Madang marchers face arrest

Source:

By JEFFREY ELAPA and RONALD BULUM

POLICE in Madang are awaiting instructions from their superiors and the attorney-general and state lawyers to execute arrests on ringleaders of yesterday’s protest march against the Environment (Amendment) Act 2010.
Provincial police commander Supt Anthony Wagambie Jr had earlier on instructed protest leaders against staging the march as the matter was before court and was sub judice.
However, yesterday, hundreds gathered and staged a peaceful and vocal demonstration against the amendments at an open field near the provincial administration buildings.
Wagambie said it appeared that the protest march was organised by both Madang-based and overseas non-governmental organisations. He said police would only execute arrests and file contempt charges if the necessary documents by state lawyers were in place.
Following the filing of a Supreme Court reference disputing the amendments, state lawyers also argued successfully for the matter to be ceased.
Attorney-General Ano Pala later explained that as such, “there should not be anymore discussions, comments or references conducted in the media, or elsewhere”.
“There will be no more talkback radio programmes and interviews, no more advertisements, no more letters to the editor, no more public meetings and, above all, no public demonstrations or protest marches,” Pala stated in a public notice.
The people, mainly town residents, were joined by villagers from Rai Coast, Trans Gogol and the Karkar and Bagbag islands who are members of the Madang People’s Forum and the Bis-marck Solomon Seas Indigenous People’s Council.
Nearly the whole student population of Divine Word University, who had foregone the PNG University Games currently underway at Unitech in Lae in preference of starting their second semester, left classes to take part in the protest, a protester said.
The protesters congregated at the Laiwaden oval and carried placards that said simply: “No no no” or, in a message to Environment Minister Benny Allan and his colleague MPs: “Yu yet gat graun” (you are a landowner).
They were planning to march on the road to the provincial headquarters when Governor Sir Arnold Amet arrived.
“He came escorted by police,” organiser George Ireng said.
Ireng said he asked Sir Arnold to take the lead and march with the people but the governor declined.
Sir Arnold could not be reached for comment.
“He opted to clarify the amendments but we did not want to get any clarifications. It was clear he was trying to defend National Alliance and not the people.”
Parliament had, on April 28, enacted a piece of legislation outlawing third parties from suing developers.
The landowners of Basamuk Bay in Rai Coast felt it was “a direct insult” on them having given Allan and Deputy Prime Minister Sir Puka Temu a 21-day ultimatum on April 10 to reply to their petition.
Their petition had called for an independent study of the effects of deep sea mine tailings from the Ramu nickel mine.
They felt that the disposal would adversely affect the marine eco-system from Rai Coast to Karkar and Bagbag islands in Madang to Siassi in Morobe.
Wagambie said all available police manpower in Madang, including a section of the MS14 (riot police) personnel based at Bogia, were dispatched throughout the town asking residents not to stage the protest march.

National Newspaper, July 1, 2010

Change of leadership

This is the 71^st day since the court injunction preventing the Ramu Nickel Mine from dumping of waste into the sea at Astrolabe Bay as well as blasting of the reefs. The situation in Madang as we hear from sources on the ground is now tense. While the people of Madang are fully prepared and pumped up for a public protest on Wednesday re: the recent changes to the Environment Act, MCC as well as the government of Papua New Guinea are desperately running out of ideas in dealing with the situation. This is an indication of the power of people. If people can stand together they can be able to make a big difference. The government of PNG is now confused as hell. The government should know that the people are no longer blind. The tactics used to run this country in the 80s is no longer relevant and applicable. Seriously there needs to be change in leadership if this country is going to progress.

Pala warns of comments on Environment Act

The Government’s top legal officer has warned people and media groups against publishing or making commentaries about the recent amendments to the Environment Act 2000.

This includes anyone who co-ordinates and conducts public meetings, demonstrations or public protests, Attorney General Ano Pala cautioned yesterday. Otherwise, they ran the risk of being cited for contempt of court, a notice issued by Mr Pala, a former longtime Clerk of Parliament, stated.

The minister’s warning is based on a Supreme Court reference filed by Nonggorr and William Lawyers for its clients Sana Melanbo, Eddie Tarsie and Farina Siga on June 3 seeking the court opinion as to whether the amended Act was unconstitutional.

Last night, the four Madang landowners represented by the Nonggorr law firm issued a statement, challenging Mr Pala’s statement. They were, advised that there was nothing before the court that prevented the media or anybody discussing if the law was a good piece of legislation as a matter of public policy.

“There is nothing preventing the media or anyone from discussing, if the Act is constitutional as the Attorney General and Government are saying and will likely argue before the court, if that is a good piece of legislation”, they said. They said Mr Pala’s advice was extraordinary. “Why has he not given this advice to the NEC, and the Parliament, so that all the parliamentary debate on it this week should not have taken place.” they said in a statement issued from Madang.

They said the Attorney General had no power to direct police what to do and that the Constitution said nobody outside the police force could direct the police on laying and prosecuting charges.

The minister in his statement advised the general public that there should not be anymore discussions, comments or reference conducted in the media or anywhere else in public as this matter was now sub-judice.

This means, there will be no more talkback radio programs and interviews, no more advertisements, no more letters to the editors, no more public meetings, public demonstrations protest marches, the minister warned.

“Everyone’s freedom of expression is now subsumed into this court case. This means that you also have a right to be represented at the hearing of this Supreme Court reference and can either be represented by the same lawyer or others who can represent you on the same reference”, Mr Pala said.

Post Courier, June 25, 2010