Papuans want probe on illegal land deals

THE Motu-Koitabu Association want residential and commercial developments on traditional Motu-Koitabu land in the National Capital District and Central province to be stopped.
The association, made up of locals from Gabagaba to Manumanu, says it wants a government moratorium and task force investigation declared immediately.
The moratorium should suspend new and future applications for freehold title, special agriculture and business lease, and lease-lease back until a proposed task force starts hearings and making its findings into allegations of illegal land grabs.
Association spokesman, Raymond Haoda said the task force investigation should give the Motu-Koitabu people the time and opportunity to raise claims of illegal land grabs at hearings in Motu-Koitabu villages.
“To start off with, members of the association allege that commercial development on land at 8-Mile is an example that needs to be investigated,” he said.
“And the association thinks there may be other land grabbing activities that need to be vetted.
“We request Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, through the National Executive Council, to impose a moratorium without delay.
“We demand that the NEC commissions a task force to investigate claims of illegal land grabbing.”
Haoda said the Motu-Koitabu Association believed the total state land area available for commercial development in NCD had diminished and that those with legal and illegal development plans were making unauthorised and unmonitored deals with purported landowner representatives to access traditional Motu-Koitabu land.
“This is a real concern because it might be occurring without due diligence or prior and informed consent of the landowning clan or clans.
“The moratorium will give us the time and the opportunity to investigate where our traditional land boundaries actually start and end.
“We want to assess whether we, the traditional landowner clans, have overestimated the total area of traditional land that we have always laid claim to.
“Without this moratorium we will be unable to make this assessment.
“How do we know who has legal or custo­mary rights over our traditional land, especially when there are unmonitored and unauthorised land grabbing activities?” Haoda said.