New Ministers called on to confirm SABLs cancelled, logging stopped and police withdrawn

ACT NOW! is calling on the newly sworn in Minister for Forests, Douglas Tomuriesa, the new Minister for Lands, Justin Tkatchenko, and new Police Minister, Jelta Wong, to confirm the cancellation of all SABL leases.

Bewani landowners walk across pile of felled logs, West Sepik Province Photo: Global Witness Media

Source: Johnny Blades, Radio New Zealand

The Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, and the Lands Minister, Benny Allen promised in April that all Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABLs) were being cancelled. Their promises came one after another, seemingly coordinated to placate the public on the eve of elections. But now the Lands Department is claiming 'legal issues' have prevented any cancellations - see report below. It looks like the Prime Minister and the Lands Minister's promises were just empty words...

Source: The National Newspaper

The value of customary land when left in local hands and the issue of compensation for the SABL land grab have both been highlighted in a seminar organised by ACT NOW!

The seminar featured Sydney University academic Dr Tim Anderson. Dr Anderson presented his report on assessing compensation for the wrongful loss of customary land.

The event was featured by all the TV networks in their evening news programs - their coverage can be viewed below.

The SABL land grab has once again raised the issue of compensation for rural communities when outsiders unlawfully occupy or cause damage on their land. How do you assess the losses when there are no market values for customary land in Papua New Guinea?

The government still has plenty of work to do to redress the injustice of the SABL land grab and illegal logging.

ACT NOW! is cautiously optimistic the government is moving in the right direction by cancelling the SABL leases, but this is only a first step.

People living in the Pomio district say the three local men who have been vocal in a logging company owned newspaper, supporting SABL leases and the operations of Rimbunan Hijau, do not represent the majority.

The local people say it is completely wrong to claim the Sigite Mukus Integrated Rural Development Project is an SABL success story, as claimed by Mathew Lila, James lelrea lutkal and Bruno Tevolman.

Dear Minister Benny Allen,

RE: ENDORSING THE SABL LAND GRAB

Thank you for your response through the media [copied below] to the demands of affected landholders and the Prime Minister for answers on the SABL land grab. 

PM confirms cancellation of all licenses to thwart illegal land grabbing

By BARNEY ORERE, POST COURIER

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has confirmed that the National Executive Council has cancelled all licences and SABLs are illegal.

He said this in response to a community advocacy group Act Now which had been vocal about the land grab issue in relation to SABL – special agriculture and business leases.

Lands Minister Benny Allen is blocking the implementation of government decisions to end the SABL land grab and return stolen land to its customary owners.

Since 2013, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has repeatedly promised the unlawful SABL leases will be cancelled, and in June 2014 the National Executive Council endorsed the recommendation from the Commission of Inquiry that the leases be revoked.