83 Telefomin Murderers

Sentences Commuted: Gaol , Not Death , for 83 Telefomin Murderers

Not unexpectedly, the death sentences passed on 33 New Guinea natives who were concerned in the Telefomin murders, have been com muted. Instead of hanging, the natives will get 10 years with hard labour.

All were implicated in the murders of Patrol Officer G. Harris, Patrol Officer G. Szarka and native policemen, Buritori and Purari, in November last year.

ROUNDING up the natives and their trials —only recently con cluded by Judge Gore at We wak—have taken many months.

The slow grinding of the mill of British justice—and these primitive natives got the whole treatment ac cording to our Law—must have been completely incomprehensible to the murderers, and commutation of their sentences after so long a delay was inevitable: Hanging them at that stage would likely have done little good.

If the ringleaders had been caught early, summarily tried and hanged in their own vil lages, the action would likely have been understood and respected and have had a salutary effect. Nothing came out of the trials to show that

the natives concerned did not kno> what they were about; and certain! in that region, they understand we! enough the principle of a life for life.

Months ago, they were remove from their villages; and we under stand that they are to serve thei sentences in Wewak. So far as tb rest of the Telefomin natives ai concerned, they therefore are in an other world. Nothing further woul be accomplished by hanging thei now.

Commuting their sentences ha meanwhile, quietened the old ladie trade unionists and parsons in Am tralia, who have been verbal] wringing their hands for montl over the fancied injustices to tl untutored savages.

When the Minister for Territorie announced that the death sentence would be commuted he also place before Federal Cabinet a report o the circumstances surrounding tt murders.

It was stated in the report that: The main cause of the murders appear< to be that the native peoples resented tl beginning of law and order which decree they were no longer allowed to fight 01 another, and were obliged to keep the villages clean. They were also apparent under the persuasion of a belief that tl taro had become smaller since the advei of the white man. The actions they toe were actions to exterminate the Admini tration, as they knew it, so that thi could lead their old life.

Any sense of grievance on any partici lar matter would appear to have bee used as a subsequent excuse and was m the actual motive. The attack apparent occurred when it did because a loni awaited opportunity was seen and m because of any recent events or any evei with which the victims were personal associated.

Whether or not these peop should have our civilisation ar ideas forced upon them can 1 argued, pro and con. by theoris ad infinitum. But having stated i policy and put its hand to tl plough, the Administration ca scarcely draw back now. It appear therefore, that the official attitu( must continue to be that Szark Harris, the two policemen and tl Telefomin natives themselves, a just unfortunate incidents in tl process of civilisation to which Au tralia is committed.

Meanwhile, there has been no fu ther developments in the deman by the parents of Szarka and Harr; for an open inquiry into the mu. ders, although Sydney Truth pr sented their case in September. I an interview, Mrs. Harris reiterate some of the statements she mae when she recently visited the Terr tory (see September, PIM) ar stated, as well, that the two office were murdered because of the A< ministration’s delay in paying con pensation to the relatives of fi natives who had been drowm months previously while employ* as carriers.