Pacific civil society is calling on all non-government organisations and concerned citizens to help support a petition on experimental seabed mining at a crucial time in the Pacific. 

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) in collaboration with the Government of Fiji and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) SOPAC Division is currently hosting an International Workshop on the Exploitation of Deep Sea Minerals, from 29 November to 2 December 2011. 

By Gary Juffa*

Our simple folk ask for little - a road, a bridge perhaps, a school and a hospital. They fend for themselves as they have done for the last 50,000 years.

Since the commencement of the Commission of Inquiry (“the Commission”) into the granting of the Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Lease (“SABL”) a number of anomalies have become apparent, one of which has concerned the Land Investigation Report (“LIR”). An SABL cannot be granted unless an investigation is carried out on the parcel of land for which the SABL is sought. The LIR is an important pre-requisite for the granting of the SABL.

By Luana Paniu

One man and his daughter are the sole shareholders of a Gulf Province landowner company that holds vast tracts of forests purportedly on behalf of their clansmen, reports the Post Courier.

The SABL Commission of Inquiry was further astounded to learn the two-person company does not have any existing files with the Department of Lands and Physical Planning under the Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases.

The Commission of Inquiry (“the Commission”) into the issuance of the Special Purpose Agriculture and Business Leases (SABL) for the Gulf Province began in Port Moresby today (Monday 28/11/2011).

Police rapes girl

A GRADE six student in Madang was allegedly raped by a policeman last Thursday, but despite complaints laid by the girl’s relatives, the suspect is still out and free without being charged or detained.

Father and uncle of the girl yesterday expressed their disappointment to this paper saying despite an official complaint being lodged last Friday, police in Madang were yet to detain the policeman concerned.

We need to think about whether development brings any benefits to those who are largely self-sufficient – like many of the world's 150 million tribal people including many Papua New Guineans

By Stephen Corry*

Diabetes, obesity and heart disease rates are soaring in developing countries, as multinationals find new ways of selling processed food to the poor

By Felicity Lawrence (Guardian UK)

Lawyer Alois Jerewai is familiar with the buzz of mosquitoes and the sweet aroma and taste of ‘saksak’, the staple of every sago loving ‘saki’ in PNG, reports the Post Courier.

Mr Jerewai, from Sepik, has also heard that famous folksy ‘saki’ tune made famous by the Hollie Maea band many times.

So when it finally lured him to Kerema, the little ‘yu yet kam na lukim’ river port west of Port Moresby, Mr Jerewai thought the Gulf provincial capital deserves better.