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.
- rait man's blog
- Log in to post comments
Comments
I love this
I love this
The content of the petition is simple and clear. Those concern
The content of the petition is simple and clear. Those concern should and MUST act fast. Once again the govt had again failed the people. Hickey under your leadership and under your nose this paticular Portion of Land was stolen. Hickey we inform you also that do not use this paticular issue as a political tool for the up comming National Elections. We the Mberamba and the Sane tribes are very clear on what is happening. To those PAPER LANDOWNERS no matter what we are currently still on the land and since we are now aware of what is happening we will DO ANYTHING TO PROTECT OUR LAND. We demand that that our political leader Hickey act quickly and provide us with answers on the given dateline, if not WILL TAKE FUTHER ACTION!
I'm with Mr. Poin....we will protect our land at all costs. It
I'm with Mr. Poin....we will protect our land at all costs. It will be an embarrasment for any governmental organization to support such 'paper' landowners as they have 'legally' STOLEN these lands from the original landowners.