OPINION: PORT MORESBY: A caller, working at the Hides 4 LNG project in Hela rang the Post-Courier newsroom on Saturday afternoon.
The worker, engaged by one of the contractors on the plant site relayed the story about the attack by the landowners on Friday and the State's reaction to the attack early that day.
“It is very frightening. Our fear is compounded by the fact that we do not understand the local people, their language and customs. We do not know anything about this area we are in,” the caller lamented.
The worker, we are told, was one of several people who have been evacuated from Hides 4 already. More workers are going to leave the trouble zone today. The companies engaged on specific early works programs on the LNG site are moving their staff out in fear of their lives. In the other LNG project affected areas, the companies that are working there are watching the developments at Hides 4 closely, in case the troubles spread.
Landowner issues related to the LNG project are nothing new. Since day one, the State has had to deal with all sorts of landowner issues relating to this project but the latest development is frightening in that arms were used and people are injured.
This news is the talk of the resource industry as well as the private sector in PNG and abroad for the LNG project is very vital to the PNG economy. Everyone knows that and we do not need to emphasis this more. The government and its agents, we hope realise this too. We are not convinced that government agencies tasked to deal with landowners have done an exceptional job. No! When we look at much of the issues that are contested by the landowners at Hides 4, they are over matters that the State is responsible for.
Landowners are crying foul because they think they have been tricked into giving up the resources on their land. They think they will remain spectators in this multibillion kina project while they perceive that a few landowner leaders and some politicians are becoming rich at their expense.
A government, we all know is true, exists to look after the welfare of its people. And in this case, we are of the view that the State should have put the welfare of the Hela people first. But it has failed miserably.
We urged Southern Highlands Governor Andresen Agiru to get down to Hela and do what is only right. Hela and PNG need him now to take the lead to resolve this matter. His people argue that they support the LNG project but we are now not convinced that they really do, for they have a funny way of showing their support. We know that there are more peaceful ways to deal with such grievances, not with bush knives, axes and guns.
The use of police will further inflame the situation, as is the case in this situation.
We are told that the developer, Exxon Mobil, will make a final investment decision in March, which is about five weeks away from now. Surely it is looking at the problem at Hides 4 closely.
We like to think that ExxonMobil will not be pushed out of Papua New Guinea because of just one isolated problem. But to avoid further problems in the early works or the life of the project, the company must make sure that employment policies applied by its contractors are not discriminatory, that the resettlement issue is deal with properly, that the food and construction materials that can be supplied locally are provided by the people from Hela.
If for some reasons the locals are unable to provide, then there are companies in PNG that can supply the needs of these contractors. We are of the view that this will encourage the landowners to take ownership of the LNG project. - PNG Post-Courier/Pacific Media Watch
Pacific Media Watch
