.

"And we have restored the live cattle trade which is now back to its pre-cancellation peak."

The Prime Minister said he is looking forward to meeting the new Indonesian president.

"The outgoing president, president Yudhoyono, has been a great friend of Australia. He has been a friend to successive Australian prime ministers since John Howard," he said.

"[Mr Widodo] now takes office with enormous goodwill - in his own country and in ours. Australia wants the new president to succeed."

Mr Widodo will come to office at a time when diplomatic tensions with Australia have settled, with a new code of conduct is in place after a recent spying scandal.

The issue of clemency for the Bali Nine drug smugglers however remains unresolved, with Dr Yudhoyono leaving the matter to his successor.

Pacific jungle yields WWII airman's remains

Dennis Wagner, USA TODAY 

Daughter Diana Young Long tells the story of the recovery of her father's remains. 

(Photo: Charlie Leight, The Arizona Republic)

PRESCOTT, Ariz. — She was in the womb when her dad went to war, an infant when he died. So there was no awareness that anti-aircraft rounds blasted his B-24 bomber, sending it spiraling in flames into the jungles of New Guinea.

Just a hole in her life. Growing up fatherless. Secretly wondering what he was like and whether, despite a death certificate, he might someday show up.
Seven decades elapsed. Then, in March, Diana Young Long got a call from the Army: Some of her father's remains had been recovered from the jungle wreckage and identified with DNA evidence.
He was coming home with full military honors.
Wednesday afternoon, with bagpipes playing at Prescott National Cemetery, 1st Lt. Herbert V. "Buddy" Young Jr. was buried.
"It's been real emotional," says Young, 71, her eyes full of tears.
"I always wanted a dad. But I had my mom and my brother. So there were the three of us."
COLLECTING MEMORIES
The odyssey has many chapters, many mysteries. And time has erased most of the details.
They were both born in Jerome — Zoeleen McLain and Herbert Young — and grew up classmates at Clarkdale High School. Buddy, a heartthrob, was captain of the football and basketball teams. Zoe was Miss Prescott.
The exact date is uncertain, but they married in 1941, just months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Like thousands of young Americans, Buddy signed up to fight. He joined the U.S. Army Air Forces and became a pilot. Military records show he earned his wings at Williams Field, the old flight-training center in Mesa, and joined the 5th Air Force Command, 90th Bomber Group, 321st Bombardment Squadron.

Members of the Patriot Guard show respect for Herbert "Buddy" Young, a World War II U.S. Army Air Force pilot, at the Prescott National Cemetery on Oct. 15, 2014. Young crashed in his B-24 bomber in New Guinea 70 years ago, but his remains were recently recovered from the jungle and returned to Prescott for a burial service. (Photo: Charlie Leight/The Republic)

In a black-and-white photo, apparently taken before Buddy shipped out, the sweethearts resemble Hollywood film stars. Zoe was two months pregnant.
Joyce McLain Peters, Zoe's sister, recalls Buddy's letters from overseas — thoughtful and funny. In some of them, he talked about the unborn child his wife was carrying.
"He was just such a sweet, clever, handsome guy," adds Joyce, who still lives in Prescott. "I thought the world of him."
By April 10, 1944, according to family lore, Buddy Young had flown 300 hours of combat missions and was scheduled to come home. Instead, he volunteered to fill in as co-pilot next to 1st Lt. Bryant E. Poulson aboard a B-24 bomber nicknamed "Hot Garters."
"I always heard he was not supposed to be flying," Diana says softly.

Poulson and his 11-man crew led the squadron's attack that day against Japanese installations at Hansa Bay on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea. A declassified account from the battle was written by 1st Lt. George R. Anderson, who was No. 2 in the flight formation at 10:45 a.m.
"Lt. Poulson had apparently settled down on his bomb run, and I would say about 30 seconds before his release, point ack-ack started to burst all around him. Number two engine seemed to be hit and flames came back way past the tail . ... I saw the bombs being salvoed. Lt. Poulson then started a gradual turn to the left and I saw the bombs being salvoed. ...
"The left wing folded up and the plane disintegrated. It was at approximately 10,000 feet. Five parachutes were seen to open. I followed the plane down and continued to circle until all five chutes were on the ground. The plane was still burning on the ground when we left the scene, and we could see two of the men moving about."
Over the next few days, searches proved fruitless.
Weeks later, however, Guineans near Nubia Village told an Australian military officer that four fliers had survived the crash, though badly burned. A report by Lt. W.A. Macgregor says natives described how an enemy patrol captured the men:
"After binding the Americans, the Japanese beat them with pieces of timber and tried to induce the natives to do so. The natives say they refused."
The prisoners were marched toward a Japanese base. Villagers recounted that one American, unable to continue, was shot. Over the ensuing days, another was beaten to death. A third apparently died of injuries. A fourth was shot. There is no account of the fifth parachutist.
All 12 crewmen were listed as missing in action. Two years later, they were presumed dead.

A non-profit uncovered Buddy Young’s remains after it began to investigate WWII crash sites in Papua New Guinea.(Photo: Final Search and Recover Report)

BRINGING HIM HOME
Back in Arizona, Diana collected snippets of information that a child hears growing up.
She stayed sometimes with her father's parents, but Grandma struggled with Buddy's death and couldn't talk much about him.
Zoeleen remarried, divorced and married again. But for Diana, stepdads never filled the fatherly void.
The remark does not come out as a complaint, but a matter of fact. She lived a full life, including 20 years as a cosmetologist and 20 more in banking.
She retired in Lake Almanor, Calif., with her husband, Greg Long. Remnants of a wrecked bomber 7,000 miles away were faint history. Diana was unaware that PacificWrecks, a non-profit organization dedicated to researching World War II crashes and battles, had begun collaborating with the Army on recovery expeditions in 2001.
Over the next 13 years, according to military records, a series of at least four archaeological excavations were carried out, each one uncovering remains along with artifacts such as belt buckles, coins and ammunition. Graves of at least two parachutists were located.
Diana said she learned of the discoveries several years ago. She'd waited a lifetime and was not impatient.
Finally, this spring, the U.S. Army advised her that bones and teeth were being compared with DNA samples taken from Buddy's sister before she died. Did Diana want to know the results?

Zoeleen and Buddy Young married in 1941. After Pearl Harbor was attacked, Buddy signed up for the Air Force.(Photo: Courtesy of family)

She begins to cry, thinking of the next phone call: The DNA matched.
Her father was coming home.
Weeks ago, there was a ceremony at Diana's home in California.
Along with medals, the Army gave Diana a thick book containing detailed military records of the crash and subsequent recovery efforts.
About 300,000 Americans died in World War II combat, and more than 70,000 were unaccounted for. As Diana paged through the volume this week, grateful for a tangible keepsake of the dad she never knew, her face clouded with melancholy.
"I just find it extremely sad," she says. "A waste. Not just him, but all of these young men dying."
On Wednesday, nearly 100 attended her father's interment, about 20 family members among them. A bugler played taps. The honor guard delivered a 15-gun salute. Pastor Bob Hanson, a veteran who served in Korea and Vietnam, read Psalm 23.
"Now he's back in these beautiful mountains and valleys where he grew up," the minister said, "surrounded by people who love him."
His casket was lowered into the ground. A gravestone lay nearby with Buddy's name and a brief epitaph: "Killed in Action April 10, 1944. Welcomed home Oct. 15, 2014"
There is one last chapter: Next spring, unidentified remains and relics from the crash site are to be buried in a single grave at Arlington National Cemetery.
Wagner also reports for The Arizona Republic