Blog

People deserve an apology for Chiefs 'longlong' comments

THE NATIONAL: People do rightly demand and they do deserve an apology from Prime Minister Michael Thomas Somare.

He must also retract the public outburst he made in Parliament where he described last week’s demonstrators as “longlongs” and to members of the media as “sadang”.

He, of all people, should never call any member of the PNG public “longlong” or “sadang”.
“Longlong” in Tok Pisin means mentally retarded or depraved while “sadang” means the devil or satan.

In the final analysis, if the people be “longlong” and “sadang”, he, as prime minister of the nation, is the chief of them all.

This demonstration, for all it is worth, cannot be said to have been organised or carried out by “longlongs”. It was peaceful. It was people speaking their mind and assembling peacefully to do so in accordance with the constitutional provision which gives them that inherent right.It is not language that is fitting for a prime minister to level at his own people.

The Pangu Pati and its diehard supporters and stalwarts, and now the National Alliance party, its executives and faithful members in Parliament and outside, have done their level best for their leader who Sir Michael is. Theirs too is part of the story of the four decade milestone reached by Sir Michael.
Many East Sepik people, many supporters and workers of Sir Michael, many Pangu Pati supporters and many National Alliance supporters do not support the move by Esa’ala MP, Moses Maladina to amend parts of the PNG Constitution pertaining to the leadership code and its administrator, the Ombudsman Commission. They too have been branded “longlong” by the prime minister.

This would hardly be thanks for all the hard work and dedication given by these people to the man we call the Grand Chief.

When Australian immigrations asked Sir Michael to take off his sandals at an Australian airport, the ordinary people of PNG felt the insult deepest. They made no secret of it and spoke up in every public forum. They stood for their Chief, one who would now deign to grant them the title of “longlong”.

It is time the Chief got to know his people better. Unlike what he has told Radio Australia, people face real hunger and starvation here. There is a second and third generation of landless people growing up in our towns and cities. Without jobs, they face real starvation.

Bougainville copper, Misima gold mine and Kainantu gold mine have been mined out and, now, Ok Tedi and Porgera are nearly mined out with there being nothing to show for their existence. Australia has spent more than K28 billion since Independence in this country with there being nothing to show for the Australian taxpayers’ generous contribution to PNG.

Classrooms, health centres, roads, bridges, local government council chambers, public service houses and much more are in tremendous need of maintenance and many more new ones need to be built.

Mothers and children continue to die in great numbers from very easily preventable diseases.  Crime persists. There is a gun culture that now appears a norm in our society.

We must begin to wonder whatever has happened to the billions of kina generated by our resource boom in copper, silver, gold, oil, forestry, fisheries and our combined agricultural commodities over the years.

Wisely applied, these billions would surely have lifted the general population up from the pits where they now wallow to be described as “longlongs” by their own prime minister.

If the people remain ignorant and pitiful, if they remain unhealthy and uncouth and ill-mannered, and many other undesirable attributes, then much has to do with their minders – the leaders of this country.

He cannot call his own people “longlong” without it reflecting upon his own leadership.

Comments

couldnt agree with you more AN! the people really do deserve an apology, but what they really NEED is the for the PM and his dirty-lowlife-money scouring-govt to get the hell outta there!!!...the whole lot are getting old and longlong anyway!!!

Sadang Michael Somare must retract his stupid words and apologise. First he called us lazy people while defending Asians last year. And now this!

If we are "longlongs" for protesting so that our voice be heard then let it be. Better to be a "longlong" trying to have our say in accordance with the constitutional provision that clearly states it's our inherent right to do so than be passive onlookers watching as the government runs us into a even bigger ditch.

"We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office" -Aesop (620-560 B.C.)
Everyone in favor of the Maladina amendments obviously has something to hide. Part of being a leader is to be able to be held accountable for all your actions and decisions while in power. Limiting the powers of the Ombudsman Commission will take that part of a "leaders" definition away.

I personally don't care if the PM apologizes or not (but yes, he should). He is old and senile and I just want him and his government to get out!

First he calls us LAZY, then he calls us LONGLONGS, and later SADANGS, who does he think he is? God? No. He is nothing but a king of cheats, liars, and common thieves who call themselves honorable politicians! Bahhhhhh!

and now he is apologising, thanks for that but we are not puppets where he pullls his strings anytime he wants. He is the PRIME MINISTER and not some goddamn member or public servant. its a trend he is starting so he should come to his lapun sense (if there's any left) and simply step down.....

The apology in the papers this week were too late. The 'Longlong Chef' of the 'Kitchen Cabinet' knew what he was talking about. He is growing older and foolish. The government PNG hope to deliver its people from poverty tp economic prosperity has lost its focus. There are a lot questionable decisions and comments that speck for itself. It's time for the Chef to retire (before he even goes more longlong himself). Once a supporter, but I have no hope for NA in 2012.

TO ALL THE PNGIANS;KICK those dogs out of that place they seemed to have got so comfortable these many years.We have been blind these many years to their lies upon lies,while they lined their pockets with our education,colleges,primary and high school,tafe colleges monies.Instead of us being treated by top scientist doctors who are specialist in their field of learning,(our own PNGians);doctors and nurses and other health professional who support the patients after care or on-going care.We have missed out on alot.WE JUST TOOK IT ALL IN BECAUSE WE KNEW NO BETTER.
Arise PNGians dont put up with this sort of bu..sh..t any more!
Yupela no ken sidaun nomore,Arise and make yourself be heard!
Otherwise you will go to your grave without ever enjoying what the so called "Boom" is bringing into PNG.Maybe it is late, you and I will never see it in our life time.And that really makes me boil inside and I need to say what I am saying now!