Let me first state categorically that what is happening in West Papua is wrong. It is a gross violation of human rights and I believe that the world should be intervening to bring an end to the atrocities – and the world includes PNG.
As such, I am completely on board with the protests Governor Powes Parkop and Gary Juffa have been leading. But that’s just me.
I believe that to some extent we are our brother’s/sister’s keeper and that national boundaries and nations themselves are artificial constructs and that we all are of the family of man. I don’t think anyone should have less expectations of my compassion and action because they have different colour skin (or hair colour, or nail polish) or speak a different language or live somewhere where their suffering does not affect me. But, once again, that’s just me.
Realistically, I am cognisant that Governor Parkop has a personal reason for his advocacy (I believe he has original ties to West Papua) whereas, to my knowledge, Gary Juffa has no direct, only indirect links to the country.
So does that give Parkop a right to interfere in the affairs of a sovereign nation and not Juffa? And please, at this juncture, do not presume to give me a history lesson on West Papua because I am aware of the history and I believe the wrongs of this history need righting. No argument. However, historic and historical wrongs have created the current, arguably legitimate, present.
In this article, I want to examine something different. I want to examine hypocrisy – and what’s good for the gander not being so good for the goose, so to speak (although it should be).
THE HYPOCRISY OF PNG
I frequently read in the PNG social media, commentators telling foreigners to “clean up their own backyard before offering criticisms of PNG.” Also, one of the more widely bandied around saying is “when you point at someone, four fingers are pointing back at you,” (it’s actually three fingers but let’s not split hairs). It’s a comment on hypocrisy.
It seems that while PNG marches against the atrocities in West Papua, there is a very loud voice in PNG wanting no one to scrutinise PNGs own atrocities. Indeed, PNG has not cleaned up its own backyard before they took an excursion into West Papua and those PNGean fingers pointed at the Indonesians indeed have blood on them and they’re pointing backwards.
I am speaking, in the main, about the atrocities occurring in PNG against women.
Ironically, there is no cultural or racial divide that explains what is happening in PNG as there is in West Papua. In PNG, we are speaking of people (women) who have absolutely no political representation in parliament but are governed by their oppressors – not unlike West Papua, hey?
If we lined up all of the PNG women who have been brutalised and/or killed by PNG men and did likewise with the West Papuans killed and/or brutalised by the Indonesians who would come out the winner? (And please, do not provide me with unsubstantiated numbers and guesswork that flatter your particular position.)
One facebook commentator said sarcastically (but with an air of dread) while speaking of the atrocities in both realms, “soon there will be no Melanesians in West Papua nor women in PNG.”
Fear of the press: what are you frightened of?
In its objective to hide from the world what’s really happening in West Papua and in order to stop international sanctions against them and ruin their reputation as a good global citizen, the Indonesian government has made it difficult, if not impossible for journalists to enter the country. And they are not averse to shooting the messenger in preference to cleaning up their act.
I’m a journalist: I have, at one time, been banned from entering Papua New Guinea – initially no reason was given but, in the end they came up with the excuse that I had lied on the entry form, I hadn’t (and indeed, if I had they had no way of knowing that before the fact).
It was then Prime Minister O’Neill who had personally banned me (that I know for sure) and the most likely reason was his displeasure at an article I wrote on violence against women severely criticising his non-action. As with the Indonesian government of West Papua, he shot the messenger rather than tackled the problem hoping his actions would silence me. But in this age of global communications, it is folly to think these sorts of actions prevent the leaking of information – as the Chinese state has found – as indeed has the Indonesians and Papua New Guinea.
Strident PNGeans on social media (believe me, this is NOT the silent majority) have often been heard condemning the ‘foreign press’ for their woes, saying that the “sensationalized” stories are spoiling the reputation of PNG and this is why the atrocities should be kept quiet. We are talking about atrocities like a father chopping off both his daughter’s hands for disobeying him (while a woman – I presume her mother, held her still for him to do it) and a man in his twenties raping a child (I believe she was 10 years old) orally, vaginally and anally on the altar of the local church. These are just the latest about which I’ve heard in the last few days – I’m sure you’d be able to add your own.
These are shocking events – shockingly sensational. How, as a journalist, do you tell this story when the bare facts are what makes it sensational, not the means of telling it? This is more shades of the Indonesians in West Papua. It’s the same modus operandi, same reasons.
The frustrations of obtaining a visa in PNG
And forget West Papua, do you know, in Papua New Guinea, to get a journalist visa you firstly need clearance from two government departments and then special clearance from immigration and the fee is a whopping $AU1,000 for every single entry.
For everyone except the big media companies the likes of Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Channel 7 et al, this is a significant impediment – and I guess that’s what the PNG government intends. But it doesn’t impede the big boys that I’ve just mentioned, just the likes of independent operators such as me.
What’s more, PNG requires that you lodge the money with them, in advance, and provide proof of bought airline tickets. If the visa is then not forthcoming (or late) – a very real possibility – you forfeit either the airfare (refunds are hard to get from Air Niugini who, depending on the price of the ticket, either give no refund or a credit for future travel – not much use if you can’t get a visa) – or the airfare and the $AU1000 which is not refundable in any case.
Which would be all well and good if the departments were efficient. They’re not.
My Story: Sequence of events
On August 20, I wrote to PMs Media Department and Department of Foreign Affairs to get the clearance for a journalist visa (as was stated to do on the website). Unfortunately, it did not state that they don’t look at or answer emails addressed to the department only to their personal, somewhat secret, gmail addresses.
I found this out when I followed up my emails with the consular here in Sydney – who let me in on the secret. By now, it had been a week.
Using the secret email addresses, Foreign Affairs said they would provide the clearance after they saw the one from the PMs Media Department and it was then that Matrom John contacted me to request more documentation and I supplied it immediately.
By now it was 28 August and my scheduled departure was 11 September.
After some days and numerous enquiries to Ms John, I was told that someone called Tonny Maben had the application and he was awaiting approval from the Prime Minister and she would not start to process until word came through from him: his answer to each of my emails – “Still awaiting approval.”
In the meantime, I had been in direct contact with the Prime Minister who told me that his department should have, by now, sent it to immigration for them to do their jobs. It was only after I asked if the PM would intervene did things start to move. Two clearances were forthcoming, one from the PMs Media Department and one from Foreign Affairs – sent to immigration. By now it was Monday 9th September – two days before my scheduled departure.
But, unfortunately, Ms Matrom had done the least she could do and did not include the other documentation that Immigration needed and that I had supplied to her.
I was also unfortunate enough to have a Ms Melissa Gao from Immigration dealing with the application. After many emails (unanswered) including one from Ms Matrom John requesting that she aid me by telling me her requirements and after I had sent (twice) all the documentation I had, did she finally get back to me and not until after I had enlisted Leanna at the consulate in Brisbane to give her a push (Leanna was very helpful.)
That was on Wednesday 12 September, the plane had left without me.
I heard nothing from MS Gao yesterday and so far nothing today (Friday). She did state on Wednesday that she also needed the $AU1,000 and a copy of my return ticket. I emailed back that I didn’t know when I was returning as I’d already missed my plane and that I would, on an undertaking that the visa would be issued subject to these two requirements, fulfil these extra requirements forthwith.
No answer. She probably hasn’t read my email yet.
Taking back PNG
You see Prime Minister, soon you won’t need to take back PNG from anyone – at least, that is, anyone with good intentions – they will have left of their own accord, figuring the aggravation was not worth the bother. I’m sure that has been the case in the past. The general consensus of the people I have spoken to in Australia is that you only deal with PNG if it is a get-in-get-out-quick venture, where a lot of money is assured. Profits seem to be the only motivation in dealing with PNG – that’s sad.
PNG Echo is my new publication, as has developed from this blog and was due to be launched in hard copy, in Port Moresby, this weekend. It is a publication that will, at best, make enough money to cover its costs. But the magazine has the best of intentions as far as adding to the social and cultural fabric of PNG and providing an outlet for PNGs writers and also providing all the mentoring that they may need.
So, I won’t be up there this weekend to launch PNG Echo, touch base with my contributors and advertisers and meet with other PNG companies that I would be employing.
But, no matter, in your VIP tents this Independence Day, you’ll still have the exploiters to keep you warm, they are well-entrenched in PNG and have the power and the money (most of it yours) to use against you. ‘
Total’ immediately springs to mind – they had no intention of letting you ‘Take back PNG’ did they? They gave you a nasty lesson in power and the wielding of it. They made PNG and Kerenga Kua look like rank amateurs. These are the people you welcome and embrace?
The point of this story is; you need to stop the hypocrisy.
Just as the Indonesians in West Papua are not and should not be above criticism from outside, neither should Papua New Guinea. Stop acting like the Indonesians before you criticise them
Madam,
You are totally correct – we (PNGeans) are our on worst enemies – there is no semblance of clear thinking and wisdom displayed by anyone leader or departmental head when willing and dealing with selfish and greedy corporate foreign thieves.
I like your article that has brought out some of the real truth on PNG.
I hope the PM and ministers do read the article.
PNG has it’s own political issues starting from faol play in the national elections and right up to the formation of the government of the day on the floor of parliament.
In general it is common knowledge in my opinion that the citizens of the nation are equally as guilty for giving their right of mandate to so called “power hungry people” to govern the sovereignty of the independent state of Papua New Guinea.
After the formation of the government the,victorious political connections and affiliations are rewarded ,awarded and accorded prestigious benefits or the spoils of victory at the expense of the loosing rival cndidates and supporters and this is the underlying truth.
There will be very little or no development programmes at all during the tenure of the incumbment so called member.
The opposition members are no exception either and are also on the receiving end.
Voting in PNG is substantially bethroded with controversies and this very basic democratic and constitutional human right needs to be prudently addressed. The recently introduced LPV system or the preferential voting system in the election processs is still a trial with its own substantive defects.
The power to govern is thus granted forthwith.
Hence that is the leadership of my country, men without virtue and one iota of loyalty to say the least.