Several years ago, researching a story on land grabbing (tree stealing) near Kiunga on the PNG border, I ran into a PNG nurse and nun who was climbing into a dinghy to take a trip down the Fly River. She told me she was taking vaccines to children in the refugee camps. “What refugee camps?” … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: December 2019
From Manus to Moresby: Story for The Guardian on Bomana detention centre
During a brief but busy trip to PNG in October, I had the privilege to spend a little time with Behrouz Boochani, the Iranian-Kurdish journalist and refugee whose powerful advocacy has earned him international recognition. (This was shortly before he finally left PNG and flew to New Zealand, and his next chapter.) Behrouz acted as … Continue reading
That time I had breakfast with former PNG PM Peter O’Neill
Passing through Port Moresby en route to my story on the West Papua border, The Guardian asked whether I might be able to get a one-on-one with the former PM, at that stage battling corruption allegations (again). Rather to my surprise, we met for breakfast. Rather to his surprise, I suspect, it got a bit … Continue reading