Writing in the SMH, Hamish McDonald explains the finer points of the CH 7 mission to West Papua:
"While the billion-dollar Australian-led intervention to restore government in the Solomon Islands went into a danger zone with the expulsion of Australia's high commissioner, a five-person Channel Seven crew led by the celeb-presenter Naomi Robson was venturing incognito into the Indonesian province of Papua.
Not to explore the simmering violence between Papuans and the army garrison, or the Freeport gold and copper mine, or the building AIDS epidemic, or illegal logging, or what has happened to the families of the asylum seekers who came to Australia. Rather to pick over the bones, as it were, of an old story done by the rival Channel Nine on a boy allegedly threatened with cannibalism - some time in the next 10 years - for suspected sorcery."
No wonder Howard finds it so easy to ramp up fear and beat up the neighbours.
I think we should now move to go the whole hog and appoint Naomi the next High Commisioner to Solomons. It would seem she is only a struck match away from mastering the diplomatic skills and sensitivity demonstrated by the incumbent.
No comments:
Post a Comment