I remember hearing about this a few months ago but it is back in the news big time today following a protest and closure of the track;
VILLAGERS have felled a tree across Papua New Guinea’s historic Kokoda Trail, where Australian soldiers fought Japanese troops in 1942, and declared trekkers unwelcome. Mr Jack said he represented 1000 villagers who are demanding that the PNG Government allow Australian company Frontier Resources to dig up 600 metres of the track to mine a $US6 billion ($A6.7 billion) copper and gold deposit. The villagers have been offered a 5% stake in the mine that could reap them more than $US100 million over the proposed 10-year life of the mine. Sixty-six years after the so-called “fuzzy wuzzy angels” fought bloody battles alongside Australian diggers, villagers along the track are preparing for a new battle, this time against the Australian Government, which is pressuring the PNG Government not to allow the track to be disturbed. Villages waved placards that included “What has Australia done for fuzzy wuzzies in 65 years?” and “Rudd wants fuzzy wuzzy angels to live in perpetual poverty”. Mr Jack said the last thing his villagers wanted was to stop seeing Australian trekkers, who have for years been welcomed with plates of food and showered with petals.
I just love this bit…
Frontier Resources’ managing director, Peter McNeil, spoke with village chiefs before yesterday’s blockade and helped villagers prepare placards. [Source]
While I am definitely not saying that we should deny the people of this area to a better life, I do believe that the Kokoda trail is something we should be working very hard to preserve in full due to its historical, cultural and environmental significance.I just love how the mining company ‘helped’ (in other words did it) the villagers write the protest signs. Unfortunately the offer of $100 million dollars is very hard to resist, especially to these people living in third world conditions. We should however be making money less of an issue in this by better compensating the local people of this trail that so many Australians visit and enjoy – I am looking at you greedy, expensive tour companies…
