Posted on 09/08/2006 8:22:53 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
First Liverpool, now the tropics. Boris Johnson, the Tory front-bench spokesman and columnist, was forced to issue an apology to the people of Papua New Guinea yesterday after describing them as prone to "cannibalism and chief-killing" in an article in The Daily Telegraph.
The MP for Henley was threatened with being designated persona non grata by the government in Port Moresby after comparing infighting in the Labour Party to the alleged Papuan practices.
But despite a formal protest to the Foreign Office and the prospect of being PNG-ed by PNG (as locals call it), Mr Johnson refused to withdraw his remarks fully, citing a Time Life annual from the 1960s as evidence of "stone-age" tribal rituals.
In the opinion piece, published on Thursday, Mr Johnson wrote: "For 10 years we in the Tory party have become used to Papua New Guinea-style orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing, and so it is with a happy amazement that we watch as the madness engulfs the Labour Party."
That drew a swift response from Jean L Kekedo, the Papua New Guinea High Commissioner in London. She said: "I am shocked and appalled by such comments from a seemingly well-educated person of very high standing — in fact the alternative minister for higher education in the House of Commons."
While admitting to PNG's problems with crime and the occasional corrupt police officer, Miss Kekedo said that cannibalism had ceased to be an everyday occurrence with the introduction of Christianity some two centuries ago. Chief-killing was similarly frowned upon in what was now a fully signed-up member of the Commonwealth.
Papua New Guinea had, she said, grown into a "vibrant democracy" in the 30 years since its independence, a country in which people dined together rather than on each other. She had informed her government of the "Honourable Johnson's" insult and had sent a note of protest to the Foreign Office.
It will be remembered that Mr Johnson was forced to visit Liverpool to apologise to its people after accusing them of "wallowing in victimhood".
The MP explained: "I meant no insult to the people of Papua New Guinea, who I'm sure lead lives of blameless bourgeois domesticity in common with the rest of us.
"My remarks were inspired by a Time Life book I have which does indeed show relatively recent photos of Papua New Guinean tribes engaged in warfare, and I'm fairly certain that cannibalism was involved."
Miss Kekedo added: "I only wish that the Honourable MP may find the time in the future to visit Papua New Guinea and experience for himself the hospitality, kindness and genuineness of its people."
Her comments should reassure Mr Johnson, who has found himself in metaphorical hot water on a number of occasions, that should he indeed visit, he will not end up simmering in the real thing.
As for this poster, let me be the first to express sadness that the people of Papua New Guinea have given up everyday cannibalism. I believe in traditions.
Good. They're frowning on that stuff.
A hillbilly and a New Yorker were on safari in New Guinea.
They were knocked out and captured by cannibals, and awoke in a large stone pot filled with water, carrots, potatoes, etc., having a large fire built around it and the natives celebrating.
All of a sudden, the hillbilly started laughing raucously. The yankee asked "What's so funny? Here we are about to be boiled alive and eaten by a bunch of savages. Please tell me where is the humor in this situation!".
The hillbilly replied, "Those dumb SOBs don't know it yet, but I just crapped in their soup!".
Well they're widely credited with eating a Rockefeller back in the 60s.
Then they can't be all bad.
L
Sorry Charlie, we don't want Americans who taste good, We want Americans with good taste.
Apparently, US liberals and democrats never signed on to this position.
If they do, maybe Pelosi can junket there with her posse.
Anthropologists love them for their stone-age culture, sociologists love them for their cargo-cult religion, linguists love them for their incredible language density, biochemists love them for both their ethno-medical knowlege and their isolated gene pools,and pathologists love them for allowing the discovery of prions. Pretty much every one loves cannibals.
I love them for their outsourcing resources.
They taste funny.
I believe it is tradition in Papua, New Guinea, to eat the brains of your dead relatives. This is why 'Mad Cow Disease' or 'Kuru' is epidemic there.
Yes, such accusations and typical Western Stereotypical generalizations are not new to PNGuineans even from our closest neighbors like Australia. We don't give a damn about illinformed and miconceived groups of ignorant Westerners who don't taste what happiness is all about.
I have never seen canibalism, nor my father. We hear and read about it being done a century ago. I have also read books written by Westerners putting fake pictures of canibalism, just like the one being read by Mr. Boris.
Whether it be America, PNG, UK, hatred, terrorism, freedom, election victory, etc, is what we create and so we face consequences but today is my 31st Anniversary. God bless PNG and it's happy people!
This info was from a Peace Corps worker friend who lived for 2 years in PNG in the early 80's. This is not true?
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