Landowners give Hickey 14 days to provide answers on land grab

The people from seven villages in the Bogia district of Madang have given their MP John Hickey 14 days to provide answers on how their land has been given away without their knowledge and consent.

The Lands Department has granted a Special Agriculture Business Lease (SABL) over 112,400 hectares of land from Annaberg to Taringi in Madang Province. Details of the lease were published in the National Gazette on 11 March.

The Elders of the Mberamba and Sane tribes have signed a petition addressed to their MP and the Lands Department demanding the 'land grab' be revoked and an apology and explanation of how their land was taken from them.

The landowners say they have not been consulted by any government officials about the lease and are aware that other SABLs have proved to be just a con-trick which the companies use to log the forests and disappear

The 99-year SABL has been granted by the Lands Department to a company called Urasir Resources Limited.