Amnesty International has released a report urging the Papua New Guinean Government to investigate forced evictions and police violence associated with the Porgera gold mine in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.
Amnesty’s report, Undermining Rights: Forced evictions and police brutality around the Porgera gold mine, Papua New Guinea, details the raids on villages that occurred between April- July of 2009, in which at least 130 buildings were burned down and families were forced out of their homes.
The Porgerea mine is 95% owned by subsidiaries of the Canadian mining company, Barrick Gold. While the report does not blame Barrick for the forced evictions, it does criticize the company for not requesting an investigation into the matter and their continued logistical support of the local police.
The evictions and violence highlight the need for the passing of Bill C-300 ,An Act Respecting Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas Corporations in Developing Countries in Canada, which would assure that Canadian extractive companies follow human rights and environmental best practices in overseas operations.
Notably, Barrick Gold is conspicuously absent from the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) discussion. IRMA is a multi-stakeholder effort to establish a system of third party certification to independently verify compliance with more responsible environmental, human rights and social standards for mining operations.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
- Amnesty International: Undermining Rights: Forced evictions and police brutality around the Porgera gold mine, Papua New Guinea
- 300 homes destroyed near Barrick’s Porgera Mine, from Intercontinental Cry
- MiningWatch Canada: Bill C-300, An Act Respecting Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas Corporations in Developing Countries
- Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance
EARTHWORKS photos of Porgera
Post by Morey Burnham
