Border commander warns landowners not to disturb mining operations

By GEORGINA KOREI
ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police for Border Command Peter Philip is warning landowners of OK Tedi Mining Ltd in Western to stop disturbing its operations.
Ok Tedi Mining Limited is a 100 per cent state-owned entity with 67 per cent direct shareholding by the Government and Western people entitled to 33 per cent interest.
Philip said the landowners should address their issues with relevant government agencies rather than interfering with the management and operation of the mine.
“Landowners from Ok Tedi mine were all warned to stop the attitude of issuing threats, extortion, intimidation and continuous writing of letters to OK Tedi (management) asking for belkol (peace offering),” he said.
He said with the election approaching, the landowners should not interfere with the mine.
“There should be no more threats issued to the mine, I will have no mercy for the landowners this time if they ignore my warning and go and cause trouble in the mine.”
Philip said most of the landowners were not following court procedures and were involved in illegal activities in bribing police personnel to help them to serve court orders without proper protocols.
“Most of the junior policemen were already implicated with the local landowners and they have been doing illegal activities,” he said.
He said the landowners should follow due process in addressing the issue with the appropriate government officials apart from the authorities of the mine.
“If they (landowners) do not follow the instructions this time, they will be arrested by police,” Philip said.
He added that some landowners were not real landowners as they had claimed.
“Some landowners became landowners to Ok Tedi through convenience marriage so they feel that they were entitled to all the benefits from the mine,” he said.