The Papua New Guinea government has appointed a Commission of Inquiry to investigate a huge 'land grab' which has seen over 5 million hectares of land swallowed up in 99 year leases. These Special Agriculture and Business Leases (SABLs) are very controversial as it appears proper processes have not been followed, customary landholders have not given their informed consent and many leases are just a cover for clear-fell logging.
This dedicated blog site has been created to cover the Commission of Inquiry proceedings and bring you all the latest news both from inside the inquiry room and other media outlets.
By ADRIAN MATHIAS
THE National Court has granted Turubu landowners of portion 144C a restraining order to stop any further logging on their customary land.
They were not happy with the improper acquisition of their land by the state and the developers for Special Agricultural Business Lease purposes.
via Post Courier p. 17
Landowners are committed to fight against the Pomio SABLs despite a court ruling yesterday. Pomio landowners are disappointed at yesterday's Supreme Court ruling that upheld the appeal by Memalo Holdings, the landowner company holding the two disputed SABLs in West Pomio, but have resolved to continue their fight.
The full bench of the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Memalo Holdngs in their appeal against the Judicial Review by landowners opposing the SABLs, due to the delay in making the Court application.
THE National Court has quashed a decision by the National Lands Board and the Minister for Lands in awarding a company, Vitroplant,three agriculture leases to plant palm oil on Woodlark Island.
Professor Andrew Lattas responds to criticism from Australian National University academic and industrial logging advocate, Tim Curtin, of his expose of the land theft and violence experienced by communities in PNG at the hands of foreign logging companies....
Professor Andrew Lattas*
THE Umi-Atzera and Onga-Waffa people in Markham Valley, Morobe, are urging the government to repeal the Special Agricultural Business Lease (SABL) policy because it “regards landowners as mere slaves”.
“In Markham district, we will never invite and entertain government’s SABL policy,” provincial agriculture chairman and Umi-Atzera president, Daki Mao said.
via The National
SOME landowners want all logging operations in the Turubu log pond area in East Sepik province to stop until the Special Agriculture Business Licences (SABL) report is completed and the government makes its recommendations.
They want to know why the report into SABLs is still pending and logging operations going on in areas not consented to.
Andrew Lattas gives an account below of logging, lawlessness and a crisis of legitimacy in one (out of a hundred other) areas of Papua New Guinea, where local land grab, has left a group of aggrieved locals intimidated and brutalized by members of the Royal PNG Constabulary.
State Agencies that are supposed to be Regulators of foreign investment activities, are actively facilitating human rights abuse in defense of foreign interests.
By Grace Tiden
TEN Pomio landowners were arrested by police few days ago for blocking a stream that flows through their customary land.
By Shirlyn Belden
Special Agriculture Business Leases in Papua New Guinea are said to be depriving customary landowners of opportunities to create wealth and self-development.
According to the National Research Institute and National Land Development Programme, the work and effect of SABL since its introduction has been contradicting the two recent amendments through the Land Group Incorporation (Amendment) Act and Land Registration (Customary) (Amendment) Act 2009.
