By Andrew Pascoe*

The cards seem firmly stacked against optimism on the streets of Papua New Guinea at the moment. It’s a bad sign in an election year, with little confidence evident that the outcome will correct our Pacific neighbour’s course from the particularly rocky path it’s taken in recent months.

But here — like elsewhere in the developing world where obscene power disparity is mobilising the masses — a wellspring of resistance is brewing.

AAP

The Papua New Guinea government has launched a crackdown on "subversive" activity on the internet.

It has begun monitoring the internet and is urging citizens to dob in anyone spreading "malicious and misleading" anti-state information online and via text messages.

Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, Ben Micah, announced the initiative in the Port Moresby-based The National Newspaper on Monday.

By Martyn Namorong

Papua New Guinean film maker Scott Waide’s recent video (see below) featuring the squalid living conditions of police in the Madang Province, highlighted the humanity and fragileness of these men in blue in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

No doubt there are shit cops who in many ways have defined the way the public sees the police force. But when one is presented with shit living conditions yet chooses to continue to serve the public, surely such service is beyond “just doing one’s job”.

From Radio New Zealand

A media advocate in Papua New Guinea says journalists are shocked and nervous after an official in the office of prime minister, Peter O’Neill, announced that people expressing what he called subversive views would be dealt with.

The official, Ben Micah, says a monitoring committee will be set up to look at the spreading of malicious and misleading information through social media, which he says would be regarded as a serious crime.

A Filipino national who is acting as a consultant for a Malaysian logging company operating in the Ramu has told the SABL Commission of inquiry that no site visit was done before a Special Agriculture Business Lease (SABL) was granted.

Melchior Warre, a Papagraun (customary landowner) from Papua New Guinea's Madang Province, is attending a commission of inquiry investigation hearing into the use of Special Agriculture Leases (SABLs).

In this video clip Mel says why his Ramu People are against 99-year Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABL). 

Martyn Namorong

Take a look at that child above: in theory he could have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, if his father owned the land that is now Port Moresby.

Instead, he lives in a slum. Literally living on top of shit.

By Martyn Namorong

Special Purpose Agriculture Business Leases (SABLs) are granted under sections 11 and 102 of the Land Act 1996. In other words these sections of the Land Act enable the conversion of customary land into SABLs.

The process by which that happens is roughly as follows.

An application is made by the landowners to the Lands Department in Port Moresby, for their land to be taken up under an SABL.

A Land Investigation Number is then given by the Land Department in Port Moresby.

People from the Raicoast in Madang failed yesterday to get a court order to stop the export of logs which they say have been stolen from their traditional land.

Local leader, Fuguman Gau (brother of Madang governor James Gau) and his lawyer did not manage to get the court order they wanted in time to stop the shipment on Friday.

Martyn Namorong

The Commission of Inquiry into Special Purpose Agriculture business leases ended its hearings in Wewak yesterday. It heard further evidence related to Portion 144C, Sepik Oil Palm – Turubu SABL.