Undermining Moral[?]

The Leen Case

And Initiative

In N. Guinea

THE suspension from

early in August, of /

Assistant District Officer i

Leen, pending the outcome

departmental inquiry; anc

announced determination c

P-NG Public Service Assoc

to support Mr. Leen to th most in this crisis in his c

these highlight some o

difficulties encountered in

Guinea administration

that administration is direct

a set of rules framed 2,000

away.

MR. LEEN is rated as a class Patrol Officer; ar has been acting in the higher grade, as ADO.

Recently, in the Southern : lands—the most isolated and ■ itive of all the 15 Districts Leen was given temporary cl as Acting DO.

Mendi is the District HQ; this area is surrounded by ■ which are only partially under trol, or wholly uncontrolled, are lively, virile people, always J ing.

There was trouble in Omai Vi 10 miles from Mendi. Mr. Leer short of staff and could not go self; so he sent out six native p with rifles and ammunitioi] charge of a trusted NCO.

On July 15, not far from village, the small patrol was rounded by about 150 ho’ natives, armed with spears, axes bows. There seems no doubt patrol was in great danger.

The NCO ordered two wai shots. The natives came on.

The NCO then ordered defe shooting, and two natives killed and two wounded. The p then returned to Mendi and ported.

According to Regulations

The head of Native Affairs partment, veteran Alan Rot visited Mendi from Port Merest early August. When he returnei publicly announced the susper of Mr. Leen, pending an officia. quiry.

Regulations say that patrols * be led by a European, and that ammunition must not be issued cept under close supervision.

! was charged with breach of » regulations. ie Association claimed that Mr. was faced with a difficult and •erous situation, and that he i promptly and firmly in the way available to him. •. Roberts probably would be first to acknowledge that an >r left in charge of a dangerous 'like the Southern Highlands— iy other area—should have the stricted right to act in an gency in what he deems to be safest way; and that he should >e hampered by general regula —which too often are drawn up ccordance with the ideas of teeship Missions and wandering [clans. A , a District Officer cannot be ed to do the correct thing in an gency—regulations or no regula —he should not be in charge of strict.

Undesirable Publicity

is not the officer and the cir tances which should be the ct of an official inquiry, but system which makes a re jible officer liable to this kind reatment namely, public insion and semi-public trial, e Director and/or the Admin - ;or should have the unreserved to deal with this kind of tion, privately and on the spot, ifficer, especially after coming igh a trying experience, should >e subjected to the humiliation [sponsion, trial and undesirable city. ere have been too many in its like this in the more recent ry of New Guinea —too much in regulations, and not enough ie sincerity and character of aen who are out in the field do he job. starts with the kind of control get from United Nations laries. It extends into the Terri -5 Department, where Minister Secretary consistently over-ride inistrator and Departmental s. continues in such situations as one created at Mendi, where Administrator and Depart ;al head are forced to be Can i-conscious. Its end result is a ring of morale and initiative in public service, and especially ig the men out in the field.

Magistrate Clears Patrol —and ADO Leen gistrate O’Driscoll, in a Coroner’s iry into the deaths of the two di natives, found in late August the police patrol party led by ative corporal had killed the gers only after the villagers had :ked the patrol intending to i said that evidence showed that ve police could be trusted with

live ammunition for emergency use —and that if they hadn’t had it on this occasion they certainly would have been overwhelmed and killed.

Mr. O’Driscoll said that Mr. Leen had been given permission to issue the ammunition by the District Commissioner.

After the Magistrate’s finding, ADO Leen’s suspension was lifted — and it is believed that it will stay that way.

The outcome of this ridiculous case makes it all the more pertinent to ask why men like Mr. Leen are put in the position of being declared guilty until they can prove them selves innocent.