Angry Young

Concern Over Bases

Angry Young Man On Defence

From Judy Tudor in Port Moresby On the motion of Mr. Paul Lapun, elected member for Bougainville in the P-NG House of Assembly, the following mes sage was sent to the Australian Government on June 10: W E tEe mem b ers of the House of »* Assembly of Papua and New Guinea express to the Government and people of Australia our firm belief that the people of this country are deeply grateful to Australia for the vast expenditure being made in this country to ensure that the people of Papua and New Guinea will be able to move peacefully towards their destiny without fear or hindrance from outside sources.

“We are aware and believe that the people of this country are aware of the price of security. We realise that the geographical locality of this country is on the fringe of the Pacific —on the fringe of South East Asia —and depends on the expenditure on the security forces and installa tions which this country could not face alone.

“We welcome, as do our Malaysian friends, the presence of Australian defence installations and forces and are gratified that the country would come to our aid in times of need in the future even as it has done in the past.”

"No Say By People"

What inspired the message of con tinuing love and affection was an outburst in the House of Assembly three nights previously when Mr.

Gaudi Mirau spoke on the adjourn ment.

Gaudi Mirau is unusual in that he is a Papuan but represents the New Guinea electorate of Markham—he was working in that area at the time of the last election.

Briefly, Mr. Mirau was concerned at the military bases that Australia is at present establishing in the terri tory. He felt that their size and scope went beyond the fact that Aus tralia is responsible for the territory’s defence and, he thought,they indicated that even after P-NG independence

Australia expected to hang on to them.

All these things were being done without the territory people having a say, he said. At the same time Australia was taking part in wars in Asia and was involved in “resisting Indonesia”.

All this might involve the territory even though the territory might not want to be involved. Do we want Australia’s enemies? he asked. And should not the House be deciding who were the enemies instead of Australia?

In the following three days, Mr.

Mirau was not left in any doubt as to what his colleagues thought.

His speech, it was said, was ob viously drafted by someone else—

by a “Communist, a draft dodger or both”—with the express purpose of embarrassing Australia on the eve of the meeting of the Trusteeship Council.

Other people recited their own records during the last war, or out lined those of other members, and discoursed on the consequences of military unpreparedness. Everyone expressed their unswerving gratitude to Australia for what it has already done for the territory.

Finally, the Lapun resolution was passed with more speeches, the last one to have a word on the subject being Gaudi Mirau himself.

He, of course, supported the motion. He had every belief and confidence in Australia, he said. His attack had been largely misunderstood —all he wanted was for some con sideration to be given to some sort of ways or means whereby members of the House would take more re sponsibility with defence.

Own Opinion

Someone did write his speech for him, he agreed, but they were his own original opinions and he saw nothing wrong in this.

Gaudi Mirau’s words might sound like a back-down, but his manner did not. Maybe, as some of his colleagues threaten, members of his own elec torate will deal with him in their own time, but meanwhile he gives a very good imitation of being Papua’s first Angry Young Man.

Gaudi MMirau