The Central Provincial Government staged a peaceful protest march to Parliament this morning, to demonstrate its frustration on the continuous harassment, rape and killing of innocent people from the Central Province, and others as well.
At the provincial assembly meeting, Governor Agarobe stated, “Our people have walked this land for hundreds of years and will continue to do so as there’s nowhere else to go for us Central people. We are already home. Unfortunately for us that very basic right enshrined in our Constitution on our freedom of movement has now been compromised as we, the indigenous land owners, cannot move around freely anymore on our own land.
“Since Independence, the rights of our people have slowly been taken away and we have been pushed into a corner and trampled on as people of no significance. Our good nature is seen as a weakness and taken advantage of.
“We now have to make a stand to show our frustration and disappointment in the strongest term to stop this Crime against Humanity that’s been applied to our people of Central Province for years,” the Governor stressed.
The march, began along the Waigani Boulevard, led by Governor Robert Agarobe. Over a hundred people joined the protest.
The provincial government in its recent provincial assembly sitting, debated and approved in the provincial assembly to carry out the peaceful protest march to Parliament today. It has also called on its people not to acknowledge an independent Papua New Guinea as PNG prepares to celebrate its 46th year of self-government.
He said, “I, as the Governor and mandated leader hereby am calling on all my people of Central Province to stand with me and our fellow leaders, mothers and daughters by boycotting the 46th Independence Anniversary. There will be no Independence celebrations in Central province as we feel that we are not treated as equals. (The) silence is to remember our loved ones who have been killed, raped and harassed over the years.”
“We will also sit back and take stock of our journey after Independence and how we have been marginalized, spat on, robbed, bullied, harassed, raped and murdered and brought to a point that we now have lost our identity as proud indigenous people of Central Province, with our own unique way of life,” the Governor added.
Abau MP Sir Puka Temu, joined Governor Agarobe in this morning’s march, including representatives from the LLG and Ward councils of Central Province.