By Lydia Kailap*

THERE ARE THREE kinds of raskols in Papua New Guinea: street raskols; nasty street raskols; and the real raskols.

Street raskols are the end result of the little grotty children that we see every day out and about, or sometimes hidden in the settlements, who are neglected, abused and uneducated. They are raised on a diet of scones, cordial, violence, abuse, neglect and ignorance.

Usually these children have no connection to their natural source or village culture because they are city born and bred to equally uneducated and ignorant parents; many second and third generation. They may claim to be from a particular province but have never been there and know precious little about it aside from it's name.

They grow to become adolescents. Their bodies develop despite lack of proper nutrition; they get fit and strong through hard living; their brains remain undeveloped due to lack of positive influence and lack of education. Then what little protection and care they received as children is withdrawn because they are big now.

Without an education they are unable to find work. Without the village bush education they do not know how to fend for themselves and live off the land. Without hope and encouragement they fall into the life of being a petty criminal; snatching bags to survive.

Nasty street raskols are another breed altogether.

They may be raised like the street raskol, but have a different temperament. Or they may be from a relatively privileged home but choose the life of the Cootie Mangi through arrogance and a desire to dominate and terrorise.

These raskols are extremely dangerous because they involve themselves in crime out of personal desire, as opposed to circumstance and the need to survive.

They are not content to snatch handbags; they prefer to rape and murder and brutalise their victims as well. They have no respect for life or liberty; no respect for anyone, not even their own families.

These nasty street raskols have a very extensive network with police, politicians, unethical businesses and the criminal underworld that is alive and well in PNG.

When they are apprehended and locked up they have the contacts to obtain "snake bail"; bribes to certain officers within the lock-ups who will set them free for a price.

The real raskols do not snatch bags or break into properties to steal or car-jack innocent people.

They are the bigmen who use their power and position to steal, rape, murder and build empires on the suffering of the population.

Instead of building schools and hospitals and roads and maintaining them; they use the people's money to live lives of decadence and gross luxury both in PNG and overseas.

They ignore the plight of their people and sell every available natural resource at bargain basement prices and pocket the money themselves. They treat the National Treasury like their private bank account.

Anyone who does not conform to their directions is disposed of rapidly and without avenue of appeal.

The real raskols create the environment that produces street raskols; they financially support the nasty street raskols and are the foundation of raskolism in PNG.

The real raskols blame the street raskols for everything; and the educated but ignorant people follow their lead. Meanwhile the real raskols and the nasty street raskols are a tight unit who get away with the loot; leaving the street raskols to take all of the blame and the punishment.

* First published on Keith Jackson's PNG Attitude blog