SYDNEY: Papua New Guinea (PNG)' Prime Minister James Marape has said the Pacific Island country does not deserve to be labelled as cannibals, urging the United States to clear up the remnants of World War II (WWII) littered across PNG, as soon as possible.
Marape made the remarks in a statement released yesterday (April 21) after US President Joe Biden suggested that his uncle was eaten by cannibals in PNG during WWII.
"President Biden's remarks may have been a slip of the tongue; however, my country does not deserve to be labelled as such," said the prime minister, noting that PNG people were "needlessly dragged into a conflict that was not their doing", reported the Xinhua news agency.
Marape pointed out that the remains of WWII lay scattered all over PNG, including the plane that carried Biden's uncle Ambrose Finnegan.
"Given President Biden's comments and the strong reaction from PNG and other parts of the world, it is time for the USA to find as many remains of World War II in PNG as possible, including those of servicemen who lost their lives like Ambrose Finnegan," said the prime minister.
"The theaters of war in PNG and Solomon Islands are many, and littered with the remains of WWII including human remains, plane wrecks, ship wrecks, tunnels, and bombs. Our people daily live with the fear of being killed by detonated bombs of WWII," he added. — BERNAMA