Ethel Arek recalls that after the 1968 meeting Paulus Arek was sent to Africa with John Maneke to study independence and make recommendations, but he still considered PNG was not ready for independence due to language and other differences.
Ethel Arek describes the time in 1968 that her husband was summoned by the District Commissioner David Marsh to go to a meeting to discuss joining New Guinea and Papua where John Maneke represented New Guinea and Paulus Arek represented Papua. On the agenda was Independence which Paulus thought PNG was not yet ready for.
