Chinese honour for PM
By JOSHUA ARLO
PRIME MINISTER Sir Michael Somare has been honored with a certificate of patron by the China-PNG Friendship Association for being a patron of the association.
Sir Michael received the honorary certification last Thursday while witnessing the second official swearing-in of elected committee members of the association.
The occasion took place at Grand Palace restaurant in Port Moresby and was also witnessed by the ambassador of People’s Republic of China Wei Ruixing with his wife.
The swearing-in of the committee officials included the president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer and standing committee members.
The association was formed on Jan 27, 2007 with support from the PNG and Chinese governments and has 800 members so far within its Port Moresby branch.
Other established branches include Mt Hagen, Rabaul and Lae while another branch will soon start in Goroka.
Speaking at the swearing-in, president of the association Stanley Shi said the association is a non-governmental organisation, a socialising association formed by members consisting mostly of Chinese origin in PNG.
He said the aim of the association is to develop stronger friendship between the two countries through economic, culture, education, tour, sport, investment and in many other aspects.
Headed into its second year, the association also aims to promote positive Chinese culture and to share experiences and information among its members.
Mr Shi said the association will help advance Chinese diathesis and survival ability, and also seek harmony in society by respecting the laws, cultures and customs of PNG by its members and their families.
“Most importantly, (the association aims to) work together with local people as a team to develop PNG, the country that we can call home for us and our children,” he said.
The date last Thursday fell on the Lantern Festival which is the concluding event of the Chinese New Year of the traditional Chinese festival.
Mr Shi said the association has achieved a lot during its first year of establishment, such as raising K30,000 in cash and donating 30 cartons of baked beans to the Oro flood disaster fundraiser by its members.

Zibe bemoans inefficiency, mockery in public service                                       
CUMBERSOME disciplinary policies and appointment procedures are hindering efforts to improve efficiency in the public service, Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Sasa Zibe said yesterday.
He said departmental heads and senior managers were having difficulty ensuring efficiency and that the system was in effect helping poor performers.
“This is a mockery and an unnecessary barrier to efficient delivery of services,” he said and called for a review.
“On one hand we expect public servants to be servants of the people but on the other hand we have outrageous disciplinary practices that are too often not followed by departmental heads.
“Many self-serving officers have gotten away with punishable offences because of the highly-fragmented provisions of numerous old legislations that needed urgent review”
Mr Zibe’s comments followed the reinstatement of some senior National AIDS Council (NAC) staff after their successful court action.
He has directed his secretary to follow the correct procedures in dealing with those implicated of malpractices in the NAC secretariat.
“From now on, any complaint for malpractices and bad behaviour must be dealt with using the disciplinary process so as to avoid such legal challenges in the future,” he told The National.
“Coming from a civil society background, I find there are great disparities between work ethics and conduct of public servants and those in the private sector and civil societies.”
He said the public service machinery sucked up about 70% of the country’s annual budget and yet service delivery remained poor.

Operation komodo comes to a dead end                                                                  
By JUNITA SOL GOMA
The Komodo dragon in Lae that caused the country to send in a search party made up of members of the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF), National Disaster Centre (NDC) and officers of the Department of Environment and Conservation(DEC) all came to a dead end.
Secretary for the DEC Dr Wari Iamo confirmed in a statement yesterday that it was a hoax that must have been set up by individuals to gain the attention of the Government and other sources.
Information gathered in the search-operation Komodo have revealed no factual evidence to support stories aroused by the media.
There were no sightings or traces of tracks during the 4 day intensive search over an area of about four square kilometres.
The DEC has now concluded from the findings of the search that the animals sighted from Butibam village had features that did not resemble the Komodo dragon and they believe the animal must be species of native lizards perhaps displaced by human activities in the area.
Dr Iamo reassured not to worry.
But he wants adequate laws set up for the media on how to report on such issues so as not to cause mass panic for nothing.
He said that operation Komodo is over; the DEC will send another team to conduct a biodiversity survey to confirm if there are new occurrences in the area.

Discrimination against AIDS rife in Bougainville                                                       
By ROMULUS MASIU
STIGMA and discrimination against HIV/AIDS positive people is rife in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, authorities revealed.
Special adviser to the Autonomous Bougainville Government parliamentary select committee on HIV/AIDS Melchior Dare told The National that one of the main obstacles on why people were not coming out to reveal their HIV status was because their own family members, relatives and communities were discriminating them.
“Stigma and discrimination are the main hindrance at the moment in the region,” he said.
Mr Dare said that it is a big challenge to all the stakeholders to address.
He said it is very important to get the message across to the people in the region, especially rural areas, not to discriminate or point fingers or abuse HIV/AIDS positive people in the communities.”
Mr Dare said there is no network in place yet for the HIV/AIDS positive living people to come out and expose themselves so in turn, they can help out by providing awareness in their communities.
“If we don’t provide that environment for the positive living people – they will still continue to pass on that virus to others,” Mr Dare said.
Meanwhile, Dr Joseph Vilosi from the Buka General Hospital announced that only two HIV/AIDS positive people have come forward to receive the antiviral drug (ARVT) which he said shows a very bad sign for the region’s fight against the deadly disease.
Dr Vilosi is urging those other HIV/AIDS positive people to come forward and receive ARVT drugs which are now in full stock at the Buka General Hospital.

Relatives of woman vows to see justice prevail
By ANDREW ALPHONSE
ANGRY relatives of the Pangia woman who was allegedly tortured to death by her Ialibu husband last week in the Southern Highlands province have vowed not to accept any form of compensation but allow the rule of law to take its course.
Police alleged that 32- year-old Betty Wina from Walapape village in Pangia died from severe beating and torture including pressing of hot iron rods to her body.
The woman was married to a man from Lama village in Ialibu.
Police sources said the couple had an argument and the man allegedly locked her up in the room and repeatedly beat her for four days until she died the previous Wednesday.
The husband’s relatives, however, claimed the woman committed suicide when she could no longerendure the beating from her husband.
Her body is still at Mendi hospital morgue pending autopsy report from the doctors.
Provincial police commander Chief Supt Samson Mapi said yesterday that preliminary police criminal investigations division reports revealed “some marks on the deceased’s body which is an indication of some signs of struggle or violence involved” but added that only an autopsy could determine the actual cause of death and at this stage it is a “suspicious” death.
Last Saturday, relatives of the deceased told The National at Tindua village that they would not resort to any violence but wanted the police to deal with the matter.
Walupape Councillor Paulus Irele, on behalf of the relatives said his people are peace-loving and would not resort to trouble over the sudden loss of the woman.

Couple to pay cost of damage to school
A TEACHING couple accused of instigating trouble which damaged school equipment at Kaupena Primary School in the Southern Highlands last week will pay an estimated K25,000 for the damage cost.
The decision was made following a meeting with parents, board of management (BoM), teachers and an investigation team from the provincial education office in Mendi led by deputy provincial education adviser Joe Yasi last Thursday.
It was agreed at the meeting that the couple meet the cost of the damage BoM secretary Randy Warena said.
School properties damaged include a computer, printer, fax machineand a huge photocopying machine.
Mr Warena said the BoM also agreed to have the female officer remain and teach at the school this year, while the husband was ordered to be transferred to a school in Pangia.
The conflict started when the couple refused to take up their post at Pangia and wanted to remain at Kaupena.
The woman, who is a local officer, reported the matter to her relatives who stormed the headmaster’s office last Monday, causing the damages.
The headmaster was in his office but was not hurt. Kaupena based police highway patrol unit apprehended and charged one suspect while the identities of the other suspects are known and arrests would be made soon.

Protest march to highlight crime in Baining
PEOPLE living in the inland Baining area of East New Britain last Tuesday staged a protest march at the Gazelle district to present a petition to Gazelle Open MP Malakai Tabar.
This followed an incident during the weekend, where 11 armed youths held up a vehicle returning from Kokopo at Kereba area and stole K50,000 cash and other goods from the cocoa farmers.
Spokesmen John Sambi and Peter Wilkot Junior said this was not the first time such an incident had occurred.
In showing their frustration ten vehicles loaded with people went to present their petition.
In the petition, they demanded the return of the money and the stolen goods.
Youths who participated in the robbery will have to be punished, they said. They also asked for the removal of check point and police to patrol the highway.
Mr Tabar who received the petition said he would immediately take action.
The spokesmen said the youths normally use the check point to monitor the movement of vehicles.

Three students chopped to death in ESP
THREE students attending the Maprik High School were axed to death in the East Sepik province this week in a revenge killing.
The three were attacked by villagers who set up a roadblock and ambushed them as they were walking home from school last Tuesday. They had been sent home because their school had water problems.
Two of the students died on the spot while the third escaped with injuries, and died at the hospital yesterday. Two of them were in Grade 9 while the other was in Grade 10.
They were attacked after nearby villagers accused their villagers of being responsible for the death of a youth.
Tension is high in the area and shocked administrators of the school had decided to suspended classes.
Radio reports said police in Maprik are unable to contain an all-out attack, and are in Wewak seeking help and reinforcement to help maintain peace.

Sepik politics overshadow housing function
EASTERN Highlanders have demanded K4.5 million in compensation from Western Highlands and Enga provincial governments for injuries to one of their men during the recent ethnic clash in which six people died. Eastern Highlander David Olea, who lives in Hagen and works for Kutubu Transport, had four of his fingers chopped off and was stabbed twice on his leg during the violent clash in the city two weeks ago. Olea is married with three children. His people are demanding K3 million, 200 pigs and 100 goats from the Western Highlands provincial government.

‘Illegal’ local anglers freed into community
By JOSHUA ARLO
SEVENTY-one Papua New Guineans caught by Australian authorities fishing illegally in the Torres Strait have been released back into the community by police in Daru due to lack of space in the Daru cells.
Yesterday provincial police commander for Western province, Insp Peter Philip confirmed reports by AAP that they were returned to Daru Island.
He also said they were released back into the community since they were known to the community leaders.
According to report by AAP, eight fishing vessels were seized last the weekend with the 71 Papua New Guineans and detained by customs officers for fishing illegally in Torres Strait.
The anglers were in eight motorised ëbanana’ boats.
An Australian Coastwatch aircraft spotted the fishermen poaching sea cucumbers, also called trepang, near Warrior Reef, Australian Customs said in a statement.
The report stated that seven of the eight illegal boats had been fishing for sea cucumber, a delicacy in parts of Asia, while the eighth vessel had been fishing for tropical rock lobsters.
Insp Philip confirmed the report but said the National Fisheries Authority had yet to furnish his office with a detailed report of the incident, so he could not comment on what charges are being held against them.
Attempts yesterday to contact NFA Daru branch to comment further on the matter were unsuccessful.

Food shortage if road not improved
MORE than 400 students at the Wawin National High School could suffer from lack of food if the road condition is not improved immediately.
The 2km road was washed away last week, when torrential rain caused flooding of the Wawin and nearby creeks to ravage the roads making them impassable.
The teacher said if the Huon district administration and the Morobe provincial government did not do anything now, urgent supplies of food would have to be carried from the junction of the Highlands Highway.
He said the students could be used to carry the smaller cartons and bales of food stuff, but the larger ones needed trucks.
He also raised grave concern if there was a need for a medical emergency.
No comment could be taken from Huon district administrator Tony Ase who was on his way with the Lae district administrator Robin Calistus to Morobe patrol post.

Sawmill for Moran landowners
By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
AWALKABOUT sawmill has been bought for K76,000 for the Moran landowners so they could take part in community projects in Southern Highlands province.
This sawmill, bought by the Mineral Resource Development Corp (MRDC), will help the landowners build houses for health, education and community projects.
This will also help reduce the cost of buying timber for these projects by 40% which have a total cost of K2.4 million.
MRDC executive manager for customer services Impi Tagune said they had also spent K8,000 to train the landowners to operate this sawmill that helps to cut various timber sizes.              
 “This saw mill will help Paua and Homa villagers cut various timber sizes to built three Health Staff House, Extension of Health Centre to carter for a maternity ward and a ward for patients to overnight, a pastor’s house and a multi purpose community hall, guest house in these villages.”
Mr Tagune said that they had also spent K8, 000.00 to train the Landowners to operate the sawmill.   

Neglect of TB labs a problem
NEGLECT of tuberculosis (TB) diagnosing laboratories is the weakest link in the chain of TB control, the World Health Organisation said. In preparing for the World TB Day next month the WHO’s Western Pacific regional director called on the Government and donor funding agencies to give special attention to laboratories, equipment, training and the safety of laboratory technicians as areas of concern. Dr Shingeru Omi said laboratories are often underrated by programme managers, disregarded by doctors and forgotten by donors and others providing funds.

A joint workshop for directors
A BOARD directors’ workshop was held jointly by the Papua New Guinea alumni association and the Port Moresby chamber of commerce and industry from Feb 19-20 as the first of a number of joint activities this year. The workshop was designed for people who were first-time directors in private companies, those who filled the role of board secretary, appointees to SOE boards and Government appointees. It was also useful for those with an interest in good corporate governance.

A call to help people in trouble
THE Western Highlands provincial disaster office has called on the seven local MPs to put money into the provincial disaster office to help the people affected by natural disasters. Provincial disaster coordinator Joseph Amban said disaster is a big threat in the province and there are many reports in the media informing the nation of this.
A DECISION for the sentencing of a 48-year-old Central Province man, Au Numa Rokai Pene charged for incest has been adjourned to next month. Pene’s sentencing was set for last Friday however Justice Panuel Mogish has fixed March 4 to make the decision. Pene, from Maopa village in Abau district pleaded guilty on Feb 15 to the charge of committing incest with his daughter between 2000 and 2005 in which the victim has two children from this relationship.