The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights has written a strongly worded letter (copy below) to the Papua New Guinea government demanding answers about the granting of agriculture leases over large areas of customary land.
The letter, signed by the Chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, also raises concerns about the impacts of controversial amendments to the Environment Act last year, that took away citizens rights to challenge approvals for large-scale resource projects and seek compensation for any damage.
The PNG government has issued 99-year leases to foreign companies that covering over 5 million hectares of customary land - more than 10% of PNG's total land mass.
The letter says the Human Rights Committee is concerned about the government's land alienation and the failure to seek the consent of local landowners or inform then about the purposes of the acquisitions and its impacts.
The PNG government has been urged to provide information on how the government will ensure customary lands are not taken from indigenous people; the measures taken to ensure the prior informed consent of local people before leases are issued; and how they are ensuring access to justice when rights are infringed.
The PNG government has been given a deadline of 31 July to respond to the UN's concerns.
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 United Nations HCR letter 11March2011.pdf | 60.71 KB |
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It is horrifying that anyone - in the government or the
It is horrifying that anyone - in the government or the corporations - could make leases over customary lands, when the customary stewards have not given their consent, nor even been informed, and have no legal right to challenge developments on that land.
It is even more horrifying that these leases are for 99 years, more likely involving permanent transformation of these lands, and cover such vast areas.
It is time for UN agencies, and all of us, to hold the PNG government to account, and to protest the actions of the companies involved in these leases.