31 May
2006 - Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea — True to
form, Asia's biggest logging company, Rimbunan
Hijau (RH), intimidated and detained six of our
activists who attempted to present them with a
‘Golden Chainsaw’ award for forest destruction.
The activists were harassed
inside RH’s Port Moresby compound and had to lock
themselves into their vehicles for their own safety.
A cameraman was assaulted while attempts were
made to seize his film and his camera was broken.
RH is the largest logging company
in PNG today. A 2003/2004 review of existing logging
concessions documented numerous allegations of
abuse of local landowners, including rape and
physical violence, by either logging company officials
or police associated with the logging companies.
Allegations were also made by a former officer
of an elite PNG police taskforce that RH paid
local police officers to intimidate and beat landowners
who complained about breaches to their rights.
Today, our personnel and people
from the media were prevented from leaving the
compound for 45 minutes. The cars and windows
were pounded on and verbal threats made. The situation
came to an end after police arrived and escorted
Greenpeace staff and volunteers, along with senior
management from RH, to the local police station.
No charges were laid.
We wanted to peacefully present
the company with the award – to mark 30 years
of forest destruction – and leave. RH’s over-reaction
reflects its belief that it is above the law.
The incident occurred as delegates
from around the world arrived in Port Moresby
for the African, Caribbean and Pacific – European
Union (ACP-EU) ministerial meeting to discuss
trade and development. We will be asking EU delegates
to urgently implement legislation to stop illegal
timber from companies like RH from entering the
European market.
RH controls logging concessions
in many parts of the developing world. It operates
with impunity in PNG, directly controlling 40
per cent of all log exports. It was recently granted
a new 791,000 hectare concession in Kamula Dosa
by the PNG government. This concession is located
in one of the largest pristine forest areas left
in the country.
The Greenpeace Golden Chainsaw
award is reserved for the worst forest destroyers
in the world. It has been awarded twice before,
to companies in Brazil and Indonesia.
In conjunction with the award,
we released a “Forest Crime File” highlighting
RH’s continued involvement in large scale forest
destruction and questioning the legality of its
operations.
The report states that unless
brought under control, timber giants such as RH
will continue to “plunder the world’s ancient
forests, destroying cultural diversity, biodiversity,
stealing from some of the world’s poorest and
most vulnerable people and degrading the environment
on which we ultimately depend”.
The report also points to the
close ties RH enjoys with the PNG government.
Examples include:
• An ex-Deputy Prime Minister was criticised by
the PNG Ombudsman for pressuring the National
Forest board to favour RH with an illegal timber
permit extension.
• In 2004, Minister for Internal Security, Mark
Maipakai was the shareholder and director of a
company, Gopera Investments Ltd, holding a timber
permit sub-contracted to RH.
• A National Intelligence Organisation report
alleged that a provincial Governor and two Members
of Parliament were on RH’s payroll.
