Greenpeace warned to stay out of Pomio

Source: The National - Friday, October 28th 2011 By MALUM NALU GREENPEACE activists who caused havoc in remote Pomio, East New Britain, last Sunday and Monday, have been warned of severe repercussions if they try to re-enter Pomio tomorrow. Rumours were rife in Pomio that the activists and accompanying journalists – from Post-Courier, Australian Broadcas­ting Corporation and National Broadcasting Corporation – who caused havoc with their helicopter and spray-painting of a logging ship, will try to re-enter Pomio tomorrow as the Commission of Inquiry into Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABL) visits the Sigite-Mukus integrated rural development project. Greenpeace vessel mv Espe­ranza was ordered out of Pomio waters by district administrator Pomaleu Langisan following the “invasion”. However, it was reportedly still in PNG waters awaiting the visit of the inquiry team to Pomio. A majority of Pomio villa­gers who supported the project would be gathering en masse to meet the COI team when it visits tomorrow, and warned of severe repercussions if Greenpeace and local NGOs opposed to the pro­ject tried to interfere. They told The National yesterday that Pomio was one of the least-developed and backward areas of Papua New Guinea until the project came along, and they would not allow Greenpeace and its local supporters to hijack the project. As of yesterday, the pro-pro­ject supporters started camping at the project site in Pomio awaiting the visit of the inquiry team. On Monday, mv Esperanza left the waters of Jacquinot Bay on order of Pomaleu, who accused them of inciting the pro­blems in Pomio. “This letter serves to inform you that you did not show your approved customs entry to Pomio ports, therefore, as the go­vernment on the ground, we want you to leave as soon as you receive this letter,” he stated. “Secondly, you came on shore to spray-paint the log ship without authorisation and you have breached the law for unlawfully spray-painting the ship. “Therefore, I, as the administrator, direct that you move out of the port as soon as possible. “If you continue, I will send police to arrest any person who disobeys.” Meantime, the situation in Pomio remained tense yesterday.

Stay out of our land ... Pomio villagers gathering at the Sigite-Mukus integrated rural development project site at Jacquinot Bay in East New Britain yesterday following an “invasion” by a group of activists aligned with Greenpeace, including journalists. The villagers have warned of severe repercussions if the activists and their journalist friends re-enter Pomio. The project, the villagers said, had given them a new lease on life and fresh hopes for a better future. – Nationalpic by MALUM NALU