Youths arrested for stopping logging on conservation area

By Grace Tiden, Post Courier

Twelve youths from Bairaman in the Ralopal Concession area under the Sigete/Mukus Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL) Project Site in East New Britain have been arrested and charged for allegedly threatening logging company workers.

The 12 men have appeared for mention at the Kokopo District and were supposed to appear again yesterday for hearing to commence but the case was deferred to a later date.

Police in Kokopo said the men were arrested and charged for threatening workers at a conservation land area in Pomio.

Attempts to get more comments from police were unsuccessful however lawyer representing these men, Thomas Ingal from Celcor Lawyers, said his clients were recently airlifted to Kokopo at the expense of the logging company, Gilford Limited, a subsidiary of Rimbunan Hijau.

He said the men had stopped the company from logging their conservation area and typical of village boys, they were carrying their bush knives during that time but did not harm anyone.

According to village leader Jacob Samo, an open forum was held at the Palmalmal District Office to discuss the demarcation of a conservation area within the Ralopal and Pomata Concession areas.

The meeting was attended by district and lands officers. The landowners at the meeting asked for another forum to be held at the village level to further discuss the issue and settle outstanding land disputes over the said land.

However, Mr Samo alleged that before the village forum was conducted, the company entered the conservation area and the group of young men heard about it and went to check if the company was carrying out a survey only to find they had started logging operations at the conservation area.

He said the landowners had formed ILGs and had come up with different land use plans in the conservation site which included sites for gardening, production/sawmill and conservation.