Call to address illegal mining

BOTH Government and the operator of the Porgera Mine, Barrick, have to be blamed for not taking tough measures in stamping out illegal Mining activities in the Porgera Mine.
The effect of not addressing the illegal mining activities by the Government is contributing to the lawlessness and social problems in the communities.
Law and order problem is increasing in our communities.
Tribal fighting is a major problem that is costing a lot of human lives. There is no peace and harmony in the communities we are living in.
Government properties worth millions of kina, properties worth thousands of Kina and food gardens that are supposed to sustain the livelihood of the people in the communities are being destroyed due to unnecessary lawlessness issues caused by drunkards.
Illegal mining activities are contributing to social and moral decay, rise of HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, divorce, multiple marriages, killings, unnecessary untimely and avoidable deaths, unfaithful marriages, laziness and many other related issues.
According to PNG’s Mining Act 1992, it states that all minerals existing on, in, or below the surface of any land in PNG, water lying in any land in PNG, are the property of the State.
This Mining Act 1992 needs to be comprehensively reviewed and amended, specifically that ownership of all minerals on and below the sea is vested in the province in whose waters minerals are located.
And maybe to minimise such illegal mining activities that will lead to reduction of social problems, landowners be given greater responsibilities over their resources.
Such issues are not addressed effectively and on time, we are leaving the door open for illegal miners, risking their lives at all costs, trying to grab a share of the benefits through stealing.
This is like a survival-of-the fittest game where only the strongest and the bravest men used to enter the state-fortified positions and grab themselves a gram of gold.
According to the law of man and of God, stealing is sin. And sin is the transgression of the law. The wages of sin is death.
Many of our illegal miners have been killed by the security forces at the mine site.
Many illegal miners are creating social havoc in our communities.
Getting money through stealing has caused so much damage in our communities.
Getting money through stealing, buying alcohol and drinking, we are not responsible in our drinking behaviour.
We are getting drunk and behaving as animals with no human senses.
We are creating unnecessary avoidable problems that are damaging our social harmony.
Such issues needs urgent attention by the government.
More and more awareness needs to be carried out, educating people on how to respect the law and to behave responsibly.
Many are stubborn because there is no proper education.
On that, our illiteracy rate is very high and people do not know what appropriate actions to be taken.
Therefore, my life saving advice to the illegal miners is that it is better we refrain from risking our own lives. We need to think about the greater good of our communities.
Finally, the Government needs to urgently address this illegal mining issues because the longer it delays, the more problems are created by the illegal miners in our communities.

Bid Ambassi, Muli City, Enga