Islands

From the

Press

Part of a letter signed Kingston Kamurar, University of Papua New Guinea, published in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby Our national government, with the backing of the news media organisations, is spending a fortune in trying to combat crime. Of all the anti-crime slogans advocated so far by our leaders through the media, not a single one has challenged our political weaknesses causing wide social and economic inequalities in our society.

Should we not have a leader who is ready to challenge the causes of this social unrest rather than beating around the bush?

The Observer, Apia, Western Samoa, in an editorial comment on the failure of parliament to achieve a quorum on the first day of its December sitting The failure by more than half the members of parliament to turn up for the session on Tuesday strongly convinces us that most politicians do not really care if they contribute to the sound development of the country or not. When they should have been in parliament discussing ways and means of improving the general welfare of the country they stayed away obviously with the idea that their terms of office were nearing the end and that they should now pursue their plans for re-election in February. It would be well for the voters when they are given the chance to have their say on February 27 to keep in mind the members who ignored parliament yet are seeking re-election. A look at the overall government spending on the services provided for running public affairs shows that the cost of having the services of parliament fails desperately to match the effectiveness which materialises from it.

From an editorial in The Times of Papua New Guinea,

Port Moresby

There has been a perceptible shift in the attitude of many overseas countries, including near neighbours, to Papua New Guinea. No longer are we seen as the proud new nation successfully avoiding the pitfalls that have claimed the hopes of so many developing countries. We are beginning to be seen as a country whose only growth industry is official corruption. A massive clean-up of our image is required.

A warning on the dangers of electricity, published in Tohi Tala Niue, Niue If you have an electric lead coming outside your house, the lamp may break, one of your family may touch the wires, the flex may be damaged, or rain water may have caused the lamp holder or the cable to become alive. The result is a shock which could be fatal.

Sure, it costs more to have a light installed permanently but death is more permanent.

The Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby Is the national airline’s new Dash 7 aircraft to be used as a secret government weapon to placate the people of the highlands and thus curb tribal fighting there? At least one of our Port Moresby readers thinks so, and has drawn attention to an Air Niugini advertisement.

The advertisement says the new plane can take five tonnes of fish to Chimbu in the highlands for breakfast, and fly 48 highlanders to Port Moresby for lunch.

Part of a letter in The Observer, Apia, Western Samoa, complaining about the influence of movies on local

young people

What a disgrace these movies have brought the Samoan youths.

Gangs of youths, one group known as the Dirt Gang or something,

have been parading round town looking for a clash. They have imitated everything that was in the movies carrying sticks, wearing sloggy costumes, etc. Sooner or later if they’re not stopped they’ll probably start crashing windows, or will become pickpockets etc. Then there’s going to be a lot of crime. Government should look thoroughly into these matters. ... and another letter on the same subject from the same paper Our young people have absorbed the junk in these films, and have formed gangs and have shown vandalism. They have intruded into private properly by scribbling on the buildings all over the place, making the buildings in Apia look like an untidy scrapbook.

An apology for a typesetting error, from the Times of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby A correspondent wrote to us that someone appeared to be making large sums of money in Australia by selling Papua New Guinea art.

Somehow in our pages that ‘someone’ appeared as ‘Somare’. Our apologies to Mr Somare, the Leader of the Opposition. He is definitely a ‘someone’ but definitely not THAT particular ‘someone’.

The Cook Island News, Rarotonga A New Zealander ordered to leave the Cook Islands had a philosophical response when questioned about his future. When he was asked if he had any employment to go to when he reached New Zealand he replied that he had something sorted out. When asked to elaborate he replied ‘watch and pray’.

From The Drum, a regular column in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby Even thieves are apparently concerned about the zero allocation of funds to the family planning programme. Apparently mindful of keeping population growth at 2.4 percent a year, thugs broke into the family planning office in Port Moresby last weekend. Guess what they got away with? Yes, boxes of condoms.

Part of a letter from a cruise ship visitor, Mrs S.M.

Tapper, published in the Samoa Times, Apia, Western Samoa I came to Apia some weeks ago with some friends on a cruise. We hoped to enjoy our visit, but we did not. All we had on our minds was the shocking state of health of your dogs. Never had we seen such ill-cared-for animals and in a country where the people kept telling us how religious and good they were ... It was a shocking, unhappy visit, the memory of which will never go away. I cannot remember the scenery of Apia as anything else but STARVING

Dogs.

From a letter defending the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Solomon Mamaloni, published in the Solomon Islands News Drum, Honiara Don’t you know that our present PM is one of the three top politicians in the Pacific Islands. He is not a confused man internationally, but a top politician. He knows his constitutions. He may be regarded as a confused man in his own private life, but that should not take his political brains off him. ... and from another letter in the same paper, in which Mr Mamaloni’s supporters are roundly criticised Perhaps you believe things just because you have been told so by your friends, but you have only the brains of a dog a dog which awaits his master’s command. You bark aloud with empty words.

I suggest you pull those logs from inside you own eyes before telling another to do the same.

A widely-published quotation in Papua New Guinea from the Leader of the Opposition, Michael Somare, in an address to the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce Unemployment among young people is potentially the most explosive situation that this country will be facing during the coming decade.

A two-column-wide personal advertisement from The Observer, Apia, Western Samoa Ann: It was only a rash. Please come back. lan.