Lockdown deprive people’s freedom

FREEDOM, based on law, consists in the least amount of restriction on the activities of individuals that are consistent with the maintenance and development of Papua New Guinea and of society in accordance with this constitution and, in particular, with the national goals and directive principles and the basic social obligations.
The Government inflicted a state of emergency (SOE) on us in May and dragged that out as long as they could, despite leaving the international borders open.
Our initial exposure of the Covid-19 was traced back to lax border protection.
The SOE could not be extended as the fragile economy was now devastated and unlikely to return to the bad state it was before the Covid-19.
The Pandemic Act provides for a health emergency and not a law and order issue.
But the defence and police forces are restricting our movements instead of screening, assessing and treating people with the millions of kina worth of aid donation made at the first outbreak.
Did the SOE occur prematurely?
Did the Government panic or were advised to panic owing to the continuous decline in public health service over the years brought about through waste, corruption and slack financial procurement.
We, the people of Papua New Guinea, are merely the pawns in the corruption wars and we have all had enough.
The virus is real, the resources should have been here but is this being treated like another TB, measles, and dengue or malaria outbreak by those responsible.
We deserve better.
Maserati’s and land cruisers could buy a lot of PPE and medicines.
What are your priorities Prime Minister James Marape?
We the people, that elected our politicians, need some serious answers.
Corruption must stop.
Let us take back PNG – from the corruption that is now killing us.

Manu Marikina, Via email