Sonja Barry Ramoi via Facebook
In the preamble of the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guineait is stated “that we reject violence and seek consensus as a means of solving our common problems”. Retired Colonel Yaura Sasa, who was recently recalled to active duty by Supreme Court Elect Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, upheld that very vow when he went willingly, yesterday, to Police Head Quarters in Port Moresby for questioning.
In an exclusive phone interview in the early hours of Sunday morning, Colonel Sasa advised that he had intended on presenting himself to the police in order to defuse tensions building up to a confrontation.
It is unfortunate that Colonel Sasa’s aim in publicly calling upon both the Supreme Court Elect Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and Parliament Elect Prime Minister Peter O’Neil to resolve their differences within 7 days has been misinterpreted.
Colonel Sasa is now paying the price for his courage and conviction in upholding and honouring the Constitution, however he will still go down in PNG history as a hero in the minds of many Papua New Guineans for doing just that.
“I know in my own conscience that I am okay, so no need to argue”, Colonel Sasa said – in reference to how the media has portrayed him as a mutineer.
In his first press conference, broadcast around the world, Colonel Sasa made it clear that “it is not a military coup”, it is however unclear, at this stage, what offence he has been charged with.
When I last spoke with Colonel Sasa, before his phone went dead, he was in good humour, despite hours of going through a record of interview at police HQ without his lawyer present. When I asked him what the police intend to charge him with…he replied “mutiny”.”
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