I think all we've got to know is the version of the PMIZ Protester Like Mr. Gem, et.al. How about listening also to the PMIZ initiators and promoters? We have not listened to the merits of the project, only the slogans of opposing the project.
About this halted peaceful rally, there might be a story behind it. Some people who was there heard somebody talking that Francis Gem was paid K500. per Fortnight to do this dirty job of criticizing PMIZ. I am sympathetic to local communities welfare here in our place in Madang and equally watchful about protecting our rights but not to the extent of making it a habit to criticize just to portray a kind of image for myself.
Tuna industry is important for this country and we are aware that most of foreign vessels are feasting to harvest tuna that passes through our salt water. Most of these catches are shipped and process on foreign shores and when we import the finish product we paid a high cost. We may criticize PMIZ but I am thinking of its add on benefits. By processing PNG Tuna catch in PNG Shore we will be able to participate in many enterprise opportunities that includes jobs, work contracts, spin-off businesses, etc. It will also motivate our populace to improve their competitive skills and our institution to improve support programs. I'm sure the PMIZ needs more wielders, masons, carpenters and professionals. This will give us the PNGians an opportunity to prove our skills, creativity and professionalism and above all to showcase the product of our productive force. When exporting PMIZ products I'm sure it will showcase to the world that our people are equally capable of producing world class products. We have greater benefit if we will process tuna products in PNG shore. When thousands of people are working and earning something, this will help boost our local and country's economy. In Madang, I'm sure PMIZ will stimulate the economy as PMIZ workers will surely spend their money to buy from the markets and shops. The shops/markets in return will improve their services and will employ more people.
Of course, as advocates for people's rights and if our interest is for the benefit of our people, we hope to handle things properly. The government as PMIZ promoter is in a better position to make revisions and reforms if there are flaws in the PMIZ concept. Proactively, the better way is to outline one-by-one our concerns and let them review it for consideration. Maybe, suggest to them a representation from the community group to best represent community interest. We will do it as mature people. But it is a different story when our campaigns ultimate goal is to stop the project. This kind of goal will deprive PNG people of the benefits we long been deprived from tuna which is harvested from our salt water. This is not the way to fight for our peoples rights as its impact will be the ultimate deprivation of our people. On this, those pirates who harvested our tunas are more than happy and Mr. Gem et. al. is no longer fighting for the people but for these pirates as they continue to harvest the tuna without obligation to PNG people and government.
What do Francis Gem and his group's ultimate goal, is it to benefit the people in this exercise or to simply stop the project? If to benefit the people then they better outline their suggestions and the mechanism to achieve them for the PMIZ and the Government to consider them but if they could not come up with a reasonable proposal then it will prove the gossips that ended Mr. Gem is receiving K500. a fortnight from his back-ups to do this dirty job of criticizing and destroying the PMIZ project in the guise of pro-people pronouncement. All we read from their press releases were anger and criticism, empty slogans and even capitalizing on some old issues against a local cannery. They are also doing a lot of generalization and seem doing good in picturing-out PMIZ as monster on people's mind to scare them and for them to hate the government and investors. If they will go farther, then it is a clear a syndicated sabotage to the PNG economy.
Please, as PNGians, lets reflect more and break free from our regionalist and tribalist/clanist thinking. THINK as a COUNTRY to DEVELOP as a COUNTRY. Lets show GOODWILL to other nationalities who have the interest to work with us and not just dump us with finish product. What we need in this country is to learn the technologies. The tuna processing facilities is something that we need to learn to handle. Through PMIZ, we will have the opportunity to learn and earn at the same time.
JGami
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