And Lae joined the awareness campaign as well against corruption

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Monday 27th May 2013

 By ELLEN TIAMU

ORGANISERS of the first Sir Anthony Siaguru Walk Against Corruption campaign in Lae say the turnout was good and expect a much bigger crowd next year.

About 500 enthusiastic people, including children braved the early hours to begin the walk at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium. 

Traffic police escorted the participants on the 80-minute walk through China Town, Top Town, Independence Park and back to the Stadium.

The annual walk, organised by Transparency International‘s PNG Chapter (TIPNG) was peaceful in major towns and centres to raise awareness against corruption at all levels. 

A member of the Lae organising committee, Micah Vines, told the crowd after the walk that corruption was becoming rampant because people were not speaking out against it. 

Vines, a senior lecturer at the PNG University of Technology, said corruption was becoming endemic in PNG because individuals were refusing to be part of the solution and looking to others to stem the problem.

He blamed an ill-disciplined society for the frequency and pervasiveness of corruption, adding that were people no longer choosing between right and wrong but right and convenience.

Vines said PNG could not call itself a Christian country because Christian principles were not in play when it cames to fraud, bribery and dishonesty.