A STRONG AND IMPOSING FIGURE - LUCIAN TAPIEDI
Jim Toner (Published Una Voce September 1998, page 31

Those readers who have ever wandered around Westminster Abbey might doubt whether space remained for any more monuments or memorials. However, niches were found recently for ten statues of 20th century Christian martyrs. Amongst these are the assassinated Martin Luther King, Dietrich Bonhoeffer executed by the Nazis, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s great-aunt thrown down a mine shaft by Bolsheviks.

Shoulder to shoulder with these notabilities stands the effigy of a humble Papuan, one Lucian Tapiedi. Trained as an Anglican mission teacher at Dogura, he died aged 21. Northern District wantoks will know much more, but the brief history is that consequent upon the invasion of Papua by the Japanese in 1942, European missionaries endeavoured to escape. Tapiedi told his fellow native workers that they should not follow them but take to the bush for the sake of their families although he, being single without ties, would assist the clergy in their flight. Whilst attempting this he was axed to death by an Orokaiva. These local people then alerted the invaders to the whereabouts of the missionaries resulting in their capture at Buna and the beheading of men and women by the Japanese. Subsequently nearly 30 Orokaiva were tried and hanged for their offences.

In 1943 Sgt-Major Christian Arek, Papuan Infantry Battalion, located the remains of Tapiedi and he received a proper burial by Bishop Strong. The killer was never charged but eventually converted to Christianity, taking the name of his victim. As a mark of atonement he built an Anglican church at Embi.

Sir David Hand, former Archbishop of PNG, aged 80, accompanied Tapiedi’s cousin of similar vintage on a trip to London to see the statues installed on 9 July in the presence of the Queen. The Abbey authorities having no photograph of Tapiedi had commissioned a limestone statue of “a typical PNG tribesman” ... whatever such might be. Fortunately knowledgeable wantoks stepped in with a description and details enabling a new and more authentic statue to be carved. The original “tribesman” sculpture now stands in the foyer of the PNG High Commission. That of Lucian at the Abbey was described by a London newspaper as “a strong and imposing figure”.