Porgera Alliance

Category: Resettlement

  • Hazardous Chemical disposal in Red Wara River

    On July 12, several reports from Porgera indicate that there was a chemical release by Barrick into the Red Wara River.

    UPDATE from Mark Ekepa:
    “In my village last week 12th July there was a shut down of mill and took 4 day to refurbished and service it while doing that the rubbish from the auto clave and unneutralized of chemicals were discharged direct into the red wara.
    When the villagers saw that they went down panning for waste gold as usual on their daily life and started packing them in their bags and trying to clean them with fresh water but they started feeling in their all body started heated up and itching on their skins.
    After an hours time the news spread around the village and Barrick PJV stepped in with their CRA officers and found out and confirmed it and took 8 victims the worse one to their medical center and treat them and took their blood samples to be tested and advices the victims to wait for two weeks to get their results.
    There are more victims there were burned by the chemical disposal and yet collecting their details will update you.”
    According to Everlyn Gaupe, over 100 victims under close attention of the medical care as a result of the release, but need proper care and resources.

  • Landowners respond to 50% sale of Porgera Mine to Zijin Mining Group

    The Porgera Landowners Association sent a letter to the head office of Barrick Gold outlining their concerns about the sale of 50% of their Porgera Mine stake to Zijin Mining Group. They are calling for Barrick to convene a high level delegates meeting with stakeholders of the Porgera Mine, including Zijin, so that these concerns can be addressed.

    These concerns include:

    • losing local employment to Chinese employees
    • losing local business if the procurement process is affected
    • severe damage to the environment
    • lack of respect for MOA commitments
    • the resettlement project could be negatively impacted
    • the Fly-in, Fly-out agreement will be undermined

    Read the full statement here.

     

  • Porgera Landowners petition PNG Government with Ultimatum regarding Barrick’s intention to sell Porgera Mine

    MOA landowner protest
    Photo from previous landowner dispute over Barrick's violation to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)

    Today, Porgera Landowners petitioned the PNG Government with an ultimatum in response to Barrick’s announcement that it intends to sell off its stake in the Porgera Mine. According to the petition, the government has until Feb 25, 2015 to respond to the landowners request that the government deal with unresolved issues at the mine before allowing its sale.

    These issues are outlined as follows:

    1. SML Resettlement The relocation issues not being fully addressed by the Developers and the State in the due processes since 24 years of mine life as of 1989 to 2015 this year.

    2. Landowner Resettlement Issues The major resettlement issues not being addressed even though the matter was raised at different avenues. The major resettlement program is still pending with Barrick being the key player.

    3. Disposal of Tailings The PJV”™s continuous discharging of mine waste into the main riverine system especially at Anawe waste dump site and Anjolek creek are causing a serious damages to the environment, improving plants and permanent loss of traditional customary land starting from the mine site then flows into the main Kaiya and Pogema River Systems respectively. Its then proceeds down to the main Porgera River and on to Fly River system resulting in causing tension cracks with high flooding of the debrides with mixture of sands, gravels and toxic chemicals reactions are taking place. Then it also causes with huge landslides along the either sides of the riverbanks. Reference ““ Parama Association of Lower Porgera is now taking legal actions and seeking Human Rights International assistance against the PJV-Barrick Gold Ltd and Independent State of Papua New Guinea.

    4. Human Rights Currently the SML Landowners are now living within the vicinity of the special mining lease areas are seriously affected as due to air and dust pollution causing from the hauling of mine Ore body and toxic fume or steams that evaporates through the milling chimney that goes up into the air. And it really affects the human lives when drinking of rain water catchment from the tanks and other air pollutions within the PJV relocation homes and other surrounding areas of SML Porgera mine. Also a number of local landowners and domestic animals being carried away by the high flooding river currents while penning of alluvial gold along the main Kaiya and Porgera River System; a traditional or customary land owned by the Tieni, Tuanda and Kewai landowners. Reference ““ Porgera Landowners Association is dealing these matters at the high level of both government authorities and other international community”™s support and assistance.

    5. Porgera Agreement After more than 24 years of mine life there was no tangible developments were taking sharp into the relocation areas such as electricity connection into the relocation houses, access road links into the relocation villages. Also there is no proper Aid-post or Health centers and any form of educational services such as elementary to primary schools within the relocation areas of SML Porgera mine. Reference ““ The Porgera Landowners association has raised these praising issues and graveness at the various avenues during the 24 years of mining life. Thus, no formal review was done between the STATE, DEVELOPER (Barrick Gold Ltd) and Porgera Landowners Association for and on behalf of the silent majority with an estimate population of ten thousand (10 000) plus people of SML Landowners of Porgera mine.

    6. Mine Lease Issues Papua New Guinea is a land owned by the traditional landowners oppose to state ownership. We the traditional landowners own the land through inhabitants from generation to generations. The mine lease Barrick will expire in (2019) that is after three years”™ time, but, we still have the issues of permanent damages to our land and environmental damages caused due to mining operations.

    7. Socio-economic Issues The socio-economic liabilities including outstanding obligations and claims for sustainability are at stake.

    With these underlying issues which has been prolong for well over 24 years of mine life, the PJV Barrick Gold went ahead and sold out its 95% share from Porgera mine without the landowners concerns as we are the part shareholder of 2.5% and another 2.5% belongs to the Enga Provincial Government. Also the State and the Barrick Gold Ltd are well aware that we the people of SML area of Porgera mine are wholly own this customary land territories of the current mining operations are taking place. The State and the Barrick Gold Ltd had deliberately removed our rights and freedoms as part of ignorance and selling out of 95% stake to an unknown mining company. Under that circumstance we the landowners are very much frustrated and anger over the manner in which the PJV/Barrick Gold Ltd the immediate manager of the Porgera mining operation had deliberately by-passing the landowners from further negotiation on Barrick take-over. Also PJV/Barrick had left behind all the above pressing issues yet to be addressed and just wanted to sneak out. With these terms and conditions, we have no choice but to declare the mine operation to be CLOSED for indefinite period if no positive responses are coming forthwith.

  • Massive Protests in Porgera over violation to MOA agreement with landowners

    On October 28, 2014, hundreds of Porgerans marched onto Barrick Gold’s Porgera mine site to demand benefits that rightfully belong to the Porgera Special Mining Lease (SML) Landowners.

    On Oct 17, Barrick Gold was given a 48 hour ultimatum to respond to requests by landowners at their controversial Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea. The first demand, that Barrick become Party to a revised Porgera Mine Memorandum of Agreement and make a date to commence MOA review, has been the landowners “number one ask from day one”, according to a letter dated October 17, 2014 from the landowners association to Barrick management. For many years, the Porgera Landowners Association has been urging Barrick Gold for the resettlement of their people away from the Porgera mine site, through MOA reviews, and an international pressure and educational campaign including an OECD complaint and several appeals to the United Nations.

    After the protest reached the Barrick mine, the company agreed to give an answer to the landowner’s demands by Nov. 10, 2014.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Porgera Landowners Press Statement in response to “Illegal Miners Hit Porgera”

    This press statement is released directly in relation to a news articles read EMTV news segment and print news The National 6 February 2014 ” Illegal Miners Hit Porgera”.

    Chairman of Porgera Landowners Association, Tony Mark Ekepa says that the issues surrounding the illegal mining activity at the mine site is not a new development and the State is responsible for recent increase in illegal activities at the Porgera Mine site.

    The SML Landowners through PLOA have always maintained that this kind of illegal activity is manageable through provisions in the Porgera Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) review. The mutually agreed provision regarding resettlement is capable of addressing the problem. Steps have been taken by the stakeholders through the Porgera Mine MOA review but that review has been stalled.

    The State, through Mineral Resources Authority (MRA), is to be blamed for the recent increase in illegal mining activities for not fast tracking the MOA review. For political convenience, the State has created an unnecessary impasse on the MOA review and illegal activities at the mine site has escalated to a new level as reported by the mine operator. (more…)

  • Indigenous Landowners release report demanding urgent resettlement

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Contact: Mark T. Ekepa: emarktony@gmail.com, Phone: +(675) 5479428, cell: +(675) 71234467
    Jethro Tulin: jctulin@gmail.com +(675) 72817336

    The Porgera Land Owners Association (PLOA), in partnership with the Porgera Alliance released a report today detailing the case for the urgent resettlement of their people away from Barrick’s Porgera mine. The report covers the health hazards associated with living close to the mine, as well as enumerating the human rights abuses caused by mine security. The report also recounts the history of the mine’s agreements with the local community, revealing a pattern of neglect of the community’s free, prior and informed consent at nearly every stage of the mine’s development.

    This report follows investigations and reports published by Amnesty International, Harvard Law, Human Rights Watch, and the Norwegian Government all detailing the dangerous conditions near the Porgera mine. However, this report stands out as a comprehensive look at the history of the Porgera mine, from the perspective of the landowners who have led negotiations with the company.

    download report here: https://www.porgeraalliance.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Urgent-Resettlement-Porgera-web.pdf

    for background, see:

    Norwegian Pension Fund Full Report on Divestment Decision: http://www.protestbarrick.net/downloads/recommendation_barrick.pdf
    Harvard Law Report on Porgera: http://www.reports-and-materials.org/Harvard-testimony-re-Porgera-Main.pdf
    Amnesty International Report on Forced Evictions: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA34/001/2010/en/2a498f9d-39f7-47df-b5eb-5eaf586fc472/asa340012010eng.pdf
    Human Rights Watch report confirming gang rapes by Barrick Security Forces:     http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/png0211webwcover.pdf

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  • Customary Land Rights in Papua New Guinea loses to Mining Rights in National Court Decision

    Landowners appeal to United Nations for support

    A recent landmark decision of the National Court that gives Porgera Joint Venture Company exclusive rights of occupancy to its Special Mining Lease (SML) could affect thousands of landowners living in major resource development project areas throughout the country. Meanwhile, landowners from Porgera have traveled to the United Nations to advocate for the humane resettlement of the people still living within the SML.
    (more…)

  • Background – Issues Related to Barrick Gold”™s Porgera Joint Venture Mine in Papua New Guinea May 2011

    Violence Perpetrated by the Security Forces of the Porgera Joint Venture Mine

    Allegations of rapes, beatings and killings of community members by Porgera Joint Venture (PJV) security forces have been prevalent for at least a decade. In a news article in 2005 then-mine operator Canada”™s Placer Dome admitted to eight killings of community members by PJV security guards. 1 Early in 2006 Barrick Gold took over the mine when it acquired Placer Dome. There have been further allegations of killings and rapes by PJV security forces since 2006. Most of these cases have never been investigated. (more…)

  • In response to paid Press Statement done by Honorable Philip Kikala, Member for Lagaip

    Response to paid Press Statement done by Honorable Philip Kikala, Member for Lagaip ““ Porgera on the Post Courier dated 8th December 2010.

    Surprise but not surprisingly, Mr. Kikala seems to have gone off the track in his attempt to answer numbers of sensitive issues connected with the operation of the Porgera Gold.


    The decision to sale 5% shares in Mineral Resources Enga was decided on pure commercial reasoning by the MRE board. We understand that the Porgera mine is lucrative but we have not seen any dividend benefits over the last 7 years from the shares. Year in-year out”™ cash calls from the major shareholder and the joint venture partnered of the mine has become common practice and, we the Porgera Landowners Association representing about 10 000 people of the Special Mining Lease Area wish not to be seen stuck with 2.5% shares whilst no benefits. Window dressing and waste of time in holding unto the 2.5% equity.

    I understand the nature of the Ok Tedi deal; BHP excited from the Ok Tedi mine free off loading some 63.4% ownership right to settle out of court after class action by the people of the Fly River delta. The PNG government reached a deal with BHP guided by an Act of Parliarament known as the Ok Tedi Act and PNG Sustainable Development Trust set up.

    Apparently, Mr. Kikala was given the mandate in 2007 and whilst being fresh and in form with the ruling NA government, the opportunity was there for him to hold grips on the issues affecting the Porgera mine and the people of Lagaip-Porgera if he was that genuine. The landowners have been struggling with the mining impacts for some time and we cannot continue to hold on to shares that are of no value. I recall that at a public rally in Laiagam in September 2008, Mr. Kikala cited that, Barrick (PNG) Limited was big brother to him and he was smaller brother to Barrick.“ So by way of selling the 5% share to Barrick could mean we are trying to make his big brother even bigger.

    Moving on to the points of MOU Review and Resettlement, I appreciate the call by the local MP but than, his statement gives rise to a very serious question how genuine is he? What really prompted him to make a call at this juncture when the Mining Minister, Honorable John Pundari is providing the leadership and the MOU Review is expected to commence mid January 2011.

    Despite Mr. Kikala is correct in pointing out that landowners are living inside the SML, the issues are not new and his statement was not a surprise call. In numerous petitions to the government, Porgera Landowners Association has repeatedly demanded for the MOU review and a comprehensive resettlement package from the National Government and Barrick PNG Ltd.

    Politicians like Mr. Kikala should not size the opportunity for political convenience. Before he became an MP, Mr. Kikala was Porgera Project Coordinator, Deputy Secretary in Enga, National Planning Secretary and member of the Porgera Investigation Committee in 2006. Mr. Kikala was well acquainted with the issues affecting the landowners and yet he pretended to know nothing. I begin to wonder at one stage Mr. Kikala made a statement in Parliament in May 2010 that, “four Porgera landowner leaders have visited Canada”™s House of Commons and trying to sell fabricated stories.” He even went on the extreme of asking the Foreign Affairs Minister to prosecute the four leaders.

    I was amongst one of the four Porgera leaders who visited Canada between April-May 2010 and raised the issue of MOU Review and Resettlement with Barrick Senior Executives at Headquarters in Toronto and with like-minded Politicians and senior civil servants in Ottawa. Now I find Mr. Kikala”™s statement contradicts him. The four Porgera leaders where not in Canada at that time trying to sell fabricated stories but raise serious issues that are affecting the SML landowners.

    Hence, the issues of MOU Review, Resettlement, and the failed FIFO program at Paiam are all part and puzzle of the Porgera Landowners Association Position paper before the Mining Minister for renegotiation purpose start mid January 2011. For benefit of Mr. Kikala, I suggest he visit this web site; www.porgeraalliance.net.

    Otherwise I appreciate the leadership that has been provided so far by Honorable John Pundari, Minister for Mining within his brief period at the ministry and the initiatives taken to move forward to address issues affecting the SML landowners in Porgera.

    Finally, I ask Mr. Kikala to allocate some funds from the Lagaip-Porgera JDBP to assist the PLOA Land Negotating Committees for the MOU Review. The outcome of the MOU is off course, Rural Development.

    Authorized for Release,

    Mr. Mark Tony Ekepa

    Chairman

    Porgera Landowners Association

  • Toxic Non-Neutralized Tailings emitted from Barrick Gold”™s Porgera Mine: Villagers poisoned (report w/testimonies)

    The Porgera Alliance compiled the testimonies of 25 victims poisoned from an unusually high discharge of unneutralized waste at Barrick Gold’s Porgera mine.

    Mark Ekepa writes:

    Find attached is the report done from my end just on the 27th of July PJV Barrick have discharged heavy pure (not neutralized) into the river system (red wara).

    The villagers have gone down to the (red wara) panning for gold and when the villagers have contacted the river they got burn up and sores were all over their bodies.

    Read report here.