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Mt Kerekonma - a mountain in dispute

By PETER KORUGL
In 1964, according to the local people living along the border of Simbu and Eastern Highlands, a kiap by the name of Charles Terence Davis, carried out a land investigation into that part of the Highlands.
According to the stories Davis was to secure land for the construction of a repeater station at Mt Kerekonma.
Mt Kerekonma was clearly the highest peak and it was ideal for the repeater station there to serve the growing demand for radio and wireless communications throughout PNG and the South Pacific region.
The locals claim that after Davis had done his work and gone, the state acquired 7.5 acres - Portion 69 Milinch Bundi Fourmil Ramu-EHP - was bought for A$40.00 and the repeater station was built.
At that time the erection of the repeater station on their highest mountain was accepted as part of the changes sweeping throughout the highlands by the local people, many of whom did not understand what it was for.
For over 40 years, no one talked about that tower on the top of the mountain. They were not aware that when PNG attained independence, the Post and Telegraphs Department (PTD) took over that facility.
In 1988 or thereabouts, the Post and Telecommunication Corporation, the predecessor to PTD extended the boundary of the land it held at Mt Kerekonma to 3.04 hectares from the original 7.5 acres.
This time, PTC made a payment of K33, 000 as part payment to the landowners and dissatisfaction over the manner the payment was distributed led to a bloody tribal fight.
That fight between the Ono people of Eastern Highlands and the Yongumugl people of Koriro resulted in the death of two people, injuries to many others who were admitted to the Kundiawa and Goroka hospitals and massive destruction to homes, food gardens and cash crops.
Locals say that fight was the start of the current land ownership dispute between clans on both the Simbu and Eastern Highlands side of Mr Kerekonma.
Sometime in the late 90's, the government took over the land from the PTC and declared it as state land.
The Lands Minister issued a notice for a hearing to determine the real owners of Mt Kerekonma. It was sent out on April 4 1990 but to date, it seems that no decisions were made and the dispute rages on.
Today the Keto and Ona clan in Eastern Highlands and Oltokane clan in Simbu are claiming ownership of the land on Mt Kerekonma.
The disputing parties have tried to resolve their differences at the Kundiawa District court on many occasions but those attempts have failed.
They are now asking the Lands Title Commission to convene a hearing, either in Goroka or Kundiawa, to determine the real owners of the land, so that these people can benefit from various entitlements that were owing to them from PTC, the predecessor to Telikom (PNG) Ltd.
On December 18 last year, Advisor for Lands in the Eastern Highlands, Ralph Siove asked the Lands Title Commissioner to call another hearing, as there were no records of the first hearing.
"If there was no decision as yet, it is appropriate and I recommend that fresh declaration be recommended to the Minister to declare Mr Kerekonma as state land for fresh hearing by the Commission as there are some more subclans or groups who are claiming ownership of the subject land," Mr Siove said.
According to Jonah Gorape Waura, that hearing has to be held because the Mt Kerekonma land issue has divided families and clans on both side of the border.
Mr Waura said it was established that the clans and families who were involved in the dispute were related to each other and they have occupied the mountainous area in that part of the Bismarck Range for ages.
"I believe the people who are disputing all have a legitimate claim over Mt Kerekonma.
"Genealogy and social mapping of the area in question will establish that this is true," Mr Waura said.
He said fair distribution of any payments made by Telikom (PNG) Ltd for the Mt Kerekonma land should be shared equally and fairly among the disputing parties because they all have a right.
For these people, whether they live on the Eastern Highlands or Simbu side of Mt Kerekonma, they have obtained their food, medicine, timber for buildings and materials for clothing from there.
"Anyone could go anywhere in the bushes up there on Mt Kerekonma and find those things and no one complained. Everyone accepted that that was the way of life in those mountains.
"Today, the concept of cash payments for land acquisitions in PNG has opened up the minds of the people and thus, the disputes we see arising among these people," Mr Waura said.
The National Weekender understands that Telikom (PNG) Ltd has held on to the funds it was willing to pay and was waiting anxiously for a settlement because its facility in the clouds on Mt Kerekonma is a very important link in its communication network, serving PNG.
It is time the relevant authorities in Waigani look into this matter and find an amicable solution so that the people around that mountain can resume normal relations and enjoy their natural environment in harmony.