The Minister for Lands has re-stated his plan to convert unlawful SABL leases to another form of land tenure using Incorporated Land Groups. The Minister was speaking in response to a 10,000 signature petition calling for the cancelation of the unlawful SABL leases.

The media listening attentively as Anna Maria explains the human rights abuses and impacts on women and children of the SABL land grab

A 10,000 signature petition is today being presented to the government calling for action on the SABL land grab. 

The petition is being presented by Paul Pavol, who was last year awarded the international Alexander Soros Foundation Award, in recognition of his communities efforts to oppose four unlawful SABL leases over their land.

Fifty two thousand square kilometres of customary land has been stolen in the SABL land grab.

52,000 square kilometres is the same as 5.2 million hectares - but what does that amount of land really look like?

Pomio MP Elias Kapavore has defended an illegal land grab in his electorate in which four SABL leases have been granted to logging company Rimbunan Hijau. Kapavore claims the company has built roads, provided jobs and made ‘a massive economic investment’ in oil palm. He says the company should remain and local people should stop voicing their complaints and exaggerating the negative impacts.

Source: EMTV, 23/12/2016

Many customary landowners in Papua New Guinea are still fighting to reclaim the title to their land leased out under Special Agricultural Business Leases (SABLs).

The people of Collingwood Bay in Tufi, Oro Province have been battling in court for years to reclaim the title to their land which has been leased under two separate SABLs.

In 2014 the National court declared this SABL as null and void.

Police officers working on behalf of Malaysian logging giant Rimbunan Hijau are continuing to intimidate, attack and detain landholders trying to protect their land against illegal logging in the Pomio District of East New Britain, according to reports from the area.

This is despite an order from Police Commissioner Gari Baki that police should not be permanently deployed to logging camps.

Senator Patrick Leahy is the most senior member of the United States Congress

Two United States Senators, Senator Patrick Leahy and Senator Jeff Merkley, have written to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill calling for action to end the SABL land grab and illegal logging.

On November 4th, the Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, stood in Parliament and told the nation the SABL land grab was at an end, the unlawful leases were being cancelled and the illegal logging stopped.

SOURCE: GRACE AUKA SALMANG - POST COURIER

THE proposed tax increase on log export announced in the 2017 Budget has been described as a big win for the people of PNG.