Papua New Guinean Ambassador to South Korea Bill Veri lauded his country’s democratic government during a reception celebrating its 39th Independence Day in Seoul on Thursday.

“Thirty-nine years on, after concluding eight successful national parliamentary elections, Papua New Guinea continues to enjoy a strong and vibrant democracy,” Veri said.

“We remember the peaceful transition of administrative powers from our good neighbor and friend Australia on Sept. 16, 1975, with the simultaneous proclamation of independence that enabled Papua New Guinea to proudly take its place among the global community of nations.”

The Pacific island nation became independent from Australia in 1975 and opened diplomatic ties with South Korea the following year. 

“Only on two occasions was our constitution challenged, but our system of governance, and the democratically elected institutions within, remain solid to uphold the principle of democracy and the rule of law,” he said. “I refer to the 1990s Bougainville crisis and the leadership challenge of 2011 when our people remained resilient and united against these challenges.”

The very existence of Papua New Guinea as a nation was put into doubt during what became known as the Bougainville Crisis, a long-term, low-intensity civil war sparked by a dispute over a mining development project on Bougainville Island from the 1980s to 1997. Conflicts continued into the 2000s.

The Papua New Guinean ambassador also stressed his country’s commitment to leveraging its massive mineral and energy resources to raise the country out of poverty. Although the country recorded some of its fastest growth rates in recent years by exploiting its massive, still-untapped mineral and energy wealth, about 40 percent of the population lives in extreme poverty on less than $1.25 a day.

(ephilip2014@heraldcorp.com)