PNGBLOGS

LIAM FOX There are fears for the safety of three missing landowners involved in a case against a big nickel mine in Papua New Guinea. The lawyer acting for a group of landowners, trying to stop a mine from dumping waste into the sea, says she has not heard from her clients since Sunday afternoon. Tiffany Nonggorr says other people connected to the case have been threatened and bashed. "I'm concerned that they've been hurt or held against their will," she said. In March, the landowners won a temporary injunction preventing the Ramu nickel mine from building a deep-sea tailings pipeline to dump waste into Astrolabe Bay off Madang. A judge was due to begin hearings today to decide whether to lift the ban or make it permanent. Ms Nonggorr says she does not know what the plaintiffs' disappearances mean for the case. "I have absolutely no idea. All we can do is try and locate them," she said. Police say they will be out in force around the courthouse to keep t

LIAM FOX There are fears for the safety of three missing landowners involved in a case against a big nickel mine in Papua New Guinea. The lawyer acting for a group of landowners, trying to stop a mine from dumping waste into the sea, says she has not heard from her clients since Sunday afternoon. Tiffany Nonggorr says other people connected to the case have been threatened and bashed. "I'm concerned that they've been hurt or held against their will," she said. In March, the landowners won a temporary injunction preventing the Ramu nickel mine from building a deep-sea tailings pipeline to dump waste into Astrolabe Bay off Madang. A judge was due to begin hearings today to decide whether to lift the ban or make it permanent. Ms Nonggorr says she does not know what the plaintiffs' disappearances mean for the case. "I have absolutely no idea. All we can do is try and locate them," she said. Police say they will be out in force around the courthouse to

by SALIL SHETTY My husband broke my nose and hit me with timber over the back of my head. I went to the police to tell them to arrest him – they said they would do it but they didn’t." Margaret*, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Sadly, Margaret’s story is all too familiar in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Across PNG, two thirds of women experience physical violence at the hands of their husbands. It is such a common occurrence that the women Amnesty International interviewed about domestic violence in the PNG Highlands were puzzled about why they were being asked about such an obvious fact. Outside the home the violence faced by women in PNG can be as extreme as ‘payback’ rape in connection with tribal fighting and murder for those accused of witchcraft. Despite the horrific statistics and stories, the Government of PNG have done little to protect victims of gender-based violence. The lack of ineffective policing to prevent and investigate gender-based violence, or provide an effective reme

by SALIL SHETTY My husband broke my nose and hit me with timber over the back of my head. I went to the police to tell them to arrest him – they said they would do it but they didn’t." Margaret*, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Sadly, Margaret’s story is all too familiar in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Across PNG, two thirds of women experience physical violence at the hands of their husbands. It is such a common occurrence that the women Amnesty International interviewed about domestic violence in the PNG Highlands were puzzled about why they were being asked about such an obvious fact. Outside the home the violence faced by women in PNG can be as extreme as ‘payback’ rape in connection with tribal fighting and murder for those accused of witchcraft. Despite the horrific statistics and stories, the Government of PNG have done little to protect victims of gender-based violence. The lack of ineffective policing to prevent and investigate gender-based violence, or provide an effective

State, Society and Governance in Melanesia There is almost no similarity to, or continuity with, the Chinese in Papua New Guinea now and the Chinese of the 1930s who, even if born in New Guinea, held a certificate of registration of an alien on which the bearer was identified by his thumb print. The Chinese were then a minority, largely unprotected by a home government, subject to petty discrimination, deliberately avoiding party politics and only entering the public arena to make a general show of being loyal citizens in such events as the Rabaul Empire Day parade. The Chinese in Papua New Guinea now outnumber Australians by two to one; some are backed by a powerful government in China which is extending its global political and economic reach, and some have connections to other governments in Southeast Asia; they are engaged in billion dollar resource projects; they have joined vigorously in public debate, hiring high competence in public relations, and one of the major resource firm

State, Society and Governance in Melanesia There is almost no similarity to, or continuity with, the Chinese in Papua New Guinea now and the Chinese of the 1930s who, even if born in New Guinea, held a certificate of registration of an alien on which the bearer was identified by his thumb print. The Chinese were then a minority, largely unprotected by a home government, subject to petty discrimination, deliberately avoiding party politics and only entering the public arena to make a general show of being loyal citizens in such events as the Rabaul Empire Day parade. The Chinese in Papua New Guinea now outnumber Australians by two to one; some are backed by a powerful government in China which is extending its global political and economic reach, and some have connections to other governments in Southeast Asia; they are engaged in billion dollar resource projects; they have joined vigorously in public debate, hiring high competence in public relations, and one of the major resource

PNGEXPOSED The Chinese State-owned MCC corporation which owns the Ramu nickel mine in Papua New Guinea has posted a huge profit for the six-months to June 2010 of US$540 million. This profit was generated from revenues of over US$13 billion. In that period the company has also moved from being ranked as the 380th biggest company in the world to a new ranking of 315th. The company’s six-month profit of US$540 million puts in stark perspective the losses the company claims it is making on its stalled Ramu mine project which is currently on-hold after landowners obtained a court injunction preventing construction of the mine’s proposed deep sea tailings disposal system. While in PNG, MCC has been crying over the amount of money it says it has been loosing, it has not been  revealing the massive profits it has been reaping from its transnational operations. The company’s six-month  financial report ( warning: file size is 4.5mb ) also paints a very different picture about the

PNGEXPOSED The Chinese State-owned MCC corporation which owns the Ramu nickel mine in Papua New Guinea has posted a huge profit for the six-months to June 2010 of US$540 million. This profit was generated from revenues of over US$13 billion. In that period the company has also moved from being ranked as the 380th biggest company in the world to a new ranking of 315th. The company’s six-month profit of US$540 million puts in stark perspective the losses the company claims it is making on its stalled Ramu mine project which is currently on-hold after landowners obtained a court injunction preventing construction of the mine’s proposed deep sea tailings disposal system. While in PNG, MCC has been crying over the amount of money it says it has been loosing, it has not been  revealing the massive profits it has been reaping from its transnational operations. The company’s six-month  financial report ( warning: file size is 4.5mb ) also paints a very different picture abou

CNEWS ASIA Singapore remains the least corrupt country while Indonesia the most corrupt among 16 major Asia-Pacific investment destinations in a business survey released on Tuesday. Singapore topped the annual poll by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) with a score of 1.42, followed by Australia in second place with 2.28 and Hong Kong third with 2.67. Indonesia remains the most corrupt country in Southeast Asia and graft is getting even worse, a poll of business people says, dealing a blow to the president's efforts to clean up the country. The news comes as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is under mounting pressure with his vice president and finance minister facing a criminal probe into their role in the controversial bailout of a troubled bank. The poll put Southeast Asia's biggest economy last in a table of regional economies with a score of 9.27 out of the worst-possible 10. Indonesia also came last in 2009, but with a marginally better score of 8.32. Ca

CNEWS ASIA Singapore remains the least corrupt country while Indonesia the most corrupt among 16 major Asia-Pacific investment destinations in a business survey released on Tuesday. Singapore topped the annual poll by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) with a score of 1.42, followed by Australia in second place with 2.28 and Hong Kong third with 2.67. Indonesia remains the most corrupt country in Southeast Asia and graft is getting even worse, a poll of business people says, dealing a blow to the president's efforts to clean up the country. The news comes as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is under mounting pressure with his vice president and finance minister facing a criminal probe into their role in the controversial bailout of a troubled bank. The poll put Southeast Asia's biggest economy last in a table of regional economies with a score of 9.27 out of the worst-possible 10. Indonesia also came last in 2009, but with a marginally better score of 8.32. Ca

COUNTRYSIDE Many art lovers will know the name Mathias Kauage. Hail from Miugi in the Simbu Province; he produced hundreds of abstract paintings that depicted the changes in our country. Focusing largely on social changes, his works would normally feature a carving like figure immersed into adapting to the changes before them. One of his celebrated works resides in the headquarters of one of PNG’s iconic landmarks, Brian Bell Plaza Boroko. The name of the piece is Bikpela Balus. A rich turquoise blue covers the outer part where it depicts the open skies while towards the center of this masterpiece, a colourful Douglas DC 3 Aircraft is packed with carving like figures, obviously passengers onboard this flight. Expressions of optimism and fear are apparent, but one does senses a general emotion of anxiety. Perhaps it’s to do with defying gravity, the cramp interior of the plane but I sense it is what lies at the end of the trip. That is indeed is the great mystery. For 35 years,

COUNTRYSIDE Many art lovers will know the name Mathias Kauage. Hail from Miugi in the Simbu Province; he produced hundreds of abstract paintings that depicted the changes in our country. Focusing largely on social changes, his works would normally feature a carving like figure immersed into adapting to the changes before them. One of his celebrated works resides in the headquarters of one of PNG’s iconic landmarks, Brian Bell Plaza Boroko. The name of the piece is Bikpela Balus. A rich turquoise blue covers the outer part where it depicts the open skies while towards the center of this masterpiece, a colourful Douglas DC 3 Aircraft is packed with carving like figures, obviously passengers onboard this flight. Expressions of optimism and fear are apparent, but one does senses a general emotion of anxiety. Perhaps it’s to do with defying gravity, the cramp interior of the plane but I sense it is what lies at the end of the trip. That is indeed is the great mystery. For 35 yea

Australian Broadcasting Coporation The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) says there are still many hurdles to face before an overseas hydro-electricity plant can be connected to the state's north. Yesterday, Premier Anna Bligh signed a memorandum of cooperation with Papua New Guinea (PNG) delegates to begin investigations into a proposed underwater connection to a renewable energy source. Origin Energy is planning to bring the power to Australia within a decade via an undersea cable and transmission line to Weipa, providing a large supply to electricity to the Cape and the far north. The State Government is hoping the multi-billion dollar project in PNG could eventually link back into the national electricity grid in Townsville in the north. QRC chief executive Michael Roche says the growth of Queensland's industries relies heavily on guaranteed energy into the future. "We obviously need to overcome any of the economic, technical and other challenges but I think a lot of

Australian Broadcasting Coporation The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) says there are still many hurdles to face before an overseas hydro-electricity plant can be connected to the state's north. Yesterday, Premier Anna Bligh signed a memorandum of cooperation with Papua New Guinea (PNG) delegates to begin investigations into a proposed underwater connection to a renewable energy source. Origin Energy is planning to bring the power to Australia within a decade via an undersea cable and transmission line to Weipa, providing a large supply to electricity to the Cape and the far north. The State Government is hoping the multi-billion dollar project in PNG could eventually link back into the national electricity grid in Townsville in the north. QRC chief executive Michael Roche says the growth of Queensland's industries relies heavily on guaranteed energy into the future. "We obviously need to overcome any of the economic, technical and other challenges but I think a lo

By SAM BASIL MP As soon as I arrived on a delayed flight from Port Moresby yesterday morning I received a call from our operator Mr. Jack Maso that his daughter a teacher Ms Lis Maso from Wagau Primary School is having complications from child birth. The road situation into Buang LLG has been severely affected by the continuous rain with many sections of the road washed out or covered with mud. That morning also we got reports that parts of the Munanung section Armco was washed out and the only way to help in such cases was to fly into Buang. I asked my accounts officer Ms Mirriam Nork to enquire with helicopter companies in Lae to negotiate an urgent medivac operation and we eventually settled with Manalos Aviation Limited the owner Mr. Jurgen was willing to help for K4800.00 I drove into Lae’s old airport and hopped onto the helicopter the chopper looked weird but I later found out that this helicopter is the safest in the country why? It has two engines therefore you can rule

By SAM BASIL MP As soon as I arrived on a delayed flight from Port Moresby yesterday morning I received a call from our operator Mr. Jack Maso that his daughter a teacher Ms Lis Maso from Wagau Primary School is having complications from child birth. The road situation into Buang LLG has been severely affected by the continuous rain with many sections of the road washed out or covered with mud. That morning also we got reports that parts of the Munanung section Armco was washed out and the only way to help in such cases was to fly into Buang. I asked my accounts officer Ms Mirriam Nork to enquire with helicopter companies in Lae to negotiate an urgent medivac operation and we eventually settled with Manalos Aviation Limited the owner Mr. Jurgen was willing to help for K4800.00 I drove into Lae’s old airport and hopped onto the helicopter the chopper looked weird but I later found out that this helicopter is the safest in the country why? It has two engines therefore you can rule

AAP Climate change expert Ross Garnaut has defended the decision of mining companieswith which he has been involved to use a controversial method of releasing mining waste into rivers and the ocean in Papua New Guinea. Professor Garnaut, who conducted the Rudd government's 2008 climate-change review, was the chairman of Lihir Gold, a mining company taken over by Newcrest Gold last month. He is also a director of OK Tedi Mining Limited, another company that operates in PNG. Last week the ABC's 7.30 Report aired a report about Lihir and OK Tedi's practice of using deep sea tailings placement (DSTP) at two separate mines. The Lihir project, under Newcrest, is set to produce 1 million ounces of gold a year on Lihir Island, 900 kilometres north of Port Moresby. OK Tedi extracts copper, gold and silver from its remote Star Mountains operation in PNG's Western Province. According to the ABC report, OK Tedi discharges 56 million tonnes of metalliferous waste into local river sy

AAP Climate change expert Ross Garnaut has defended the decision of mining companieswith which he has been involved to use a controversial method of releasing mining waste into rivers and the ocean in Papua New Guinea. Professor Garnaut, who conducted the Rudd government's 2008 climate-change review, was the chairman of Lihir Gold, a mining company taken over by Newcrest Gold last month. He is also a director of OK Tedi Mining Limited, another company that operates in PNG. Last week the ABC's 7.30 Report aired a report about Lihir and OK Tedi's practice of using deep sea tailings placement (DSTP) at two separate mines. The Lihir project, under Newcrest, is set to produce 1 million ounces of gold a year on Lihir Island, 900 kilometres north of Port Moresby. OK Tedi extracts copper, gold and silver from its remote Star Mountains operation in PNG's Western Province. According to the ABC report, OK Tedi discharges 56 million tonnes of metalliferous waste into local river sy

ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE HERE ON PNGBLOGS,  HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY PNG