PNG – land of the mystic
PAPUA New Guinea marks its independence this month, just weeks after the end of elections. This land of contrast with vast amounts of natural resources has been plagued by corruption and violence for decades. As this edition goes to print, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill faces leadership challenges despite his reelection.
Veteran Pacific journalist, JALE MOALA offers this insight into PNG, Land of the Unexpected. Today I bring you two photos to illustrate the complexities of Papua New Guinea. The first is inside the first gate of our living compound in Waigani, a suburb of Port Moresby that is the heart of the government and city administrations.
I took the photo at about 7.30pm on Friday July 7, 10 minutes after men armed with guns had forced their way into the outer perimeter of our compound and held up our security guards while the rest went after my neighbour as he sat in his car waiting for the second gate to open. They forced my neighbour out at gunpoint, took the car and disappeared into the night as quickly as they had come.
The US State Department says that the crime rate in PNG is among the highest in the world.
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