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Greenpeace, Governor Danaya and Roy Biyama, the Member of Parliament
for the Middle Fly, Western Province, (pictured) boarded the Da Long
barge with permission.
The workers then gathered around the Governor and the member for Middle Fly to tell their stories about harsh working conditions and the problems they face because of the company.
The recently elected Governor was shocked to hear their stories. When the company representative asked to talk to Danaya, he replied that he had nothing to say to them. Governor Danaya could not have been more suited to speak to the workers about their conditions. He is an executive of the PNG Trade Union Congress (which represents 58 unions) and president and parliamentary leader of the PNG Labor Party.
As president of the Western Province Resource Owners Association, Governor Danaya encourages people to protect their forest and gain benefits from its resources through small-scale businesses rather than large-scale industrial operations.
A doctor by profession, the Governor was chief paediatrician for PNG for many years and is currently the president of the Health Workers Federation.
Roy Biyama, the Member of Parliament for the Middle Fly, Western Province, is equally active in his community, Balimo. He was elected because he has helped his people build better lives.
Biyama has developed a successful business in small-scale sustainable logging, building and construction and helped to build Balimo schools, hospitals and churches.
Biyama has been teaching the community how to run small logging operations and other businesses, to create independence from large-scale destructive logging companies. He shares his sawmills with the community.
Danaya and Biyama saw the Da Long being loaded with two barges full of logs from the Wawoi Guavi concession, a project which landowners are challenging in the court. They claim the forest is being harvested without their consent.
Biyama says his people, who were promised much by the logging company, are suffering. “They are not receiving their due royalty payments or even benefits such as schools or hospitals that we thought they would bring.”
“I believe we should help landowners take control of their resources. Small scale logging businesses using walk-about sawmills allows the people to become strong and independent from foreign logging companies.”
The workers then gathered around the Governor and the member for Middle Fly to tell their stories about harsh working conditions and the problems they face because of the company.
The recently elected Governor was shocked to hear their stories. When the company representative asked to talk to Danaya, he replied that he had nothing to say to them. Governor Danaya could not have been more suited to speak to the workers about their conditions. He is an executive of the PNG Trade Union Congress (which represents 58 unions) and president and parliamentary leader of the PNG Labor Party.
As president of the Western Province Resource Owners Association, Governor Danaya encourages people to protect their forest and gain benefits from its resources through small-scale businesses rather than large-scale industrial operations.
A doctor by profession, the Governor was chief paediatrician for PNG for many years and is currently the president of the Health Workers Federation.
Roy Biyama, the Member of Parliament for the Middle Fly, Western Province, is equally active in his community, Balimo. He was elected because he has helped his people build better lives.
Biyama has developed a successful business in small-scale sustainable logging, building and construction and helped to build Balimo schools, hospitals and churches.
Biyama has been teaching the community how to run small logging operations and other businesses, to create independence from large-scale destructive logging companies. He shares his sawmills with the community.
Danaya and Biyama saw the Da Long being loaded with two barges full of logs from the Wawoi Guavi concession, a project which landowners are challenging in the court. They claim the forest is being harvested without their consent.
Biyama says his people, who were promised much by the logging company, are suffering. “They are not receiving their due royalty payments or even benefits such as schools or hospitals that we thought they would bring.”
“I believe we should help landowners take control of their resources. Small scale logging businesses using walk-about sawmills allows the people to become strong and independent from foreign logging companies.”
