Papua New Guinea surprised by Biden's cannibalism story - it's a "moment of confusion," PM responds
Kyiv • UNN
Papua New Guineans reject Biden's comments about cannibalism, urging him to focus on eliminating the remnants of World War II instead of making offensive remarks about their people.
US President Biden told a story about his uncle, a pilot who was shot down over what was then New Guinea during World War II, but the body was never found because, according to the head of the White House, "there were a lot of cannibals there." The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea replied that there are "moments of uncertainty" for the American president, UNN reports with reference to Spiegel and Sud Ouest.
Details
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Marape rejected US President Biden's comments on cannibalism, noting that "sometimes there are moments of confusion.
Context
Last week, Joe Biden caused a stir when he told a family story about his uncle Ambrose Finnegan, who was killed in New Guinea during World War II.
He was shot down over New Guinea, and his body was never found, because there were really a lot of cannibals in that part of New Guinea
The head of the government of the Oceania state, James Marape, noted "moments of confusion" about Biden's speech.
In addition, according to a number of media outlets, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea said that his people do not deserve to be labeled as cannibals and called on the United States to remove the remnants of World War II scattered across the Pacific Ocean after President Joe Biden's comments about his missing military uncle.
James Marape also asked Joe Biden to focus on the destruction of unexploded ordnance inherited from World War II, which still litter the archipelago.
I call on President Biden to ensure that the White House focuses on clearing these remains [...] so that the truth about missing service members like Ambrose Finnegan can be restored
Background on the death of Biden's relative in an accident
According to Sud Ouest, citing official military documents, Biden's uncle Ambrose Finnegan died along with two other soldiers when his plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean for unknown reasons. The fourth occupant was rescued, but the other three were never found.
Historically, cases of cannibalism have been documented among a small number of tribes in remote areas of Papua New Guinea. This means that the clichés are as outdated as they are stubborn, and it has been trying to get rid of them for decades, the newspaper writes.
Recall
UNN previously reported that at least 49 people were killed in clashes between tribes in the Enga province of Papua New Guinea over a long-standing territorial dispute.
