PM Transcripts

FOR PRESS: P. M. No. 74/ 1970
CABINET MEETS TO CONSIDER GAZELLE SIT'UATION
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. John Gorton
Federal Cabinet met today to consider a series of reports from the
Administrator of Papua and New Guinea.
The reports indicated that the Administrator faced a serious,
potentially dangerous situation on the Gazelle Peninzsula New Britain.
The situation has come about in the following way. The Administration
bought land on the Gazelle Peninsula in order to subdivide it and distribute it
among Tolai and Bainings indigenous people. A section the Tolai, called
Mataungans, had sent squatters onto this land and had stated that they were going
to occupy it and distribute it themselves and that they recognised no title and no
law but their own will.
The Mataungans had made it clear that they would resist any attempt
at removing their illegal squatters and had massed twelve to fifteen hundred persons
on the site to resist by violence any attempted removal.
The persons gathered were armed with spears, bows and arrows,
sling shots, rocks, bottles, bushlknives and axes.
It was clear that if the police carried out their duty and removed those
in illegal occupation of the land there was a strong risk of a major clash, of riot
and of extreme -violence.
After considering these reports, and bearing in mind the expressed
wish of the Administrator's Executive Council and of the Tolai opposed to the
Mataungans, that the law should be enforced, Cabinet decided that it was essential
that law and order should be maintained in the Territory.
Cabinet decided that the Government fully aa. eed with the Administrator
and would fully support the Administrator in carrying out -measures which the
Administrator had advised the Government he felt to be necessary ini the present
circumstances, to remove squatters.
The Administrator has been so informed. It is hoped the leaders of
the Mataungan section of th:-Tolais will not incite their followers to the violence
they have threatened; but if they do so the responsibility for any consequence
will rest upon them alone.
CANBERRA 19 July 1970