Nation building and Prime Minister Marape

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By PNG Echo. Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been an independent, legal State for over 44 years. Nevertheless, it is arguable whether it is a ‘nation/state’. Pulling together such a diverse population into one entity to form a nation is fraught with pitfalls. There are profound challenges that have not entirely been met taking into account the Bougainville vote for independence, the independence rumblings from other quarters, such as (but not exclusively) New Ireland and the strong prevailing regionalism whereby regions are often in conflict with one another. The State of PNG needs to put much more effort into ‘nation Continue reading Nation building and Prime Minister Marape→

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Bougainville and the slippery-slope argument

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By PNG Echo Although Prime Minister Marape says he is on a course to “Take back PNG,” the result of the Bougainville plebiscite suggests he’s not winning. And while we’re all aware that independence for Bougainville still lies in the hands of the PNG parliament, in the hearts and minds of the vast majority of Bougainvilleans the question has been answered for all to see – they want political separation from PNG (not autonomy) and Bougainvilleans expect it to be so. One part of any reluctance the PNG government may feel about granting Bougainville independence lies in the ‘slippery slope’ Continue reading Bougainville and the slippery-slope argument→

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