Papua New Guinea 2023
The government introduced a draft media policy that would give it additional powers to regulate and control journalists and media outlets. Law enforcement measures proved ineffective in curbing inter-ethnic violence in which at least 150 people were killed and thousands displaced. Access to adequate healthcare remained severely restricted. A licence was issued to reopen a gold mining operation previously associated with serious human rights abuses and environmental damage, despite these not being adequately addressed by the company involved.
Background
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville continued to push for the implementation of the 2019 referendum on independence but was hindered by discussions on the reopening of the Panguna copper mine which would represent the main source of income for an independent Bougainville. Foreign affairs minister Justin Tkatchenko resigned in May in the wake of protests against alleged racist remarks that he made against critics of the lavish expenditure by the minister and members of his family when attending the coronation of King Charles III in the UK.
Freedom of expression
On 12 February, the government published a draft National Media Policy that included proposals to regulate journalists, media outlets and the currently independent PNG Media Council (PNGMC). An initial public consultation period of just 12 days was extended after the PNGMC called for more inclusive consultations on a law that would increase government control of the media and undermine press freedom. Legislation to give effect to these controversial policies had not been adopted by year’s end.
In June, the government issued a policy directive banning media outlets from accessing parts of Parliament House, adding to measures introduced in 2022 restricting media access to government officials.
Right to life
Long-standing patterns of inter-ethnic violence that had intensified around national elections in 2022 escalated further in the highland provinces of Enga, Hela and Southern Highlands. In July, the Enga provincial government imposed a temporary night-time curfew in an attempt to curb violence. However, the violence resulted in widespread displacement and more than 150 deaths were reported in August in Enga. The national police commissioner issued a directive in August authorizing the use of lethal force against any person carrying firearms, bush knives and other weapons in the affected provinces.
Right to health
Much of Papua New Guinea’s population continued to be denied the right to adequate healthcare due to the chronically under-resourced health system. It was projected that in 2023 only an estimated 72% of people living with HIV would receive antiretroviral medication, and more than half of the at-risk population, including sex workers, men who have sex with men and transgender people, would not be reached by HIV prevention programmes.
Right to a healthy environment
In March, the Canadian mining company Barrick Gold Corporation (Barrick) announced plans and received government permission to reopen the Porgera copper and gold mine in the Enga province of the highlands, where environmental degradation and serious human rights abuses, including rape, sexual assault and forced evictions, took place before its closure in 2020. Impacted Indigenous Peoples and civil society organizations claimed that compensation provided by Barrick was inadequate and that the company had failed to address environmental contamination resulting from previous mining operations at the site.
In April, the finance manager and another staff member of the Climate Change and Development Authority, responsible for coordinating national climate change policies and action, were charged with corruption and misappropriation of the equivalent of around USD 1.3 million of funds intended for climate change mitigation projects.
An investigation by an Australian media outlet uncovered illegal logging in a protected forest in New Ireland province by a company that was promoting a “carbon credit” scheme. Commercial logging in the area was allegedly authorized by corrupt government officials.