Papua New Guinea
Don’t Dump Poisons into the Sea!
Cultural Survival invites children and teens to learn about Indigenous Peoples all over the world, and especially how they defend their rights and protect their lands. Sometimes Indigenous Peoples ask us to help them convince government officials and companies to respect their rights. Now, for example, Indigenous Peoples in Papua New Guinea are asking us to write letters to their prime minister. Find out why by reading this Youth Action Alert, and then please write a letter to the prime minister of Papua New Guinea. Your letter can make a difference.
Papua New Guinea is a country made up of islands in the Pacific Ocean, just northeast of Australia. On the land and in the sea, there are so many different species of plants and animals that Papua New Guinea is famous for its biological diversity. Hundreds of species are found here and nowhere else, including a tree-kangaroos, a singing dog, a fanged frog, a grunting fish, the world’s largest rat, and bats known as “flying foxes.” In the skies there are 44 Bird of Paradise species of every imaginable color. And in the sea, over 600 species of coral build some of the planet’s most spectacular coral reefs, where you also find giant clams, sea snakes, and 860 species of reef fish.
The people of Papua New Guinea are diverse, too. Over 800 languages are spoken by the different Indigenous clans. Each clan owns property where the people grow foods like yams, taro, and the sago palm. Along the coast, the clans depend on the sea for most of their food. “My people use the sea for medicine, for protein from fish and crustaceans, for washing, and for children playing. The sea’s health determines our health,” says Sama Mellambo, a clan leader.
But now the Indigenous people are worried about the health of the sea. A Chinese mining company is building a nickel mine in the mountains. From the mine site, they will flush the nickel ore through a pipeline down to a refinery on the coast. At the refinery, they will extract the valuable nickel and then dump all the waste ore into another pipeline which will carry it out to the sea. Scientists say the waste ore, called tailings, will include arsenic, mercury, and ammonia. Ocean currents could carry these dangerous chemicals far along the northern coast. They could contaminate sea plants and animals, making them unsafe for people to eat or sell in the market.
Over 7,000 Indigenous landowners sent petitions to the government to stop the Chinese company from dumping toxic waste into the sea, but the government isn’t paying attention yet. That’s why the Indigenous peoples are asking us to write letters, too. Please think about this, do some more research, and then write a letter to the prime minister of Papua New Guinea.
TAKE ACTION: Don’t dump poisons into the sea!
Please write a polite letter to the prime minister of Papua New Guinea. Tell him what you know about Papua New Guinea’s biological diversity. Remind him that his country has laws to protect the health of the sea. Tell him what could happen if the Chinese company CMCC dumps toxic mine waste into the sea. Ask him what he will do to protect the sea and the rights of the Indigenous land-owners.
Send your letter to:
H. E. Rt. Hon. Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare
The Prime Minister
Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council
Morauta House
Po Box 639
Waigani National Capital District
Papua New Guinea
Fax: +675-323-3943
betha_somare@pm.gov.pg
Letter writing tips:
Start your letter with this salutation: Your Excellency,
Make sure your letter is polite and respectful.
At the end of your letter, ask the prime minister for a reply.
Include your name, your age, and your address on your letter. You might get a letter back from the prime minister!
Postage from the US is 98 cents.
