Nineteen years and counting in Papua New Guinea

Bodybuilding trolls and the big breasted boys who love them

We are pleased to find this past week mark the fusion of three favourite things: Trolling, as in fishing for suckers; bodybuilding, as in male glamour for suckers; and facebook, social life for suckers.

Given my own genetic proximity to leprechauns and other things that live below bridges, I am not here to throw stones are the sub-race of trolls, but rather to point out that with all the merchandise dedicated to them in novelty stores everywhere, you would think they had very little time left for internet entertainment.

So those of us who like to play with happy dolls on the internet, are a little surprised to find the new breed of testosterone infused trolls acting like bullies.

Not that we haven’t seen their likes before. Small heads, big chests. Lots of emphasis on breasts and body oil. Posing. Shrunken gonads.

And in their pinheadedness, despite their claims,  they seem to have forgotten to take  pseudonyms. Which leaves us the pleasure of naming them. Transgender trolls? Boys with girl issues?

 

 

Papua New Guinea Post-Courier

The Drum 16.11.11

UPNG breeding psycopaths?

SEEMS the three UPNG students caught abusing and threatening folk on Facebook attracted sympathy in some quarters? But the sympathisers would surely have to reconsider given the tirade they launched again yesterday morning? One , claiming to be “Donald John” showed no remorse when he challenged a fellow student “your monkey face will be printed and sent to all my friends to watch out for you.” And another purporting to be “Elias Kepa” boasted: “Why are we up in UNI? Bcoz we are smart-will put a bullet in your head you {peace} of cake-you will “graduate in a coffin”. Time for UPNG authorities to intervene and shut this nonsense down?

  

It continues:

Elias Kepa

Hahaha.. Why are we up in UNI? Bcoz we are smart. For this we knew we could get ourselves into trouble and we used some fake names coz we are trouble makers. That's how smart we are. And Please go on and check the school for the desplayed names, we'll be sitting in our class laughing our ass out. You people are so dumb. But Joel, liklik life blo u bai mipla kisim. You smart ass stap.. Odau! You think we are wanna be gangsters? Well we'll show you. Your ugly face will change if we see you somewhere (moresby m liklik ples) will put a bullet in ur head u peace of cake. Hahaha can't believe how stupid u people are.. We are not gangsters, we are youngsters trying to teach smart asses how to talk politely.

Slozy Inaki

Hahahahahahaahahaahahahahaahahahahaahahahahahahahahahaahahhahaahahaha..... So stupid! Think we were dumb enough to put our real names? Nah how stupid you people are? You peoples notions are wrong, we are not wanna-be gangsters. We are youngsters! Just go on and have a hard time complaining but the male ugly face will be printed and emailed and shared by hand to all the youngsters, just wanna make Joel and Odau famous. Don't worry moresby is just a small place and i'ts gettin close to christmas too so u 2 supermans take good care. You'll be popular! We're just doing our job. :-D

Tiffany Twivey

Ok - so Bee Kay is Bhosip Kaiwi. I know his Dad and also know his Dad would be disgusted in your collective behaviours. See, on Facebook, your photos, your life, your friends are on display. Many of us have mutual friends with you boys. Cyberspace PNG is a small place.

Bee Kay

Tiffany is right boys. You boys are getting out of hand. You should be talking with some sense, none of you boys are in lower schools like me, you all are in UNI doing your 3rd and 4th years so use some common sense and act like adults.

Tiffany Twivey

Thank you Bee Kay - seems like you have a lot of your dad in you after all !!! They have now been mentioned in the Drum today and on many blogs and FB pages. Let us hope they find some sense somewhere.

Donzy Boyzone

‎@Bee Kay. You shut the hell up, your just a 16 year old kid in low schools so mind your own business and go get a girlfriend just like how you lower schools do things, always looking for girlfriends.

Bee Kay ‎

@Donald. I know I'm just 16 but atleast I can talk nicely and politely as a gentleman. Which you cannot! I know your smarter than me but atleast I respect the elder people. Which you don't! Now go get something and clean that dirty brain of yours. By the way please do me a faver and change your first fake name bcoz it really disgrace's my dads name, my dad has the same name but doesn't behave and talk smart like you.

__________________________________

Let's take a look at these young men directly, as they represent themselves on facebook:

OOPs sorry. Now I can't remember who is who?

 

Plenty of sage bloggers picked up the conversation: Little Green Palai, The Namarong Report, Critic PNG, and more.

But then there's this blog from a reformed troll:

UPNG students abuse Prominent Lawyer - Wisdom from Edebamon Blog

 I saw this at The Namorong Report and felt compelled to blog about it for a few reasons. Well, firstly because I am a UPNG Student and secondly because I spent alot of time being a troll on facebook. A troll is a persona that basically goes around insulting and annoying other people for kicks. I was a First Class Troll and I've earned battle-scars and trophies in the business of trolling. This is one of my trophies: Kanye "the College Drop-out" West Party page  You will notice that I am listed as an Admin on the group. We had hijacked that group after convincing the original admins that we were genuine Kanye West fans (which incidentally, I am). We hijacked the group and turned it inside out, insulting thousands of devoted fans, making many unjoin from the group. We had a blast. We were a well organized team of trolls from around the world and we all carried multiple accounts on facebook and had, unusually enough, a common code of conduct. Looking back, I can say trolling is a stupid and time-wasting activity. The 3 trolls below are therefore more than stupid because they prance around hurling insult using their real names. Papua New Guinea is a small country, dear friends. It is my informed opinion therefore, that Donald John, Marlon Abau and Elias Kepa are asses.  Let’s hope the University of Papua New Guinea deals with them appropriately and recovers its tarnished image. Ms Twivey, a senior lawyer, will be referring the matter to the University Disciplinary Council. And as we say in UPNG, Wai bai Nogat!? 

And the following---which pleads for lenience, because of course the future of these young lads is perhaps at stake (unlike all the women they may interact with) :

ARE THE THREE UPNG BOYS BEYOND REDEMPTION?

 

 

 Ben Yamai presents a different perspective to members of Sharp Talk following the outrage on Facebook, over the cowardly acts of three University of Papua New Guinea students who may have in effect damaged their career prospects. Ben asks:

“I wonder whether in our parochial support for each other and in our zeal to promote intellectual and objective discussion, we have denigrated our collective selves by over reacting in this instance?”

Let me state from the outset that I do not in any way condone the appalling behavior displayed by these so called “future leaders” of PNG and that I am writing this and will post knowing full well that I am most likely going to be attracting some harsh rebuttals. I myself commented on the thread created by Cuma PNG and stated that it would be counter-productive for us to be debating with “idiots” (my word) such as these.

We here on Sharp Talk have formed a clique, the membership of which is extremely diverse, and who it seems will stand by (or against) each other in intellectual debate and, as has been shown in recent times, the former when personal tragedy happened upon one of our very own, Reginald Renagi.

We have also been outspoken in our support for members of our forum who were subjected of some rather disturbing attacks on blogs and through vile viral emails. Not to have supported would have been inexcusable on the memberships’ part.

However, I wonder whether in our parochial support for each other and in our zeal to promote intellectual and objective discussion, we have denigrated our collective selves by over reacting

 As Martyn Namarong blogged back:

Tiffany replies to Ben

Tiffany Twivey

Ben - I am truly disappointed with your post. You clearly have no idea how prevalent DV is and who it is being accepted by the next generations as the norm. I have been taking action against DV for YEARS even teaching on the subject at Uni 15 years ago. And the situation is getting worse.

I don't mind being called a bitch or a whore or whatever - that wasn't the point - the point was that these guys said (1) women shouldn't talk poillitics and if they do (2) their husbnands should beat the shit out of them.

As someone who has had the shit beaten out of them by her husband for years - I eventually left after 5 years- and I am a strong, educated, independent woman but couldn't leave earlier. I had to in the end as I thought if I can't do it - what hope does anyone else have in PNG - plus my kids saw it.

I vowed to keep fighting against DV. And have thru free advice and thru susu mamas - but when I saw these boys posts I actually thought - what's the point in fighting anymore - it's never going to change. I wanted to give up - I posted on the SV site to see what others thought and have been so overwhelmed and grateful for the responses and support.

Because of THESE I will keep fighting - and Ben we NEED to deter future conduct by making these boys an example - I am so proud everyone has done it.

So you would have me go on, fighting on my own, going to the uni admin by myself - taking the heat from the families and more abuse.

Well I'm damn sick of fightying alone - I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THIS FIGHT BY BLOGGING AND SPREADING THE W0ORD on this. I don't feel alone anymore. My love to you guys that have taken up this fight to make an example of these boys so that we HOPE others will think twice in the future.

There is no guarantee the Uni would d anything - see Jodam's posty - but everyone on this site has pulled together.

Ben - this site is AGAINST DV not discussing the merits of it or those who think it is OK. Really personally upset with you Ben as u, unlike others, know me well. 

Tiffany replies to Ben

Tiffany Twivey

Ben - I am truly disappointed with your post. You clearly have no idea how prevalent DV is and who it is being accepted by the next generations as the norm. I have been taking action against DV for YEARS even teaching on the subject at Uni 15 years ago. And the situation is getting worse.

I don't mind being called a bitch or a whore or whatever - that wasn't the point - the point was that these guys said (1) women shouldn't talk poillitics and if they do (2) their husbnands should beat the shit out of them.

As someone who has had the shit beaten out of them by her husband for years - I eventually left after 5 years- and I am a strong, educated, independent woman but couldn't leave earlier. I had to in the end as I thought if I can't do it - what hope does anyone else have in PNG - plus my kids saw it.

I vowed to keep fighting against DV. And have thru free advice and thru susu mamas - but when I saw these boys posts I actually thought - what's the point in fighting anymore - it's never going to change. I wanted to give up - I posted on the SV site to see what others thought and have been so overwhelmed and grateful for the responses and support.

Because of THESE I will keep fighting - and Ben we NEED to deter future conduct by making these boys an example - I am so proud everyone has done it.

So you would have me go on, fighting on my own, going to the uni admin by myself - taking the heat from the families and more abuse.

Well I'm damn sick of fightying alone - I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THIS FIGHT BY BLOGGING AND SPREADING THE W0ORD on this. I don't feel alone anymore. My love to you guys that have taken up this fight to make an example of these boys so that we HOPE others will think twice in the future.

There is no guarantee the Uni would d anything - see Jodam's posty - but everyone on this site has pulled together.

Ben - this site is AGAINST DV not discussing the merits of it or those who think it is OK. Really personally upset with you Ben as u, unlike others, know me well.

Logging Main Street Madang: Bring on the Chipko Movement!

I just got an email from an Australian working for the Provincial Government in Madang, a fellow Chamber of Commerce member updating me on the last meeting I missed. It seems like the spirit of Greenpeace’s Esperanza missed our Urban LLG.

 

The Provincial Government, Madang Urban and the Works department are preparing to fell over 300 trees in Modilon Road. The reason appears to be to demonstrate their determination to build a new four-lane motorway from Baidal Road to the port wharf.

 

Having felled the trees it will then be easier to survey and measure the land available for a new road after which a design can be prepared, to be followed by a bid to the government for funds to build the highway.

 

I am concerned at the adverse environmental impact the felling will have on the character of the town as experienced by visitors and the lack of shade for pedestrians.  No work at present has been undertaken to assess how much traffic needs to be catered for given the new bridge link from Nambasa Road to the Airport and the North Coast Road, the forecast relocation of png port to Vidar and any proposals arising from the developing Urban Plan.

 

I see the work as a case of putting the cart before the horse, the present road if properly repaired and surfaced and with adequate pmv lay-bys  is well capable of handling the present traffic

 

As a visitor working in this Country I accept that if the residents of the town really want to see all these trees felled with no clear proposals for the future that is their choice, I can say goodbye to Madang and go home. A few people appear concerned but have no influence.

 

How do you feel and have you any suggestions ?

 

How about an Ecology 101 course for the Provincial Government, Madang Urban LLG and the Works Department?

 

I have a cheat sheet for them:

 

HOW TREES IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT

 

Air Quality/Pollution Reduction

• Trees help to clean the air by “catching” airborne pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and small particulates less than 10 microns in size.3

• Planting trees remains one of the cheapest, most effective means of drawing excess CO2 from the

atmosphere.15

• There is up to a 60% reduction in street level particulates with trees.1

• One tree that shades your home in the city will also save fossil fuel, cutting CO2 buildup as much as 15

forest trees.16

• Each year an average acre of mature trees absorb up to 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air, which is equal to the amount of Co2 produced by driving a car 26,000 miles.8

 

Water Quality/Erosion

• Trees reduce topsoil erosion, prevent harmful land pollutants contained in the soil from getting into our waterways, slow down water run-off, and ensure that our groundwater supplies are continually being replenished. For every 5% of tree cover added to a community, storm water runoff is reduced by

approximately 2%.1

• Trees help communities across the country avoid millions of dollars in storm water management costs.18

• Trees reduce soil erosion when planted along streams and waterways.18

• Trees can intercept between 7 percent and 22 percent of storm water runoff from impermeable surfaces.17

 

Energy Savings

• Homeowners that properly place trees in their landscape can realize savings up to 58% on daytime air

conditioning and as high as 65% for mobile homes. If applied nationwide to buildings not now benefiting

from trees, the shade could reduce our nation’s consumption of oil by 500,000 barrels of oil/day.12

• Projections suggest that 100 million additional mature trees in US cities (3 trees for every unshaded single family home) could save over $2 billion in energy costs per year.10

 

A CANOPY FOR COMMUNITY AND SOCIETAL WELL-BEING

 

Trees Reduce Crime, Increase Public Safety and Build Community

• A University of Illinois study finds that trees in urban areas are directly correlated with lower levels of fear, fewer incivilities, and less violent and aggressive behavior.4

• In an inner-city neighborhood, the greener the residence, the lower the crime rate. Residents reported fewer violent crimes and property crimes in green neighborhoods as compared to those that were barrern.4

• Researchers found fewer reports of physical violence in homes that had treesoutside the buildings. Of the residents interviewed, 14% of residents living in barren conditions have threatened to use a knife or gun against their children versus 3% for the residents living in green conditions.15

 

The Healing Power of Trees

• School children with ADHD show fewer symptoms and girls show more academic self-discipline if they

have access to natural settings.19

• Researchers found fewer reports of physical violence in homes that had trees outside the buildings. Of the residents interviewed, 14% of residents living in barren conditions have threatened to use a knife or gun against their children versus 3% for the residents living in green conditions.15

• Studies have shown that hospital patients with a view of trees out their windows recover much faster and with fewer complications and require fewer pain-killing medications than similar patients without such views.13

• A Texas A & M study indicates that trees help create relaxation and well being.18

• A U.S. Department of Energy study reports that trees reduce noise pollution by acting as a buffer and

absorbing 50% of urban noise.18

• Reduced air pollution from the presence of trees helps to ameliorate respiratory problems, such as

asthma—the leading serious chronic illness among children.17

• Trees can provide protection against skin cancer by reducing UV-B exposure (the most damaging type of solar radiation) by about half, according to a study by Richard Grant, Purdue University; and Gordon

Heisler, USDA Forest Service.17

• Time spent in nature reduces mental fatigue, restoring the ability to concentrate and pay attention.4

• Exposure to even small amounts of trees and grass aids concentration, leading to greater effectiveness.4

 

MONEY GROWS ON TREES

 

• Large, mature street trees are found to be the most important indicator of attractiveness in a community.17

• Property values increase 5-15% when compared to properties without trees (depends on species, maturity, quantity and location)18

• Shoppers are willing to pay up to 11 percent more for products purchased in shops along tree-lined streets than they would pay for the same item in a barren setting.17

• The quality of products were perceived as being better in shopping districts having trees versus those with barren sidewalks.17

• Shoppers stay longer in plazas that have trees.17

• Appraised property values of homes that are adjacent to parks and open spaces are typically 8-20% higher than those of comparable properties elsewhere.17

• Strategically placed trees can cut summer air conditioning costs for businesses by as much as 50 percent or more.17

• Rental rates of commercial office properties were approximately 7% higher on sites having quality

landscape, including trees.17

• Office workers with a view of nature are more productive, report fewer illnesses, and have higher job

satisfaction.17

• Trees have the potential to reduce social service budgets, decrease police calls for domestic violence, strengthen urban communities, and decrease the incidence of child abuse according to the study. Chicago officials heard that message in 2005. The city government spent $10 million to plant 20,000

trees, a decision influenced by Kuo’s and Sullivan’s research, according to the Chicago Tribune.

• Researcher Kuo suggests that “cities would do well having nature outside every doorstep.”4

 

References

1. Coder, Dr. Kim D., “Identified Benefits of Community Trees and Forests", University of Georgia, October, 1996.

2. USDA Forest Service Pamphlet #R1-92-100

3. International Society of Arboriculture Tree Care Bulletin, Benefits of Trees

4. Kuo, F.E. 2001, “Environment and Crime in the Inner City: Does Vegetation Reduce Crime?” Environment and Behavior, Volume 33, Number), pp

343-367.---www.herluiuc.edu

5. Kuo, F.E., 1998 Fertile Ground for Community: Inner-City Neighborhood Common Spaces. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26 www.herluiuc.edu

6. Georgia Urban Forest Council; University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign; www.cucf.com

7. Kuo , F.E. 2003. The role of arboriculture in healthy social ecology. Journal of Arboriculture, 29, 3, 148-155

8. Nowak, David J., “Benefits of Community Trees”, (Brooklyn Trees, USDA Forest Service General Technical Report, in review)

9. Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention (GHASP), “Trees and Our Air”, January, 1999.

10. McAliney, Mike. Arguments for Land Conservation: Documentation and Information Sources for Land Resources Protection, Trust for Public Land,

Sacramento, CA, December, 1993

11. Michigan State University Extension, Urban Forestry #07269501, “Benefits of Urban Trees”

12. American Forests, “The Case for Greener Cities”, Autumn 1999.

13. American Forests, “How Trees Fight Climate Change”, 1999.

14. Crompton, J.L. 2001. Parks and Economic Development. Chicago, IL. American Planning Association

15. Prow, Tina., “The Power of Trees”, Human Environmental Research Laboratory at University of Illinois.

16. National Arbor Day Foundation pamphlet #90980005

17. Georgia Urban Forestry Publication, Shade-Healthy Trees, Healthy Cities, Healthy People, 2004

18. www.colorado trees.org, Benefits of Trees

19. Coping with ADD: The Surprising Connection to Green Play Settings, Environment and Behavior. Vol. 33 No. 1. January 2001. 54-77, 2001 Sage Publications, Inc. 445 N. Pennsylvania Street, Suite 910 * Indianapolis, IN 46204 P: 317-264-7555 * F: 317-264-7565

 

 

Alternatively, I propose a Chipko Movement for Madang. The Chipko movement practised the Gandhian methods of satyagraha and non-violent resistance, through the act of hugging trees to protect them from being felled. The landmark event in this struggle took place on March 26, 1974, when a group of peasant women in Reni village, Hemwalghati, in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, acted to prevent the cutting of trees and reclaim their traditional forest rights that were threatened by the contractor system of the state Forest Department.

If it can save Indian trees, it can save the glorious rain trees of Madang.

 

Whatever It Takes

 This is the title of a report by Alan Oxley, the RH consultant and apologist, detailing the crimes against objectivity committed by Greenpeace in its campaign against the logging giant. Greenpeace will do, we assume, whatever it takes.

The truth seems to be that Rimbunan Hijau will do whatever it takes, and in their case, it takes a lot more sludge and money and compromised values. They have been in the country for almost as long as I have, and in that time most of us observers have watched the system of influence and patronage balloon through national politics, down to provincial politics, to middle management civil service and even, in the last most tiresome episode of the story, through the  field of journalism.

Development is a dirty business. It’s not nice, and it’s not clean even in the best of times, especially where you have people scrambling for promises to be lifted out of poverty and physical isolation. PNG is certainly no worse than most developing nations when it comes to compromised integrity, tacky dictatorial posturing, bullies in uniform, and covering one’s self in either a flag or a cross. People who preach love and righteousness and issue venomous attacks on their critics are not unique to development either, but maybe they just look meaner, more desperate.

A couple of years ago I wrote a piece on my blog about this history of the Chinese in PNG---nothing authoritative or even comprehensive. But the Post Courier picked it up and printed it, except that they printed only part of the essay and for some reason the Malaysian owners of The National newspaper ran their own condemnation of me personally, calling for my deportation as a racist American expatriate, etc. They were fired up about my blogs in general on the tuna industry, as The National has been a stalwart defender of these canneries as engines of ‘growth’ in Lae, Madang an Wewak.  My counter-arguments are always on the basis of primary research on social impacts in each site, and research done, not incidentally, by Papua New Guinea ethnographers for the most part.

Now and again in the social media I get attacked by National reporters for being anti-development, anti-growth, anti-capital, and of course, anti-Papua new Guinean. Someone a few weeks ago wrote that I should (once again) be deported because I’d done more harm than good in PNG. ( I wish that this were the real criteria for deportation, because in that case we would certainly not still be fighting Rimbunan Hijau.)

On my blog, too, I do have to erase the occasional racist and sexist rant from someone who clearly has a lot of personal demons, always a comment along the lines of my liking black dick, being a loser, having no credentials, etc. No more or less than a lot of bloggers get I imagine. This sort of ugliness is almost always effective because people averse to entertaining such dialogue instantly shut down---if only temporarily. This has definitely happened to me in the past.

Recently, however, I’ve been wondering what exactly ‘whatever it takes’ might be for RH, because social media flak over their sailing to Pomio on the Esperanza, supporting landowners and NGOs in a fight to rout yet another of RH’s 60-plus subsidiaries logging primary forest in PNG.  In the name of oil palm. Or, as we are always told (and if you go to the RH website and link to publications there is a small library of reports by Alan Oxley and his ‘consulting’ firm, ITS, on the subject), in the name of development and economic growth.

Other writers have captured the details of this Pomio fight better than I, and the discussion threads on FB pages have been crackling with excellent points, even scholarly citations, from members of the PNG conservation community, including Kenn Mondiai of Eco Forestry Forum. They are better placed than I to explain the anti-RH landowners’ history and position.

Whatever it takes, scatologically

But the point of this commentary now, is that the pro-RH position has taken a really bad turn for the worse. First, as we all know, the company flew in an s award winning social commentator/journalist from The National to have a look at the project and report on the RH arguments against Greenpeace coming into the area. Dutifully, and as many of us learned on repeated FB posts thereafter, we learned that this person has mouths to feed, he is a single parent, and must dance to the tune of his employers, and so forth. Besides, he has also said firmly, RH is the only entity offering ‘development’ to these wretched ‘taim bipo’ villagers.

There’s a big backstory here about the Kivung cult in Pomio, which dates from the Second World War, but which reemerged in the sixties.  At risk of simplifying,  the cult emerged (like so many across Melanesia) from disappointment in both the church (here, Catholic) and the government, and their endless promises of a better life---infused as these are, of course, with the misleading metaphors of the ‘bounty’ of the lord, the ‘rewards’ of modernity and so forth. Desperate for change, steeped in the ‘laws’ of both the Administration and the church, these community groups really are development organizations intent on finding the key to social change on their own terms.   In the case of Kivung, their mechanism was exchange, and the system of indebtedness that runs throughout Melanesian life. The cult members gathered money and gave it to others, to form an indenture, an obligation on their part, to give back---and to bring the cargo. This centered upon the charismatic leader Koriam, but later involved Malmal’s Alois Koki and Kolman Molu (whose sepulcher is a Kivung shrine in Pomio today).

As G.W. Trompf writes (in Payback, 1994, Cambridge, p266):

By 1978 Kiving members were persuaded by Alois Koki (currently custoduian of the fund) to embark upon what must stand as the grandest piece of participative reciprocity in the history of all the  movements…: generous donations to help in both national and international disasters, with K6000 to the Papua New Guinea highlands famine relief, and K4000 to the Brisbane flood victims…Using the money this way quite evidently ‘betokens the leaders’ desire to enter into reciprocity with powers which have large financial resources’, and which may hopefully choose in return to bestow their benison upon the Kivung. Predictably, the Kivung has been prepared to put money into development within its own region and on its own terms (but in 1974 the national government rejected their offer of K26,000 to build a new [and first] high school in the Pomio area, as a dangerous compromise); predictably, too, the Kivung leaders turned their backs on East new Britain Provincial Government pressure to provide financial succor for earthquake victims on the Gazelle in 1985.

Trompf summarizes the movement as follows (and I think this is pertinent to what we see in Pomio today).

The Pomio Kivung…reflects a fascinating combination of reprisal and concession towards the agencies of change…Whether in confrontation or subtle withdrawal, it wreaks quiet vengeance on the ‘officials of interference’; it defends the right to punish its own detractors. Yet, the stringencies of its lo, as well as exploration it makes of possible reciprocities with agencies quite outside its jurisdiction, are part and parcel of expecting the new order of positive payback—of rewards hailing, above all, from the returning dead. There is a recognizable structure and inner consistency found in this movement’s logic of retribution...(Ibid).

I wonder if RH can understand the hornet’s nest it’s stepped into. Famous for broken promises and boomerang ‘development’, for roads that go to trees not villages, and for schools and aid posts that never materialize, Rimbunan Hijau is the living and breathing embodiment of the development curse. They are the Cargo that desperate and government-neglected over-evangelized communities have hopes and prayed for. No doubt there have been Kivung collections up and down Pomio and offerings made to these great Malaysian demigods for the goods and services they will one day, when all the trees are gone and all the oil palm planted, will finally receive.

Good luck to em.

In a recent late October exchange on blog, Kenn Norae Mondiai was doing his best to explain to journalist Malum Nalu that the promise of development by RH was indeed little more than a promise.

Iam an Eastern Highlander, have worked in the logging industry and seen the problems and empty promises and poor quality roads, bridges, schools and others and left in 1994 into the NGO sector. I have travelled PNG rural areas seen people's hardships and issues, while Pomio is on the front now directly to the north in Open Bay another subsidiary of RH is logging the forests there while disregarding the struggle going on there between the coastal Nakanais and the inland Mamusi people over land and timber royalty. Malum should fly back there on Tropics Air and report to us what is going and also why over the years many developmental infrastructures that RH has agreed to in the timber permits never gets build ??

I headed a EU funded program (Islands Regional Envir & Community Dev Prog) from 1995-2001 in the West Pomio area from Irena down to Uvol covering the area currently logged by RH building infrastructure at Palmalmal worth between K0.75-K1.25 million and building peoples capacity and training them and providing technical support on community based Ecoforestry operations. The whole area where the logging taking place under SABLs now was under that program, it was creating employment income generation, training educational awareness on environmental issues and it was full filling the Govt policy on value adding and landowner participation in the forest industry, PNG Forest Authority was fully aware of that successful project, it brought cash into the village communities and people were fully engaged protecting the forest and not destroying it like what RH has done now.

It's the work of a few greedy vision less people like John Palrulrea Chairman of Memalo Holdings who is arrogant hardcore Kivung Association Member Riding on the Cargo Cult principles layed down by the former Kivung leaders who died including the late Alois Koki.
Just across Jaquinot Bay, see what logging has done under the Inland Pomio TRP, the Pomio peoples environment is spoilt and the road under the Timber permit to link Pomio with Bialla is not completed. Interestingly John Palrulrea is or was a renegade Board member of the Magasaki Landowner company, he saw money flowing from timber operations and with that dream has fooled people of west Pomio through RH for the current operation.
Thanks to the landowners of Mauna, Bairaman, Puapal, Irena, Lau, and Malmal who can see the benefits of Ecoforestry and have stood firm and opposed RH and logging and thanks to Jacob Samo & Paul Pavol the champions of the Pomio people through their Pomio Potong Paga Association and last but not the least to Greenpeace and NGOs for their actions to bring the peoples plight against illegal logging and land grabbing under the pretext of SABLs and Agroforestry.

Kenn Mondiai
Chairman of the Board
PNG Ecoforestry Forum

In a follow up he explained that:

I lived on Pomio for 7 years, have not read the reports in the National because I don't buy it, Any development should be people driven and sustainable with protection of the culture and tradition of the local communities whilst ensuring environmental protection and sustainability.
RH is a logger they came into PNG rapped and ripped our forests, they bribed and corrupted our bureaucrats and politicians. They have no respect for our country's laws and our people's customs.
They have failed in many of their timber project agreements and permit obligations all over this country.
In Pomio FYI oil palm is not a viable crop as the top soil is too think (less then 10cm thick) and the base is coral limestone, RH if they are a serious oil palm developer will stick with their Wawoi Guavi Project where oil palm is suitable why go to Pomio, well it's only for the valuable stands of kwila, Malas, Taun and many high value timber species just near the coast "no need for road construction" RH uses less money to make money at the expense of the people's ignorance. Greenpeace actions are commendable, I would have been there on board Espenanza unfortunately was overseas. Don't believe RH they will never seriously develop an oil palm plantation in west Pomio, once all the trees are harvested they will also depart giving all kinds of excuses that oil palm is not feasible due to soil fertility "something we already know" Greenpeace and NGO action is good because we know RH's dirty tactics in PNG ... Our govt is fucking corrupt and they will not do a thing. Kenn

Mr. Nalu has been forced to come out and defend himself. Writing in response to his critics, he stated on PNGexposed BLOG:

To all those who have said such nasty things about me, just because I went to Pomio, a place that time has forgotten, I challenge you to risk your life on a small plane like me, fly to Palmalmal, walk up the mountains and talk to the people of Mamusi, who still live as their ancestors did!

When the blog, PNGexposed, started to run stories critical of RH in Pomio, they began to receive comments from a character named Brice Copeland (with an email address by that name). That’s not a typo, although it is close to the name Bruce Copeland, an Australian Kokoda Trail trek leader, ‘military advisor’, and holistic-living HIV advisor--with whom Malum Nalu had a heated exchange in 2009 by email, regarding references to each other in blogs and the press: one calling the other a neo-colonial with cargo cult mentality, the other defending his homophobia in the press by calling other AIDs advisors, newspaper editors, and critics in general anti-family gays, etc. The name, just a typo away from the known individual, has been used on PNGexposed to flog some of the most hateful and paranoid sentiments ever known to ‘social’ media. Eventually the blog called out Malum Nalu directly and asked if he was using this cover to slander his own critics and make this character even more loathsome than ever. It has truly become a circus of homophobia, racism, misogyny, flogged family values, pity-me tactics and false bravado.

Following the Pomio protests, no one has heard from Copeland himself. On the other hand, we have heard quite a bit from one of The National’s leading reporters. This person has accused the blogger Martyn Namarong of being nothing more than a buai seller and thus having no right to critique his coverage of RH in Pomio. And yet, most of us curious about the Greenpeace protest, as about so many contemporary issues in PNG, have increasingly turned to Martyn’s smart and thoughtful posts in The Namarong Report. As  Peter Rongotha recently wrote in PNGexposed:

[Namaorng’s] blog on the ongoing crisis in Pomio where RH’s behavior has been terrible against our own citiziens, where RH has lied about Greenpeace breaking custom laws and where they are trying to make out that everyone loves logging in the area is typical for RH. Remember local landowners in Pomio did the right thing. Instead of resorting to violence like RH – they went to the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Special Agricultural Business Leases (SABL) testified on their own behalf and returned home. And when they got there RH sent in the thugs, dressed as police. It’s not the first time RH has done this, but this time, thanks to the social media – which Mr. Namorong pointed out, people are not remaining quiet.

Nalu’s pitiful report made serious allegations that Greenpeace had broken PNG Customs regulations by entering Pomio District. He also claimed Greenpeace had caused friction in the Pomio community when in fact the friction between landowners had been incited by RH and its landowner company “Directors” who, in fact, arranged for supportive landowners to act a logging company security due to the confrontations between Gilford’s (an RH subsidiary) Malaysian staff and landowners opposing the logging.

Besides the obvious in regards to Nalu and what he “reported” and why is the response from him and his supporters and those of the people supporting Namorong. Nalu, who began his sorry defense by trying to make himself a hero saying he risked his life by going out to Pomio, tried – and failed – to make fun of Namorong. He responded by pretending to laugh – a sure sign Namorong got to him with his analysis. He said Namorong was a buai seller turned blogger and suggested he go back to selling buai. In other words Mr. Namorong you nailed him and upset him. Now Nalu supporters jumped on the bandwagon calling him low-life, scum, questioning his sexual preference and laughing amongst themselves.

However those that were supporting Namorong’s right to report or supporting what Namorong had to say never got to that low level of name calling and trying to down Nalu. They stuck to the issue at hand. As I was watching this I then realised there is a change going on in PNG – and its a big one – and it is reflected in the response of Nalu and friends to Namorong. There is a new generation of Papua New Guineans and they are thinkers – they are not small boys with egos like Nalu displayed in his defense nor are they like those that supported Nalu by name calling. The new breed think, analyse and try to engage in constructive dialogue. They give a damn about PNG and they want to do something about it and they will. And when they see what happened in Pomio when, once again, RH comes in plays the bully its always been – they are not going to shut up. They are seeing it, calling it out and they are moving towards action.

As if this soap opera were not ugly enough, today things got a lot uglier. Lydia Kaliap, who, with her husband, runs a music and arts academy for settlement kinds in Port Moresby (an initiative that, not surprisingly, has won admirers from home and abroad, government and media alike---as a true example of what an NGO can do to make positive change)—has been on FB ;sharing’ and commenting and calling out The National for its bias reporting the Pomio crisis.

As Lydia revealed today, the first day she began to FB her opinions, she received the following email:

 Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:48:31 +1000
 Subject: Black cock whore!
 From: brucecopeland65@gmail.com
 To: cuma-png@live.com
 
 Black cock whore!
 
 White cocks can't satisfy so you head up to PNG!

31/10/11 – sent to Lydia only—from the same address:

“Your mouth, ass and cunt stink, Lydia, that we can smell it from a mile away!”

And another to her from the same address:

“We are watching your every move and every word you say Lydia, and when
we strike, a rocket will be placed into your dirty black cock-loving
anus! We are watching everything you say on Facebook and other
websites, You have been warned!”

The same day, the following was sent to a massive list (as you can see):

 Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:48:51 +1000
 Subject: Lydia Kailap
 From: brucecopeland65@gmail.com
 To: aholistics@hotmail.com; cuma-png@live.com
 CC: benelong@bigpond.net.au; yhriewazi@spp.com.pg; seroro@spp.com.pg; huggibear@ourbrisbane.com; toole@burnet.edu.au; johnfowke01@bigpond.com; boonah.vista1@bigpond.com; ahayes@online.net.pg; andyng@thenational.com.pg; ben_manoi@hotmail.com; billjames@gmail.com; bill.shorten.mp@aph.gov.au; bnangoi@spp.com.pg; editorhealth@gmail.com; brucies_mum@hotmail.com; claire.thoms@unifem.org; ctaimbari@pngtourism.org.pg; corney.alone@gmail.com; ulgdavid@hotmail.com; esorom_daoni@health.gov.pg; mkariko@gmail.com; elizabeth.cox@unifem.org; elizabeth.reid@runbox.com; erastuskamburi@rocketmail.com; evanagirao@gmail.com; evoscs@bigpond.net.au; fsk_star@hotmail.com; garyjufa@yahoo.com; gerardjm@chariot.net.au; henry@savethemales.ca; jacqui.badcock@undp.org; jimmielijah.mose@gmail.com; jkbougainville@gmail.com; jollygudfela@gmail.com; kevin.rudd.mp@aph.gov.au; kumaran98@hotmail.com; leashaw@bigpond.com; leskay@beneserve.com.au; aabarachiel@daltron.com.pg; lorraine.manua@ombudsman.gov.pg; lkapi@thenational.com.pg; lyndalscrivener@hotmail.com; m_aret@hotmail.com; mdaure@thenational.com.pg; megsmogs@hotmail.com; bupnghivaids@global.net.pg; mjacka@global.net.pg; nemken@global.net.pg; npascoe@spp.com.pg; bwellspng@gmail.com; rondegraybirch@gmail.com; svetali@cpm.adventist.org.pg; patrickjwright@me.com; phukahu@gmail.com; pbarter@mtspng.com; sapuri@daltron.com.pg; papuatauna@hotmail.com; sharne.black@yahoo.com; watsons@unaids.org; sujata55@hotmail.com; tedwinsmith@yahoo.com.au; kunduthomas@yahoo.com; phsaf@hotmail.com; pohromo@hotmail.com; tkuligi@hotmail.com; wellnesslodgepng@gmail.com; holmes@burnet.edu.au
>

“Friends, media, I want you all be to be cautious of an Australian conwoman who goes by the name of Lydia Kailap, AKA Cuma PNG.
She is contesting for Moresby South and is going through every means to get votes.
I also appeal to Gary Juffa, Customs and Police to thoroughly investigate her.
This is urgent!”

“Attached is a picture of the woman and her black lover. Police: Please arrange to have them arrested.”

“They sould also be checked for drugs.”

“This old white bitch is also responsible for the spate of attacks against RH and The National over the last couple of days.

Please move in to arrest her and her husband for defamation as well as inciting trouble.
She and her foul mouth should be deported immediately.
She is also the one who has been making false accusations against police.”

“Come out Cuma PNG, aka Lydia Kailap, you cannot hide! Peter Jackson, you should be ashamed of yourself for taking rubbish from this conwomen and putting on your blog. Your ass might be sued too!”

Give this writer the Crocodile Prize!!!

 IF this is the troll who has been using the alias of Bruce or Brice Copeland ---the same troll who has morphed into a handful of other PNG and expatriate personae to slam everyone even slightly critical of Rimbunan Hijau---and IF this troll is the same person who pleads family values (and screeches these values even louder than the real Copeland himself)---and who then whines on FB about being slandered as gay, but then slanders others as the same—

Then I think we are looking at the Kivung Cult Curse Writ Large. It is THIS kind of conflation of righteousness and delusion, of gender roles and transgressions, of colonial fears of miscegenation and pity for the poor and helpless----that is fertile ground for soulless monopoly capital: We give you our kidness, our professional reputations, our infinite hospitality, our land, our logs, our future, RH---and what will you give us in return?  

A closing note: the photos here come from a trip ca. 2007 to Pomio, when the widow of Kolman Molu greeted a group of tourists from a small Australian vessel, bearing valuable shell rings and wearing the clothes of her deceased husband. Coincidentally, I was alsong with the former Eastern Highlands kiap, John Coleman, and his wife, who had long retired from coffee and advertising in PNG to the Gold Coast, and were back on a cruise. As we walked through the shrine for Kolman Molu, saw his photo embedded with a brief historical plaque on his grave, it struck Coleman that this man had worked for him so many years ago, in Kainantu. That he had returned home to Pomio and taken Coleman's own name, Kolman, to embark on his career reinvigorating the Kivung. This was a strange, uncomfortable, circle closing, Coleman felt, and it saddened him to see how much had not been done in his former assistant's New Britain home, even after all this time. We watched as the Kivung members handed irreplaceable shell valuables to complete strangers, as tokens of their visit, in a typical gesture of reciprocity that would never ever be fulfilled.

The circle draws tighter now, roughly 5 years later, as we learn how much more Pomio is willing to give away for no guarantees of return. 

When a Malaysian logging company fear-mongers about the national government...using the former Chief Justice...it's a red flag to all of us

As if hijacking the reputation and voice of a prominent journalist weren't enough.

Below the Post-Courier explains why Peter O'Neill wants an apology.

Next thing you know, we'll see Paul Tiensten working maitre d' at Dynasty restaurant.

PM tells Sir Amet: Apologise Prime Minister Peter O’Neill yesterday called on Sir Arnold Amet to apologise to the judiciary and the people of Papua New Guinea for making an unfounded and highly speculative public statement about the judiciary. “It is quite clear Sir Arnold is embarking on a campaign aimed at creating fear in minds of the members of the judiciary. It is a calculated move orchestrated to cast aspersions on the government of the people that I lead,” Mr O’Neill said. “It is very demeaning for a former Chief Justice of PNG to make such an outrageous statement, especially at a time when the Supreme Court panel is deliberating on a case concerning the decision of Parliament on August 2.” Mr O’Neill was referring to Sir Arnold’s comments in the Malaysian owned newspaper The National newspaper in which he claimed that the O’Neill/Namah Government was planning to displace the National Court judges including the chief justice. Sir Arnold claimed in the newspaper report he had confirmed from “the highest level” that discussions were held to displace Sir Salamo and other judges. “I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: My Government respects the Judiciary and its independence. Its members are men and women of the highest integrity, sworn to serve without fear or favour. “Whatever Sir Arnold is attempting, I am absolutely confident the judiciary will not be swayed. “In fact, Sir Arnold should produce evidence to back his claim. If he does not, then it is clear he had gone public in an attempt to cast fear in minds of the members of the Judiciary, calculated to gain legal advantage in the matter that is before the Court,” he said. “He must now promptly apologise to the judiciary and the people of Papua New Guinea.”