Papua New Guinea

Happy September 17, PNG !!!

On 13 Sep, 2011 By Effrey

By Ganjiki D Wayne

Last year I wrote a piece challenging Papua New Guineans to be patriots beyond September 16. This year I can’t think of anything better than remind us of that message again. It seems come this month and day we slap on the colors, dance to the tunes, sing the anthem and share opinions on how great we think our country is. Come September 17, for most Papua New Guineans...it’s back to square one.

Who benefits from economic growth and is it sustainable anyway?

On 29 Aug, 2011 By rait man With 1 Comments

Papua New Guinea is experiencing unprecedented economic growth and the foreign elite who are benefiting are telling us we should rejoice and that we have never had it so good. But rising prices, deteriorating services and increasing violence are all that most of us are enjoying right now. Economic growth and huge resource projects should not be our priority, people and agriculture should. And the people who tell us otherwise are just protecting their own interests as they steer the global economy, and our planet, towards the precipice.

SABL Inquiry starts off under fire

On 13 Jul, 2011 By rait man

By Luana Paniu (Post Courier)

THE Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases (SPABL) was recently announced and is scheduled to be completed by September but it has come under fire by a civil and legal rights organisation and a former academic. 

The former academic, who was a lecturer at the University of PNG and is also a naturalised citizen, said that references within the CoI were ambitious for the government to achieve. 

Mining boom promises unprecedented riches for who?

On 20 Jun, 2011 By rait man With 1 Comments

Spotted on the PNG Mine Watch blog

Many commentators are talking excitedly about the unprecedented riches that will come from Papua New Guinea’s resource boom. Phil Mercer writing for Voice of America (see below) is just the latest.

But who is REALLY going to reap the benefits from Papua New Guinea’s oil, gas, gold and silver?

Namah disputes decision to suspend SABL: The National

On 10 May, 2011 By Tim

Lands Secretary response on agriculture leases fails to address the real issue

On 25 Apr, 2011 By Effrey

While addressing members of the media and NGO groups, on Thursday 21st April, the Acting Secretary for the Department of Lands, Romilly Kila-Pat, made comments to the effect that the State has no control over business dealings between customary landowners and foreign businesses after a Special Agricultural Business Lease (SABL) title is registered.

This statement missed the point completely and failed to address the main issue and surrounding the controversial SABLs issued over 5.2 million hectares customary land throughout Papua New Guinea.

ACT NOW! calls on government to end land grab leases

On 24 Apr, 2011 By Effrey

In a conference last Wednesday, the Lands Department vowed to take action on land deals in Papua New Guinea - deals in which control of more than 5 million hectares of land, 10% of PNGs land mass, has been taken away from local people and given to corporations.

While Acting Lands Secretary, Romilly Kila Pat, might have been personally sincere in his call to address the issues, he also said it was going to be a “long process”.

Young Melanesians questioning the model of democracy

On 20 Apr, 2011 By rait man

ABC Radio National

While young Arabs might be demanding democratic rights, young Melanesians seem to be questioning the merits of democracy.

Mark Bannerman: Three months into the year, it's fair to say that in geopolitical germs, all eyes are focused on the Middle East and North Africa. Our own foreign minister, Kevin Rudd, has devoted a significant amount of time to the situation there, forcefully putting Australia's point of view.

Resource laws based on outdated Colonial model

On 20 Apr, 2011 By rait man

Dr Samuel Maima, Technical adviser Boka Kondra Bill

THE attorney-general’s statement that the state owns all resources six feet and more under the ground has to be challenged for the sake of our indigenous and customary landowners of Papua New Guinea. 

What he endorsed was similar to the resource law that was passed by the British parliament in 1922 which basically exploited all its colonies’ wealth from the Africa to Asia, Australia and elsewhere. 

Pacific being forced to follow the wrong model of development

On 08 Apr, 2011 By Tim With 1 Comments

From Radio Australia

Land alienation is a problem not just in Papua New Guinea but across Melanesia, and it has the potential to have a catastrophic affect on Melanesian society, according to one of the region's most experienced anthropologists.

  Kirk Huffman, a former Director of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre and a Research Associate at the Australian Museum says, when it comes to land, even well-meaning investors and aid donors in Melanesia have the wrong model of development.   

Search form

Pages