Lack of opportunity, not racism behind PNG-Asian attacks

Updated May 21, 2009 15:00:33

What is behind these recent attacks in Papua New Guinea? And the growing ill feeling about the country's Chinese community? We should make the point PNG's not the only place in recent years where the Chinese community has been targeted. In 2007, anti-Chinese riots in Solomon Islands' capital Honiara and Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa targeted Chinese-owned businesses. Now it is PNG in the same situation.

Pius Bonjui is a long serving member of Radio Australia's Tok Pisin Service and originally from the Sepik area. Campbell Cooney began by asking when was the first major migration of Chinese into PNG.

Presenter: Campbell Cooney
Speaker: Pius Bonjui, part of Radio Australia's Tok Pisin Service

CAMPBELL COONEY: Pius, thanks for joining us. Firstly, when did we start seeing the major migration of Chinese into PNG?

PIUS BONJUI: I think from my recollection it is when Prime Minister Wingti had his 'Look North' policy.

CAMPBELL COONEY: The Chinese businesses, and we're talking trade shops and other businesses...

PIUS BONJUI: ...and tucker shops, bars, mobile food trucks and these sort of things.

CAMPBELL COONEY: It wasn't just Chinese - I know there was Chinese there - but there's Korean businesses and others and that as well.

PIUS BONJUI: Exactly, yeah. Let's make something clear. There were Chinese who were there four, five generations, and people knew them. They were blend into the PNG community.

CAMPBELL COONEY: For the people of PNG, are they seen as Papua New Guineans or are they still seen as outsiders?

PIUS BONJUI: Personally I see them in my own town, Wewak. They have been operating for years, a matter of going back to my schooldays, and I find them as part of Wewak town and part of the community. They pay tax, they operate businesses successfully, and people know them and I have not seen any tension or something towards the Chinese community in Wewak. From the comment I had from one of the PPC, the provincial police commanders, that the targeted the shops and things were from those new ones that came in, which the local believe they were being looked down upon.

CAMPBELL COONEY: Were they filling a business need, that they could see that there was an opportunity there?

PIUS BONJUI: From what we gather from commentaries from within the professional accountants and, for instance, the DI chairman is echoing this sentiment - that the Papua New Guineans were denied these opportunities. It's not a racial thing, it's denying these Papua New Guineans to work for their own living.

CAMPBELL COONEY: It does seem from the look of it that there is a very racial nature to this, that we just don't like these people from outside. We don't want you here.

PIUS BONJUI: I would not comment on that, Campbell. I think what I've been getting from my contact with people out there is that it is the system, as I said earlier. It's a lack of opportunity for them to get into making their own living. I'm not going to say to the government unless I'm there to see it myself, to comment on it, but what I'm saying is from comments I've had from people that we have been in touch with and my colleagues have been in touch with and there's no suggestion of any racial thing.

CAMPBELL COONEY: I suppose you could say that when you come to the business world that competition is keen and that if a business, be it owned by anybody, be it an Asian business person, is prepared to compete with a local business person for the same sort of product or project or whatever it is and can do it for a cheaper price, that's where the business will go. I mean have they just become a bit better at doing business over there?

PIUS BONJUI: What you say become better - the Asians?

CAMPBELL COONEY: Mmm.

PIUS BONJUI: Yes, they are very good business people, there's no doubt about it. I think the question is when there is a Papua New Guinean is denied his chance because he's got that - within the government there is a list of businesses like tucker shops.

CAMPBELL COONEY: This is in the government rules, is it, that these shops are supposed to be reserved for...

PIUS BONJUI: There used to be the list and they're now calling again for the Investment Promotion Authority and the government to look at it, go back and look at it, at least the businesses where Papua New Guineans can participate.