More Support For 'New Guinea'

'New Guinea'

Papuans representing nine Local Government councils in the Central District of Papua recommended in December that the Territory of Papua-New Guinea should be called “New Guinea”. This can be regarded as an important move towards finding one suitable name for P NG.

The Central District includes the Port Moresby area, Papua’s stronghold, and one of the ob jections in the past to P-NG be ing called simply New Guinea has been the fact that, allegedly, Papuans wouldn’t like it. On the New Guinea side of the border there doesn’t appear to be any great opposition to the simple term New Guinea. If this name were adopted, presumably P-NG natives would call themselves New Guineans whichever side of the border they came from.

The recommendation of the Papuan Local Government councils will be discussed later this year at a territory-wide con ference of councils.