indigenous people of the the Gwich'in who rely on the Caribou herds which breed on the coastal plain.
ExxonMobil also OUCHES advocates free trade agreements which have meant a and poor, fewer environmental and human rights restric interested in is that such agreements provide a global mechanism to push ossil fuels on the developing world.
Debt restructuring agree nents by the World Bani and International Monetary Fund have forced developing countries to cut social services and open up resources. This has allowed CONTAHIC like ExxonMobil to access oil and gas reserves at rock Terry Conway Papua New Guinea is caught in a deep economic crisis The country currently has Jebts to the (IMF), World Bank and other multilateral austerity plan. institutions of US$906 mil which stands at US$211 million, is about 40% of the As is the patter in all dependent countries, the loans and a further pending loan of US$210 million from the IMF and World Bank insist that the government transferred into the hands of, largely foreign, compatural adjustment program. nies. The Australian govemment One issue that is not so has also made its $300 million a year in aid contingent the plan to register land ownership - which is also clearly seen as a prelude to The resulting govemment privatisation in a country also looks familiar a mas where 90% of the land is sive programme of privatisa communally owned. Though extremely unpopular, the Telecommunications, the opening up of the land to state airline and the PNG commercial ownership has long been a desire of the Protesting student leaders IMF and World Bank said that the sell-off pro- In response to all of this gram would result in 70% of students bepun a protest on state-owned assets being June 18, boycotting classes and support from local settement dwellers, demanding gram, an end to goverment attempts to land ownership claims, and the expulsion of World Bank and IMF repreIf Prime Minister Morauta was not willing to do that, they said, he should resign.
in June 21, several thouthrough Port Moresby from the university campus to Parliament House, closing schools and the public transport system. receive their petition, they decided to camp outside his office and appeal for more public support.
Initially the government was very dismissive of the protests, but as they contin ued and prew in size, tw pressure on Morauta increased.
By June 25, his tune had changed and he issued Statements claiming that he had no plans to go for land registration.
Inat attemoon, Tanked by half his cabinet ministers and a wall of police Morauta received the petition from the crowd of 4000 orotesters. He said he would carefully consider the studenis proposals and respond to them the next The students decided to stay a further night and wait into the evening, when the crowd had dwindled to a few hundred, the not police moved in. When the crowd were brutally attacked, first with tear gas and batons and later with ive bullets. At least one protestor was killed at this point. The response to the death When the was angry and instantaneous. Early in the morning Gatine one suden marched on the local police confronted by police. They were then joined by a peaceful march from the settlements.
The Trade unions issued a call for Morauta to step down. They also threatened the national flag carrier Air Niugini and disrupt power supplies.
According to eyewitness Moses Murray, it was at this point that police again stormed in, fining tear gas, then chasing be dispersi crowd, then using live ammunition.
incy were shooting de