'We dont want to pollute our seas'

Patrick Matbob

NOVEMBER  2009

Communities near the US$300 million (K990m) Pacific Marine Industrial Zone project in Madang, PNG, are determined to stop it from going ahead.
More than 500 angry protesters disrupted a project’s stakeholders meeting organised by the provincial government last month and forced the Minister for Commerce & Industry Gabriel Kapris and Madang Governor Sir Arnold Amet to meet them to accept a petition.
Work at the project site has ceased as people await the government response to their petition.
The protesters of men, women and children mainly from the Bel language area surrounding Madang town and the project site are frustrated that the project is proceeding despite their opposition. Carrying banners and placards in English and Tok Pisin saying ‘No PMIZ’ and “We don’t want PMIZ to pollute our seas’, the protesters expressed their frustration demanding the project be halted immediately.
The protesters said they wanted to show the government that there were many ordinary people, especially women, children and youth who opposed the project.
In their petition to Amet and Minister Kapris, the people said they had strong reservations about the proposed Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ). They said while the government is pushing ahead, there are many legitimate concerns and questions about the project and its potential impact on the environment and communities that the government must address immediately.
They reminded the government that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) provided that the free and informed consent of indigenous peoples shall be obtained “prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands or territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of their mineral, water or other resources”.
They said they are offended and frustrated by the blatant disrespect displayed by both the provincial and national governments towards the people of Madang in bulldozing the establishment of the PMIZ.
“We are deeply disappointed with the lack of any meaningful awareness and consultation by the Government of PNG, with the people of Madang regarding the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone,” they said in their petition.
They said they believe the activities of PMIZ would cause serious long-term and possible irreversible damage to rich marine environment that is their customary fishing grounds.
The well-documented environment and social problems caused by the operations of RD Tuna Cannery have also created a genuine fear that the problems will worsen with the establishment of PMIZ.
The current issues with RD Tuna are environment pollution, Asians trading fish for sex, long hours' work for low wages of K80 (US$26) per fortnight for women, and limited spin-offs for the local people.
They have asked the government to ensure proper and meaningful awareness and consultation with all communities to be impacted by the activities of the PMIZ, and to seriously consider the findings of an independent scientific research on the value of the coastal and marine environment of Madang.
They want the government to clarify customary rights over the sea, particularly the three nautical miles stated under the PNG law; clarify whether and how the government intends to accommodate four existing marine Wildlife Management Areas (WMA’s) and seven proposed areas under its PMIZ plan. They want the government to address the existing environment and social problems created by RD Tuna operations, and involve NGOs and civil society in any discussions on policies, laws and plans related to the PMIZ.
Governor Amet while accepting the petition said the stakeholders forum that he had organised was the right place where such issues should be raised. He invited all stakeholder leaders in government, communities and NGOs to attend the meeting to discuss the issue and to inform the people.
However, the local people fear  the stakeholders’ forum is not representative of all the views and seems to be providing approval for the project to proceed.
 Minister Kapris also warned people not to be misled by foreign NGOs whom the government is accusing of using the people to oppose the project. However, the people have brushed aside the government’s accusation. They said the majority of the Bel people from the eight major villages are opposed to the project because they believe it will affect them negatively. They perceive the project as only involving rich foreign companies, the Chinese, PNG politicians and a few locals who have been bought off.
They also pointed out that the people of  have a history of rebelling against authority, dating far back as the 1904 rebellion against the German colonialists over land in Madang.
In the rebellion, the forefathers of the present protesters secretly armed themselves and descended upon the Germans in Madang town with the intention to kill them all. The planned attack failed only because one of the local people had informed the Germans in time and police managed to ward off the attackers. The German retaliation was harsh. Six local leaders were executed by a firing squad and the local population was exiled from the area. Today, a deep resentment still remains over land issues especially involving foreigners.
 The lack of adequate consultation and knowledge about the PMIZ project is a major factor in fuelling opposition to the project.
PMIZ is turning out to be another major Chinese funded project being pushed by PNG government ministers and their Chinese partners.
The project was hatched in Port Moresby and neither the Madang provincial government nor the people were involved until the planned groundbreaking ceremony early this year.
Up to 10 tuna factories will be established on a 2160-hectare special economic zone that is promising up to 30,000 jobs. Thousands of Asians are also expected to be employed at the site.