Cyril Gare| The National | Letters | 24.07.2023
What is the value of man to that of gold? Likewise, what is the value of people to that of Pogera Mine?
Wisdom is needed if answers are to be found. Without wisdom is curse.
Careful with those who curse or have cursed for they are blinded by the value of gold over men.
We must judge by humanity with a good heart. Value the whole man, and not merely a part. Value his soul as well as his body.
One thousand plus tribes thrive in unison and own Papua New Guinea and a;; that is on the land. Not the state or the multi-nationals.
People who own the land on which the Pogera mine is situated are Engans. Engans are equally God’s creature’s and have more value than gold.
Despite their grievances before the courts and on shelves of Waigani have over and again been bulldozed by both State and Courts as if they do not exist.
It is not people but the system itself breaking the law.
Hiwas and Tugubas reign from sister Kumo sub-district of Hela.
They own the land on which the Hides power plant supplies electricity to Pogera mine – the GTE project is situated.
Without GTE it is impossible to process the gold at the mine.
Through their chiefs, the 17 clans of the Hiwas and Tugubas signed the 1993 Dispute Settlement Compromise Agreement which is currently the “source document” fundamental legal document that paved way for not one but the multi-K2 billion projects to take place on their land: the 70 Megawatts Hides Gas -Pogera GTE project, and PNG LNG project – both projects are operating under one and same Petroleum Development License PDL 1.
Right now as talks begin in the development forum of the new Pogera mine deal, hundreds of valued lives are being lost and millions of Kina worth of properties are being destroyed across Enga, home of Barriack, the second largest gold producer in the world.
At Hides last December, two people were killed and K20 million worth of properties were burnt to the ground after gas and oil landowners clashed following a visit by MRDC (Mineral Development Resource Company) to open bank accounts and make payments to beneficiary landowners.
On both fronts, (Enga and heal), Tensions are very high not only around land ownership issues pertaining to resources development but general breakdown in law and order are escalating in real time.
With Africa is in focus, 15 of Africa’s 54 countries are currently at war. Why? Resource development and exploitation by multinationals.
Sadly 27% of the people on the continent are directly affected by bloodshed mayhem, and post traumatic stress. The “divide and rule” technique employed by these evil-sih cooperate predators is working in Africa and we (PNG) are in the deluge heading there.
Bougainville war is a lesson.
How many more?
What is the rush?
