Within the early Seventies, Dame Meg Taylor remembers a way of immense optimism as Papua New Guinea stood getting ready to independence. At the moment she joined the workers of Sir Michael Somare, who would later change into the nation’s first prime minister.
“There was a number of hope,” mentioned Taylor, diplomat and former secretary normal of the Pacific Islands Discussion board.
“I nonetheless have very great recollections of sitting out on the outdated steps of the workplace … simply pondering, ‘What have we obtained ourselves into, and what an incredible alternative that we have now to construct a rustic’.”
Now, as Papua New Guinea prepares to mark 50 years of independence from Australia, Taylor and different outstanding figures replicate on a nation failing to stay as much as its promise. The Guardian interviewed dozens of individuals from throughout Papua New Guinea – together with a former prime minister, ex-military commander and constitutional architect – and the Pacific for this collection on the nation at 50.
They paint an image of a rustic struggling to regulate violence and lawlessness, and divided on the trail ahead. The conversations revealed legislation and order, management and entry to important providers as the most important challenges dealing with the nation of practically 12 million people. They shared differing views on how you can deal with social issues and what position Australia – its nearest neighbour and former colonial administrator – ought to play. Many highlighted the resilience of the inhabitants and expressed optimism in regards to the future.
Peter O’Neill, who led Papua New Guinea from 2011 to 2019, mentioned the founding fathers wouldn’t approve of “the way in which the nation has been managed.”
“I do know that they might’ve been very disillusioned that we have now misplaced our method,” O’Neill informed the Guardian.
“We now have been blessed with an attractive nation with a number of assets and exquisite folks. All we have to do is handle ourselves in a greater method,” O’Neill mentioned.
‘That is only the start’
Papua New Guinea was administered by Australia as a single territory from 1945. The territory included the previous British protectorate of Papua and the previous German colony of New Guinea. In 1972, Gough Whitlam promised that if elected Australia’s prime minister, he would begin the transition to self-governance. He adopted by way of on the pledge and on 16 September 1975, Papua New Guinea was granted independence. In a late evening radio deal with that night, Somare told the new nation: “I want to remind all that that is only the start. Now we should stand on our personal two ft and work tougher than ever earlier than. We’re certainly masters of our personal future.”
5 many years on, Papua New Guinea is the most important Pacific nation after Australia with a younger and rising inhabitants. About 40% stay beneath the poverty line and in components of the nation, crime and violence are rampant. Many lack entry to primary well being providers and schooling. Youngster mortality rates are ten times higher than Australia’s.
Wealthy with gold, copper, oil and gasoline, minerals and power extraction account for many of Papua New Guinea’s export earnings. However this abundance has proved both a blessing and a curse, and its pure wealth has introduced battle, unrest and division. Corruption is rife. Poor infrastructure holds the economic system again and younger folks throughout the nation lack alternative.
O’Neill believes independence was given to Papua New Guinea “too quickly”. He says not sufficient was carried out by the Australian colonial directors to develop schooling and infrastructure within the nation earlier than they left.
Now, he factors to mismanagement by leaders, insufficient policing and crime and violence as a few of its greatest growth challenges.
“Enforcement of the rule of legislation is completely nonexistent,” O’Neill mentioned.
The sentiment is echoed by present prime minister James Marape, who final yr mentioned “the best obstacle dealing with us as we speak is an absence of respect for our nation’s legislation.”
In a speech to the University of Papua New Guinea, Marape mentioned if requested to fee the nation’s progress since independence on a scale of 1 to 10, “I might not go previous three.”
Marape didn’t reply to requests for an interview. Chief of the opposition Douglas Tomuriesa informed the Guardian inside safety has overtaken well being and schooling as Papua New Guinea’s most pressing problem. He argues the overall breakdown in legislation and order displays deep structural points, together with scarce alternatives for younger folks, “weak enforcement of justice and an under-resourced police pressure.”
“Restricted belief in justice methods have left many communities feeling deserted,” Tomuriesa mentioned.
This has been most evident with the escalation of violence in the central and western Highlands areas. Lately, combating between tribes has devastated households and ruined native economies. Police in Enga province, within the Highlands area, informed the Guardian a whole lot of individuals are estimated to have been killed in conflicts this yr.
Deeply rooted in historic contests over land, disputes are ruled by customs and beliefs that stretch again generations. But combating has change into extra lethal as an inflow of high-powered firearms reworked conventional conflicts into deadly confrontations. Retired Maj Gen Jerry Singirok, commander of the Papua New Guinea defence pressure throughout the Nineties, mentioned gun violence has overtaken all different crimes. He mentioned there isn’t a authorities oversight of the usage of unlawful weapons and it’s “crippling the nation.”
Outdoors Porgera, in Enga province, village chief Tomaiti Hando mentioned his group had been devastated by violence.
“We’ve misplaced fathers, brothers and sons, and now I watch my grandsons rising up on this identical violence,” Hando mentioned. He referred to as on Australia to assist convey an finish to the troubles within the Highlands.
“I need it to finish for good and I hope that Australia can step in and deal with this. Australia is our massive brother, our leaders haven’t been capable of deal with this subject for many years,” Hando mentioned, including that tackling the basis causes of conflicts are important for “lasting peace and stability.”
Gender equality is a major problem in Papua New Guinea, girls are vastly underrepresented in parliament, have less access to health and education and face a excessive threat of violence. Two-thirds of women in Papua New Guinea will experience violence of their lifetime. Ruth Kissam – one of many nation’s main human rights activists – describes the hurt to girls and women as a “systemic failure to guard our most susceptible.”
“We’re speaking a couple of pandemic inside our houses and communities. The fact is that for a lot of girls in Papua New Guinea, violence is a day by day expertise, not an remoted occasion,” mentioned Kissam.
Many say restricted alternatives for the surging youth inhabitants has contributed to unrest and violence. They level to entry to schooling as a vital plank of growth. Taylor mentioned with out schooling “you’re going to have individuals who don’t have hope.”
A report published by the World Bank in 2024 estimated 72% of ten-year-olds are unable to learn, and solely 18% of 20-to 24-year-olds have accomplished secondary or tertiary schooling. Extra funding in schooling is “important” to Papua New Guinea’s financial future and will flip its younger inhabitants into an “engine of development,” the report mentioned.
Singirok additionally highlighted the necessity to carry schooling ranges amongst youthful generations, and mentioned Papua New Guinea should make investments to “not solely train the core topics however ethics, faith and all facets of life the place they’re taught to stay in concord with others.”
Extra energy to provinces
To confront challenges, former and present politicians referred to as for native communities to be given extra management of their affairs.
John Momis is among the nation’s constitutional fathers and former president of Bougainville. He argues an excessive amount of energy resides within the capital Port Moresby, and never within the villages and cities the place so many stay.
The 83-year-old is a revered politician who spent many years within the nationwide parliament. In 1972, he was elected to parliament and Somare requested him to assist lead the constitutional planning committee.
“Papua New Guinea was so extremely diversified, we had 800 languages, the most important variety of languages in the entire world. One of the simplest ways of uniting a extremely diversified nation is thru decentralisation, giving energy to the totally different provinces,” Momis mentioned from his residence in Bougainville.
“The issue as we speak is the nationwide authorities has monopolised energy once more. They usually’re simply offering providers to the poor folks within the provinces,” he mentioned.
Australia stays the nation’s greatest assist companion. In 2024-25, Canberra offered an estimated $637.4m in official growth help (ODA). During the last decade, Australia has offered about $6.2bn in ODA funding to Papua New Guinea.
Momis cautions that Australia “shouldn’t simply give to Papua New Guinea once they beg.”
“Folks have to be each topics and objects of growth. Folks should drive growth,” Momis mentioned.
Tomuriesa, an MP for a district in Milne Bay province, mentioned Australia can help in rebuilding capability in policing, governance, well being and schooling.
“However assist should align with native priorities, and be delivered with transparency and accountability,” he mentioned.
Wanting forward, Tomuriesa attracts optimism from “our folks’s resilience”. He mentioned younger individuals are desperate to be taught, small enterprise sector is rising and girls are moving into management.
“The lesson is obvious: the place the individuals are empowered, progress follows,” he mentioned.
Papua’s New Guinea’s pure strengths – productive land, wealthy tradition and its folks, give Taylor causes for hope.
“The nation is wealthy in assets, wealthy in I imagine, in human capital, the place you’ve a really sturdy agricultural base, who can domesticate and we will feed ourselves as we put our minds to,” Taylor mentioned.
She mentioned the nation’s survival as a parliamentary democracy, regardless of many years of turmoil, is one other optimistic signal – as is the enduring power of conventional methods.
“There’s nonetheless a number of hope. We’re solely 50 years outdated when it comes to trendy constitutional Papua New Guinea. I’m not going to surrender, and I do know lots of people on this nation aren’t going to surrender,” Taylor mentioned.
Momis too, is hopeful in regards to the future.
“I’m an everlasting optimist. I’m within the village and issues are tough, . However I feel there’s a number of hope.”
Bethanie Harriman, Prianka Srinivasan and Martha Louis contributed to this report
