Today, at the invitation of local resource owners, activists from the Greenpeace ship, Esperanza, stopped the loading of the Harbour Gemini, a log ship carrying timber from a logging operation riddled with illegalities to China.  The buyer of this shipment of logs is the Hong Kong-incorporated Qianglin Timbers Limited, and the logs are headed to China for processing. 

Greenpeace investigation found that Qianglin is closely linked with Turama Forest Industries, a Rimbunan Hijau Group company.

Sources said that a restructuring of Rimbunan Hijau has been underway to prepare for its listing in the Hong Kong stock market.

 “Company listings in forestry sector is a growing trend in the Hong Kong stock market.  The stock exchange has hitherto inadequately understood and underestimated the risks and liabilities linked to illegal logging,” said Tam Man-kei, Finance Campaigner of Greenpeace China.

 “The regulators should not be reluctant to take environmental issues to the centre stage, when these issues are material and imply financial risks,” he continued.

While the ship was loading at Paia Inlet, Gulf Provincer, four activists climbed, up a loading crane and fastened a huge banner reading ‘Protect Forests, Save Our Climate’.  At the same time hundreds of local resource owners and their families conducted peaceful protests at Omati East and West and Sirebe East and West logging camps and also at Paia Inlet.

Forest destruction is responsible for about one fifth of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Despite the PNG Government asking for international money to protect its forests for the benefit of the global climate, illegal and destructive logging continues to be rampant in PNG.

“Greenpeace is calling on the Papua New Guinea Government to establish a moratorium on issuing any new large-scale logging concessions or extensions”, said Sam Moko forest campaigner for Greenpeace Australia Pacific, who is on board the Harbour Gemini. “We need to protect these ancient forests to save our climate”.

The PNG Government has a very poor record on forest management and recently there have been further accusations of corruption and misappropriation of funds, after US$ 67 million was allegedly paid into the private Singaporean bank account of a Government minister by logging companies.

“If Papua New Guinea wants to be taken seriously in countries like Austria, Norway, Australia and the UK when asking for carbon financing support, then there must be an immediate investigation into the serious allegations of corruption between politicians and logging companies, ” Mr Moko said.

Local landowners in Turama Extension concession area have made repeated pleas to the PNG Government to investigate documented breaches of forestry laws by Turama Forest Industries.  However, these requests have fallen on deaf ears.

“The logging of rainforests in Papua New Guinea is out of control.” Mr Moko said.  “We’ve stopped the loading of this shipment with support from landowners whose rainforest, which they depend upon for survival, is being destroyed leaving them with nothing.”

“We are here to protest the total disrespect of Turama Forest Industries and their logging agreement with our people. The company has abused our sacred sites, polluted our river, logged too close to our villages, made our food resources scarce and is withholding payments of royalties”, said Kemaru Garry Bissue, Chairman of the Kikori Environmental Association and resource owner from Kibiri Tribe.

“We want an immediate review of the logging agreement”, said Wauro Oumabe, co-ordinator of the resource owners.