“No To PMIZ” Stance In Madang Gains Momentum

“No To PMIZ” Stance In Madang Gains Momentum

There’s extreme unhappiness in Madang Lagoon, as well as throughout the province, over the heavy-handed tactics applied by the PNG National government and its agents and stakeholders in the PMIZ idea.

Following the bulldozed ground breaking ceremony at Vidar last Friday (19th June 2009), the Madang Lagoon communities have begun holding meetings to explore collective organized actions leveled at nothing less than blocking off the PMIZ idea. The Madang people who admit to have been fooled once before, do NOT wish to be fooled yet again.

So many rules have been bent and even broken, proper procedures have NOT been followed in the PMIZ arrangements. The national government’s arrogance played off all too clearly when arrangements to the Ramu Nickel mine project were fast-tracked and bulldozed in recent years. The people are NOT blind nor stupid, they have learnt from past mistakes, and surely they will NOT allow themselves to be fooled yet again.

The symbolic and ritual appeasement with natural and spiritual powers of the land and sea, was one activity during last Friday’s ground breaking occasion. Apart from other things, that ritual appeasement was clearly misplaced. What an abomination! That was nothing short of mockery and blatant sacrilege to “our noble traditions” that PNG’s National Constitution appropriately highlights:

“We, The People Of Papua New Guinea –
. united in one nation
. pay homage to the memory of our ancestors – the source of our strength and origin of our combined heritage
. pledge ourselves to guard and pass on to those who come after us our noble traditions...”

Peaceful and Beautiful Madang is now reduced to EXTREME UNHAPPINESS. And the unhappiness is gaining momentum by the minute.

ENDS

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