The Faceless Machine of Corporate Greed

The Spaida by Caleb Hamm

A poignant rendition of the story of today’s Papua New Guinea by Caleb Hamm. This extraordinary art by Caleb says a lot if you look into the details of this piece.

I’ll let Caleb himself say bits of it in words as posted on his FB page.

Haus Bilong Spaida

By Caleb Hamm

“We see the alienation of people that is the result of the present machine orientated economy.
We see true social security and the people’s happiness being diminished in the name of economic progress.
We caution therefore that large scale industries should only be pursued after careful and thorough consideration of the likely consequences upon the spiritual and social fabric of our people.
There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that a significant number of people who live by the fruits of multi million dollar multi-national corporations live in misery, loneliness and spiritual poverty.
We believe that since we are a rural people, our strength should be essentially in the land and in the use of our innate artistic talents.“
- Actual deliberations quoted from Papua New Guinea’s Constitutional Planning Committee in 1975. The year of Independence.

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Gargantuan proportions of Palm oil plantations fill PNG’s countryside where once stood one of the world’s last frontiers. Unsustainable monocultures now cover the logged hills and valleys. 24 % of PNG’s rainforest has been logged in the last 30 years and the hungry rate continues to threaten an irreplaceable and unique ecosystem.http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0222-png.html#The black river represents the massive Ok Tedi disaster where barrels of poisonous waste were spilled down the Fly River from the infamous Ok Tedi mine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ok_Tedi_environmental_disaster

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Illegal land grabs are not unknown to the rural people of PNG, but the recent Paga Hill incident topped them all. On Saturday, May 12, a historic district in PNG’s capital witnessed bulldozers pushing over 20 houses while police kept the home owners at bay. What was supposed to be a planned out eviction swiftly became a heartless and cruel demolition in this shady, allegedly illegal, urban land grab. I copied Paga Hill Estate’s proposed hotel building design which overshadows a bulldozer ploughing down a heap of cultural icons mixed with housing materials. Clearing a path for the limousine of modern colonialism.http://namorong.blogspot.ca/2012/05/smelly-beast-thats-paga-hill.html

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Ramu Nico, LNG PNG all represented by this web of oil pipelines and giant tank supplying the greedy spaida. Several rivers are currently dumping mine waste into the Bismark Sea and Huon Gulf. Yellow waters, dead fish and new bans on selling fish and produce in the market all affect those living in the area. How long do they have before there is no reef, no fish, or drinking water. Cyanide traces are now frequently being found in many rivers in PNG.

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The never ending story of Post Courier’s stuff ups

David Williams highlights yet another stuff up at Post Courier

David Williams comments come in light of this news piece from Post Courier, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp.

How much further can we continue to get such sub-standard news service from Papua New Guinea’s oldest and at one time, one of the most respected newspaper in the country.

I cannot go for the competition either because  The National  is owned by Rumbinan Hijau, that Malaysian logging giant that continues to rape and pillage Papua New Guinea.  As a result, the only reliable source of news source for me is the RADIO and INTERNET.

Its time Post Courier get its act together.

*Transcript of David William’s comments

“Can someone please explain to the morons at the Post Courier that the “Republic of Korea” is NOT North Korea … colloquially it is referred to as SOUTH KOREA!!
What we know as ‘North Korea” is offically the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) …
I am sure that Whie-jin Lee, the SOUTH Korean representative must be deeply embarrassed to see his country miss-named in today’s Guria …
http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120207/news12.htm ” ~ David Williams.

One falcon, 7 points of order, 8 passengers and many questions later

The “High drama in Indonesian airspace involving the PNG Falcon jet“ which took place over more than a month ago – back in 2011, has been been made public only last week.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Belden Namah, in typical  knee-jerk fashion common to PNG politicians, released a media statement on this issue, only after it was brought to the attention of the people via the front page story of The National (6/01/12).

But Mr Namah’s official statement on this incident has left me with more questions than answers.

For instance…

1. Why has Mr Namah been silent on this matter until it had surfaced on the papers for him to come out?
2. What was the purpose of this power meeting over in Malaysia that required 3 senior MPs to travel there?
3. Why was the police minister part of this troupe? Was it to go over the “security detail” for the oil palm plantations like how Rumbinan Hijau (RH) pays for members of the Royal Police Constabulary to beat the hell out of fellow Papua New Guineans?
4. Why were those “oil palm investors” flown here on the Falcon jet? Seems reminiscent of the Somare regime.
   – The idea of flying “investors” to and from PNG with the Falcon is becoming rather too ‘crowded’, don’t you think? Should PNG start getting ready to fork out more for a bigger jet soon if we are going to consider all the investors lining up for a free flight at tax payers’ expense?
5.  Would the oil palm investors from Malaysia be related to RH in any way?
   – Hang on. If that were the case, I doubt it would be brought to light by The National newspaper.
   – Which then begs the question as to who the Indonesian journalist is and which media outlet he/she is attached with? (This is something for The National newspaper to reply to).
   – Would it be a competitor of RH then? Questions, questions and more questions…. let’s move on.
6. In his statement, Mr Namah further asks us to ponder on the possible outcome of such an event if it happened to countries like “… Australia, New Zealand, America or China for that matter and it was carrying their Deputy Prime Ministers or the Vice Presidents…”
   – Well for starters, would they have waited 1 month until after a newspaper report to cry foul?
   – Perhaps we would better understand how they (“Australia, New Zealand, America or China“) would react if they were faced with such a crisis situation by first finding the answers to the first three points above.
7. Namah goes on further to ask us to “Imagine carrying such a large amount of money on the small Falcon Jet”
   – Well I have never held a million in my hands to help me to “imagine” US$250 million. In any case, one could have just as easily have US$250m in bonds, I’m sure.
   – But then again, I’ll have to tag this point under the #JustSaying category. I may be accused here of speculating but I am only working on the premise of his “OK” to speculate on this incident by the line “I leave that for you to conclude.” (B.Namah).
   – And of course. I’m testing the waters of freedom of expression here to see if it can stay its course and hold ground.

“Finally, it is in this kind of test that the nations must stand united forgetting their differences and upholding their pledge to their motherland. Papua New Guineans MUST now learn to be NATIONALISTIC AND PATRIOTIC. WE MUST PROTECT OUR SOVEREINGNITY. [sic]” – Belden Namah

Namah’s closing remarks as quoted above sits smugly with the rest of the statement like an unwiped ass on a hot Moresby day. It seems almost disjointed –  incongruent even, from the rest of his statement. Perhaps it is the soldier in him trying to relive his glory days of rousing soldiers into action, but it falls short of hitting the target; like a punch line to a lame joke that never quite makes it. It is of course his rally call to get the Opposition MP’s to set aside their political differences, and to get the public support behind him in his pursuit to seek some redress from international bodies on this matter.

However, with no disrespect to him, I have to say that this has to be one of the most pathetically shallow attempts at inciting patriotic pride, if that was the intent.  The obvious lack of detailed information on this matter, as highlighted by the seven points raised above, hang like a rainy day on a picnic. It fails to build up the crescendo it deserves, in order to make that final “call to arms” –  if I may dare to call it that. In fact it falls in a heap of clichés.

One would have thought Mr Namah would have by now known better than to be hasty with his words (yea, he of the claims to “damning evidence” against the Chief Justice Injia, if one cares to recall). In fact, it is of paramount importance that any man or woman who has reached such a level of the political ladder as Mr Namah needs to be extra sensitive in their choice of words, especially now more than ever.

This is not me being unpatriotic. This is me being a realistic patriot. This is me speaking up and speaking out, asking the niggling questions that are in all thinking Papua New Guineans’ minds. This is me trying to make sound and informed judgement after understanding the underlying details surrounding this incident in order to avoid dancing to conjecture, recycled lyrics, question marks and bull shit.

This is me asking why we have to “learn to be NATIONALISTIC AND PATRIOTIC” now, when numerous calls to look into cases of border incursions previously have received very minimal attention. This is me asking why we have to “learn to be NATIONALISTIC AND PATRIOTIC” now, when we could have been so back in November 29, 2011.

This is me saying you need to protect the spelling of your “SOVEREINGNITY” so then perhaps we can really start protecting our SOVEREIGNTY.

The moral of the story is that Mr Namah needs a new speech writer to cover his tracks better.

Shots fired at Govt house as O’Neil & Somare tussle for power

This just came in from a Graham Robinson

“At exactly 9:17 pm tonight Hon. Peter O’Neill and contingent walked straight up to Fred Yakasa and his fully armed men and kindly asked them to step aside. Fred Yakasa was adamant in not allowing them however, a little push from the back with people asking Fred Yakasa and his men to step aside; “oi step aside PM ya” I was standing with a Post Courier camera man and a female reporter where I recognized the armed robbery police vehicles (Fred Yakasa’s unit)
I then cautioned the two media personnel to step back. The push from the back of the pack had a momentous effect on the PM eventually persuading Fred Yakasa to step aside and the Hon. Peter O’Neill walked straight up to Government house.
Immediately followed disgruntled police men I suppose, those supporting Fred Yakasa started shouting, “we are here to defend the constitution and you don’t respect it then yumi lusim na go….gun shots followed suit and everyone of us not in police uniform scrambled for cover….Whilst gun shots were fired Hon.Peter O’Neill was well on his way up to government house…the entire ordeal ended about 9:35 pm when the first of the armed robbery vehicles drove out followed by others…”

This does not look good at all.

Its all in the Timing: Bench warrants out for DPM & A-G

It seems only the Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah and the Attorney General, Dr. Alan Marat are the only ones who have been issued a warrant and not the Prime Minister as earlier stated.

AG Dr. Allan Marat

But then this begs the question as to why that is so when the Prime Minister was fully aware of the move to sack the Chief Justice and had endorsed the NEC decision, as Ben Micah the government Chief of Staff was reported to have said.

This is just one of the many questions and blind spots in this ongoing saga that holds me back from making speculations as yet. But there are a few oddities that baffles me still, the most notable one being timing.

The timing of this move has not been given enough critical thought. PNG is just reeling from a major upheaval in the country’s major port city of Lae. Things may have simmered down but that in no way means the problem has gone away.

There is also the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into the Special Purpose Agricultural Business Lease which has revealed some very controversial and damning findings – the forgery of signatures amongst some of the rots in this issue. (Meanwhile it was sighted in The National that rival newspaper, Post Courier was served Defamation charges but fuck Rumbinan Hijau and its PR Machine! That is fodder for other tales some other time).

Crucial also is the referral of the O’Neil-Namah government by the East Sepik Provincial Government to the Supreme Court on the legality of this government. The court decision was supposed to have been handed down on December 9th but as of yesterday, word is out that decision on the referral will be brought forward.

Let us not forget the nation goes to the polls in only a few months from now.

These are just some of the key issues facing the country that needs immediate and decisive action. And by “decisive”, I mean an immediate and carefully calculated approach in handling and diffusing such crisis situations. A response that is overdue by a couple of days or even 3 is certainly NOT ‘decisive’!

The Opposition in the meantime, has maintained the stance of the spoilt brat from the moment they had been blind sided, not providing an effective opposition. But then again, what more WERE they going to offer anyway? Fuckin dickwobs.

What I am saying is that those MEN(!) we put in there to think, talk and stand up for us are busy playing football and marbles in there that half my tax Kina is spent on tribunals, court cases and commission of fucking inquiries that do shit all anyway. If not any of these then it – my tax money – ends up as another of our many band-aid solutions, some lousy cheque presentations and money waving banquets (tut-tut) or some extravagant ‘fact-finding’ trips to Abu Dhabi even .

Now look what they have made me do? I should be at a book-swap talking books right now and even collecting school books for children in remote Oro and here I am bitch-blogging.

:/

…ero

Bench warrants out for PM, DPM & Attorney General of PNG

Things are getting even better and more exciting.

Word from reliable sources reveal that “bench warrants have been issued for the arrest and incarceration of Peter O’Neil, Belden Namah and Allan Marat for contempt of court.”

Justice Bernard Sakora in a one man Supreme Court bench stayed the cabinet decision of yesterday and had the bench warrants issued. This comes not more than 24 hours after Justice Sakora himself was endorsed by cabinet to act as the Deputy Chief Justice after the suspension of Sir Salamo Injia.

In light of this, the remaining members of the previous government under Somare are believed to be on their way to Brisbane to take stock of the situation. Former Chief Justice and National Alliance strongman Sir Arnold Amet is also in this group.

The legal team behind the East Sepik Provincial Government reference of the O’Neil-Namah government to the the judiciary is also conferring in Brisbane.

It is most likely that decision on the reference may be brought forward.

Now that is something to note for 11-11-11. :/

PNG Chief Justice Suspended

The Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea, Sir Solomon Injia has been suspended by the National Executive Council for contempt charges, with further allegations of double-dipping into housing entitlements and the abuse of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

PNG's Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia. Photo: The National

Acting Prime Minister, Mr Belden Namah made this startling announcement yesterday afternoon after a cabinet meeting. He added that there was overwhelming evidence on file dating as far back as 2009 to support this decision and people implicated in those files may most likely face charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Mr Namah also announced that a tribunal bench was also setup to investigate these allegations. The Chair of the Bench is former Judge Paul Akuram, Justice Collin McCall and Justice George Manu.

Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika will be acting Chief Justice while Bernard Sakora becomes the Acting Deputy Chief Justice for the duration of the suspension and investigation.

The Attorney General, Dr Alan Marat, when queried if this had anything to do with the current case before the Supreme Court questioning the legality of the O’Neil-Namah Government strongly denied any link but stated clearly that this was strictly an “NEC decision that was arrived at collectively by the cabinet.”

The Prime Minister, Mr Peter O’Neil is understood to be in Hawaii for the APEC Summit.

Source: PNG FM and the ABC