Date: 2 July 2020

With the COVID-19 pandemic still expanding across the globe, ACT NOW is urging the PNG government to drop its plans to put customary land into the hands of commercial banks.

The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated once again that customary land is a vital and irreplaceable resource for our families and communities.

Market prices in Port Moresby have shot up in recent days, K50 for a medium sized water-melon and K1 for an unripe lemon 

Eddie Tanago - 27 March 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic further emphasises the message that our customary land is our social safety net, our security, our life, our sustenance and our provider and must be protected at all costs.

Source: Scott Waide - My Land, My Country - 24 March 2020

So it’s a global pandemic with 15,000+ dead already, 350,000 infected and nearly 105,000 recovered.

PHOTO: The sugarcane project saw hundreds of Cambodian families forcibly evicted from their land. (ABC News: Sam Clark)

24th February 2020

Banks want to lend money to people and small business in Papua New Guinea and to take rights over customary land as security in case the loans do not get repaid.

This could lead to a huge transfer of customary land into private ownership and lead to families and whole communities being forced off their land and losing their livelihoods.

12th February 2020

The Land Minister’s announcement of a new pilot project that will further disenfranchise customary landowners is part of a misguided promotion of private sector greed over people’s need for customary land for income generation.

The government should be focused on empowering rural people to build resilient communities on their own land rather than serving the greed of foreign owned banks and big corporations. 

Source:  Azril Annuar / Malay Mail - 8th January 2020

Malaysian companies from Sarawak are allegedly trespassing while carrying out logging activities in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and contributing towards deforestation in the island nation, Sarawak Report (SR) wrote today.

The online investigative portal accused Sibu-based Rimbunan Hijau Group (RHG) and WTK Group as well as Amanab 56 Timber Investments Limited as among those stripping the resources of PNG.

Local Ni-Van women from Takara village preparing local laplap

Author: Joey Tau

The production and consumption of indigenous foods are important for our resilience and the survival as Pacific people, especially in challenging times of fast and easy foods.

Source: Joey Tau - PANG

A celebration of Melanesian people and our land took place last week in Takara village, Vanuatu to commemorate a decade of resistance and protection of Melanesian values and ways.

The Melanesian Indigenous Land Defence Alliance (MILDA) was formed in 2009 by a collective of individuals who shared a vision and commitment to working together to protect customary land systems and Melanesian values.

Prof Colin Filer from the Australian National University has exposed how Forest Clearance Authorities have taken over the forest resource allocation process in Papua New Guinea. 

According to Filer, these FCAs are now being issued without any accompanying Special Agriculture Lease since that scheme was itself exposed as a scam.