THE Commission of Inquiry into the special agriculture and business leases (SABL) in Pomio district, East New Bri­tain, will start today, reports The National.

The inquiry will be held at Vunapope in Kokopo. Interested parties would give evidence on the validity of each SABL to address issues found in the preliminary hearings over the past months.

Landowners in East Sepik are fuming over a report that close to 117, 000 hectares of their land is being taken over and owned by two Malaysians under a Special Agriculture and Business Lease or SABL, reports NBC news.

Lawyer representing the landowners Herbert Wally of BS Lai Lawyers says that the agreement was signed in Port Moresby without the landowners consent, and they only learnt of it just three weeks ago after sighting documents.

By Luana Paniu

At least two locals in New Hanover were seriously wounded when police discharged their firearms and shot them in the ankle, resulting in their hospitalisation. In what can be described as a vicious attack on human rights, the Commission of Inquiry into SABL were given insight into atrocities occurring on the picturesque island.

An insider within Tutumang Development Limited today spilled the beans on how he was used and manipulated by the company to ‘sweet-talk’ landowners into signing the fraudulent land deals involving the SABL on New Hanover, reports Nolene Likas for NBC news.

Councilor of Ward 17 in the Lavongai Local Level Government where the SABL are located, Mr. Kamsal Maraleu told the Commission of Inquiry that he was a major player in what transpired amongst the directors of Tutumang.

PNG forest campaigner appeals to the O’Neil-Namah Government to address land grabbing in the country and help put a stop to it . . .

By Sam Moko

More than 2,000 emails have been sent to the government over the last five days calling for a suspension of logging within disputed Special Agriculture lease areas.

“This response to is the biggest we have ever seen to an on-line petition”, says Effrey Dademo, Program Manager for ACT NOW! “People from all over the world have been getting involved”.

Citizens of the United States of America are turning to small-scale farming to survive as their industries collapse, factories close and large-cities crumble. But with no land of their own on which to grow food they are having to reclaim urban spaces and abandoned lots, land which they could lose at any moment.

By Eoin Blackwell, AAP 

Greenpeace has blockaded a Chinese ship carrying what the environmental group says are illegally-acquired logs from the Papua New Guinean island of New Britain.

The Chinese vessel, the Fu Tian, is docked in a lagoon near the village of West Pomio, where as many as 200 landowners have gathered to protest the logging activities of Malaysian owned company Rimbunan Hijau (RH) and its subsidiary, Gilford Limited.

Post Courier Editorial

Greenpeace yesterday sailed into remote Pomio in East New Britain to mediate allegations of land grab in the area.


By Scott Waide

Dilung Gama and her daughter Martina (pictured) sit on bed in a small maternity ward   at the Saidor Health Center.      

Martina  who suffers from epilepsy,gave birth near their village a few days ago.    

The  child has been given away for adoption and Dilung - who appears to be in her 60s  - says they did that because Martina has too many children.