People are up again early, from 5:30 am. I try to "sleep in", but it's difficult to do so from 6:00 am, although I do make it a point to prolong some more "rest". We also eat a full blown rice and smoked fish breakfast with plenty of brown-sugar-water-coffee. Then we trudge down to the Nissan District Office where I conduct two interviews which are very fruitful.
However, the really big event today is a chance encounter with a live bomb from WWII. After doing "walkabout" to the Waor Village I can hardly believe my eyes as a number of children, guessing at another photo opportunity coming along, run right up to the bomb, jumping up and down and posing for the camera. I immediately retreat, wondering whether I'll come out alive. Apparently the villagers have already dragged it with them two or three times, whenever they move their village to a new location. I'm told that they use it to "flatten" the ground in each new place they visit.
I definitely want to do something about this. This is dangerous! With the detonator gone, this bomb can go off when no one expects it. It should not be in the vilage. Apparently there are other WWII relics lying around, but this one is the only one I saw -- as I said, it's only a few metres outside someone's house. Can anyone please help?
Waor Village, Nissan Island: Unexploded live WWII bomb. According to some villagers's accounts the PNG Defence Force has not been able to defuse it due to the absence of the detonator. Who can help to remove this grave danger from this village? While this has nothing to do with my research, it has everything to do with my responsibility as a fellow human being. I promised to raise the issue upon my return, who can help?
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen