| We, the people of Kokoda wish to draw your attention to the serious threats facing Kokoda
Why is Kokoda under threat? If you have been to Kokoda, you may have noticed many swift flowing rivers with crystal clear water and thick lush bushes as well as forests abound. The air is fresh; our people enjoy the freedom of living and working at our own pace on our own land. Kokoda is special to us because of the strong bond our ancestors, the fuzzy wuzzy angels have forged with many Australians during the war. Kokoda is special to Australia because it is where brave Australians risked their lives to defend their country from the enemy. It is a special place, of history and culture for my people, and for its pristine natural environment.
Kokoda is now under threat. If you have walked the Kokoda Trail, you would have experienced the pristine environment along the track. You may also have noticed blocks of oil palm estates at the beginning of the trail at Kokoda. There are plans underway to expand oil palm to the whole of the Kokoda area. At present, construction is already underway to build an oil palm processing mill despite our strong opposition and the disapproval of our Agriculture Minister. This mill will ruin the beautiful, pristine and peaceful environment of Kokoda. It threatens to destroy a place worthy of greater international recognition.
Why are we worried? If you have been to Popondetta, the town further down closer to the coast of Oro Province, you would have noticed the difference between its surrounding plain and Kokoda. The Popondetta plain was once pristine, peaceful and clean like Kokoda. In the mid 70s, oil palm was introduced and a mill built a few kilometres from Popondetta town. All were done in the name of development. Over 30 years later, we have seen little progress. Instead, Popondetta is now full of rubbish and the rivers are polluted. At Gona, the historical coastal site where brutal battles took place between the Allied and the Japanese soldiers, heavy silt sedimentation now covers the coastal beaches and sea shore. A beautiful lagoon teeming with fish and colourful coral reefs once surrounded its coast. The lagoon is now dead and the reefs buried by sedimentation. Pollution from the mill is very serious. Retention ponds built by the company to breakdown the effluent often overflow due to regular heavy rain. Communities living along the Ambogo River complain of oily sludge coming out from the mill outlet which kills fish. One study showed that many freshwater fish species are no longer found in the river. Air pollution from the mill can sometimes be seen from as far as the Managalas plateau. Palm waste from the mill breeds flies which now plague Popondetta, causing serious hygiene and health problems. Many people are not told that oil palm will eventually destroy their land. The fertile land they have now can sustain two crops of palm growing. Each crop will be useful for about 20 years so after about 40 years, their land will be dead because of the heavy chemical input and the total draining of soil nutrients by the palm trees. Where will our people get land to grow their food then?
What kind of development is this?
Their living conditions of the people have not changed but their waterways are polluted. They wash in polluted waters and their health suffers as a result. Clan groups clash from disputes over oil palm. Downstream and coastal communities are angry because they cop the worst of the pollution. Children are held back from attending schools to help with the harvesting and up-keep of oil palm blocks.
The arrival of people from other areas has also added social problems to Popondetta as our customs are still very strong and we have strict rules on land and inter-clan or inter-tribal relations. Settlers from outside tend to ignore our tribal custom creating conflict and upsetting communal harmony.
What are the problems?
People who are working for the oil palm industry now work just to wait for the next salary payment or for their next oil palm harvest. People fight over distribution of money from oil palm. With money also comes prostitution and the serious problems of HIV infections and AIDS. This is a very serious issue we have yet to learn how to deal with. People in the Popondetta area are dying of AIDS and most of us do not know much about HIV infection or AIDS.
The money earned has also been wasted on alcohol and useless things and unhealthy tinned and junk food from the many supermarkets and stores that have sprung up. The supermarkets’ owners who are usually foreigners end up making a lot of money from the hard work of our people. They get rich but Popondetta remains poor with the added problems of pollution and many social as well as health problems to deal with.
What kind of development do we want?
Development is not about money alone. We want our children to have decent education. We want proper health services. We need road access for communities so that they can sell their fresh produce in bigger markets.
Our fertile land and forests produce many fresh foods and useful materials without any chemicals. But we need skills and small to medium-scale industry to add value to our produce and materials so that we can trade or sell them to increase our income. Many of our people grow cocoa and some have grown coffee for a long time but we need more buyers and better markets for these cash crops. We also need to learn to process them to trade locally instead of spending hard earned money on buying imported food.
Kokoda is a very special place dear to us and many Australians. We want more people to come but we also want them to respect our culture and to help us take care of our environment. Tourism has many spin-offs which our people can take part in and benefit from. Our people want to take part in tourism but we need to learn proper skills and get good training so that we know how to take part in this new industry.
In the spirit of Kokoda, we appeal to you:
- to use your ways and means appropriate in Australia to stop the building of the mill in Kokoda and to halt the expansion of the dirty and greasy oil palm industry in Kokoda.
- to help us realise our vision to live in harmony in our own land and to bring progress to our people in ways that will strengthen our culture, protect our environment and livelihoods, and which will make Papua New Guinea proud. These are basic human rights which we should be entitled to.
- to write to the Sydney-based World Bank Regional Director for Papua New Guinea (See address on http://www.worldbank.org/html/extpb/2001/pdf/offices.pdf) to stop giving PNG loans to expand oil palm growing and for the construction of the mill in Kokoda.
- to campaign for Kokoda to be listed under the World Heritage Listing see
http://whc.unesco.org/en/about.
To learn more about oil palm and other threats to Kokoda, please contact the following:
- Benjamin Ijumi, Chief of Kokoda in PNG on +675 681 0018
- Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights (CELCOR) through dase@celcor.org.pg
- Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) Asia-Pacific Program on asiapacific@acfonline.org.au
Benjamin Ijumi
Chief of Kokoda,
On behalf of the following Kokoda communities:
Amada, Saga, Kokou, Botue, Kanadara, Manekari, Kebara, Kamodo, Kaumu, Sengi, Tumu, Pirive, Asimba, Karukaru, Kanga, Ebei, Koma, Savaia, Kojasi, Kovelo 1, Kovelo 2, Hoi, Isurava, Alola, Abuari, Haela, Kaele, Felae, Sisireta, Gorari, Inaju, Honjeta, Suriba, Hawaki, Hovea, Hanjiri, Ambene, Ingi, Ilimo, Papaki, Hojavahambo, Hamara, Haki, Pija, Ajeka (Wairope), Evasusu, Bothu, Sorape, Asisi, Sirorata, Siawa, Wora, Kora, Emo River, Awoma, Tetebedi, Mangube, Kovio, Handauda.
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