PORT MORESBY, 12 DECEMBER 2018 (THE NATIONAL) – The people of Manam silently mobilised last week and filed a human rights application against the Papua New Guinea Government for putting them in care centres for almost 15 years.
Iabu local level government President Kenny Boli said the people had grown tired of experiencing disaster after disaster while living in care centres since 2004 and had now filed a legal proceeding.
While they registered their court matter last week, the Manam volcano erupted again on Saturday at 1pm with lava flowing out from two craters.
The eruption of the volcano has put Manam leaders and kukurais (chiefs) under pressure to push for the Manam Resettlement Project.
Madang provincial planning director Simon Simoi said the National Treasury issued a warrant of K2 million for the planning process of the resettlement exercise, but no actual cash was made available.
Simoi said he would need a remittance advice to prove if the actual cash was available.
He said the appointment of the Manam Resettlement Project board members was now before the National Executive Council court.
“The Manam issue is a long-standing issue which my office is working on,” Simoi said.
Boli said the Manam people lived peacefully before the 2004 volcanic eruption when they were moved to care centres at Potsdam, Bom, Daigul, Asuramba and Mangem.
He said Baliau and Dugulava villagers encountered tribal fights with locals from Bogia and were forced to move back to the volcanic island to settle.
Boli said that after moving back, there were more eruptions and Government had to spend more on relief supplies.
He said other villagers who moved to the island to settle were those who had gone to make gardens and farm cocoa and copra because of limited land at the care centres.
“Our only solution is to be resettled,” he said.
“I represent more than 20,000 Manam Islanders in all care centres and on the island to once again beg the government for our resettlement.
“We have been living with the same situation for 15 years and are fed up,” he said.
