THE SDP Party calls for national unity and peace leading up to the nation’s 50th Independence Anniversary Celebrations on the 16th of September 2025.
The spirit of the constitution of Papua New Guinea calls for the promotion of national unity amongst diversity in ethnicity and language. All provinces remain an integral part of our nationhood status and are defined by the organic law.
All citizens of this country have the right of freedom of movement as stipulated in the constitution to move freely to any part of the country for whatever legitimate reasons and no one should be discriminated and denied access unless they violate any laws that warrant them refusal of entry!
While dealing with law and order issues in the Higlands or in Momase or anywhere in the country, that does not prelude anyone to be subjected to ethnic discrimination or stereotype harassment in any form. Lawbreakers must be dealt with by lawful agencies and dealt with by the law. Stereotype discrimination has no place in PNG’s modern contemporary society.
Even at the global stage, the different ethnic groups are also dealing with racial hatred and discrimination against each other like the Jews and Arabs worldwide, and the last thing we want to experience is to allow room for ethnic conflicts of any sort to find its way into our society which has been built on the fundementals of peace, love and tolerance of diversity in ethnicity. Any situation happening anywhere in the country does not give anyone the right to subject anyone or any ethnic groups of people to any stereotype attacks.
SDP calls on the Pangu-led coalition of the Marape-Rosso Government to immediately resolve to deal with such prevailing issues with some of the following suggestions;
- Issue a law to arrest and charge anyone who is promoting regionalism as an act of treason to the unity of the independent state of Papua New Guinea.
- Pass a law in parliament to stop promoting provincial days and events.
- Provincial flags to be banned. We only must resolve to have the flag of the nation as the unifying symbol.
- Pass a law that prohibit any member of parliament to unnecessarily enforce the ban on movement of people from a certain ethnic background to move into a particular district or province for reasons that are not legitimate and in defiance of the constitution. Such an act must be subject to a breach in leadership code. As a legislator, their duty is to uphold the values, principles, and ideals promoted in the constitution
The Party calls for peace, stability, and understanding amongst all Papua New Guineans at this time and to allow the National Government to take legitimate approaches to deal with prevailing issues that are of national concern.
Adding to this, SDP urges political opportunists and the Opposition not to take advantage of the current upheavals and social disorders and use it for their political convenience!
SDP urges the Opposition to help contribute towards providing solutions rather than igniting and promoting confusion that aims to project that the National Government is not capable to effectively deal with prevailing national issues such as law and order issues.
The nation needs to stand united at a time like this.
Remember, United We Stand, Divided We Fall.
We have progressed as a nation for 50 years since 1975, and we have another 50 years ahead of us! What history do we want our children and the future generation to remember us for? Do we want them to remember us as a generation that gave up along the way and sank into an abyss of disaster and chaos just because we cannot unite in the main discourse of building a nation based on the principles of unity?
Or do we want them to remember us as a generation that stood the test of times to uphold the values, ideals and spirit of the constitution that sees every citizen as a Papua New Guinean, regardless of which origin of ethnicity!
This is a great country! We now have a great opportunity to demonstrate to the world that we can make progress forward as a nation and beat all odds to realise our greater PNG dreams!
We have all the potential to become a great country only if we choose to unite for the greater good and outcome for this nation!
SDP as a coalition partner in the Marape-Rosso Government stands united and ready to work with its coalition partners to resolve to provide leadership, direction and commit to work on solutions not only on law and order issues but other national issues that requires our attention to ensure our country continues to progress in prosperity and our people can experience the benefit of good leadership.
