CHINA PROHIBITS DEEPSEA TAILINGS PLACEMENT (DSTP) IN ITS WATERS; WHY PNG?

Why is the Ramu Nickel Mine (RNM) a Chinese State owned company allowed by the government of PNG to dump its waste into the sea when it is ILLEGAL in China? Are the people of Raicoast where RNM plans to dump it’s waste not humans? Are they second class citizens?

Any country that bans dumping of waste into the sea KNOWS it will cause ecological disaster. If China is one of them then there is no point in using DSTP in PNG. The RNM should look at other options of waste disposal mechanisms. Land based option is the way to go; if not shift the waste to China and dump it there, not in PNG. If RNM argues that it can not build a dam because of frequent seismic activity in PNG then why is Morobe Mines building dams in its operation sites in Bulolo and Wau? Is it simply an excuse by RNM to give as it will coast a lot of money for building a dam?

The government of PNG should also consider its marine pollution laws by the PNG National Maritime Safety Authority. These laws protect MARINE LIFE and the PEOPLE from dumping waste into the sea. Regardless of these laws, the government of PNG amends the Environmental Act 2000 to allow companies to do whatever they want to do without consultation, approval and interference by resource-owners. What kind of government do we have?

The Prime Minister - The Ramu Nickel’s Salesman

The Prime Minister arrived this morning from Port Moresby. He is in Madang Province and is meeting with the landowners including ward councilors mainly from the Raicoast area and Krumbukare of Madang Province. The Prime Minister is coming down so low to meet with the people.
According to the Post Courier of yesterday, the PM stated on media that the Ramu Nickel Mine must go ahead despite resistance from the people of Raicoast. The Prime Minister is now like a Salesman for Ramu Nickel Mine. In doing this, he is no longer the Prime Minister but working for the Ramu Nickel Mine in ensuring no one stands in the way of the company.
What does it show and tell us if the Prime Minister has to come to the province and deal with provincial issues which the governor is supposed to deal with? Is the Governor in competent? Is the Ramu Nickel Mine dictating what the Prime Minister should do?
It seems that the Prime Minister is out of his mind. He keeps hammering home that the people of Raicoast are the ones delaying or stopping the operations of this project. He is so ill informed that he cannot even hear the message from the people of Raicoast where they are saying, they are not stopping the operations of the mine however they simply don’t want MCC to dump waste in the sea. If there are land-based alternatives to dump waste then use them. Dumping of waste into the Raicoast people is simply a NO, NO!

How ignorant and irresponsible our government is

The mandate of the government is to serve its people. How it should operate is spelled out clearly in the country’s Constitution. What we find is that the government of the day is not operating in accordance with its mandate. People’s popular line is that the government was put in power by the people for the people. Is the government really for the people? Look what has transpired in the last couple of weeks in regards to people’s struggle to stop dumping of waste into the sea by the Ramu Management (MCC).

A petition signed by 7,500 people was presented to the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Environment and Conservation and the Governor of Madang by the Raicoast people of Madang Province. The people gave 21 days for the government to respond to their petition. Instead, the government of the day responds to this petition by amending the current Environment Act. This amendment not only affects the people of Raicoast and Madang but the whole country. If this amendment comes into effect, this will result in the people losing their traditional, constitutional and legal rights to their land once they say yes to development of their resources.

The government has bulldozed this amendment regardless of a current court injunction by the landowners from Raicoast preventing the Ramu Nico Management (MCC) who is the developer of the Ramu Nickel Mine to dump 100 million wastes into the sea. This shows how the government is very irresponsible.

Many years ago, we used to point fingers at outsiders for suppressing and marginalizing our people, this time it’s our elites, bureaucrats, ministers who are doing it. These people should be ashamed of themselves.

We are coming to a time now when citizens have to rise up. We need to stop these types of actions by the government. We should all demand that the recent amendment should be undone or else we are all heading for a total disaster. There is no more time to sit and wait, the ball is in our hands. We either stop it or we lose rights to our land.