STAY HOME STOP WORK PROTEST AGAINST CORRUPTION. MONDAY 18th, NOVEMBER 2013 By David Ephraim- On behalf of Social Media Activists Police restricted our planned public debate against corruption, on the 13th of November 2013, which the Prime Minister Peter ONeill and Opposition Leader were formally invited to attend. We were advised that the date was inappropriate. The threat of police arresting people who turned up to the debate forced the event to be cancelled. The police even went to the extent of sending police units to both proposed locations of the debate at Unagi Oval and Jack Pidik Park, in Port Moresby as early as 7 am on Wednesday. Since then, we have resorted to call for a stay at home protest - no work protest on Monday November 18, 2013 to collectively say no to corruption and the suppression of our constitutional rights. We stand by values and norms that underpin the vibrancy of our democracy laid by our forefathers; even those who currently serve their political terms in this Parliament. We are not fighting against fellow Papua New Guineans - rather we are fighting against the very systemic nature of corruption among other things that continues to drag our country further down the drain of inequality, injustice, violence, social and economic instability among other things. Our desire is to see real political will and direction taken by this Parliament to correct many wrongs done by our elected leaders. However it seems that our elected leaders continue to undermine the very opportunity given to change the destiny of this country. Instead they continue to burden this generation and those yet to come. Our future is decided no longer in Waigani but in corporate offices and secret bilateral and multi-lateral arrangements - whilst our people suffer some of our politicians have benefited greatly. We find the campaign by the Prime Minister’s media unit and Police media unit to be inconsistent with our democratic rights. We are only exercising our rights specifically under Section 57 (Enforcement of guaranteed rights and freedom) of the constitution of Papua New Guinea that enforces Section 46: Freedom of expression and Section 47: Freedom of assembly and association and Section 52: Right to movement. The police issued a statement: “There will be no public protest march or strike on Monday November 18. The Metropolitan Superintendent NCD Mr Andy Bawa, who is a member of the NCD Law and Order Committee, has announced this week that in the interest of public safety, peace and good order there will be no protest march or strike. Members of the public found congregating in public places on Monday November 18 will be arrested and charged by police for loitering and/or unlawful assembly, We call upon all members of the public for your support and cooperation in ensuring that there is peace, safety and security within the NCD community” (Source: South Pacific Post online) As the entire world knows, Port Moresby is a dangerous city prone to violence, petty crimes, rape among others. Our action to stage a stay at home stop work protest does not put public safety at risk, rather it helps people express their frustration against a regime that does little in addressing lawlessness in our society. Is this not the reason Australian Federal Police were brought in to advise PNG police how to maintain public safety, peace and good order because the regime lost confidence in PNG police officers who are now used to restrict our rights to hold a democratic means of peaceful protest? As we speak tribal fights up in the Southern Highlands is a clear indication of lawlessness and weak form of governance. We are only taking this action because we find this government corrupted and using all means of tactics to undermine the rule of law, social and economic stability that could benefit 7 million people of this country not just few people or some foreigners. The police force should be independent enforcing laws on those who break the law not on those who exercise their constitutional right. Everyday our people assemble in groups; some prepare to go into ethnic clashes and or tribal war. Why can’t the police enforce their duties by arresting them? We do not pose any security threat to people of this country but our action is seen as unlawful by this regime that is using Parliament to call for media regulations even to the extent of calling for regulating Internet access in Papua New Guinea. In making such remarks on the floor of PNG parliament we are heading towards a dictatorial rule. We call on all law enforcing agencies, the military, the churches, the schools and people of this great country to join us and for once in our history bring our politicians down to our level to set a new path for our country.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 22:56:22 +0000
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