Liklik Tok

On Monday 26th February 2018, I heard the special report on Pacific Beat relayed at 3pm by FM100 on Media Freedom in the Pacific and how in recent weeks a dark shadow looms over the media industry. In serveral Pacific island nations the media have been stopped from doing their job according to the Pacific Beat report. While the story on Pacific Beat went to air, journalists in Lae, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, were discussing how a few hours earlier that day, the Lae District Court allowed those who were charged for Physical Assault, Drunk and Disorderly Behavior and Threats to walk free b y the magistrate preciding the hearings.  The victims senior Post Courier journalist - Frankiy Kapin and other media personnel. A joke as it may seem, not a single fine was laid against those cultprits who bashed up a journalist, assaulted and threaten others including two female journalists. From what I have been reliably told, the magistrate heard only the cultprits side of t...

It has been said before that Markham is the food bowl of Papua New Guinea. A true fact that has never really come to reality. While anything grows in this very rich fertile valley, the question is why has Markham not reached its potential in agribusiness. It took me a whole day to really get a grip and understand some of the struggles this valley rich district faces when it comes to reaching its true potential in agribusiness. (These are my views and does not reflect that of the Hon. Koni Iguan MP Markham, the people of Markham, Trukai and Ramu Agri Industries.) Potential My visit started of in Erap (Huon District) with the Trukai farm. Having a chat with the staff there, I worked out instantly the massive potential Morobe Province especially part of Huon and the whole of Markham had in agribusiness. And when I say massive, I mean MASSIVE, I mean HUGE, I mean GIGANTIC and I mean VERY BIG! Trukai staff told me about Trukai and its efforts in developing and contributing to Research, ...

Cleaning! Everyone loves to hate cleaning but once in our lives or currently we do it as a job or a chore. I won't say I'm the tidiest person but I clean when there is a need to or just when I'm bored. But being a CLEANER was my first ever paid job and I was so proud of my job and cleaning. Back in 1999 after completing Grade 8 at St Luke's Primary School in Gusap, commonly known as Ramu today, my neighbor and childhood brother Alfred (Fred) Baloiloi decided to do something adventurous for the holidays. I mean we had a normal life growing up with mum and dad providing for us and had lots of fun. But that year, we wanted to do something different and against all odds decided we would find a job and work to earn some money during the holidays. And we did! My late dad Kellie Thom was a graduate engineer from the University of Technology in Lae and Fred's dad was an Instrumental Engineer and both worked in the Factory Department of Ramu Sugar Limited (now Ramu Agr...

Just last week Friday a senior Journalist from Post Courier Frankiy Kapin was physically assaulted and bashed up and other media personnel threatened by drunk officers from Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu' office. Named and charged was Steven Boting and others who were allegedly under the influence of alcohol. Boting and team will appear in court this week. The media fraternity in Lae are one solid unit and they all gathered to see these culprits who use their status in the community and province to act and think they are above the law. This is not the first incident of such and it has always been the trend that journalists and reporters are threatened, harassed and assaulted by people who have the money to bully their way in the government system. Court cases after court cases, we still see nothing done to pursue the safety of the reporters/journalists at the industry, provincial and national levels. The ministry incharge must act now to safe guard the journalists around the countr...

Bad roads, great people, awesome WWII Commemorations Recently I travelled up to Wau for the World War II 75th Anniversary to commemorate the Battle of Wau, a significant battle in the history of WWII in Morobe and Papua New Guinea. In brief the Battle of Wau , 29–31 January 1943, was a battle in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. Forces of the Empire of Japan sailed from Rabaul and crossed the Solomon Sea and, despite Allied air attacks, successfully reached Lae , where they disembarked. Japanese troops then advanced overland on Wau , an Australian base that potentially threatened the Japanese positions at Salamaua and Lae. (Wikipedia) Road to Wau  The last time I travelled up the Wau-Bulolo highway was a decade ago and I remember the road quite well up to only Bulolo. Wau was always a place I wanted to take a drive up to, but my younger brother and his inlaws always tell me the road is really bad. Glenn my younger brother and partner Glenda travel up ...