Rainforest in Papua New Guineayesterday - today - tomorrow

The sovereign state of Papua New Guinea after a vote in 1972 was established 1975.

• Apopulationof6Mioinhabitantsdispersedinareasseperatedfromeachotherbynaturalboundaries

• aconstantchangeofclimateandvegetation-theworldssecondbiggestislandnation

• PNGistoprankingbeyonddisputewhenitcomestobiodi-versity

• itweretheresourcesofthecountrywhichattractedfor-eigninterestalreadyinthe19thcentury.Koprawasthefavouritecashcropatthattime

• taxeswherechargedtogenerateademandformoneyandenableamarketeconomyaccordingtowesternstandards.

seashellswereacknowledgedasacomplementarycurrencyandtheTolaiExchangeBankdoesexchangetheseshells(fathom)intoofficialcurrency.Thecirculationvolumeissaidtobesomethingbetween6and8MioKinawhichcomparesto2MioEuro.

TheproblemagainhashistoricrootsifyoulookatthevolatilityoftheKoprapricebetween1910and1940.ForcedtosellmoreKopraforlessrevenuedidnotreallymakesensefromthepointofviewoftheindigenouspeople.Theoverallirritationabouttheactionsoftheadministration-whetherGermanorEnglish-contributedtowidespreadspeculationaboutsomespecialknowl-edgewesternerswerehavingandhid-ingfromthePapuans.

RimbunanBaseCamp. Truckinrainforest(source:PNGForestIndustriesAss.)

Loggingfortransportbytruck.

As we wait for the European Commission to consider legisla-tion to prevent illegal timber from entering Europe, a Green-peace team in Papua New Guinea have stepped in to prevent

a ship from loading up with wood of dubious provenance.

ThesovereignstateofPapuaNewGuineaafteravotein1972wasestablished1975,buttherewaslittleprogressinthesenseofamarketeconomy.PNGuntiltodayisheavilyexportorientedanddependentonthevolatilityofcommodityprices.

Thetransferoftheserevenuestothepopulationandtheestablishmentofregulationsandinfrastructureasapre-requisiteforadevelopingdomesticmarket-allthesearependingissuestoday.

ButrecentdevelopmentsfromPNGindicatethattheissuestartstoenteranewroundandthesettingisindeedchallenginginthatitispromisingandriskyatthesametime.

AGreenpeaceteamoccu-piestheHarbourGemini,carryingillegaltimberfromPapuaNewGuineaandboundforChina.

SirMichaelSomare—PapuaNewGuinea’s(PNG)PrimeMinister—jetssoontoCopenhagenpledgingtoprotectthecountry’srainforestsinexchangeforREDDcarbonmoney.Yetbackhomehehasleftalonglistofshamefulandcorruptrainforest/climatepolicies.AsCopenhagenandREDDtalksstart,SomarepalsRimbunanHijauof

MalaysiacontinuelogginginRamu,Madang,despiteacourtorderdemandingtheystop.Corruption,humanrightsabuses,andeco-logicaldevastationhavenoplaceinREDDorPapuaNewGuinea.NowisthetimetoaskthatMr.Somareensurecourtordersareupheldagainstillegallogging,andtoendtheindustrialloggingofprimaryrainforestsaspartofanyCopenhagenREDDdeal.