Papua New Guinea

[Sean K]

I was lucky enough to go to PNG about 15 years ago and do a trek over Shaggy Ridge and go diving off Madang.

Incredibly spectacular country. Amazing.


Unfortunately, they don't know how to look after themselves, and to be blunt, and politically incorrect, are only just out of the trees.

Britain leaving them in our care after 1900 and then us giving them independance in 1975 were mistakes.

They are a slice of Africa in Australasia, along with Timor.

I think it best that we take them back over, along with NZ, (in the future to be named ANZACLand) and sort them out.

Otherwise, they will just continue to be a corrupt, nepotismic, tribal, backwater for another 1000 years. Plus.

And, they have one of the most spectacular countries in the universe!! Such a shame.

Now, some sections want compensation from whities for giving them clothes. And cuttlery. And plumbing. And toilet paper.

As if giving them a 5% royalty for their resources wasn't enough? lol

'Colonial neglect' ?? WTF?

Yes, we neglected to realise that you can not manage yourselves and should have incorporated you into Australia and completely colonised your beautiful country and dragged you out of the trees kicking and screaming.

PNG people seek compensation

July 04, 2008

THE Papua New Guinea people to first experience major contact by Europeans want compensation from Australia and Britain for what they say was more than a century of colonial neglect.

New president of the Motu Koita people, Miria Ikupu, made the historic claim to PNG's former colonial masters, along with PNG's present government, in his first address as leader today.

Ikupu said his 45,000 people, who inhabit PNG's east coast in and around the capital of Port Moresby, have not seen one cent from successive administrations despite continued promises, the first from Queen Victoria.

“The Motu Koita people, who are the original inhabitants and owners of Port Moresby City, have been denied and neglected from their land rights and the benefits,” he told AAP.

“The former British and Australian colonial administrations forcefully took our land and built the now city of Port Moresby.

Politically Incorrect statement over.

 

[Superfly]

Kennas... they may not last 1000 years... "HIV" is a problem in PNG... along with cutting each other up when angry...

PNG is a tough one.... big drain on the Australian economy to go that far and the natives always grow restless and all you would get is the usual independance war and then after more poverty but with less infustructure due to the war, look at Bougainville island, Zimbabwe, India (80% of the population do not use a toilet, but the rich are rich) etc..

Maybe one currency for Aus / NZ ... but I'm no banker so can't really comment on that, but have heard it said before.

 

[Sean K]

Kennas... they may not last 1000 years... "HIV" is a problem... along with cutting each other up when angry...

PNG is a tough one.... big drain on the Australian economy to go that far and the natives always grow restless and all you would get is the usual independance war and then after more poverty but with less infustructure due to the war, look at Bougainville island, Zimbabwe, India (80% of the population do not use a toilet, but the rich are rich) etc..

Maybe one currency for Aus / NZ ... but I'm no banker so can't really comment on that, but have heard it said before.

The currency will be called the ZAC one day I reckon. NZ is as much a part of Australia as Tassie is really. They just don't want to admit it.

Cripes, NZ has a reciprocal visa arrangement with Chile, so they can keep their population growing. Most NZ'ers leave after uni (or before) to Australia to seek a better life. And a better accent. Who would pronounce six as sux?

Australia is surrounded by failed and potentially failed tribal backwaters. Timor, PNG, Bougainville, Solomans, Fiji, NZ. Woops, did I put NZ in there?

And yes, HIV might fix them.

And thank the Catholic church for that one!

 

[Superfly]

The currency will be called the ZAC one day I reckon. NZ is as much a part of Australia as Tassie is really. They just don't want to admit it.

Cripes, NZ has a reciprocal visa arrangement with Chile, so they can keep their population growing. Most NZ'ers leave after uni (or before) to Australia to seek a better life. And a better accent. Who would pronounce six as sux?

Australia is surrounded by failed and potentially failed tribal backwaters. Timor, PNG, Bougainville, Solomans, Fiji, NZ. Woops, did I put NZ in there?

Get out of the trees 'people'.

And yes, HIV might fix them.

And thank the Catholic church for that one!

Yes.. Australia is their life boat... have heard of an unskilled workers temp program.. that's a good idea so they can pay tax in Australia but still be sending money back to Tonga etc to help there AS LONG as they can not apply for PR when they work here like all the Indians etc do now.. Singapore has the right idea, XX month temp working visa and then you go home. no if's or buts, no PR, good-bye.

Must admit that the NZ accent maybe the most annoying to have to sit through in the world with madarin close behind.... although would be good if madarin was taught to all Australian school kids. Which is another problem with PNG..language...

 

[Sean K]

Yes.. Australia is their life boat...

Yep, and we prop up the sinking ships with donations until when?

I think Australia provides PNG with about 10% of their economy through 'aid', whatever that is.

(plucked number from memory)

I went to Niue (NZ protectorate) after Cyclone Heta and they have a pop under 1000. There's some social theory that you can't be called a 'country' with less that 2000 people or something, so they fudge their figures to keep their individual status. Meanwhile, NZ props them up with aid to make them viable, and Aust has to send medical teams to save their @rse after a few waves hit them.

And what do they have? Nada. Except some good diving and whales visit them now and then.

What's my point?

Humans are confused.

We are an animal and do everything we can to save our own bacon, but then feel sorry for others and try to help them, which stuffs up our own existance. A paradigm that confounds me. Perhaps one day our brains will fill the space available, and be used to potential, and we will stop these shenanigans.

Stupid humans...

 

[explod]

Yep, we need to learn to stay right away. Perhaps help them to grow thier trees back so that they can form the old tribe and villiage system. Like Mugabe, except in his case too many people for one chief.

More seriously the lungs of the planet have been the forrests along the equator. Somehow, as well as getting off oil we need to get off timber so that the trees do grow back again. Places in our region such as Papua,Idonesia and East Timor need to be led in these directions and of course the locals made the custodians in a decentralised system.

With the carbon credits they can give it back to Packer at Crown. In fact in Vegas the indeginous own the casinos.

Are, its great to be Satuday

 

[Sean K]

Are, its great to be Satuday

Golly, it's Saturday?

 

[Muschu]

I was fortunate enough to live in PNG for 5 years a long time ago - 1966-7 and 1970-2. I had a job travelling the entire country and lived [for roughly a year each] in [get your maps out] Vanimo, Wewak, Madang, Lae and Port Moresby. I travelled to all the major, and some minor, islands as well as the Highlands. I also spent long periods in remote villages, especially in the Sepik region, and travelling by foot between those villages. Everywhere I went I, and others,were welcomed.
Geographically there is no doubt this is a magnificent country. Back then it was also a very safe place to live. It was unfortunate that some, a minority, of the white population [who owned most of the wealth and power] of the time were very racist. eg: I visited the Madang Club with indigenous PNG friends to be told they couldn't enter because of inappropriate dress -- When they were all wearing long-sleeved shirts, ties, long trousers etc -- The same as I was wearing.
One of my tasks was to help with the localisation of the Education Department --- The job being to find local staff capable of taking over positions held by expatriate Australians. The talent we located was amazing. I came to the realisation that I had no place occupying a job that could be better done by a local [who understood the culture better than me]and resigned, suggesting such a replacement.
Entering independence was always going to be fraught with corruption and dangers but this, in my view, is something the country has to go through. It troubles me to see the state that they are in now but the answer is not for them to return to being a white-dominated society.
My thoughts. Others who know the country may have different views.
Cheers
Rick

 

[Sean K]

I was fortunate enough to live in PNG for 5 years a long time ago - 1966-7 and 1970-2. I had a job travelling the entire country and lived [for roughly a year each] in [get your maps out] Vanimo, Wewak, Madang, Lae and Port Moresby. I travelled to all the major, and some minor, islands as well as the Highlands. I also spent long periods in remote villages, especially in the Sepik region, and travelling by foot between those villages. Everywhere I went I, and others,were welcomed.
Geographically there is no doubt this is a magnificent country. Back then it was also a very safe place to live. It was unfortunate that some, a minority, of the white population [who owned most of the wealth and power] of the time were very racist. eg: I visited the Madang Club with indigenous PNG friends to be told they couldn't enter because of inappropriate dress -- When they were all wearing long-sleeved shirts, ties, long trousers etc -- The same as I was wearing.
One of my tasks was to help with the localisation of the Education Department --- The job being to find local staff capable of taking over positions held by expatriate Australians. The talent we located was amazing. I came to the realisation that I had no place occupying a job that could be better done by a local [who understood the culture better than me]and resigned, suggesting such a replacement.
Entering independence was always going to be fraught with corruption and dangers but this, in my view, is something the country has to go through. It troubles me to see the state that they are in now but the answer is not for them to return to being a white-dominated society.
My thoughts. Others who know the country may have different views.
Cheers
Rick

Goly Rick! You survived!! LOL

Yes, beautiful country.

But, as I said, 1000 years behind.

 

[Muschu]

Goly Rick! You survived!! LOL

Yes, beautiful country.

But, as I said, 1000 years behind.

Could I argue that aspects of some in our our society, especially greed in a quest for an always greater wealth, may not in fact qualify us as yet being in a favourable [mental] place? Plenty of trees in Australia too.

I'll never forget experiences such as walking into a remote village, unexpected, and being offered [a] a hut for the night and food from the local fruit / vegie garden and coconut trees -- with nothing expected in return. Maybe we could learn something from that?

Guess who taught the PNG people that materialism and power are good; and that any means to such ends are justifiable? [Abbreviated version] Fortunately they didn't all listen.


Cheers mate

Rick

 

[Sean K]

Probably not Kennas.

I'll never forget experiences such as walking into a remote village, unexpected, and being offered [a] a hut for the night and food from the local fruit / vegie garden and coconut trees -- with nothing expected in return. Maybe we could learn something from that?

Yep, did that during our trek.

And, caught some crazy bug that gave me an itch for weeks!!!!

Like the WORST bug every!!!



Would have loved some western medicine..,..

 

[johenmo]

Spent 5 weeks in PNG islands in '87. Mostly Rabaul end of New Britain but also in the sticks near Kimbe on east end. A few days in Lae. Stayed with in-laws who worked there from 72 - 96 (the Rabaul volcano exploded so they left). Diving off Walindi plantation. Other relatives up in the highlands. All before Bouganville.......

Beautiful country but the wontok system means white man's democracy won't work. Have spoken to many people who have lived there for a long time and they weren't ready for "full" independence. Best holiday I've ever had - the islands were good but the mainland was soooooo different. If it wasn't for the violence/danger, I'd recommend it before anywhere else I've been (includes Europe/NAmerica/Asia).

Comment re Niue and population. Most/more of them are in Auckland (just returned from 12 years in NZ). NZ has a big pacific island population and feel they are the guardians/parents of the Pacific. With more right to it than Australia. Maybe it's justified considering the % population levels.

 

[Calliope]

There are ominious signs that our closest neighbour PNG is heading for failed state status. The implications for Australia are very bleak indeed.

Australia must intervene to stop its neighbour becoming a basket case.


Today the Papua New Guinea High Court will hand down a judgment determining the constitutional validity of the PNG government led by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill. If a negative decision is handed down - as many experts expect - the government of PNG could become unworkable. This would be especially unfortunate because the O'Neill government has shown signs of addressing serious governance failures that have plagued the country for more than 30 years.
These failures have led some observers to think that PNG may be becoming a failed state.

The omens are all there: escalating crime rates (including murder, drunken violence, illicit drugs, prostitution, burglary, carjacking); horrific violence directed at women (rapes, bashings, torture, killings); some of the worst maternal and infant mortality rates in the world; plunging literacy rates; collapsed health and education systems; endemic tribal warfare in the Highlands; land grabs by foreigners; unsustainable exploitation of natural resources; decaying infrastructure; massive administrative incompetence; and the breakdown of public institutions such as the police and the civil service.

(my bolds)

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/polit...the-balance-20111208-1ol9n.html#ixzz1g0CwRXuG

 

[gav]

There are ominious signs that our closest neighbour PNG is heading for failed state status.

And this financial year the Ausaid are giving $482M.
http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/24

Last financial year, it was $450M. Even back in 1994, over $300M was flowing from Australia. Where the f... is it going???

 

[Calliope]

PNG now has 2 PMs, 2 Cabinets, 2 GGs and 2 Police Commissioners.

 

[Knobby22]

PNG now has 2 PMs, 2 Cabinets, 2 GGs and 2 Police Commissioners.

You have to say there is something to be said for having it controlled via a foreign power i.e. the Queen.

 

[awg]

A friend has done a couple of trips recently.

He said that road travel was very difficult, as bribes were demanded at many locations. This was negotiated by local minder/driver. Not paying was not an option.

He stated that upon landing at Madang airport, a crowd of locals surround the airport wire fence perimeter. When he asked what would happen if he were to venture into the mob, he was told he would be instantly robbed or assailed.

He mentioned that last minute large upward revision of bills was commonplace, especially at remote locations and that it was not at all easy to reason with the operators under these circumstances.

I would love to get up there, but it sounded menacing

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Much of the origins of this problem lie with Gough Whitlam and his ill advised ideology driven push to give PNG independence before the people were ready or requesting it in the 1970s.

But for Sir Joh Bjelke Petersen opposing, many of the Torres Strait Queensland islands would be in this land of instability and violence today.

Ideologues such as Whitlam are dangerous and the fruits of their actions often manifest many years later. Port Moresby is a dangerous slum, and now capital of a dysfunctional country with 2 Prime ministers, police commissioners and governors-general.

It rather reminds one of Canberra.

gg

 

[Sean K]

Much of the origins of this problem lie with Gough Whitlam and his ill advised ideology driven push to give PNG independence before the people were ready or requesting it in the 1970s.

High level sources within PNG recently quoted, 'we got independence a generation too early'. Maybe two IMHO...

I hope they can find a way out shortly.

Imminent ANZAC stabilisation force about to embark on the HMAS...., oh hang on, we can't send anyone anywhere at the moment. Must wait for the new HMAS Lemon-Scent to row over from Perth, or the KIWITUGCANTERBERY to steam forth...

Actually, PNG, you are on your own.

 

[finicky]

Porgera suspends operations | The National

www.thenational.com.pg