Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape expressed his disapproval on Monday of recent comments made by President Biden, which suggested that his uncle may have been consumed by cannibals in the Pacific nation during World War II.
Marape conveyed his disappointment in a statement, highlighting that Papua New Guinea had been involuntarily drawn into the global conflict of the 1940s and should not be unfairly characterized as a land of cannibals. Biden’s remarks were made during a speech to a steelworkers union in Pittsburgh last week, where he recounted the fate of his uncle, 2nd Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan Jr., implying that he may have been eaten in Papua New Guinea.
“While President Biden’s comments may have been inadvertent, it is unjust for my country to be portrayed in such a manner,” Marape stated. “World War II was not initiated by my people, yet they found themselves embroiled in a conflict not of their making.”
He further urged the United States to engage in efforts to locate and retrieve the remains of World War II servicemen, including Ambrose Finnegan, given the impact of Biden’s words and the subsequent reaction from Papua New Guinea and around the world.
Marape emphasized that the legacy of World War II still reverberates in Papua New Guinea, with citizens living amidst the remnants of the conflict, including unexploded bombs and human remains scattered across the nation.
The White House has not yet responded to requests for further comment on the matter.
