PNG PM vows to improve his citizens' access to Australian visas

BY BRETT MASON & ROSEMARY BOLGER - SBS News

Papua New Guineans will be able to travel to Australia more easily under changes being pursued by Prime Minister James Marape. 

Speaking in Sydney, Mr Marape told SBS News he was determined to resolve ongoing issues making it difficult for PNG residents to access Australia. 

"It's a work in progress, but it's something that I want to achieve in my time in office - better access by Papua New Guinea into Australia in a modernised system where immigration is easily managed." 

PNG may be Australia's closest neighbour, but concerns about the country's border security management have created headaches for residents trying to get visas. 

Mr Marape said he understands Australia's "insecurities" and has vowed to strengthen their border security management system. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape on Thursday night.

AAP

In a wide-ranging interview with SBS News on Friday, the PNG prime minister declared his week-long trip to Australia a success. 

"Both prime ministers have agreed it's no longer an aid-donor recipient relationship, it's now about economic relationships where Australia sees PNG as an important trade and economic partner and for PNG, we can see Australia as a great market place for our local produce." 

Having built his country into "the richest black Christian nation on the face of planet earth", Mr Marape has declared PNG will not need Australian aid for long. 

"Ten years from now I would like PNG to be elevated to a status of economically sound and strong. Where we're able to help Australia assist in the Pacific region.

"We can only do that by when we are economically strong and resilient and independent ourselves."

After spending Thursday night at a rugby league game with Mr Morrison, Mr Marape praised his Australian counterpart's "human touch". 

"We entered politics at the same time in 2007... by the grace of God, he has become PM in the Australia side and I have become PM in the PNG side."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his PNG counterpart James Marape discussed the future of Manus Island in Canberra on Monday.

AAP

But there are key issues where the two disagree. Mr Marape has demanded an end to offshore processing on Manus Island where about 350 asylum seekers and refugees have spent up to six years.

Mr Morrison would not set a date for the closure of Australian-run detention facilities, but has agreed to work out a schedule.  

Action on climate change - the biggest threat facing Pacific nations - is another source of tension. 

While Mr Marape said it was not his position to tell Australia what to do, he suggested Australia consider its role in the region. 

"I think our combined voice of global states is important. Australia needs to unite behind the entire Pacific group of nations."

Go to this link for more: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/png-pm-vows-to-improve-his-citizens-access-to-australian-visas?fbclid=IwAR0_gTuiHyjeOOCgbRrppGM1imMddDmAVdsobrzdh1pi6mPgPz9Vlw-_pqk

Papua New Guinea’s First Neurosurgeon – Dr Esther Roibete Apuahe

Posted by PNG ICT Meri

Came across this story on Facebook shared by Senisim Pasin Page.

Papua New Guinea’s first neurosurgeon, Dr Esther Roibete Apuahe.

So many inspiring stories of our people that need to be shared through every platform and media.

Dr Apuahe’s encouragement to young girls is to remember that success comes with perseverance and determination.

“Nothing will be served to you on the silver plate, go out and make it happen for you. You are the only one who will decide your destiny. Reach for the sky, no one is a failure. And in all this, remember, nothing is impossible with God”.

The Townsville Hospital is training the next generation of Papua New Guinean neurosurgeons under the tutelage of neurosurgery consultant Dr Eric Guazzo and the neurosurgery department.

Dr Esther Apuahe is the first female Papua New Guinean national to train as a general surgeon and will be the third doctor to hone her skills in neurosurgery at The Townsville Hospital.

Having practised medicine in Papua New Guinea for 15 years and inspiring other women to follow in her footsteps along the way, Esther said she was thrilled to be taking the opportunity to learn at The Townsville Hospital.

Esther said the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons had made her training at The Townsville Hospital possible.

“I was awarded the Pacific Island Rowan Nicks Scholarship which enabled my year-long placement at The Townsville Hospital and I’m really grateful for that.

“I was working in one of the provincial hospitals in Papua New Guinea when two local neurosurgeons couldn’t continue to provide the service creating the opportunity for me to train in neurosurgery,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful moment to be continuing this journey at The Townsville Hospital and I’m extremely grateful to be doing this under the leadership of Dr Eric Guazzo and his team.

“I’m enjoying working in a well established neurosurgery unit and I’m hoping to learn the use of more advanced equipment.

“I’m also excited to further my knowledge on neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and neuroradiology and upskill my own
surgical techniques.”

Esther said she hoped to use the skills learned at The Townsville Hospital to benefit her community when she returned to Papua New Guinea.

“It is so generous of Eric and his neurosurgery colleagues to impart their vast knowledge and experience to help me to do this,” she said.

“The Townsville Hospital has always supported training Papua New Guinean neurosurgical trainees and Dr Eric Guazzo
has been one of the biggest contributors to neurosurgical training in PNG.”

Eric said he and his team were honoured to invest in the future of neurosurgery in Papua New Guinea.

“Every country should have access to well-trained physicians in a variety of specialities,” Eric said.

“Medicine is a continuous journey of learning and knowledge and we see sharing expertise with doctors such as Esther, who are passionate about providing critical health care specialities to their communities, as a part of our responsibility as doctors,” Eric said.

“Dr Apuahe is already a talented physician and her eagerness to further develop herself as a neurosurgery specialist is inspiring.

“As we found with Esther’s predecessors, this is a two-way learning process; we grow in our own knowledge from Esther, particularly learning from the way she manages the immense challenges of providing health care to her community.

“We are privileged to have the opportunity to play a part in developing the next generation of neurosurgery specialists in Papua New Guinea and it is incredibly rewarding.”

Go to this link for more: https://pngictmeri.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/papua-new-guineas-first-neurosurgeon-dr-esther-roibete-apuahe/?fbclid=IwAR3Qsy46lRyG3yIrDTRcBaiN6hKctluQwhtm9vePk_joVW7rn03BugpFo8c

Did police mobile squad’s decline contribute to Hela killings?

By DAVE EKINS - PNG Attitude

RICHMOND, TAS - Prior to the commencement of the Papua New Guinea liquefied natural gas (PNG LNG) project, the Police Mobile Squad was an extremely feared entity in the Southern Highlands and later Hela Province.

Their Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary’s mobile squad had a modus operandi that at times was brutal – including rape, destruction of crops and livestock and burning of houses.

However, they did stop the fighting and brought most of the criminals to heel.

The very threat of their deployment made clans think twice about fighting and payback. Not only would compensation have to be paid between warring clans, but the mobile squad’s collateral damage usually had to be compensated for as well by the fight ‘owners’.

Early in the construction phase of PNG LNG there was a fight going on adjacent to one of the camps and some of the combatants jumped the perimeter fence when they saw a couple of people from another clan working in the camp.

The latter fled and the former climbed back over the fence, reassuring gob-smacked on-lookers that they were quite safe as they were only interested in their enemies.

But there was a consequence.

ExxonMobil head office immediately threatened to halt construction on the project if the PNG government did not guarantee security of the workforce.

The upshot was that the mobile squad was deployed throughout the project area to act as Exxon Mobil’s armed security force.

The police were funded and rationed by Exxon but commanded by their police hierarchy. They were also asked to moderate their usual slash and burn style of law enforcement.

The PNG LNG project thus became security based, unlike its junior partner, Oil Search, which was, and still is, community affairs based.

But, apart from a few token applications of fan-belt therapy applied to the odd recalcitrant tribesman, the mobile squad gradually became neutered.

Its normal modus operandi was curtailed by less onerous security duties and a good life including three massive meals a days, pay allowances and plenty of games of cards and darts.

The regular police looked with envy at the lifestyle of the mobile squad, which may have contributed to their own decline into corruption and ineffectiveness at all levels.

Over the years, the local population was emboldened by a growing lack of fear of the mobile squad and tribal fights, camp invasions and property destruction became the norm in the project area.

The clans learned that no one in the project camps would venture from their secure havens, go through the gate and confront them.

Meanwhile, Oil Search continues to effectively engage with its communities. Community affairs staff are the first out of the gate if trouble is brewing and they are yet to have a major camp invasion despite over 25 years of operations in the most volatile part of PNG.

Go this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/07/did-police-mobile-squads-decline-contribute-to-hela-killings.html