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Legal claim for environmental damage served on Hidden Valley mine

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PNGBLOGS Bulolo MP, Sam Basil, has served legal proceedings on the owners of the Hidden Valley gold mine in Papua New Guinea, seeking damages on behalf of over 100 indigenous families for environmental damage to the Watut river system. The legal claim alleges that Morobe Mining Joint Venture (MMJV) has negligently caused toxic pollution which has poisoned the river, killing fish other aquatic life and vegetation and causing injury to people using the water for washing or drinking. Sam Basil says he has been trying to negotiate with MMJV, which is jointly owned by Newcrest Mining and Harmony Gold, to avoid a lengthy and costly court action, but the miners have not honored an agreement to stop inducing landowners to sign statutory declarations that could affect their future legal rights to compensation. "I am very disappointed the company has broken its word and is still inducing landowners to sign agreements without giving them the benefit of any independent legal advice and w

Somare tipped for return to PNG politics

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ABC NEWS It is looking increasingly likely that Sir Michael Somare will return to the helm of Papua New Guinea politics just weeks after stepping down as prime minister. Last month Sir Michael stepped down to allow a leadership tribunal to investigate allegations that he failed to lodge several financial returns.  But local reports suggest he could be back in the prime minister's office on Monday. Parliament reconvenes on Tuesday to appoint a new governor-general.  Earlier this week acting prime minister Sam Abal described Sir Michael as being on "holidays" and said he could return at any time.  The prime minister's office says there is no formal suggestion the 74-year-old will come back at this stage. But a spokeswoman declined to rule out the possibility Sir Michael will return before the tribunal finishes its investigation.

Somare tipped for return to PNG politics

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ABC NEWS It is looking increasingly likely that Sir Michael Somare will return to the helm of Papua New Guinea politics just weeks after stepping down as prime minister. Last month Sir Michael stepped down to allow a leadership tribunal to investigate allegations that he failed to lodge several financial returns.  But local reports suggest he could be back in the prime minister's office on Monday. Parliament reconvenes on Tuesday to appoint a new governor-general.  Earlier this week acting prime minister Sam Abal described Sir Michael as being on "holidays" and said he could return at any time.  The prime minister's office says there is no formal suggestion the 74-year-old will come back at this stage. But a spokeswoman declined to rule out the possibility Sir Michael will return before the tribunal finishes its investigation.

New PM pressured to detain me: Namah

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PNGEXPOSED Leader of PNG Party Belden Namah has expressed grave concern over a directive from acting Prime Minister Sam Abal for his arrest and detention before next month’s Supreme Court-directed session of Parliament. Namah said he was reliably informed during the long Christmas weekend of the confidential executive directive for his arrest over the Border Rangers issue. “The Border Rangers in Vanimo was merely set up to carry out similar functions of the City Rangers in Port Moresby – to keep the Vanimo town clean and prevent people from selling cheap smuggled goods form Papua province of Indonesia,” he said. “This matter has been competently dealt with by appropriate state law-enforcing agencies in Vanimo and does not require political directives from the nation’s highest office for my arrest,” Namah said he was reliably informed by government insiders that Abal was pressured by powerful political forces from with the government for his arrest. “I’m told that Mr Ab

New PM pressured to detain me: Namah

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PNGEXPOSED Leader of PNG Party Belden Namah has expressed grave concern over a directive from acting Prime Minister Sam Abal for his arrest and detention before next month’s Supreme Court-directed session of Parliament. Namah said he was reliably informed during the long Christmas weekend of the confidential executive directive for his arrest over the Border Rangers issue. “The Border Rangers in Vanimo was merely set up to carry out similar functions of the City Rangers in Port Moresby – to keep the Vanimo town clean and prevent people from selling cheap smuggled goods form Papua province of Indonesia,” he said. “This matter has been competently dealt with by appropriate state law-enforcing agencies in Vanimo and does not require political directives from the nation’s highest office for my arrest,” Namah said he was reliably informed by government insiders that Abal was pressured by powerful political forces from with the government for his arrest. “I’m told that

MP sues Newcrest over PNG goldmine

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The Australian   NEWCREST Mining's Hidden Valley gold project in Papua New Guinea faces more problems with landowners. The local member of parliament served a fresh writ against the three-month old mine over flood damage to crops. The 50-50 joint venture between Newcrest and South Africa's Harmony Gold Mining, known as Morobe Mining, says it will vigorously defend any legal action. The writ alleges mine-related sediment in the Watut River has created a nuisance and seeks damages and injunctions in relation to the Hidden Valley operations, Morobe said. Since November, Newcrest and Harmony have been making voluntary compensation payments to communities on the Watut for flood damage to crops and gardens. Morobe says mine-related sediment, along with landslides and rain, may have contributed to the damage. According to Morobe, the sediment that entered the Watut from the mine was run-off from mine overburden and construction activities. Seeking to distance itself from the tailin

MP sues Newcrest over PNG goldmine

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The Australian   NEWCREST Mining's Hidden Valley gold project in Papua New Guinea faces more problems with landowners. The local member of parliament served a fresh writ against the three-month old mine over flood damage to crops. The 50-50 joint venture between Newcrest and South Africa's Harmony Gold Mining, known as Morobe Mining, says it will vigorously defend any legal action. The writ alleges mine-related sediment in the Watut River has created a nuisance and seeks damages and injunctions in relation to the Hidden Valley operations, Morobe said. Since November, Newcrest and Harmony have been making voluntary compensation payments to communities on the Watut for flood damage to crops and gardens. Morobe says mine-related sediment, along with landslides and rain, may have contributed to the damage. According to Morobe, the sediment that entered the Watut from the mine was run-off from mine overburden and construction activities. Seeking to distance itself from the

PAPUA NEW GUINEA FORCASTS 2011-2012

Economic Intelligence Unit The political scene in Papua New Guinea (PNG) will remain unsettled during the forecast period (2011-12). After weeks of political uncertainty, the prime minister, Sir Michael Somare, temporarily stepped down from office on December 13th to face a leadership tribunal regarding his alleged misconduct in office. Sir Michael has come under intense pressure to resign in recent years, amid a host of scandals in which he is alleged to have been involved, but he has refused to leave office permanently. His administration could yet collapse before its term ends in mid-2012. The opposition remains determined to proceed with a no-confidence motion, having been thwarted on a number of occasions in the past year or so most recently in July 2010, when Sir Michael abruptly adjourned parliament for almost four months, thus preventing the opposition from tabling a motion against him. A motion could be tabled in early 2011; parliament is due to reconvene by January 20th after

PAPUA NEW GUINEA FORCASTS 2011-2012

Economic Intelligence Unit The political scene in Papua New Guinea (PNG) will remain unsettled during the forecast period (2011-12). After weeks of political uncertainty, the prime minister, Sir Michael Somare, temporarily stepped down from office on December 13th to face a leadership tribunal regarding his alleged misconduct in office. Sir Michael has come under intense pressure to resign in recent years, amid a host of scandals in which he is alleged to have been involved, but he has refused to leave office permanently. His administration could yet collapse before its term ends in mid-2012. The opposition remains determined to proceed with a no-confidence motion, having been thwarted on a number of occasions in the past year or so most recently in July 2010, when Sir Michael abruptly adjourned parliament for almost four months, thus preventing the opposition from tabling a motion against him. A motion could be tabled in early 2011; parliament is due to reconvene by January 20th af

Jailed diplomatic broker indicted on new charge

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FOCUS TAIWAN A diplomatic middleman in Taiwan's failed bid to forge diplomatic ties with Papua New Guinea in 2006 was indicted Wednesday on breach of trust charges. Prosecutors recommended that Wu Shih-tsai, who is serving time in a local jail for other offenses, be given a 4.5-year prison sentence for embezzling US$29.8 million in government funds along with his accomplice. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office said in the indictment that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wired the money into a joint account held by Wu and Ching Chi-ju in a Singapore bank in September 2006 to be used to facilitate the establishment of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and the Pacific country. The diplomatic bid failed, but the duo did not return the funds to the ministry, which found out later that the funds had been completely withdrawn from the bank account between November and December that year. Wu was arrested by law enforcement authorities when the scandal came to light at the end of former Pre

Jailed diplomatic broker indicted on new charge

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FOCUS TAIWAN A diplomatic middleman in Taiwan's failed bid to forge diplomatic ties with Papua New Guinea in 2006 was indicted Wednesday on breach of trust charges. Prosecutors recommended that Wu Shih-tsai, who is serving time in a local jail for other offenses, be given a 4.5-year prison sentence for embezzling US$29.8 million in government funds along with his accomplice. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office said in the indictment that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wired the money into a joint account held by Wu and Ching Chi-ju in a Singapore bank in September 2006 to be used to facilitate the establishment of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and the Pacific country. The diplomatic bid failed, but the duo did not return the funds to the ministry, which found out later that the funds had been completely withdrawn from the bank account between November and December that year. Wu was arrested by law enforcement authorities when the scandal came to light at the end of form

When is it a holiday, when it is not?

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OP/ED Holiday, according to our understanding, is period of time when one is not at work. It is a time when one spend his or her time away from work, or the time he or she spend traveling or resting at home or somewhere where he or she is not working for a reward. Now, stepping aside is totally different from taking a holiday. Stepping aside or stepping down, if we are not wrong, is when someone leaves an important job or position and allow someone or somebody else take his or her place. For example, Joe Blow steps aside as general manager of Waigar Corporation to let someone else take his place. So when our father, the Grand Chief, Sir Michael Somare announced that he was stepping aside as Prime Minister, Papua New Guineans accepted that their leader had to take that radical decision because of the impending leadership tribunal that is to probe into charges relating to misconduct in office against him. Now Sir Michael is not a lawyer or an expert in constitutional law, so when he hand

When is it a holiday, when it is not?

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OP/ED Holiday, according to our understanding, is period of time when one is not at work. It is a time when one spend his or her time away from work, or the time he or she spend traveling or resting at home or somewhere where he or she is not working for a reward. Now, stepping aside is totally different from taking a holiday. Stepping aside or stepping down, if we are not wrong, is when someone leaves an important job or position and allow someone or somebody else take his or her place. For example, Joe Blow steps aside as general manager of Waigar Corporation to let someone else take his place. So when our father, the Grand Chief, Sir Michael Somare announced that he was stepping aside as Prime Minister, Papua New Guineans accepted that their leader had to take that radical decision because of the impending leadership tribunal that is to probe into charges relating to misconduct in office against him. Now Sir Michael is not a lawyer or an expert in constitutional law, so when he

"Insiders" say sidelined Papua New Guinea PM to resume powers

South Pacific Post Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare is expected to resume duties next Monday [10 January]. Government insiders informed this newspaper last night that Sir Michael was returning to office from his home electorate because of the legal questions surrounding his decision to step aside as prime minister last month [to face a leadership tribunal for alleged failure to file financial returns]. "He is also coming back to work because of issues confronting the National Alliance Party over his decision to demote Don Polye and appoint Sam Abal as deputy PM and acting prime minister. "The National Alliance Highlands bloc have outstanding issues with him that he needs to deal with. There are other matters like the implementation of the 2011 supplementary budget, which raises some issues over good governance," one insider close to the National Executive Council [cabinet] said last night. This newspaper was unable to confirm this with the PM's office la

"Insiders" say sidelined Papua New Guinea PM to resume powers

South Pacific Post Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare is expected to resume duties next Monday [10 January]. Government insiders informed this newspaper last night that Sir Michael was returning to office from his home electorate because of the legal questions surrounding his decision to step aside as prime minister last month [to face a leadership tribunal for alleged failure to file financial returns]. "He is also coming back to work because of issues confronting the National Alliance Party over his decision to demote Don Polye and appoint Sam Abal as deputy PM and acting prime minister. "The National Alliance Highlands bloc have outstanding issues with him that he needs to deal with. There are other matters like the implementation of the 2011 supplementary budget, which raises some issues over good governance," one insider close to the National Executive Council [cabinet] said last night. This newspaper was unable to confirm this with the PM's offi

Up north, there's another boatpeople issue

Michael McKenna The Australian FROM his dingy, overcrowded cell in Port Moresby's Boroko prison, Jonathan Baure is already plotting his next assault on Australia's border. It has been 10 days since he stood on the shore of Daru Island, along the southeastern tip of Papua New Guinea, to see off 16 dinghies, carrying 119 PNG nationals - including 13 children - headed across the Torres Strait to reclaim their "birth right" of Australian citizenship. Baure, a former tile salesman, had planned and openly promoted the voyage for weeks. There was no shortage of willing passengers. Despite November's cholera outbreak on Daru, which killed 32 people, more than 400 supporters from all over the country flooded the island, paying Baure to join the unwieldy flotilla of banana boats. Leader of an emerging group of "Australian Papuans", Baure has for a decade waged a losing battle with Canberra to recognise that people from the former Australian territory of Papua were

Up north, there's another boatpeople issue

Michael McKenna The Australian FROM his dingy, overcrowded cell in Port Moresby's Boroko prison, Jonathan Baure is already plotting his next assault on Australia's border. It has been 10 days since he stood on the shore of Daru Island, along the southeastern tip of Papua New Guinea, to see off 16 dinghies, carrying 119 PNG nationals - including 13 children - headed across the Torres Strait to reclaim their "birth right" of Australian citizenship. Baure, a former tile salesman, had planned and openly promoted the voyage for weeks. There was no shortage of willing passengers. Despite November's cholera outbreak on Daru, which killed 32 people, more than 400 supporters from all over the country flooded the island, paying Baure to join the unwieldy flotilla of banana boats. Leader of an emerging group of "Australian Papuans", Baure has for a decade waged a losing battle with Canberra to recognise that people from the former Australian territory of Pap