What
transpired on 8th June 2016 brought tears to my eyes. The scenes of
students fleeing from the police and later stretchered off to the hospital was heart
wrenching. Besides the government MPs, I am sure what I felt on that day resonated
with every Papua New Guineans throughout our country. Unless you have not been
shot at, tear-gassed or beaten by the police you will never be able to
comprehend the fear that these students had to confront and then overcome in
pursuit of a just course.
Since that fateful day I have been asking if this nation is still what it professed to be; a
democratic country. For the sake of our children and future generation I would
like to think that democracy is still alive in this country. Yet I have to
admit that I hold this hope against a fading conviction.
Democracy
in this country has been tested time and time again and it has been found to be
resilient but yesterday it finally revealed an ugly truth. The truth that its
very foundation now stands on a shaky ground. Since the start of the university boycott
we have witnessed all the tenets of democracy coming under-siege, that is, freedom
of expression, freedom of speech and freedom of association.
The
irony is that those who now govern this nation were once students who also
stood up for a just course when this nation was at the cross-road. They very
well knew the mood that the students were in when they marched out of the University
gate and onto the road. How dare the political leaders of this country look down on these students as nothing
less than “opportunists” whose lives are dispensable? How can they remain
unmoved by the students unwavering crusade for good to triumph over evil? Democracy
should not be exercised to protect a minority’s interest over the interest of
the rest of the citizens of this country. This is not democracy. Period.
There
has never been a moment until yesterday where I literally saw PNG bleed and
plead for justice. Those young men and women deserve our indignation and
respect for standing up against a brutal force hell-bent on preserving a
government that is now showing signs of tyranny. Tyranny was never what we envisaged
when we gained independence and will never be what we aspire to pursue into the
future. For those who dream about it dream on.
Our
democracy is a travesty; a reflection of our own misguided views and understanding
of what it truly stands for. We often preach about good governance yet we
conduct ourselves as enemies to its very principles. The heart of democracy is the people and not the government. A government is only a “servant” entrusted with the
responsibilities to chart a course to lead the nation to its destination. As such
a truly democratic government should be in the words of Abraham Lincoln “a
government of the people, for the people and by the people”. Every Papua New
Guinean at this juncture should now seriously ask if we have ever had a
government that befitted or embodied these high noble principles.
The
fight against good and evil will continue so long as humanity is still in the
current state of confusion. For our nation our fight will continue so long as we have leaders who are prepared to circumvent the laws of the land to protect their own interest. Equally evil will be kept at bay so long as good men and
women show courage to stand up for what is "morally, ethically and legally right". Every human being in their lifetime
will have to decide which side of history they would like to be part of.
In
this trouble times we should not resolve to regionalism to look at our own brothers as
our enemies. This nation is far bigger than one individual or a group of men
who are consumed with power and think they are invincible. We are bound by a
common goal which is to seek justice for the purpose of creating an enabling and equitable environment where we can all contribute to making this nation a great one. In the same vain when this goal is under threat we
should stand up together in indignation and come before God in prayers to seek
his intervention.
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