Rumor: K3million offered to Plaintiffs on negoitiation table

Amidst all the controversies surrounding the Ramu Nickel Mine with the court cases and campaigns against DSTP running parallel to each other, there are already new developments.

There are rumors that, the PNG Government, CMCC and a MRA Lawyer currently negotiating with the Plaintiffs to withdraw the court case to allow the mine to progress. An amount of K3million is said to be offered to the Plaintiffs plus other benefits such as contracts for them to withdraw the court case.

Several Landowners from Raicoast are now lodging at the Madang Lodge while the negotiations are going on.

By the way, is it legal for the defendants to negotiate with the plaintiffs directly, when the matter is in the courts?

Another Desperate Attempt to Prop-up Ramu Nickel

The people of Raicoast have made history by causing the high level government officials to visit them twice within 4 weeks.

The first was when the deputy prime minister, Madang governor and other government officials who went down to Bongu Village to receive the petition signed by 7000 people of Raicoast opposing DSTP. Today (10th of June 2010)the prime minister Sir Michael Somare, flew to Madang to discuss with the landowners. For the PM and his deputy attend to the same issue within 4 weeks means something.

The PM spoke about how he taught in various districts in Madang during the colonial days as a teacher and that he always wanted the best for Madang and the people of PNG. His talk was basically to draw sympathizers to support the project.
On the other hand, governor Amet appealed to the party that took the injunction to withdraw the court cases and bring the matter to the discussion table and allow the mine to proceed.

This is seen as another desperate attempt to prop-up support for the Ramu Nickel Project. But the people of Raicoast are NOT stupid or ignorant anymore.

Force it out Now or you'll be sorry tomorrow

The PNG government is running this country with total madness.There is absolute negligence of its purpose, mandate, function and responsibility has seen in the recent amendment to the Environmental Act 2000.

The Amendment basically removed the powers of the people as landowners to sue the state and the companies on environmental damages. This amendment was done in the light of the legal challenge lounged by the people of Raicoast against the Deep Sea Tailings Placement (DSTP). Based on scientific reports stating that the impacts of the tailings would cause a severe impact on the marine ecosystem along the Madang coastlines including Karkar and Bagabag islands, the Raicoast landowners took an injunction in court to stop the consstruction of the DSTP system.

The Raicoast people also petitioned the government against the DSTP. The government and the Chinese miner have been blaming the NGOs for instigating the resistance. However, despite the court proceedings and the petition, the government decided to change the law to legalize its action and remove the powers of landowners to take court action on issues relating to environmental concerns.

The new amendment to the Environmental Act 2000, is a worst legislation and against the spirit of democracy, human rights and the constitution of PNG. With this amendment, the government literally removed democracy.It is becoming obvious that the government has become a "puppet" of CMCC and Exxon Mobil.

Right across the country there is public outcry against this amendment. If that Act is not repealed, the government is simply asking for trouble as there is so much tension and pressure building up and will explode any minute. NOW is the time to force the government to repeal the amendment. Now is the time to challenge this dictatorship. If we fail to force the government to repeal the amendment-Goodbye Democracy. PNG get ready for the worst to come!

Raicoast don't need Ramu Nico

The newly elected Raicoast MP, Mr. Joe Gau defended fervently that, the Ramu Nickel Mine project is needed for the much needed services for his constituency. He claimed that without the mine, it will be practically impossible for him to deliver tangible services to his electorate and blames NGOs and outsiders for sabotaging the progress of the mine.  

Mr. Gau, the Raicoast people have been denied for service delivery mainly due to issues surrounding the vacancies of its national MP post due to various reasons. The last thing the people of Raicoast want to hear is their MP confused about who is responsible for service delivery and development in their electorate. Mr. Gau fails to understand that the prime objective of the Chinese Metallurgical Construction Company (CMCC) is to extract the Nickel and make profit and it is NOT their business to serve the people of Raicoast. All service and development deliveries is the responsibility of the government of which Mr. Gau is part of.    

First of all, Mr. Gau don't lie to the Raicoast people that, you need the money from the mine to deliver services and development. How will you get the money when in fact the government gave CMCC 10 years tax holiday? Mr. Gau there will not be any tax for the next 10 years, and who knows whether you will still remain in power after the 10 years lapsed.

Secondly, Mr. Gau, the political party and the government which you are a member of cannot lie to the people of Raicoast. What about the K40 million stole by senior a NA MP and minister and banked in a private bank account in Singapore? What about he K780 million stolen by lawyers, accountants, MPs and public servants unveiled by the finance inquiry? These monies should have been used for the delivery of the much needed service and development in Raicoast and other areas in PNG as well.

Thirdly, Mr. Gau, with the experiences of the mining industry in PNG with OK Tedi, Bougainville Copper, Porgera, Missima and Lihir where is the evidence of development and service delivery of these mines? There is absolutely nothing to show and don't lie to the people of Raicoast that the Ramu Nico project will deliver.

Mr Gau, Raicoast does not need the rich wealth to develop, it needs a leadership with the richness in wisdom to lead and you show that you already lack this requirement. And don't tell the people of Raicoast, they need China to develop-Raicoast does not need any CMCC or mining to develop.

Raicoast Leaders Gate Crashed at Governor's Office and Demanded Response to Petition

The Raicoast leaders gate crashed at the Madang Governor's office yesterday (1st of June 2010) and demanded Governor Amet to give them a feedback since the 21 days of their petition lapsed on the 30th of May 2010.

The petition organizer and anti-DSTP campaigner, George Ireng apologized for gate crashing, however, he said that, the 7000 people from Raicoast who signed the petition are waiting a response and the 21 days has lapsed the previous day and the people are kept in suspense and want to know whats happening.  

Madang Governor, Sir Arnold Amet said, he is not moved by the petition and will not be threatened to respond within any time frame, however, he said he honored the petition and will respond in due course.

He promised the landowners to respond in two days to the second demand in the petition which asked for an independent study to verify the impacts. He said he will have to get in touch with the deputy prime minister to make an undertaking to ensure the independent study is carried out. 

Mr. Amet also said that he ha been in touch with  scientists from Madang and PNG who are qualified to engage them in the desk review of the Mineral Policy Institute (MPI) Report (also referred to as the Lutheran Church Report), the various government reports and the SAMS (Scottish Association of Marine Science) report. Mr. Amet said he is still reading the MPI Report and needs more credible scientific advice before he makes a decision.


The SAMS report is supposed to be the independent study which was commissioned by the government, however, the government has not moved on getting the report finalized and published. The Bongu petition was done in the light of the absence of the SAMS report, however, on the day of the presentation of the petition to the government, Mr. Ireng received a copy of the report which the deputy prime minister, Mr. Puka Temu said was still a draft. Mr, Temu said that he will ensure the final payment of K100, 000 is paid to SAMS within two weeks so that the report can be finalized and released. That has not happened, however the government decided to change the Environmental Act instead two days before the Bongu petition lapsed. .

Mr. Ireng, raised the question about the new amendment to the Environmental Act and what is the governors position. He said it was a direct insult to the people from Raicoast who in good faith followed the right procedures to raise the concern and the government goes to the back of the people and amend the law. Mr. Amet said he is not clear with the new legislative changes and will require time to read and understand it before saying anything. He reminded the landowners that, as the former judge, he doesn't jump quickly into conclusion. That has always been his line of excuses- Is he telling his constituency the truth?

Is Governor Amet telling the truth? Is he not one of the best legal brains in the NA camp and therefore provides legal opinions to the party caucus? Is he really negligent to have no say at all when he is in the government and the amendments  highlighted  the landowners from Ramu Nickel halting the progress of the project?....Let the people of Madang decide!!!!

States lawyer instructed in court by Ramu Nico.

The Madang Court Room was packed to capacity today as the Raicoast landowners' lawyer-Tiffany Nonggorr made submissions against the States Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) with reference to the approval of the environmental permit for DSTP being grossly flawed.

At the opening of the session, it was confusing to identify who the state lawyer was. However, it appeared at the end that, the same QC-Brisbane based barrister, Ian Malloy who had been appearing on behalf of the Ramu Nico Ltd appeared today as the states counsel.

In M alloy's defense, he never stated anything to do with the  prejudice against the state or the DEC, nevertheless, he was raising issues relating to the prejudice against Ramu Nico when in fact, they (Ramu Nico) was not a party to the case today. Furthermore, there was a Chinese gentlemen, who was sitting right at the back of the QC and was seen to be giving instructions to the states counsel.

Well that brings alot of questions:
1. Who is paying for the states counsel?
2. Who is instructing the states counsel?
3. Who is the state, is it Ramu Nico?

The landowners counsel concluded in her response to the defense that it was an issue of good governance, and the government should be by the people and for the people. Nevertheless state has failed its primary responsibility to serve the people.

CMCC mobilized Tigabu and his supporters to try to intimidate lawyer

The Chinese state owned Chinese Metallurgical Construction Company (CMCC) the developer of the Ramu Nickel and Cobalt mining project in the Madang Province of PNG, mobilized David Tigabu (the KBK Landowner Association Chairman) and his supporters to try to intimidate the Lawyer representing the landowners of Raicoast who took the injunction against the Deep Sea Tailings Placement (DSTP) for another hearing yesterday (7th of May 2010).

The mob that gathered outside the Madang court house were drunken males who look more like people who live in settlements in the Bundi settlement in Madang. They had their fleshy looking banner up (obviously sponsored by CMCC) and were rowdy and abusive.

The funny thing was there was no landowner from Raicoast present in that gathering.   The DSTP is a Raicoast thing, because it has the high potential to affect the marine ecosystem that support the livelihoods of the coastal communities. The point is DSTP will not affect Krumbukari.It seems that CMCC has also missed the point here by mobilizing a wrong group of people and even worse getting them drunk because they don't have the guts to confront in soberness.

Nevertheless, George Ireng and his Raicoast leaders have made new grounds in their campaign against DSTP because, the governor of Madang, the deputy prime minister, the minister for environment and conservation and the managing director of MRA and MRDC will go to Bongu village to receive the petition from the Raicoast people on the 10th of May 2010. Its the people's power in action!

Raicoast communities signed petition against Deep Sea Tailings Disposal

 The Raicoast communities (both inland and coastal) met on the 14th of April 2010 and signed a petition to the Governor of the Madang province of Papua New Guinea opposing the governments approval of the deep sea tailings disposal (placement) by the Chinese Ramu Nickel and Cobalt  mine. The community forum which was held at the Bongu village convened on same golden day  when their lawyer Tiffany Nonggorr was in court receiving the judgment for the injunction that was ruled in the landowners favour.  Here is the link to a video posted on youtube.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq8-apBMy28

The deep sea tailings disposal plan if allowed to go ahead will have both the Chinese Ramu Nickel and Cobalt mine and the Marengo's Yandra mine disposing massive amounts of mine waste into the sea of the coast of Raicoast. There is a high probability of negative impacts these waste will have on the marine ecosystem and the livelihoods of the coastal communities.

To support the Raicoast communities, you can also sign a petition online:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/basamukbay/