By Eddie Tanago

Papua New Guinea’s population is growing at an explosive rate, which makes retaining control of customary land vitally important. Customary land is very valuable. It sustains a huge economy and provides employment for 3 million local farmers. Customary land is also vital for food security and it makes people strong and self-reliant. 

Photo shows an earlier (December 2016) protest by people in Pomata against logging

Malaysian logging giant Rimbunan Hijau (RH) is continuing it's efforts to log in the Pomata SABL area in the Pomio District. Local people say this is despite a court decision ordering all logging operations to stop pending the outcome of a court challenge to the logging permit. 

Rural Farmers Need Support - Not Foreign Owned Agri-businesses. Photo: Oxfam

Author: Eddie Tanago

Papua New Guinea's first ever National Agriculture Summit should be focused on helping Papua New Guinea’s 3 million rural farmers and not on assisting large foreign owned industries to grab more customary land.  

By D. Amari Jackson - Atlanta Black Star

Source: Centre For Environmental Law and Community Rights

The rural population of Papua New Guinea have long suffered at the hands of both foreign and national developers. This short documentary film captures the environmental injustice and human rights violation being experienced by the communities, living in the Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABL) project site of Pomio and Kairak in the East New Britain Province.

Papua New Guineans shouldn't be easily lured into slavery overseas, as Paul was in the article below. We should work our own land and reap the benefits, the true value of our land, instead of looking for fast/easy money.

“Our houses were torn down, and we were beaten and threatened to cooperate with the company’s demands. Our MP Beldan Namah initiated the project, and so was leading in all that.”

That’s from Jack Luke, an Incorporated Land Group (ILG) Chairman from the Bewani Oil Palm Plantation in the West Sepik (Sandaun) Province.

Anna Kwembi from Elis village of Bewani in the West Sepik Province is not fond of the experiences and changes the Malaysian logging company, operating under a Special Agriculture Business Lease, has brought to her area, and its impacts on her and her family. Like many others ActNow! has come across while investigating the Bewani area, Anna is struggling to keep the logging company out of her family’s land area, but she’s struggling alone.

“What little I get from my royalty payments I give back to the logging company because most business houses in Vanimo town, including the only supermarket are owned by the logging company. Moreover, the company cheats me by claiming money from my royalty payments”

That’s from Emap Itep of Aimbai village in Bewani, West Sepik Province.

Peter Tai is the Chief of Aimbai village, one of 26 villages in Bewani, West Sepik Province. Just like the other people Act Now! met in Bewani, Chief Peter had no knowledge that Malaysian logging companies would be taking over their land, until they arrived.