Oro police arrested and charged 13 Asians for illegal logging: Entered the country with no legal permits

By NELLIE SETEPANO | POST COURIER (edited)

AN illegal logging company operating in Northern Province was shut down and 13 Asians without work permits were locked up at the Popondetta cells.

Northern Province Police have confirmed the shutdown of the illegal logging company known as Northern Forest Products at Collingwood Bay, Wanigela with thousands of logs and heavy equipment impounded. All logs and equipment will be moved to Oro Bay.

Provincial Police Commander Chief Inspector Lincoln Gerari said police had acted on advice from PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) to move onto the site and shut it down after its illegal operations on 45,000 hectares state land that consists of portions 135, 136 and 137.

“We moved in last Friday and caught them off guard, the Asians were cooking pumpkins, and then fled into the bushes and our men went after them,” Gerari said.

When caught, the men complained that they were never fed properly and or paid by the site manager since arriving last September.

Police said the loggers arrived with no legal entry permits and are now arrested and charged under the Employment of Non-Citizens acts 2007.

Aged between 28 to 50 years; 12 of the men are from Malaysia and one from Indonesia. This section provides for prohibition of employment without valid work permit. Separately, the site manager was charged for stealing logs on state.

According to police, the provincial government had a keen eye on the operations of the company that had entered into a partnership with landowner group called Aiso [Assor] Development Corporation under the pretext of doing agricultural business and growing cash crops like cocoa.

Northern Governor Garry Juffa who has been aware of the illegal operations and had brought the issue to the attention of PNG Forest Authority and ensured the shutdown happened.

He also visited the site after the raid and confirmed the shutdown. Mr Juffa talked to the villages and assured those involved will be prosecuted. The governor has been vocal about illegal aliens operating in the province and vowed to remove them. – Via Garamut News.

Voluntary Land Eviction in Madang

Madang MP Hon. Bryan Kramer speaking to the people in Madang settlement. Image: Kramer Report.

Following announcement of 30 day eviction notice at Nagada Settlement located 10 km outside of Madang Town, I'm pleased to report that people have began voluntarily moving out.

Individuals residing in other settlements around Madang have also contacted my office seeking assistance to be repatriated back to their respective provinces.

I explained to them right now my office is only focused on ensuring the court ordered eviction of Nagada settlement is carried out lawfully.

People seeking assistance to be repatriated will need to be first documented by the District to avoid them using it as an opportunity for weekend trip home only to return a few days later.

Next week the Madang District Ward Project office will commence the largest ever community law and order program in the country, training some 1000+ youth throughout the District to carryout social mapping exercise of estimated 150,000+ people that reside in the Electorate.

25-30 youth will be identified in partnership with community leaders, trained and deployed in each of 49 wards throughout the District covering some 2,500 km2. They will be tasked with mapping every household from urban resident, settlement to the village hamlets in the remotest parts of my electorate.

Following the mapping exercise community forums will be conducted to develop community by-laws in partnership with Village Courts, Community Policing and Judicial Services.

The exercise will also involve collecting baseline data and intel to pin point those suspected of having committed serious criminal offences, such as killings, rapes, armed hold ups , production of home brew and sale of drugs.

Following the forums and intelligence gathering I plan to work in partnership with Madang Police and ACP Momase Command for the deployment of a Mobile Squad to Madang for a three month operation to apprehend each and everyone of them.

Operations will be carried in all settlements and villages who harbor criminals or living in fear of them.

All settlements will be re-organised under proper administration in partnership with District Ward Project Office, Provincial Administration and Community Leaders,

There will no expansion of any settlement during my term as Member for Madang. Any individuals or family who refuse adhere to community developed by-laws will be subject to eviction.

My office has 5-10 year plans to relocate all settlements outside of town to free up land for commercial and residential development. The resettlement program will involve establishing, small semi permanent houses with connection of electricity, water utilities, schools, health aid Post etc.

Picture below was taken at DCA Settlement located near the Madang airport which is a hot spot for hold ups.

On Friday I took the time to visit the settlement to explain to them my office's planned law and order program. They agreed to support it and assist with submitting names of youth to carryout social mapping of their ward which will begin next week.

source: Kramer Report on Facebook.

Madang to commence illegal land occupancy eviction exercise

Public forum - Provincial Administrator (left) Luthern General Secretary (centre). Image: Bryan Kramer, 2018. 

MADANG MP's Office has organised a public forum at Nagada Settlement, located some 10km outside of Madang Town.

The settlement is on land owned by Lurtheran Church. Over the years a local man illegally sold portions of the land to people from other provinces. 

This gave rise to an influx of people squatting on land, followed by law order problems being reported in the area.

In early 2017 the Lutheran Church took the matter to court and obtained an eviction order.

To avoid any issues arising from the eviction I decided to get involved to ensure eviction was carried out properly to avoid any human rights abuses, giving cause for further court injunctions.

In April 2018 the Madang District Project Office carried out social mapping exercise of the area to ensure eviction notice was duly served and understood by those affected.

Following the mapping exercise 693 houses were identified and documented both by GPS and photos taken on the ground.

The settlers were given more than 6 months notice that an eviction exercise would be carried out.

Public gathering to discuss process of the planned eviction. Image: Bryan Kramer.

This week we announced the eviction exercise will be carried out on 16th February 2019, giving a further one month notice.

I requested a unit of Mobile 14 from Goroka be deployed to Madang to carryout awareness of the planned eviction as well debriefing them of the outcome of social mapping and to carry out early reconnaissance and a patrol of the area.

A month from today a full unit of 40 plus members of Mobile 14 will return to Madang to work in partnership with Madang Police to carryout the eviction.

Madang District Project Office will assist those who agree on voluntary eviction to transport their properties and belongings from the land. Steps have also been taken to assist with the transfer of any children who are enrolled and reside in the settlement to other schools in their respective Provinces.

Following the eviction exercise at Nagada Madang District and Provincial Administration will carryout full social mapping of all settlements in and around Madang in an effort address urban drift, petty crimes and land grabbing.

Map of the area 693 houses 3,000 people.

Source: Kramer Report on Facebook.