By Madang Maror* and Alliance of Solwara Warriors

We, Madang Maror and Alliance of Solwara Warriors with support from the Sepik Communities hereby announce that the National Land Summit is a scam.

In Papua New Guinea traditional land does not belong to individuals, it is a communal stewardship. Therefore, the Lands Department and organizers of the summit have NO MANDATE to talk about our traditional land.

The mandate to talk about our traditional land belongs to us the custodians and our unborn generations

We are rural people. Our access to Madang Resort from outskirts of Morobe, East Sepik, West Sepik and Madang is clearly difficult.

You have already barred us when you imposed a K100 registration fee. When you organized this summit within a short period without consultation and consent from rural traditional custodians.

SABL wounds are still bleeding.

We hereby condemn this ill conceived, corporate manipulated land-grabbing summit.

* The Madang Maror is a people’s group with representations from the 6 districts of Madang that discusses issues through the Madang way ‘Maror’