Saonu blames landowners for not raising issues with authorities

MOROBE Governor Ginson Saonu has blamed people in the Kainantu gold mine impact area and public servants for failing to work with state entities to address land disputes.
He named the state entities as Kumul Consolidated Holdings Ltd and the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA).
Saonu urged Markham villagers sharing the border with Eastern Highlands where the mine is located, to work with the Government and its stakeholders.
He previously advised villagers to form a working committee to work with his administration but it had not been done.
Saonu visited the mine area on Friday to see land boundaries and developments. The Associated Infrastructure Group Development Company (AigDev Co), an associated landowner group, demanded to know about their benefit-sharing regarding the mine.
Chairman Kelvin Iria said the Government, MRA and the Eastern Highlands government should recognise the Markham people of Watarais and Marawasa villages as legitimate landowners.
“They have failed to recognise the two villages in the first agreement in 2003,” he said.
Iria claimed that the Kainantu mine processing plant, mill and tailings dam, the administration block, explosive yard, camp sites and messing facilities were all on their land. “We deserve to be treated with equal rights as the landowners of Bilimoia from Eastern Highlands,” he said.
They demand change in terms of benefit sharing which include not to be classified as associated landowners, to have equal benefits and to have separate agreements for the area concerned.