Papua New Guinea is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. The country possesses a culture of one of the greatest varieties. Over 800 languages are spoken on the archipelago. Furthermore, it is a country known for its broad biodiversity including the well-researched birds of paradise. However, beyond its beauty in diversity, the nation has a troubled history and is currently facing many quarrels and questions.
Political Questions and Quarrels of the Island Nation
Politically, Papua New Guinea has found itself in some interesting dilemmas in its own domestic and international spheres. The nation in recent history has come under suspicion based on corruption scandals in office, the situation related to the autonomous region of Bougainville, and their population numbers. These only scratch the surface of some deeper issues the nation is facing internally.
No one in Papua New Guinea knows the exact population of the country. This seems obvious because no one confidently knows the precise population of any country but for Papua New Guinea things are a little different. Papua New Guinea’s last census was back in 2011 and it was reported to have a population of about 9 million. Furthermore, according to Worldometer, the current population is estimated to be around 10.6 million. However, another study claims a drastic difference.
A study undertaken by the United Nations with help from researchers from the University of Southampton’s World Population Unit said the population is estimated to be 17 million. That is almost double what is thought to be the current population. With this brought to their attention Papua New Guinea is going through the efforts to conduct a census now. However, just like everything else the government is struggling to properly conduct one.
Corruption in the Government
Papua New Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the by capita, regardless of their population disparities. Furthermore, the people of Papua New Guinea are not getting much help from the government either. The nation ranks 133 out of 180 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index with a whopping score of 29 out of 100.
In 2022, the island nation conducted its worst election in its history. James Marape won a landslide victory with all 97 members of Parliament voting for him. Also in his time as Prime Minister, Marape has seen anti-corruption organizations continue to falter. This is due to the budget allocations not being fulfilled. After the election in 2022, the answer to unfulfilled budgets is pretty clear. Also, the nation’s anti-corruption organizations face difficulties in actually doing their jobs when they have money.
The Papua New Guinea police force (RPNGC) has been arguably too good at curbing corruption. According to Grant Walton and Husnia Hushang, they have had to close their doors on several occasions. One of these was in 2016 when the RPNGC had a case built and was attempting to arrest senior government ministers and the prime minister at the time Peter O’Neill. Other than gaining small amounts of political support from running these organizations, the government does not want them to succeed.
The Case of Bougainville
Bougainville is known for the copper mines the island has and had. It is an island over 1000 kilometers from the main landmass of Papua New Guinea. It is an autonomous region and a plan is in place for it to become an independent state by 2027, however, as has been the theme issues lie within the Papua New Guinea government. They have yet to ratify the agreement. No one knows the full scope yet of what could happen, but as 2027 gets closer things could continue to get more interesting.
Support of A Multinational Police Force
Recently, the nation has also announced that it is in support of a multinational police force that would be sent to hot spots throughout the participating region. The head of this project is Australia and Papua New Guinea would be a valuable member. This would hopefully limit violence in the region. Furthermore, Australia has led peacekeeping missions in the region before.
The Beauty of an Island Nation with Quarrels and Questions
Papua New Guinea is one of the most diverse areas of the world. It has beautiful birds of paradise and potentially holds many undiscovered species. Furthermore, it is the most linguistically diverse nation with a vast variation of geography. However, a large chunk of people do not contribute to the economy due to a reliance on subsistence farming.
Papua New Guinea is an island nation riddled with violence and other issues. One can argue the underdevelopment is due to the issues of colonization, which is partially true. However, for many people, the limitations of development could be due to what makes the nation unique.
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Sources Not Linked:
Walton, Grant W. and Husnia Hushang. 2020. “Boom and Bust? Political Will and Anti-corruption in Papua
New Guinea.” Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies 7 (2): 187-203.