The Gaia Foundation of Western
Australia
* Personal Growth
* Strengthening the Community
* Healing the Planet
The Hon. Mr Gordon Bilney Minister for Development Cooperation and
Pacific Island Affairs MG70, Executive Wing Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Mr Bilney
We have received disturbing reports about the action taken by a
PNG police riot squad whose operations have been apparently funded
"under the expense and request of Yema Gaipa Logging" 1 (a
subsidiary of Rimbunan Hijau, a Sarawak Malaysian Company based in
Sowara Village, Oro Province) on the 15th September. The riot
squad has been engaged in illegally assaulting a worker who has
been participating in an Australian International Development
Assistance Bureau and Australian Council of Churches funded
project with the Village Development Trust, in Bau, Morobe
Province. The worker, Gewai Dusty Zamunu, was illegally detained
on the 15th September, and taken to the nearby village of Sowara,
for illegal interrogation, during which time he was beaten by a
rotan. During his interrogation it is alleged the police said,
"Yema Gaipa logging operations could have started years ago, but
your awareness activities in the area have held back the
operations." Mr Zamunu was released from custody on the 20th
September and his bail was returned. He is currently pursuing
legal action against both the police and the logging company.
The Australian Government, despite having provided through AIDAB
$A62.1 million to the police force has been unable to prevent the
corruption of the police in this fashion. Serious doubts exist as
to the effectiveness of these moneys, especially when the same
police are used to assault workers in an AIDAB funded program with
the Village Development Trust which aims to establish an
ecologically sustainable village based tree harvesting program in
Morobe. Instead, the police are used in assaulting village
development workers who aim to assert traditional rights to forest
resources. This is the third time in Morobe Province, and the 8th
or 9th time in PNG that such police bullying has occurred over the
last 6 months. Surely the police funded by Australia should be
used to prevent the bribing of government officials, politicians
and the police, and to prevent the illegal ecological destruction
and bullying of traditional peoples that has so characterised
Rimbunan Hijau's record in Sarawak, and has now been transplanted
into Papua New Guinea.
The PNG based civil rights group, Individual and Community Rights
Advocacy Forum (ICRAF), are "concerned that there may be a police
campaign to illegally intimidate landowners who oppose logging
companies exploiting their land... Senior police officers failed
to attend a recent interdepartmental conference called by the
Prime Minister's Department to coordinate the government
regulation of the forestry industry and to curb illegal logging
activities. The police do not appear to be following government
policy, and appear to have exceeded their mandate... The main
concern of the inter-departmental conference was official
corruption, with logging companies bribing customs officers,
Labour Department and Migration Officials. One major issue in the
regulation of forests is how many plant operators get their
driving licenses; and whether heavy equipment is registered.." 2.
The Prime Minister, Mr Paias Wingti, and his uncorrupted Minister
for Forests, Mr Tim Neville, seem to be engaged, at last, in
trying to implement the recommendations of the 1989 Barnett
Inquiry into Corruption in the PNG Timber Industry, but are being
hindered in their efforts by the corruption of the AIDAB funded
police.
The Gaia Foundation request, that the Australian Government should
give every assistance to the Papua New Guinean authorities in
investigating whether police trained by Australian taxpayer's
money are involved in any way in this corruption. It requests
that the Australian government should, via appropriate channels,
provide for Mr Dusty Zamunu's legal costs. It also requests that
the Minister should indicate, through its AIDAB funding for the
police, that it supports the efforts of Mr Wingti and Mr Neville,
who are attempting to deal with the situation. In particular, the
Australian government should inform the PNG government that it
supports the ICRAF recommendations that:
1. Police need to ensure that the law is enforced in an even
handed and impartial manner, allowing landowners who oppose
logging operations the right to express their views in a peaceful
and non-violent manner;
2. That police begin checking entry visas, driving licences and
work permits of foreign logging workers, and import regulations,
registration and insurance of heavy equipment imported by foreign
owned logging companies, as required to under Papua New Guinean
law; and
3. That police establish a liaison officer in each province, to
investigate and coordinate complaints from traditional landowners
who object to companies coming onto and trespassing on their
land.
We request the Government take immediate action on these matters
to prevent further abuse of the development efforts taken using
Australian taxpayers money.
Yours sincerely
John Croft on behalf of the Gaia Foundation 28 September 1993
1 & 2 - From ICRAF Press Release - issued 21 September 1993 - text
attached