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Press Release: Rainforest Portal
Date: Thursday, 10 June 2010
Time: 2:27 pm NZT
PNG's Indigenous Land Owners Stripped of Rights
Papua New Guinea’s Indigenous Landowners Stripped of Land Rights
as Chinese Communist Influence Grows
PNG government amends Environment Act with no debate to remove
powers from landowners to challenge in court resource development
projects on their customary land. Move reflects increased pressure
by foreign developers, particularly Chinese government’s mining
agency, whose efforts to dump uncapped 100 million tons of mine
waste on ocean floor in Madang Province has been thwarted by
pressure exerted by successful legal efforts and campaigning.
June 8, 2010 Contact: Dr. Glen Barry, Asples Madang,
(Madang, PNG) - Indigenous landowners have been stripped of ancestral
and constitutionally-protected land rights by the government
of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The fact that 97% of land has been
under communal, customary land tenure has long been a source
of pride, provided an important social safety net, and protected
against resource corruption. Similar efforts pushed by the World
Bank in the 1990s were met with national protests and over-turned.
Ultimate power to irrevocably issue resource development environmental
permits will now reside with the Department of Environment secretary,
an office who’s current and past occupants have long been known
for flagrant corruption.
The government, through the Environment Minister, Benny Allan,
made changes to sections of the Environment Act 2000 to prevent
landowners and concerned Papua New Guineans from “interfering”
with industrial resource development projects destroying oceans
and rainforests – like the Chinese Ramu Nickel Mine in Madang
and Exxon-Mobil Liquid Natural Gas project in the Southern Highlands.
Without any warning or consultation, on May 27, 2010, the government
of PNG introduced emergency legislation that dissolved the Constitutional
rights of all landowners in PNG, including the right of Indigenous
People to own land, challenge resource projects in court and
receive any compensation for environmental damage. The bill was
passed without being seen or debated by parliamentarians.
“Chinese communist techniques are corroding Papua New Guinea’s
democracy. Environment Act amendments reflect increasing Chinese
communist control of the PNG government, and Prime Minister Michael
Somare’s move towards authoritarian rule. The amended act makes
communities powerless third parties as their resources are stolen.
The most vulnerable in PNG society are being stripped of customary
as well as English common law rights, denying democratic freedom.
With no means to protect their land, families and culture; this
can only lead to more Bougainville type revolutionary conflict,
as landowners are pushed over the cliff, become desperate, and
have no legal recourse to remedy legitimate grievances.” states
Dr. Glen Barry, Asples Madang and Ecological Internet President.
The Act refers to recent court decisions concerning the Chinese-owned
Ramu nickel mine in Madang Province. The mine has been met with
a great deal of resistance by local indigenous landowners, local
NGOs and Ecological Internet because of its submarine tailings
disposal plan that would dump more than 100 million tons of tailings
waste into Basamuk Bay. A secret report commissioned by the PNG
government recently confirmed "mine waste will not lie dormant
on the sea floor, as claimed by the Chinese State owned Ramu
mine, but will be widely dispersed in the Vitiaz Strait, notably
towards Madang and Karkar Island and across Astrolobe Bay." This
is one of the world’s last great tuna fisheries.
Sadly, with this new law in place, the largest Chinese mine outside
of China is now free to dump into Madang’s Basamuk Bay with
impunity. They don't even have to worry about getting fined.
The Act’s amendments come after a petition against ocean waste
dumping was presented to the Deputy Prime Minister and Environment
Minister in Bongu Village, Madang Province on April 10th. In
response, the corrupt regime chose to suppress the rights of
landowners who are concerned about their lives and the environment.
Without legal means to protect their land and seas from foreign
resource invaders, there is already talk in Madang of “taking
it up to the next level” and pursuing other means of resistance.
It is highly unlikely the mine will ever commence as anger grows.
ENDS