Bulolo and Wau website

http://www.freewebs.com/bulolo_png/.

 

Wau and Bulolo are two of the prettiest and most-historic towns in Papua New Guinea with picturesque rolling hills and snaking rivers – which if they could speak – would tell you so much.

In the rivers and creeks, village miners are quietly sifting a fortune in gold dust, using crude wooden sluices made from bush materials and cheap metal pans.

The discovery of gold at Edie Creek above Wau in 1926 sparked off a gold rush of massive proportions which led to the exploitation of the rich deposits of the Bulolo-Watut river system by large-scale mechanised mining.

The Bulolo region was at the time one of the largest gold fields in the world.

A total of seven dredges scoured the valley floor, dredging thousands of tones of high grade gold-bearing ore.

And you can see the natural beauty and panorama of Wau and Bulolo – indeed God’s country – by visiting this website http://www.freewebs.com/bulolo_png/.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sorcery suspect handed in

By JAMES APA GUMUNO

MOGE Kimnika tribesmen in Western Highlands province have surrendered to the police one of their men wanted in connection with a double murder, The National  reports.

The suspect, who is in custody, was among six people who allegedly killed a man and his son late last month after accusing them of using sorcery to kill one of their tribesmen at Bun village outside Mt Hagen city.

Metropolitan commander Chief Insp Peter Roari said yesterday people had killed their own tribesmen in the province since last year after accusing them of sorcery, but not one suspect had been handed over to the police “even though the killings and torture had taken place in front of many people”.

He said on Monday, the Moge Kimnika tribesmen, led by upcoming leader and businessman Michael Onda, were the first to surrender to the police one of their own tribesmen allegedly involved in the killing of Anis Plak and in causing grievous bodily harm to his father, Plak Dua, who died two weeks later.

Chief Insp Roari said the surrender came about after several meetings the police had with the Moge tribe.

He commended Mr Onda and the community elders for taking the lead in the meetings and surrendering the suspect.

He said the suspect had been charged with two counts of wilful murder and would appear today at the Mt Hagen District Court for mention.

He said the five other suspects were still at large, and hoped they, too, would give themselves up.

Chief Insp Roari said he was happy with the Moge people for showing a good example to other Western Highlanders.

He said this clearly showed that there was good leadership in the Moge Kimnika tribe.

Papua New Guinea students make international appeal for universal education and gender equality

Picture captions: 1. Port Moresby Grammar School headgirl Alida Gubag discussing Millenium Development Goals (MDG) issues with New Zealand students during a PNG/New Zealand school video conference at the World Bank's PNG Office. The video conference last Friday involving students from the Port Moresby Grammar School and St Josephs International College was organised by the British High Commission. 2.  The Port Moresby Grammar School and St Josephs International College students discussing Millenium Development Goals (MDG) issues with New Zealand students during a PNG/New Zealand school video conference at the World Bank's PNG Office. The video conference last Friday involved students from the Port Moresby Grammar School and St Josephs International College and was organised by the British High Commission.

A group of Papua New Guinea students have appealed to the international community to give priority to universal education and gender equality.

The Port Moresby Grammar School and St Josephs International College students made the appeal last Friday at the end of an hour-long video conference discussion on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with peers from schools in Wellington, New Zealand.

“The first is we’d like gender equality to be promoted and second is for the quality of education in all schools to be improved. We want the international community to do something to better facilitate the level of education to enable developing countries to reach the Millennium Development Goals (targets in 2015),” said students Freesia Wavine and Ferdinand Lambo on behalf of their PNG colleagues.

Their New Zealand peers passed on their concerns to the 300 regional and international leaders who attended the March 20-21 MDG symposium at Wellington’s Victoria University.

The UK Minister for the Pacific Gillian Merron and PNG’s sole woman MP and Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu attended and participated in the symposium.

The students’ discussions centered on the MDGs, especially MDG 2 on “achieving universal primary education” with the questions and subsequent discussions focusing on education in PNG, HIV/AIDS and violence against women.

Acting British High Commissioner to PNG, Colin Glass, said he hoped the students had fun and would take away with them the importance of the MDGs. 

The PNG students, who were made MDG Ambassadors and presented certificates of participation, thanked the British High Commission in both Port Moresby and Wellington for organising the video conference.

The students’ lively discussion concluded with the PNG side singing the National Anthem and their New Zealand peers reciprocating with their rendition of the Haka.

Bulolo MP takes offence at The National editorial

Caption: Bulolo MP Sam Basil (right) presents K20, 000 to Morobe police chief Peter Guiness as provincial administrator Patilias Gamato and others look on.

 

Bulolo MP Sam Basil has taken offence at today’s editorial in The National titled ‘Rushed aid is counterproductive’ which questioned his giving K100,000 to help victims of last weekend’s stand-off between Watut and Biangai tribes in Wau.

Greatly-distressed Mr Basil said today that the editorial was “very insensitive to the highly-volatile and sensitive situation in Wau at the moment”.

The MP made a commitment of K100, 000 to help those displace by the stand-off last Sunday, however, today’s editorial claimed that this would be “counterproductive”.

“If the Biangais were to mobilise tomorrow for a return raid and similar violence was visited upon the Watut, would it be incumbent upon the Member to offer similar assistance?” the editorial posed.

“Were the killers apprehended?

“What processes have been set in motion to determine who really are the rightful landowners?

“How will the Watuts react to their Member’s sudden outpouring of cash gifts towards their sworn enemy?”

Mr Basil replied that the editorial was only adding more fuel to the fire.

“I would appreciate your editorial comment as such to be made at least some days after the event,” he said.

“The money is, as you know, not only for relief supplies for the people who lost their homes, including a woman who gave birth in the bushes at Kaisenik village.

“It is also for the police operations as since their deployment on Friday/Saturday, they barely have rations, as Morobe Mining Joint Venture’s supplies have been depleted.

“The district administrator and his team also do not have capacity in terms of fuel, vehicles, food rations, camping gear, and many other contributing factors to handle the situation.

“It is not good to talk about what the Watut thinks about helping me their rivals!

“The way this paper has put it, is that it wants to spark more violence, by providing arguing points for the rival clans to use.

“I can't just watch the mothers hiding in the bushes giving birth while the children suffer from hunger and cold.

“The relief supplies from national and provincial governments, as we all know, all too often come too late after people die.

“For sure, if the Watuts suffer tomorrow, it is my duty to help, regardless of which ever side of the factions they come from.

“It may be best to ask all media to refrain from making such comments until the two factions come to the round table.”

Meanwhile, Mr Basil today presented K20, 000 – from his K100, 000 commitment - to Morobe provincial police commander Peter Guiness to assist police logistics during their stay in Wau.

Provincial administrator Patilias Gamato thanked Mr Basil for the money saying that “it is very timely as the police logistical support is minimal”.

“While the provincial and national government assistance is a while away, this help from the local MP is very timely,” he said.

Mr Basil said: “The remainder of the funds will be used for Bulolo district administration staff to help with logistics and administration, while the Biangai and the Watut people who lost their homes will be attended to by receiving relief supplies.”

 

Morobe government commits K300, 000 for Wau victims

The Morobe provincial executive council today made a commitment of K320, 000 to assist victims of the two-day standoff between Biangai and Watut villagers in Wau last Friday and Saturday.

Details are to be announced by Governor Luther Wenge.

Bulolo MP Sam Basil has already committed K100, 000 from his district funds while Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip has pledged K5, 000.

The provincial disaster committee has also provided relief supplies such as tarpaulin, rice and saucepans to Biangai villagers affected by the raid by Watuts.

Meanwhile, Mr Basil, provincial administrator Patilias Gamato and provincial disaster committee chairman Benson Suwang will visit affected villages tomorrow.

 

 

Wau situation quite, but tense, after two days of violence

The situation in Wau, Morobe province, remains tense but quite after the violence of last Friday and Saturday which saw two people killed, several injured, houses and property destroyed and the temporary shutdown of Hidden Valley gold mine and the evacuation of employees.
This was independently confirmed today (Monday) by Bulolo MP Sam Basil, district administrator Nemsin Kibisep, Bulolo-based police mobile squad (MS) 15 commander Michael Tilae and a Morobe Mining Joint Venture spokesman.
A mobile squad from Port Moresby is guarding the mine as local mine employees from either Watut or Biangai villages left for their own security
The Morobe provincial executive council was in a meeting for most of today to discuss the urgency of the situation and approve funding to assist those displaced after Watut villagers attacked Biangai villages last Friday and Saturday.
Mr Basil and other leaders will again travel to the affected areas tomorrow (Tuesday) to continue to broker peace among the warring factions.
“After the last two days of meeting with people from both sides, the Watuts and the Biangais, the situation has started to calm down,” Mr Kibisep said from Bulolo.
“Over the weekend, up until Sunday, we had the involvement of Bulolo MP Sam Basil, Morobe Governor Luther Wenge, Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip, provincial administrator Patilias Gamato, provincial police commander Peter Guiness, and all the local level government presidents of Bulolo.
“The purpose of the meetings at the weekend was to get both sides to lay down their arms and come to a roundtable discussion.
“Both sides have taken the message on board and laid down their arms.
“We’ve also given both groups seven days to identify the reasons they are fighting, especially the Watuts.”
Mr Kibisep said two people had been confirmed killed, the number of injured was unknown, while the whole village of Kaisenik and parts of Kwembu were burned down.
MS15 commander Mr Tilae said from Wau police were in the Biangai villages today helping dislocated people to come out of hiding in the bushes.
“Things are quite but I shouldn’t compromise on that,” he said.
A spokesman for MMJV, operators of Hidden Valley, said from Lae the mine re-opened on Sunday.
“Hidden Valley is back to normal despite the tension and problems,” he said.
“Contractors returned to the site on Sunday and this morning.
“The only people not on site are those local employees, who are from either Biangai or Watut.
“We had to temporarily suspend operations when the trouble flared up last Friday and Saturday.
“Otherwise, the situation is still sensitive, so we have to handle things in a very-sensitive manner.”

A song for Hula (on the 1st anniversary of her death today)

O past! O life! O songs of joy!  

In the air—in the woods—over fields;  

Loved! loved! loved! loved! loved!  

But my love no more, no more with me!

We two together no more.

 

(Out Of The Candle Endlessly Rocking, Walt Whitman)