Feature story - November 16, 2004
After Greenpeace activists exposed the importation of illegal timber from Papua New Guinea into Australia by Malaysian logging company Rimbunan Hijau, Australian officials announced that they would work quickly to stop importing unsustainably harvested wood.
John Danaiye, Papua New Guinea
Greenpeace activists stenciled the message "Illegal timber destroys lives" onto piles of timber inside the Brisbane timber yard and two activists locked themselves to the gates. A large banner was also displayed with photographs depicting forest destruction and the message "Corporate violations or human rights." The activists were joined by John Danaiye, a clan leader from Papua New Guinea.
Mr. Danaiye, from the Southern Highlands Province in PNG, knows all about the destruction of his people's customary lands by the logging giant RH. His people have experienced the brutality of the logging operations over many years.
"Logging by Rimbunan Hijau has destoyed large parts of our traditional forests. They have ruined our rivers, hunting grounds and sacred sites. We get beaten and abused when we try to stand up for our rights," said Danaiye.
Following the protest, the federal Forestry and Conservation Minister, Ian Macdonald, said he agreed with Greenpeace.
"On this issue I do agree with Greenpeace," he said. "I do think some of the most important forests in the world are being destroyed through illegal logging and I do think we have to, through the world community, stop the destruction of these very special forests."
Senator Macdonald says new regulations should be in force next year to stop firms importing forest products from non-certified forest operations.
"I would hope it would be much sooner than a couple of years," he said. "I would hope we would be able to work on this and get in place a proper regime which prohibits imports from forests that are not sustainably managed within the next six to 12 months."
Despite many reports documenting illegalities, environmental and social destruction, human right abuses and corruption in the PNG forestry industry and the recent revelations on the SBS Dateline program about PNG police being used by RH to suppress indigenous landowners, the PNG government remains inactive against destructive and illegal logging.