Foreigners tarnishing PNG's reputation

Commentary by Christopher Papiali‎

The bullying techniques used by foreign workers and advisers in PNG is tarnishing the reputation of Papua New Guinea. An example to this would be the money laundering case with PNG's Australian high profile lawyer and his brother lawyer working for the same firm. Questions have to be asked as to how and why the leakage of such report appeared to a foreign owned television company SBS and why not EMTV or TV Wan. This level of the leakage suggest as to us to confirm the report done sometime ago through a New Zealand based spy report which highlighted Pacific region has become one of the major spied regions by the United States government and other actors of the transnational crime. PNG is therefore controlled and influenced by many foreigners acting as consultants and advisers. Due to PNG's inefficient foreign policies, ineffective defense capabilities and policing,we are prone to such transnational criminal activities. We do have many faceless people still working in the government departments acting as consultants and advisers and all they do is solicit information and feed their sponsors. In countries like USA, vital information and data are kept confidential and is protected at the highest level. Added to this, NEC decisions made on key government policies should not be immediately made available for the media. A special ethics committee should be established even within the Prime Minister's department, and every cabinet Minister ought to safeguard documentations and decisions of the government. Those foreign consultants engaged by the government should not in any way at all access files that are viewed as confidential. PNG need to protect its own interests, national identities, sovereignty to a very highest level. PNG is a nation on its own, we have our binding laws and we can not continue to be bulldozed by such foreign advisers and consultants because they come with reasons very much based on serving the interest of their sponsors as well as their interests.