Lighthouse protest

RECENT media reports about landowners shutting down the lighthouse at Vabukori village in Port Moresby sheds light on other lighthouses as well.
If it is happening to landowners in the heart of the National Capital District, then it becomes a worrying trend for the other lighthouse landowners around the country’s maritime provinces.
One classic case is the lighthouses in Finschhafen, namely Nusing lighthouse, Dreger Lautung lighthouse, Nugidi Shoal lighthouse and Cape Bradbow lighthouse.
The NMSA funded the land mediation process which was completed in 2016 with a gazettal authorising the Huon district administration and mediators who presided over the mediation for the four lighthouses.
Since then, nothing has happened, keeping the lighthouse landowners under suspense.
Finschhafen lies on a strategic route for local and international shipping and flights.
Imagine how dangerous it would be if the landowners of Finschhafen behaved as the Darahasi Kirakira landowners in Port Moresby did.
How can we describe this as a crime against the State when the State is at liberty to pronounce who is wrong?
If the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has an obligation to fund these beacons or lighthouses than these facts must be spelt out transparently to the landowners.

Norm Geamsa
Finschhafen