Paradise plus is my Papua New Guinea

The National Weekender

By BIGA LEBASI
OUR country Papua New Guinea has and is, still being drenched by the western media as a “no go zone” and high risk region of the South Pacific. ‘
It’s in the mindset of Caucasian journalists and commentators who prolong the wrong picture that PNG is tainted with savagery and cannibalism, graft and corruption…and with its 800-plus languages it is a problem country riddled with tribal wars yet their glimmer of hope is within their extractive industry.
My dear New Zealand Foreign Minister Mr Winston Peters, please do me a favour and be diplomatic when you tell Radio Australia about the problems affecting my country Papua New Guinea.
Yes we do have 800-plus languages and with this comes the natural unity that the good Lord had inbuilt in our mindset for thousands of years before your ancestors had pillaged Australia, Africa, Canada and New Zealand and Asia and the Americas off their riches and you are still talking down at us like you did the Maori before the Treaty of Waitangi?
Come on Sir, come and visit us and you will learn from us first hand that using English as a common language of education, business and trade we do get along famously. I had, back in 1979 travelled to Hawaii, USA with 32 Kandep traditional dancers: they are from the Highlands of PNG. I am from an island off the eastern coast of PNG.
I, in retrospect found out that there is no difficulty nor problem with language barriers. It’s your attitude and humility and understanding of your “differences” that, after amicable discussions, would iron out misunderstanding and war! The Kandeps hugged me, raised me up on a pedestal of muscles and on top of their shoulders, as if on cue to notice the motorcade of the most powerful country in the world drive past us in Kalakaua Avenue in Honolulu. He is known as former president of the United States Jimmy Carter.
It was then, 4th July, their national day of rejoicing their independence from Great Britain many moons down the dusty track of colonialism.
I love my Kadep folk. They love me in return. We worked together putting our language difficulties and provided a positive outcome to our being in Carter’s country to help promote the 1979 Air Niugini POM/HNL return inaugural flight.
My bonus now comes from a rap on my shoulder when I turn to enquire and am told in a voice of fondness and happy memories of a Kandep/Alotau special reunion that is still bonding us to this month of your Radio Australia interview.
AirNiugini from day one (Nov 1, 1973) that was yesterday, remains our main domestic and international flag carrier and it maintains a unifying bond that cements us Papua New Guineans to stand up together and fight our battles in order to fully achieve unity to bring humanity together despite language, cultural and political barriers that separate us human beings. Kia or a!
We do hope you fly Air Niugini soon to visit this Paradise we call home.
The western media had expected violence and mass destruction of property in my PNG at political independence from the colonial shackles loomed towards Sept 16, 1975 but this did not happen, Thank God!
We achieved independence with not a single drop of human blood..unlike othe British territories and protectorates the world over…in Africa particularly. However, the western media leaped in removing any chances to tell the entire world we got freedom handed to us on a golden platter with the flag ceremonies carried out with dignity and pride and British pomp and ceremony.

  •  Part 3 next week: Paradise unfolds the beauty of PNG. Biga Lebasi is a freelancer and former Air Niugini Advertising and Public Relations department writer (1975 to 1980). The opinions expressed remain those of the freelancer and do not in any way reflect on The National.