By Jo Chandler

Developers hover as 5 million hectares, and national pride, are signed away in 99-year leases that have raised fears of corruption, reports The Age.

A LAND grab of 5 million hectares of Papua New Guinea, 11 per cent of its territory, has taken place quietly and apparently bloodlessly since 2003, half of it being signed over in the past two years.

By Martyn Namorong

“IT IS NOT POWER THAT CORRUPTS BUT FEAR. FEAR OF LOSING POWER CORRUPTS THOSE WHO WEILD IT AND FEAR OF THE SCOURGE OF POWER CORRUPTS THOSE WHO ARE SUBJECT TO IT.” Aung San Suu Kyi

The National newspaper, owned by Malaysian logging giant Rimbunan Hijau, seems to be struggling to present a fair and balanced coverage of the issue of Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases (SABLs).

On Thursday, May 5, Papua New Guinea's Acting Prime Minister, Sam Abal issued a press statement just before 4pm, announcing a Commission of Inquiry into the controversial issuing of SABLs covering over 5.2 million hectares of customary land.

By William Laurence et al

Papua New Guinea (PNG) sustains some of the world’s most biologically and culturally rich forests.

Like many tropical nations, PNG is changing rapidly as it attempts to develop economically, but corporate misdealing and weak governance are undermining its capacity to do so sustainably.

Over exploitation of forests is rampant, with most accessible forests likely to be logged or disappear in 1–2 decades.