By Dorotea Saidor

A company is illegally logging on land on the Rai coast in Madang without the consent of local people and is exporting their logs.

The illegal logging is happening at Bongu Village, Block 1 Raicoast, Astrolabay, Madang Province (near the crash site for Airlines PNG, Madang)

The logging contractor, G&S Limited, is blatantly and openly logging and cutting logs without consent from the landowners.

There has already been TWO high powered gun fights in the area, over this logging dispute between the landowners and the contractor.

In December 2011, the landowners managed to get a court order stopping the harvest and export of the logs. But the contractor is ignoring this, and still proceeding to harvest.

Now, they are preparing to export the logs. On Monday (6th Feb 2012) this week, the logging vessel was already at the logpond.

The landowners are prepared to mobilize and arm themselves to stop the shipment, using any means necessary. However, I hope that this can be resolved peacefully, through exposure and awareness in the media. Without violence and gunfights that may result in loss of life and property.

The landowners are already engaging their lawyer to file damages against the contractor, for illegal logging of resources. They are confident of winning the court case. Unfortunately, the court is just resuming from their break.

If the disputed logs are exported, the landowners will never see any money, even if they do win the court case later. They will only get a hollow victory. Like what happened to the unfortunate landowners who won 250 million kina against Concord Pacific in 2011, for illegal logging.

We call on the government to put a halt to the current log shipment, and wait for the coming court case against the contractor, G&S Limited.

Please help the landowners get justice.