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celcor (foe papua new guinea)
environmental watch group
friends of the earth international
aid/watch
Port Moresby, 20 august 2003
png landowners say enough is enough
Landowners from mining affected regions in
Papua New Guinea (PNG) have declared their
fierce opposition against public funding for
new mining projects. They stated that their
clans are committed to defend their customary
rights.
"Decades of mineral mining have left a
legacy of environmental degradation and
uprooted the social fabric of many
communities in PNG, while the revenues have
not been equally redistributed," said Matilda
Koma from the PNG Environmental Watch Group
(NEWG)."Human rights violations, alcoholism,
prostitution and AIDS are on the rise at mine
sites around the country."
Added Francis Warum, leader from the
Watarais community near the proposed Kainantu
mine: "We urge anyone intending to support
the Kainantu project not to take the risk
involved. We are not willing to see the mine
go ahead or welcome it on our land."
The statements were made at a historical
gathering on Motupore Island, PNG where
landowners of mining affected areas and
potential new mines came together to share
experiences of mining and strategise how to
deal with its impacts.
All who gathered at Motupore witnessed and
experienced that mining operations from Ok
Tedi to Bougainville, have similar disruptive
environmental, social and economic impacts,
in some cases leading to violent
conflicts.
Augustine Hala, from the affected
community around the Tolukuma Gold Mine
stated, "We rely very heavily on the land for
all of our needs. We have seen the mine's
negative impacts on the environment, social,
spiritual and cultural life of our people."
Continued Hala: "The financial institutions
that are thinking of financing new mining
projects in PNG should understand that they
are contributing more to poverty. We have
fought for our land and we can also fight to
protect our land again. We are hoping that
all the financial institutions will listen to
us."
"Landowners are in a unique position in
PNG where they own 97% of the land according
to the PNG Constitution. It is the landowners
that have the power to veto projects," said
Damien Ase from the PNG Center for
Environmental Law and Community Rights Inc
(CELCOR). "They have sent a clear message to
both investors and public financiers like the
World Bank and the Australian export credit
agency EFIC that enough is enough."
Kate Walsh from Australian NGO AID/WATCH
commented "Australian taxpayers money,
through EFIC - the Australian Export Agency,
has financed a swathe of controversial
projects in PNG. The era of the Australian
government support for destructive projects
has to cease immediately."
Janneke Bruil from Friends of the Earth
International added, "support for the mining
sector is a direct contradiction with the
World Bank's claim to alleviate poverty. It
must not finance any new mining operations
nor continue to promote further weakening of
national mining laws. It is time to recognise
people's right to self-determination."
nterviews with landowners and photos of
the mines can be arranged
through Matilda Koma. Matilda KomaNGO
Environmental Watch Group PNG
For more information please contact:
Damien Ase CELCOR / Friends of the Earth
PNG,
Kate Walsh AID/WATCH +61 2 955 8944
Janneke Bruil, Friends of the Earth
International : 31 20 6221369
For a briefing paper on EFIC in PNG
see
http://www.aidwatch.org.au/index.php?current=38
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