PNG Landowners protest state-sanctioned Land-theft

Indigenous Melanesians protest land grab

Between 2005 and 2011 vast hectares of customary land in Papua New Guinea were literally "stolen" by foreign corporations -predominantly Malaysian. It is estimated that 5.2 million hectares of customary land was converted into 99 year Special Purpose Agriculture Leases. Many remote illiterate tribal communities in Papua New Guinea were duped into signing off their land under the pretext of development. Currently vast hectares of rainforest are being harvested with very little agricultural or developmental activities.
In 2011 the Government was forced to set up an inquiry into the matter following widespread community outrage over the granting of these lease. Today there is a moratorium on granting of new leases but exploitation of tropical timber continues in existing leases.
In the video, indigenous tribesmen from Papua New Guinea's East Sepik Province protest at the Provincial Headquarters of Wewak, during the holding of the Commission of Inquiry hearings in February 2011.
The gentleman in the videos is talking about land as the people's source of social security. The government of PNG doesn't provide social security and for many indigenous people, Land is Life, it sustains them.