Somare, put yourself in our shoes and you will know!

Sir Michael, may I suggest that there is something drastically wrong at the top. Those with eyes, which happens to be the majority, watch from the sideline while our beautiful country is being run into the sewer pipes (excuse my language) as the few beneficiaries of our wealth in resources keep closed eyes deliberately not to face the hard facts.


Sir this is very unfortunate for the so-called father of the nation to let down his children.I question your fatherhood sometimes while the innocent children are crying out from the hill tops to the valleys, to the squatters in the fringes our modern towns cities crying out for real servant leadership. Servant leaders who put all their efforts for the sake of their people:

* the thousands of young coming out of the school/college system all seeking some form of employment,

* the villager who struggles to earn enough to pay school fees,

* the public servant who envies his/her bosses on all those huge allowances that are for the west with high living standards,

* the young who have lost the sense of dignity, pride, achievement while the children of the closed eyed leaders seem to prosper, and

* the sick who have no hope of getting well, in many cases back to stone-age situation.Could there possibly be any alternative to the way we seem to have sold off our resources for nothing(peanuts).

Could there be any monetary value to the lost of our culture, the long-term social/cultural effects for disruption by greed from the west with closed eyed leaders in the name of development. Could we not learn anything from the disruptions at Bougainville and Misima. Why not 50 per cent ownership of our resources. Remember the investor is taking business risks while exploring. If the results are negative, he/she packs up and goes elsewhere.

If on the other hand he/she has been successful with proven mineral deposits, shouldn't this guarantee the development loan. Why not therefore seek a joint loan between the developer and resource owner and furthermore who said this cannot be done. In the end, we are the ones who will lose out big time.

Finally, how many of us are doing business in the “north”, bringing the profits here to help our economy in the same way you have allowed unnecessary, small time trade store operators from China seemingly in every corner. Sir Michael, what do you expect from a people who have lost hope, who see their leaders too busy helping themselves.

Just for a moment in your busy schedule, put yourself in their shoes and see from their eyes. Maybe with a slight chance, only then will you know what your people what they are going through. Food for thought to my countrymen!

Pana

Sydney, Aust

Source: The Post Courier Weekender editorial

*** I think Somare is ill-advised on what is going on around the country, especially in the rural areas of Papua New Guinea where the bulk of the population live. Has anyone thought of why the Somares are taking frequent trips to Asian countries? No wonder, there is influx of Asians in PNG who can't speak any English.

It's so sad, so sad indeed!
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