Image: Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC leaders summit in Port Moresby last year. PNG's PM has faced criticism for spending on the meeting. Photo: APEC Papua New Guinea Media team

Issues of corruption and land grabbing figure high in Human Rights Watch assessemnt of PNG

PNG Mine Watch

Opposition to large-scale mining in Papua New Guinea is becoming more and more visible as communities become much more vocal in expressing their anger and disapproval.

The United Nations has accused the Papua New Guinea government of racial discrimination against its own people over its failure to stop foreign companies using SABL leases to illegally occupy customary land.

More than 50,000 square kilometres of indigenous land has been seized using the illegal agriculture leases, as exposed in a 2015 Commission of Inquiry.

ACT NOW! has condemned the suspension of award winning journalist Scott Waide who has reportedly been sidelined on the orders of the government for his reporting on current issues affecting the country.

ACT NOW! says the suspension is a huge attack on media freedom and should be condemned by everyone in PNG and the region.

ACT NOW! has reiterated the Media Council’s call for the government to immediately reverse the suspension. 

As Papua New Guinea prepares to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping, civil society, landowners and academics have written to the Chinese leader urging his help to reduce illegal logging in PNG.

China is the major importer of tropical logs from PNG most of which are sourced from illegal sources including from SABL lease areas.

International Mining Companies have Colonial and Racist Double Standards

Source: Papua New Guinea Mine Watch

A case study comparing the performance of Canadian mining companies in their home country to their performance overseas has found dramatic double standards.

News from the Correctional Services chief, Stephen Pokanis that the prison at Baisu, near Mount Hagen, is overcrowded because of the number of people awaiting trial is disturbing for a number of reasons.  

Papua New Guinea’s proposed Independent Commission Against Corruption could end up being an ineffective and toothless organisation as a result of government changes to the draft ICAC bill [can be downloaded below].

Expert analysis shows the government has watered down the draft legislation to remove key powers from the proposed agency, despite claims to the contrary from the Prime Minister and Attorney General.

The appalling human rights abuses being suffered by the victims of the huge SABL land-grab in Papua New Guinea are the focus of a new report published by ACT NOW! and UK based charity, War on Want.