| Business |
Listen to the messenger
ANOTHER travel warning has been
issued by the Australian government to their citizens planning to
travel to Papua New Guinea.
It warns of “high levels of serious crime” and makes reference to
election-related violence, in particular in the PNG Highlands
region.
No doubt the usual gallery of noisy protesters will vent their
disapproval of these latest warnings and verbally attack their
source.
Frankly, it’s about time we took more notice of these alerts.
We should make the effort to understand why they’re issued, whom
they’re intended for and what are the dangers they’re intended to
guard against.
These travel advisories are made public for the benefit of
Australian citizens travelling anywhere on the globe.
They are not intended as an attack against PNG or any
other country but rather as a timely alert to the realities on the
ground.
The only issue that should be at stake with the Australian
advisories is whether or not they are true.
The Australian advisory notes “crime rates are high in the capital
Port Moresby and in other areas of Papua New Guinea especially in
Lae, Mt Hagen and other parts of the Highlands”.
Let us pause a moment before we arm ourselves to the teeth and set
out to sack and pillage any Oz villages we may come across.
Let’s dispassionately analyse that phrase.
Are there any readers who will deny “crime rates are high in the
capital Port Moresby?”
To do so would be to fly in the face of the statistics, personal
experiences and the accumulated awareness of the people of our
capital.
Port Moresby most certainly does have a high crime rate.
It does have a citizenry many of whom cringe in fear behind
towering embroideries of razor wire.
Going out for a meal, visiting the relatives in the next suburb or
just going for a drive is not an option for many residents.
Shopping in broad daylight can be a terrifying experience for
housewives; the threat of armed hold-up, slashed bilums or assault
leading to rape are too well known to further detail.
So what of the other areas mentioned – Lae and Mt Hagen and other
parts of the Highlands?
Within the past two weeks, Lae city has been in turmoil, with
clashes between the political and administrative arms of
government, the violent invasion of public offices and cases of
indefensible assault.
Then the appalling chaos of our third city, Mt. Hagen ... the
riots, the tribesmen armed to the teeth clashing in the heart of
the city, the inability of private enterprise to trade without
fear and threats ... there is little need to continue.
And in other parts of the Highlands?
We have seen a resurgence of assault and robbery cases in the
Southern Highlands.
There’s been a wave of savage lawlessness including rape of minors
in the Eastern Highlands.
Last week saw the blocking of main roadways in Enga and vows by
candidates to win the elections either through votes or guns or
both.
Once again, the advisory appears to simply echo existing
situations known to everybody.
To claim that we somehow deserve better from our special
relationship with our southern neighbour is utter nonsense.
We spend a great deal of time and energy proudly trumpeting our
sovereignty and our independence to the great wide world. Yet we
bridle like an immature bride at the first suggestion that there
may be something, anything wrong with our independent nation.
Not for us the critical view or the calm and factual analysis;
we’re too busy justifying matters to take the time.
Do we want to be held responsible for the death, rape or assault
of visiting tourists?
No, we do not.
Do we as a nation issue any tourist information that might offer
similar warnings in a less confrontational manner than the
Australian effort?
Not to the best of our knowledge.
Why then do we take exception to the Australian travellers
advisories?
The latest Australian travel advisory does not appear to us to
exaggerate the truth of the situations it details.
Thirty-two years after independence it’s about time we set about
dealing with our law and order problems, rather than savagely
attacking the publications of others that warn of their existence.
 
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