By Nou Vada, student at the UPNG School of Law

Pasin Barata in English would translate to something like Brotherly Way. It is the philosophy of being a good Melanesian – of showing respect and kindness and courtesy to others. At its core it is about having pride – not in self but in the community and in those who support you. It’s a philosophy that seems global enough – and it is – but the essence of this Philosophy is something Melanesians understand almost intuitively.

Now on the 30th of September 2010 Harmony Gold CEO Graham Briggs opened the Hidden Valley Gold Mine Project, the first of the South African Mining Giant’s offshore ventures. At the Project’s Opening a proud Briggs stated, “... the government and communities of PNG and Morobe province... and have worked closely with the company to ensure that the development of the Hidden Valley mine has long-term positive and sustainable consequences in the region.”

Less than a year on, the People of Watut in Morobe are suffering from the acidification of the Watut River System. These local communities, who depend greatly on the river are the first and the most vulnerable victims of this pollution of the Watut River.

As ACT NOW! And other watchdogs mount a popular cause against this unacceptable environmental disaster and call for proper remediation and compensation by Harmony and its paretner Newcrest, I think about Pasin Barata and wonder if what needs to be done before anything else is a simple acknowledgement of mistake and equally simple apology to the people who Harmony Gold CEO Graham Briggs promised a ‘long-term positive and sustainable’ future, like the people of Watut.

No amount of remediation and Kina compensation can fix the damage that has been done on the way of life of the people of the Watut River. But a little Pasin Barata can go a long way. 

Photographs of The Watut river reproduced with the kind permission of Hon. Sam Basil MP for Bulolo -  Sam's blog