human rights

Police frustration directed at the wrong target

On 28 May, 2010 By Tim With 2 Comments

The United Nations has reported that Papua New Guinea police systematically beat detainees, cripple those suspected of serious crimes and sexually assault female prisoners. These were the conclusions from a two week tour of the country by the UN's special rapporteur on torture, Manfred Nowak, who said police often brutally beat detainees with car fan belts, gun butts, iron rods and stones.

Resource Rage: Exxon-Mobil LNG project an impending disaster

On 20 May, 2010 By rait man With 1 Comments

How is it that a country as richly endowed with natural resources as Papua New Guinea with multinational mining companies flocking there like bees to a honey pot is actually going backwards when it comes to key social indicators such as wealth and life expectancy?

Well, in looking for answers to that imponderable, Dateline video journalist Amos Roberts travelled hundreds of kilometres into PNG's rugged highlands where the latest mega-project - the biggest in the history of that troubled nation - is under way. Here's Amos.

Campaigners human rights challenged by government and mining company in public forum

On 05 May, 2010 By rait man With 6 Comments

George Ireng, the kid from Madang who has become an ever deepening thorn in the side of MCC, the Chinese government company that owns the Ramu Nickel Mine, has again made the developer and the PNG government uncomfortable.

Politicians don't care about women says Dr Mola

On 22 Apr, 2010 By tok stret

Adapted from a story by ELIZABETH MIAE

POLITICIANS are to blame for the poor state of Papua New Guinea’s maternal health, says prominent gynecologist, Dr Glen Mola.

“Five women die daily, but the Government ignores the problem. Women are not important as far as politicians are concerned. Women can just die when having their babies, em samting nating (it’s nothing). Is that what politicians think? That women are disposable?” he says.

Major resource projects have failed PNG say Catholic Bishops

On 21 Apr, 2010 By rait man

Catholic Bishops meeting in Lae for their annual conference have highlighted the fact that major resource projects in PNG have generally failed the people and have had more negative consequences than positive ones.

“For many people the most obvious outcome of so-called development has been more negative than positive, for example, widespread corruption, poverty and violence are on the rise”.

“Wealth hasn’t trickled down throughout society and so urban settlements are growing and rural areas are becoming poorer,” say the bishops in a Pastoral Letter.

PNG caught in a self perpetuating cycle of violence

On 17 Apr, 2010 By tok stret With 5 Comments

The people of Papua New Guinea are caught in a self-perpetuating cycle of violence, says Medicine Sans Frontiers.

The rapid development the country has experienced over the past year has had the unintended consequence of aggravating existing tensions. For the most part, it is women and children who bear the brunt of this, suffering rape and other terrible forms of violence—some of it carried out by family members—that create an urgent need for both medical care and psychosocial support.

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