I must say the ignorance of some people of the world around never ceases to amaze me!
Cut/Paste from Post Courier
Monday 11th September 2006
British MP sorry over PNG remark
A BRITISH parliamentarian has come under fire for likening the problems of the British Labour Party to “cannibalism and chief-killing” in Papua New Guinea. In a column for the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper on Thursday, Henley-on-Thames MP Boris Johnson wrote, “for 10 years, we in the Tory party have became used to Papua New Guinea-style orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing; and so it is with a happy amazement that we watch as the madness engulfs the Labour Party”. He was alluding to the leadership crisis presently being experienced by British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Labour Party but his opinion piece triggered an angry reaction from London-based PNG High Commissioner Jean Kekedo. “I consider the comments, coming from a senior British MP, very damaging to the image of Papua New Guinea and an insult to the integrity and intelligence of all Papua New Guineans. “I wish to state that I am shocked and appalled by such comments from a seemingly well educated person of very high standing, in fact the alternative minister for higher education in the House of Commons. “How far removed and ill-informed can Mr Johnson be from the reality of the situation in modern day Papua New Guinea?” Ms Kekedo told BBC News. Mr Boris immediately apologised “for any offence caused” after the PNG diplomat sent a formal protest note to the UK Foreign Office, saying: “I meant no insult to the people of Papua New Guinea, who I’m sure lead lives of blameless bourgeois domesticity in common with the rest of us. “My remarks were inspired by a Time Life book I have which does indeed show relatively recent photos of Papua New Guinean tribes engaged in warfare, and I’m fairly certain that cannibalism was involved.” Ms Kekedo said she hoped Mr Johnson would find time in the future to visit PNG and experience Papua New Guineans’ hospitality but hinted the PNG Government could categorise him persona non grata (undesirable alien) due to his comments. “I think once he’s been to the country he might view things differently but I don’t know whether my government will give him a visa to go there (PNG) after such insult.” Mr Johnson is no stranger to controversy, he apologised to English city Liverpool in 2004 after he accused its residents of "wallowing in victimhood” over the execution of a British man held hostage in Iraq.
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
Boris Johnson : to: johnsonb@parliament.uk
cc: Crawshay-WilliamsM@parliament.uk
kduldn@aol.com (PNG EMBASSY UK - Jean Kekedo)
vortex.PNG@mail.com (optional)
Please take time to email and share your view to this very uninformed British MP
-
vortexPNG team
This message has been edited by vortexPNG on Sep 11, 2006 6:15 PM
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
This so called MP is still living in the past. He is physically present in this century but mentally living in the stoneage. He must be some hundreds of years old. Can somebody find out about how old he is?
This is what I call idle talk. He needs to be put in his shoes.
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
We still are a country of Cannablism and Chief killings and that is something we can never get rid of. Of coarse most PNG's will deny the cannablism part but have you heard of the Korowai tribe?
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
West Papua or New Guinea it is still call Papua New Guinea am I right or wrong? Another interesting thing I guess some people in the Momase region still believe in Cannabilism to right meri? Lets not forget about all the Chief Killings that go on in the Highland regions of Papua New Guinea Rishikia oh so I guess the man was right about our beloved nation!
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
Sam I Am,
Cannibalism exists among the Korowai tribe of West Papua. They are our brothers but have been separated from us by a political boundary. I am referring to that political boundary in the sense that if they are not under the Indonesian government, then I will accept that fact, but for now, still no. Cannibalism in Papua New Guinea is an act of the past, even if it is still practised in some remote parts of the country, it is unheard of. I will accept the remark from that British MP only if there was no boundary there.
OK, readers, if you are from the MOMASE region, do you still believe in Cannibalism? For general knowledge sake, let us know.
About Chief Killings, yeah, there is no doubt about that. It happens everyday around the world and it does happen in our country(PNG) too. But our people usually have a reason for doing some form of killings while some people in other countries do it just for the fun of it.
So in a nutshell, the British MP was not so right about Papua New Guinea. He should have made some research first before publicly making a speech.
Over to you, Sam I AM
This message has been edited by Rishika on Oct 30, 2006 10:37 AM This message has been edited by Rishika on Oct 30, 2006 10:14 AM
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
It was not the appropriate place nor the time for the the British MP to make such a comment. His lack of substance in his response during the debate with other MPs to address genuine issue that was discuss during that session, and the subsequent reference to PNG cannibalisim, I believed proved that he has cerebrovascular disease!!
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
Sister the British prime minister was right so was I even you just admitted to it. Cannablism is still practice in P-A-P-U-A-N-E-W-G-U-I-N-E-A, and so is Chief Killing. You said we kill chiefs for a reason due to the fact it is consitute chief killing right. Let me just make this point right here, if a person go to a christain church and practice the faith is he/she not a christain? If you eat pig, beef or chicken mondays and only eat vegetables on tuesday-sunday is that person a vegeratian? The answer is no let me make another example if a man rapes a woman those that makes him a rapist. Yes it those if he stoped doing it after he serve his jail time. Is he still consider a rapist yes the difference is he is no longer an serial rapist.
The point being is that he has some truth about our country problems, if you can't see this sister then you are to busy sipping cocount milk. Living inside a world full of fantasy, just walking pass our trouble nation problems!
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
Sam I Am,
Your argument is not so convincing. You are pulling bits and pieces here and there to try prove a point. I did not really understand what you are trying to say here.
By the way, I have read some of your posts on other issues and every time you seem to make a negative comment about PNG and other issues. If you keep speaking about the bad side of things, that will blind you from seeing the good side of things. Looks like you are ashamed of being a Papua New Guinean. If you stop listening to people who have no idea what this beautiful country of ours is like, then maybe you can stand up and be counted as a Papua New Guinean. You keep on listening and accepting comments like that and you will get nowhere. Every country has its own back log of problems and issues, so what?
You need a PARADIGM SHIFT.
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
Sam I Am or Ashamed I Am, whatever your name is, Looks like your people are still practising Cannibalism that is why you are still claiming that the country still practises cannibalism. Em mas ol lain blo tribe na clan na village blo yu ya. Mipla olgeta em nogat ya.
This message has been edited by Rishika on Oct 31, 2006 11:31 AM
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
LOL... Sipping coconut milk??? Brother, ino coconut milk, coconut drink.. You really a Papua New Guinean or pretending to be one? Okay, I give up.
You win but just know this, where I come from, our people do not practise cannibalism and chief killings that is why mi strongim side blong mi. You can accept that hasty generalisation comment from that ill informed British MP and live with it.
I am done with this discussion.
Good luck...
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
Yeh...Mr Johnson's comment was too generalised.Its not widely practised...(dont know bout where Sam hails from)so i would think it perfectly reasonable for Papua New Guineans to make a fuss. After all you wouldnt want to be labelled a cannibal everytime you go to another country, because of some careless comparison. It may have been part of our history...em blo bipo.
Na Sam...sapos u tok turu olsem yu blo PNG, wai yu tromoi ol kain toktok olsem - so much negativity wantok!!! Kaikai sampla moa buai...teet blo yu wait yet!!!
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
You ask why I talk so much negativity? Is there a lot of good things to say about a nation of 4.4 million inwhich 92% of them are blind to the injusitice and discrimation we give our on people. Plus we treat people of other races with utmost respect, hell some where down the line one got to wonder how long will the Melanesian man will exist on earth!
The bad things out weight the good things in our trouble nation Sassy! We are chewing betel nut to blind our eyes and drinking alchol to suit our pain so what can you say about those facts Sassy?
As for me being negative I am not negative maybe me and you just don't see eye to eye. Simply because you enjoy living in the filth you help contribute to create in our trouble nation!
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
Hi Sam,
looks like what began as airing of opinions has turned into a personal slinging match.
Sure we have our problems, there's no denying that. But what eats at me is you call yourself a Papua New Guinean, yet sit there and whinge. I fail to see how you are contributing to the building of our nation - pessismistic attitudes like yours hold us back.
You pull out figures and so called facts and try to string them together, but it isnt solid ( considering some of your figures are rather outdated)
Maybe i'm too optimistic and patriotic for you, but i know that there are many more like me who would defend our country despite its shortcomings. Why should we deny the injustice and the discrimination? First step to moving ahead is admitting you have a problem...yeh?
Like you correctly pointed out- no, we dont see eye to eye. I can deal with that. I am incredulous at how you think yourself all knowing when it comes to me. To quote "Simply because you enjoy living in the filth you help contribute to create in our trouble nation!" Eh eh...hold up! i'm willing to bet i am quite young in comparison to you. Not quite old enough to independently make a decision that will affect my country, thats for sure. So put your finger back where it belongs instead of taking wild jabs at anyone who contests your opinion.
Alright, no more slinging matches. Tok i dai.
Gutpla avinun long yu
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
For sassy , Sam I Am and others who have contributed discussions on this issue...
No score for this post
November 1 2006, 3:51 PM
Ok guys, cut it out, let us not get into each other's bad books . Sam I Am, our country does have a lot of problems apart from cannibalism and chief killings. I know that you have a long list of things that our country has fallen short of and it is people like you who can contribute alot to the rebuilding of this nation. Our leaders may be deaf/blind/dumb in all they do currently.
In my opinion, you should consider getting into politics and turn some heads there. Our leaders need people like you serving as advisers and steering this country in the right path.
Wanbel stap stap.
This message has been edited by Rishika on Nov 1, 2006 3:57 PM
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.