From a Special Correspondent

When  three  senior  government ministers arrived at Alexishafen on Friday for a public forum on the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ),  they didn’t expect the kind of  anger they got from the Rempi and Kananam communities.  

Francis Gem, from the Kanamam area  took the stage in front of 300 people  and  in one swooping motion  said:

“It’s con job! And all of you sitting on this grandstand are con people!”

After a few seconds of shocked silence, Gem delivered another scathing attack this time calling each of the ministers by title and name. 

“…Starting from our regional member [Sir Arnold Amet] right down… Benny Allan [Environment minister], you are a conman… Gabriel Kapris [Commerce & Industry Minister] you are a conman.”

Turning to the Environment Minister, Benny Allan, he issued a challenge to him:  

“You talk about managing [environmental] impacts and waste from the PMIZ… you look at Ramu Nickel… You haven’t managed Ramu Nickel! How can you manage the PMIZ?”

With that the Minister stood up and attempted to take the microphone from Gem [see photo].  Supporters of the PMIZ project then shouted at Gem to leave but he refused. After 15 minutes of  a trading of  verbal insults from all sides, Gem resumed his speech. 

The level of awareness on land and environmental issues in Madang has dramatically increased since legal proceedings were initiated last year to stop the Chinese owned Ramu Nickel mine from dumping its tailings into Basamuk Bay. 

On Friday, Francis Gem shattered the long held stereotypical view that Madangs are  a calm, peaceful and respectful lot.   

Gem’s anger comes from the years of campaigning against a fish cannery run by  Filipino company, RD tuna.  He has been voicing concerns over environmental damage, prostitution and working  conditions at the cannery. While opponents have repeatedly accused him of taking bribes, he continues to maintain his stand. In 2009, he travelled to the Philippines with  other community leaders to see RD Tuna’s operations – a trip paid for by the company. While others returned as converted supporters of RD Tuna,  Gem wasn’t impressed.  At village awareness meetings he held after the trip, he told of how people had been displaced and of pollution in the sea in the Philippines.  

He now sees an even bigger monster, the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) that will accommodate up to 10 more canneries and various other businesses. 

The PMIZ will be a Special Economic Zone located on more than 200 hectares on what used to be old  mission plantations.  The  Papua New Guinea government has been establishing Special Economic Zones in various parts of the country – a concept pushed by the  World Bank. But it is being done without proper laws in place. The legislation has been drafted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – the business arm of the World Bank – and is expected to  be passed in Parliament next month.    

The details of the law aren’t clear, but the Minister for Commerce and Industry, Gabriel Kapris, says it will provide incentives such as relaxed immigration and tax regulations. 

Meanwhile, local communities have lodged a complaint with the World Bank regarding the PMIZ and Francis Gem and others have initiated legal proceedings to stop the project.