26 Oct 2011

Claims logging company hired police in PNG

3:30 pm on 26 October 2011

Greenpeace says a foreign-owned logging company has hired local police to help intimidate those protesting against the company's activities in Papua New Guinea.

The environmental group was supporting the protest efforts of about 200 landowners in West Pomio in New Britain island by slowing down the Rimbunan Hijau company's shipment of logs to China.

Greenpeace's Sam Moko says they abandoned their efforts yesterday when it looked like they could be forced out by police.

He says the operations manager of Tropic Air, a company also owned by Rimbunan Hijau, confirmed he recently dropped off a group of police into the area.

"He told me yes he was doing a job by dropping the policemen sorted by Rimbunan Hijau down to Pomio on the call of the logging company."

Greenpeace's Sam Moko says they are heading to Port Moresby where they want to meet the Prime Minister and get a moratorium on logging.