Bury Sir Michael in Wewak, his home

HE is no stranger in the house.
In fact, this is the house our fathers built with him in the forefront.
Only snobs snub.
Papua New Guinea had him for 49 years.
East Sepik wants him because by kinship, blood line and genealogy, that’s where he belongs.
It is morally and culturally correct to have Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare rest in Wewak.
Many are confused between a state of Commonwealth (Crown) and a state of Melanesia in the Commonwealth. That’s where customary law finds its integral dignified place in our constitution and ‘PNG Ways’ in the national goals and directive principles.
All lawyers without study and qualification in customary law should return to the University of PNG’s law school to attain it before being admitted to the bar to practice.
In this instance, the latter in the operations of its recognised Melanesian Ways shall take precedence. Bloodline, birthplace kowtow to land, a village, cosmological, traditional believes, norms and values take precedence.
Independence Hill is a lifeless monumental structure that is not where the village, customary land, kinship, genealogy, tribe and families of Sir Michael live.
Independence Hill can host a bust or statue of the our founding father in respect and memory of his service to the commonwealth but not the body.
Again, it would be a moral and cultural wrong to have our ‘Gapa Sun’ (Supreme Basket, Peace Maker and Chief Sana) laid elsewhere that is not home.

Cyril Gare, Via email