Local Landowners Close Mine
Published by MAC on 2006-09-15Local Landowners Close Mine
15th September 2006
Graphic accounts by women, first published in 2004, of the horrendous toll wreaked by the Papua New Guinea military (backed by Australia and tacitly supported by Rio Tinto) during the recent civil war, have re-emerged in a Papua New Guinea national newspaper.
Yet another mine was closed down by local landowners last week as they sought compensation and a revised MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) following pollution of local waterways.
The Sinivit mine is jointly operated by MacMin of Papua New Guinea and Niugini Mining - ironically a former partner with Rio Tinto iself in the Lihir mine, which has also come under heavy criticism from local communities.