Eradicate sorcery-related killings

Editorial

THE Government and its relevant authorities have been quiet on the issue of sorcery deaths that is sweeping parts of our nation without being reported.
You will only hear comments from the government when an incident is reported in the media.
Regardless of cases being reported, action is needed.
Action is years overdue and too many innocent victims haunt those who care for the future of this country.
Most of those killed are women who are mothers and grandmothers.
What chance will their children have of reaching adulthood as most would have been marked as the offspring of a slaughtered witch?
This is a frightening situation for women in Papua New Guinea and it is becoming too common in a country where we like to call ourselves Christians.
We dare to call ourselves Christians. Are we?
Committed Christians do not stand and see those who have committed no crime lose their lives.
The media receives criticisms for highlighting these stories.
We welcome the criticisms for highlighting these stories which should be told and not pushed under the carpet because some describe it as negative news.
We will continue to highlight such killings until the community and the leaders wake up and take positive actions.
Most times, photographs of the twisted remains of those killed are not published because they were gut-wrenching.
Has there been any move by authorities to safeguard their lives or to protect them for future attacks?
It is impossible not to compare the many deaths reported in the past decade.
We doubt that the government will move one centimetre further towards acting against this often repeated horror.
And, perhaps, worst of all would be the reaction of the outside world.
Can you imagine Papua New Guineans working or studying overseas trying to explain such a barbaric custom to their hostel mates and colleague? It is, we believe, fair to predict that many people beyond our shores will dismiss the story with a shrug of the shoulders and the comment “Oh well, what can you expect? That’s Papua New Guinea, one of the most primitive countries on earth”.
If no one in a position of authority and influence is standing up to call this “evil” action, who will?
We should take a stand.
We have said this already that it takes a person with courage to speak the truth and blast through the pretence and lies.
There is no positive future for this country if we continue to believe in this sanguma story and accuse, torture and murder our innocent men and women.
The challenge is now on our churches and government leaders to speak up.
The media should continue publishing such stories so the whole country knows what each church is saying, what each minister and MP is saying.
Again, what is needed is education.
Unless the people are empowered and transformed, this is an attitude problem constructed and crafted by cultural and traditional practices and beliefs.
Collaboration is the way forward to deal with this issue.
A society that does not protect the vulnerable, the children, the aged, the handicapped and the poor is a failed society.
Action has to start first with prevention.
We hope for some real change in 2020.