12 Jun 2014

Watchdog say PNG miner must resettle people

4:15 pm on 12 June 2014

A mining watchdog says the razing of hundreds of homes near Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea shows the urgent need for the proper resettlement of residents.

Community leaders say 200 houses were burnt to the ground during a police raid on Friday on Wingima village, which borders the Canadian-owned Barrick Gold Porgera mine.

The police say 20 homes were destroyed not 200.

MiningWatch Canada spokesperson, Catherine Coumans, says it is the second time residents' homes have been burnt down and the miner must resettle people as soon as possible.

"What needs to happen and people have been extremely clear about this on the ground is that they need to be resettled away from the mine and that is quite normal by best pracitice standards around the world that communities do not live right up against mine pits and right up against sort of massive waste flows around this mine - it is just untenable."

MiningWatch Canada spokesperson, Catherine Coumans, says residents have been calling for resettlement for years.