Rimbunan Hijau dominates the PNG logging industry and has been repeatedly linked to human rights abuses, environmental damage and illegal logging. This  global conglomerate of companies is controlled by the Tiong family from Sarawak, Malaysia.

Rimbunan Hijau blatantly disregards the law but is immune to criticism, seemingly protected by political patronage from the PNG government.

In PNG, Rimbunan Hijau controls timber rights in an estimated three million hectares of forest. It also owns or controls over 60 companies in commercial printing, travel, sales, shipping, property development and even a daily newspaper

  

"The erosion started taking place when the RH [Rimbunan Hijau] operation started in 1982. RH’s tugboat, with the barges using the waterways caused erosion. Erosion is taking away the highland and [landowners are] worried where they will move to as the other side of the land is swamp. The fishing nets were cut off by boats and when they compain they do not respond and use Taskforce (National Police)."

  

Jimmy Uurukoi, landowner from Emeit, Western Province, Middle Fly, PNG

Illegal products sold in Australia

Rimbunan Hijau's illegal timber and timber products are sold over the counter in Australia, Asia, America, Europe, Japan and New Zealand. Products include logs, sawn timber, veneers and plywood, furniture, flooring and ornamental blinds. The company's estimated annual turnover is more than AU$1.3 billion.

Human rights abuses

Allegations made against Rimbunan Hijau in Papua New Guinea include:

• forcing people to sign agreements under duress and gunpoint
• using armed company managers and police officers to threaten and intimidate
• torturing, physically abusing and unlawfully detaining local people using police officers employed by the logging company
• logging company managers and police raping female employees

Government says logging is illegal

The remote Wawoi Guavi region of Western Province, PNG, has been actively logged for over 20 years. The biggest logging operator here is Rimbunan Hijau.

In 2002, an independent review ordered by the national government found that extensions to three Rimbunan Hijau logging projects were unlawful. They breached legal requirements and had not followed due process. The review also found that the original timber permits for Vailala Blocks 2 and 3 and Wawoi Guavi were unlawful and that the timber rights had not been properly acquired from the landowners.

A study of the environmental impacts of logging by Rimbunan Hijau in Wawoi Guavi uncovered 261 separate breaches of 18 logging standards. These breaches were seen to have serious environmental impacts, including damage to waterways and watersheds, severe erosion and serious pollution to soil and waterways from oil and toxic chemicals.

The study also found frequent damage to cultural sites from logging operations and the felling and removal of undersized trees.

Read the Greenpeace report, The Untouchables: Rimbunan Hijau's world of forest crime and political patronage.