Some of the many things people added while signing the petition:
www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-mining-the-karawari-caves.html
image by Amy Toensig
It is time to demonstrate true environmental stewardship governed by environmental ethics. Protecting the terrestrial ecosystem of the Karawari Region and its extremely sensitivebiodiversity means ensuring that the environment will have a sustainable future. Gold exploration will lead to irreversible environmental destruction-for short term profits. Terrestrial ecosystems and the air and water services that they provide are worth more than bars of gold when it comes to the future of our forests- our life support.
Please protect these caves.Business should not win over culture, tradition and heritage.
We need to get the greatest number of people to sign this petition, if we want to save this universal Rock Art treasure and the Meakambut their legitimate owners and their territory. Please try and help us in this endeavour.
Please stop logging on our land where the ancestors lived.
Please do not allow mining in these Heritage standard caves
With the pristine forest PNG has such great opportunities for sustainable nature-based tourism, an industry that is itself sustainable, it is shocking to see the government continually push massive mining projects that permanently destroy the landscape, the water and marine environment. Tourism earns less per project, but for more people, at the grassroots and for longer.
This site should be protected in perpetuity from mining and/or development.
Please, please, please - please listen.There are more important things in life than gold & oil etc.Gone is gone - forever & ever, never to return again. Humanity has exploited, polluted & decimated so much - it is time to protect & preserve, cherish & treasure.
At what point does it become unacceptable to destroy beautiful places? I find myself disgusted with the greed that I see in the human population, the unwillingness to do the right thing instead of destroying nature for money to be made.
Please pay attention to the vast Cultural importance of these caves, and to the last cave dwellers of PNG who are still living there. This land is deserving of World Heritage status, pleasedon't ruin it forever.
Here we go again, large companies wanting to destroy something that is irreplaceable I hope they can be stopped.
Mining gold poisons the earth! Save our planet, keep it clean and green! Save the animals and planet!
I strongly oppose the application by Pristine #18 ELA 2008 to explore for gold in the Karawari region of the East Sepik Province. Particularly while there is a pending application for the areato be listed as a World Heritage site and not only that, the caves are home to the last nomadic cave dwellers of PNG and are totally against the application as well.
PNG has lost too many of its historic and cultural heritage to unscrupulous 'development' , and the Karawari caves are the latest to come under this threat.The Karawari site should not be mined!
Is nothing sacred anymore in this country? Selling sacred sites like this, shows how demoralised we have become as a nation. I hope we have leaders who still have moral values who can put astop to this insult.
I honestly don't know how anyone could ever think of possibly destroying such amazing history and beautiful rain forests. Think of the ecosystem and people it will affect!
Hon Peter O'Neill, CMG, MP,Please take care of your history, when every thing else is gone, it remains. Donot allow this to happen. If the Karawari region is under consideration for World Heritage listing then there is no place for any form of habitat destruction in the area. World Heritage listing of an area is a prestigious accolade for any country and should be sought after as a matter of pride by PNG not destroyed in the short-term pursuit of an inert metal.
Cultural heritage is the most precious experience of mankind, the only experience that can pull it out of the global crisis.
totally against giving our heritage to these greedy so and so. This is not development, this is greed at its best
Stencilled caves are rare in New Guinea... and are not only of a great cultural importance to the State of Papua New Guinea, also for history of Humanity.
Our legacy is to preserve our history, will history show the rape of my motherland, or the foresight that what is done to our natural resources cannot be undone.
Miners and loggers have not made Papua New Guineans rich. Instead they have widened the gap between the rich and the poor. They have increased social problems. Their dusty roads in some areas are now impassable. The proof of their economic contribution may be seen in the urban areas of PNG particularly in Port Moresby and Lae, but sadly not by the rest of the estimated 85% people of this nation who live off their land, see, air and water for their daily sustenance in their rural areas. Live the sacred sites of the Karawari people intact for from it shall their spirits dwell and so shall they find they spiritual strength, wisdom and dignity.
Once they're gone there's no bringing them back. PNGs cultural heritage is worth more than someone else's buckets of gold. Stop the mining!
We the people of PNG don't need any more mining in our country Hon P. O'Neill and mining minister Hon Byron Chan. Can you two please cancell this exploration license and get Pristine outof our country thanks.
This is a heineous crime on society and archaeology. I feel ashamed to be an Australian when our 'leaders' enable these types of acts.
maybe by one's word cant make you change your mind on this decision to develop the place, but please think again. these herritage cant be bought with money in future. thank you
The aborigines reserve the right to stay their own way in the caves. Any attempts to change it must be stopped.Just think if you are one of them !
Please stop RH u made enuf money
Just leave.
I certify that the rock art of Karawari area is utmost importance, not only for the present life and the prehistory of New Guinea, but for the entire world. A unique opportunity is there to be able tohelp in understanding the rock art, which is the oldest form of artistic expression and religion of humanity. More : at a time of the global economy shows its limits and its madness, it is urgent to protect the last small spaces of freedom for nomadic peoples.Please let our brothers Meakambut live!
Mining will not benefit the local people but will destroy the Karawari caves which are too important to the whole world.
Please do not rip PNG's gut out and sell it to the highest bidder! Because that is in reality what ishappening! There is enough exploration, mining, oil and gas, timber, plantations and etc..etc..are we going to remove everything from our mother land and live it barren?
Stop exploiting people's right and land. In solidarity, you can stand and say " NO " for thisproject. Thank you
When the trees are gone, the rivers dry up, and prehistoric art erased, you will realise that you can NOT eat money!
The Karawi Caves are an important cultural story that belongs not only to PNG, but to the world and our shared human history.
They had made enough money by raping our rain forests. They are already filthy rich now. They can invest in other industry but not in the forest sector. The environmental damage they aredoing to our environment is far greater than the benefits. The environmental destruction will be unforgiveable by the future generations. Let's put a stop to the raping of our rain forest and its ecosystem right now. Leaders, be in your right frame of mind to stop this cruel destruction of our natural beauty. You can go to other countries seeking for medical treatment if you are sick butwhen you die; your coffin will never leave the shores of this country to be buried in another country. Leaders! This is your country, your people and your rainforest. Always do what is right to preserve and protect this country from foreign greed and interests.
If ppl of that area dont welcome you, get the hell out intruder!
There must be some areas as reserved for our future generations, is mining going to feed all the people that will be directly affected? Come real Government give lasting developmentto sustain the livelihood of our people for many years to come.
The forest lives with the people and the people with the forest. No amount of money can and will never replace that bond. Leave the forest alone!
The RH Group of Companies has done a lot of damage to the Rainforest of PNG now they want to go into mining damn what sort of damage will they cause to the enviroment and to the People ofthat area they are mining in.
The area is of great value to the people of Karawari interms of economic, social and cultural value and the people there must give their free prior informed consent before any good andbad development happens on thier customary land
the RH Syndicate is reducing this country to 'non inheritance' left for the future generation. Those caves worth more than the fortunes of RH who can never ever in their lifetime replace thevalue those caves have for the generation to come.
Enough of RH raping virginity of our environment, especially rainforest in this country. They should be told to f... off. That includes all logging firms. FOR THEIR ENTRY INTO KARAWARI CAVE AREA IS A BIG NO BECAUSE THEIR MAIN GOAL IS NOT THE GOLD BUT THE TIMBER.
The money greedy PNG Government is uncaring of its incredible heritage and environment which requires protection
I support the petition's aims. Please do not damage the precious nature of Papua New Guinea for the benefit of a few tons of gold. The nature that is aimed to be damaged by mining is worthbillion times more and could not be restored when once damaged. Please do keep this part of Papua New Guinea untouched for the benefit of our descendants and precious wealth of nature's and cultural biodiversity.
I sincerely hope, that this time interests of local communities will be considered as more important then profits of big companies.
I hope deep from my heart that the government can appreciate the treasure in their old culture and help save the paintings.I have been a resident of PNG for 4 years in the 90th.
Too bad i can not go there to some direct action.
There is more than enough environmental damage caused in PNG for reasons of greed and temporal prosperity at the cost of the people and the land. This is one of the last frontiers andsadly enough, because of senseless people in control, it is just becoming another Amazon clear cut and mined wasteleand.
I urge the government to feel proud of its cultural heritage and natural assets. As an Australian I apologise for our greedy way of life that often is the root cause to the destruction of indigenous cultures and landscapes. Know that not all western people are happy with this way of life and learn from our mistakes by maintaining your own incredibly unique identities and integrity rather than continually striving to live the same as everyone else.
Please do not allow senseless greed to destroy such a precious piece of world heritage!
Please pay urgent attention to this! The caves and more vitally, the people who live around them and are connected culturally to them are millenia-old treasures--world heritage.
RH has not proven to be sensitive to social and environmental areas where they have undertaken resource extraction projects. Please protect the site and not grant approval for the license.
As these caves are known internationally as an important cultural and artistic place, PNG's internatational reputation will be harmed by mining here.
Granting this license would be a crime against humanity.
What are you thinking? A peoples' history can not be redone! The value of their recordings is priceless!
I've personally been to those caves and have witnessed unique exotic art works in them. Such arts are rare and was installed by very skilled native artists.PLEASE STOP exploting thoseintergral part of our indigenous society.
Please do not issue any exploratory licenses to any extraction companies for the Karawari caves system area. Please respect these traditional landowners rights to say no to anythingthat disrupts their lands/
Based on Rimbunan Hijau's environmental record, they cannot be trusted to look after the interests of the customary landowners or the artwork in the Karawari Caves
Please preserve what little evidence of historical culture we have left for us and future generations.
Besides their archaeological value, the rock paintings in these caves are still part of the livingtraditions of the people in PNG. Please protect their right to continue with these traditions in their sacred landscapes.
The Earth needs the gold to remain in itself for balance! We've dug up enough! We've used enough toxic chemicals on the planet. Work on cleaning up the mess we've already made, instead of making one more mess!
Protect ancient rock art from obliteration by strategies that are concerned only with short term commercial gain.
It is important to preserve this ancient art. It is history, art, tradition, religion... Once it is gone, it can never be replaced again.
Please protect the Karawari Caves area from economic exploitation that will destroy this precious culture that belongs to our global history.
I am a rock art researcher who visited PNG in 1983, was impressed with the heritage and its importance in understanding pre-history of the Pacific. Area resources need to be preservedfor current residents and future generations, not surveyed for possible mining.
I mostly care about the people living there that's the reason why I signed this petition.
The mining industry leaces poison chemicals after they have raped the land. Their past history for cleanup is bad. Why should we think they will leave anything but distruction in theirpath?
Land is life, the location contains invalueable sites which money cannot replace. I stand upon the Fourth National Goal and Directive Principles to protect our natural habitat fortomorrow's generation. I SAY NOT TO MINING IN THE KARAWARI AREA.
This is an important area. Within it lies important links to the history of PNG and its many people. It is also an important link in Global History, it must be preserved at all cost.To know where you came from is to know where you as a country are going. Do notallow greed to destroy your many peoples.
If the people do not want this development or the developer is not sensitive to the culture or history then the Government should think about the future generations. The resources willalways be there.
This kind of mining is very destructive I believe that it would be better to preserve the othe Treasures of the Karawari such as the caves and the surroundings that maybe soon will bringeven more revenue.
It is outrageous that Karawari people are facing the destruction if their lives and culture due to mining. The Grasberg gold mine in West Papua is one of the most destructive mines in the world which actively pays the Indonesian military to kill West Papuan tribespeople.I would be completely horrified to see the same thing happen in PNG, a free nation. PNG should respect its own people, even the most humble. So call "development" can t be an excuse for everything. Let the local owner decide - with all informations needed - what they want to do
As a concerned citizen, a scientist and a researcher working with rural populations I support the cause of this petition.
I grew up in this beautiful land and even as a boy, I watched the rain forest being logged and taken away. Lets help stop anymore destruction of this beautiful land!!
Yumi mas lusim tingting long mani! No ken bagarapim papagraun na histori bilong ol Niugini.
There are too many examples around the world of the consequences of losing unique habitats and evidence of our pre-history. Please don't let this be added to the tragic list.
We cannot keep destroying our magnificent Earth.... this money from cutting down pristine forests, mining untouched landscapes will stay with a few big ceo-s at the top of a greedy unfeeling pyramid in action all around the globe and is meaningless to all of us & our generations of children ,& grandchildren.! PLEASE LEAVE THE KALAWARI HOMELAND ave ,art.&traditions..) ALONE !!!!!!!!!!!!
As a former missionary to PNG and friend of the Lutz family, who have worked with and worked on behalf of the Penale people for 19 years, I support this petition. Protect your land and yourpeople.
It is time to stop allowing corporate entities to consume precious lands for the sake of garnering obscene profits for themselves and their stockholders. It profits only the raiders and investors, drives people from lands that grant them a sustainable way of life, harms already endangered animal life, and offers no other thing of lasting value to the world.Put simply, this should not be allowed, and this sort of predatory behavior by multinational entities MUST STOP.
There are more important things in this world than gold. Go home and rebuild your own ecosystem before destroying someone else's home habitat.
Please respect and protect the self-determination of the people of the Karawari region. Respect their autonomy. Respect their land and their traditions.
Rimbunan Hijau thinks, it owns this country (PNG) and can go on to exploit whatever it pleases...Amazingly RH has a terrible reputition in PNG with regards to forest resource plunder, human rights violation, manipulation of the politics-policies and politicians through it political party - National Alliance or New Asian party. Surely it has diversified into number industries using in various names...Get rid of the devil, how long is it going to suck and parasite on this country and its citizen?It will be grave loss to the people of Kalavari and PNG if this heritage is to be destroyed and lost to build Tiong Hiew King's empire in Malaysia..
The caves with their art are a region of the most valuable heritage of the world. Please save them for the future.
Please leave this cave alone. We have enough goldmines in PNG. This site is our very own peoples heritage and has been around for thousands of years. Do not let outsiders destroy one of the few cultural sites we have left. The cave identifies us as Papua New Guineans, please dont let Pristine #18 destroy it. Its our home.
We all have the responsibility of conserving and both our natural and cultural heritage and ensuring that basic fundamental human rights are not violated by our greed and self iinterests
Please do not allow Pristine #18 to explore for gold without the free prior and informed consent of the Meakambut and the entire Penale tribe
It is insane for any country to jeopardize its own cultural treasures so that a few greedy individuals can make money.
This area should be protected because of its valuable cultural treasures and because it belongs to the Meakambut
Over the past since PNG gained its independence, our small green pristine country has undergone growing exploitation through mainly huge scale logging and mining activities. What have we achieved so far? Is our local customary landowners benefitting well from these developments? There is recently growing pressure for resource extraction for the last 5-10 years. We are one of the most rich country on earth but yet so poor in terms of developments. Has the existing mines alleviate poverty and unemployment in the country? We seem to have mines for most of the mineral resources but nothing has happened! Are there any other ways to sustainably develop and managed our natural phenomenon to bring the world to our shores? I personally believe we have the potential to bring the whole world to our shore to enjoy the extreme beauty of our diverse culture, diverse biodiversity, etc. Enough is enough, please look at other innovative ways to maintain our natural mysteries for our future generations. We have to be conservative rather thanbecoming a puppet for the international/multinational coorporations. Please you know the consequence of your decision so please honour the people you represent.
The area is by many Sepik groups considered as their place of origin since mythical times. Land means identity and digging into the earth would literally mean uprooting the people. Besides, many people living downstream depend on the rivers and lakes for food, transport and health. It would be a risky business to challenge their environmental issues which are the basis for their existence.
Save the people as it is and give the pace to the community to excercise their own choice to establish harmony among the Natural Resources and their relationships with the facilitativeeffort of Change Agent.
mining in PNG has seen very little tangible developments here in PNG let alone very little translating to prosperity amongst the majority of Papua New Guineans especially in ruralareas. the ripple effect of wealth generated from mining in PNG is limited. if pending World heritage status it should be left alone. our resources are being carved up by large corporations and before long there will be nothing left for future generation but dust and ash.
We have many existing mines from which revenues can be generated. To initiate a new mine is depleting all resources at one point in time and how about future generations?? Also concerned area is renown for archeaological site by the world.
Les natin lo planti con man kam stealim ground na resources blo mipla.
Sorry No Need 4 more mines in PNG..we must build on the ones that are already in place and development our country first..Although we have many mining in the country we never experienceschange. We are seen as Forever Developing Nation (FDN). We are still investing in primary stage of development without expending into secondary stage i.e. industry, laboratory, factories for production of goods and and investments for services that will support tertiary stage of development. Its 36 years already but the government is still investing on primary stage of development and that is of basic infrastructure services all the time. These things suppose to bedone during colonial times or early independence. We are still talking about these primary stage of development problem because the government can not manage the big revenues from the already established mines. If the government can handle this I hope by now we should have moved into secondary and tertiary stage of development..therefore, No mining is to be done in my village Kerawari unless the government proof itself in managing the big LNG revenue, reduce coruption and bring these primary stage services to the rural people
Put a stop to mining exploration and any other mining activity in and around the Karawari Caves area by RH or any other company. List the said area as a World Heritage Area.
We have enough mines to sustain the economy of this country. Why more mines? Its uneven distribution of wealth and lack of vision and planning with poor or no service delivery at all inrural areas. Lack of commitment, mismanagement, corruption etc by the MPs we vote to Parliament directly denies us our right to better medical care, electricity, better schools, better road networks, airfields etc .OK Tedi brought us environmental disaster, Panguna brought us civil war, dont we ever learn? Whats there for the people now? Absolutely Nothing! Mountains/Forestswith the natural habitats and beauty replaced by deserts, craters and wild thorns and Only Scars. How can RH be issued with a mining permit when they dont have a history in mining and also even if issuing of a mining permit to any company in that area would be utterly insane. Its the locals and and part of PNGs History which is PRICELESS. No amount of money can buy or replace historynor heritage.
I surely support the petition to stop this RH group of companies logging or mining in this area. Nowadays PNG is losing its traditional & cultural practices that keep people together. Such developments don't bring benefits to the poor local people. it only reap from them and destroy their live, leaving the people to suffer the years to come without any greater or long term benefits.It also destroy the beautiful natural environment that leaving bare land for our future generations...Please, do not grant the exploration licence to Pristine # 18 and preserve the Kawari area for future generation of that land to appreciate their heritage.We have distroyed our virgin environment in the name of development.Please conserve the Kawari area
Seriously! Do we need another mine in PNG at the expense of destroying what we have yet to learn about in this rich cultural heritage only recently discovered and not yet fully documented? RH can find another country to ply it's trade.
RH has bad track record in conducting its businesses in png and based on many reported allegations of corruption, environment degradation, abuse of human rights and absolutedisregard for customary landowners and the laws of the country.stop it from mining the area.
Lets all fight to STOP this MINING in KARAWARI CAVES.
I was Curator of Anthropology at the PNG National Museum 1980-83. One of my tasks was protection of National Cultural Property. Despite some of the best Cultural Property legislation inthe world (though in need of updating fines etc) cultural treasures have left the country illegally. Don't let these significant cultural sites be destroyed by resource extraction companies that already have a history of disregard for the environment. Protect local peoples' rights to decide how they want to live their lives and their lands to be used.
As decision makers you hold the fate of this precious ecological and cultural area in your hands. I draw your attention to the PNG Constitution. The wishes of the landowners must be respected.The biodiversity and the rainforests of Papua New Guinea are important not only for Papua New Guinea but for the earth at this time of unprecedented climate change. Your decision will affect not only PNG but the whole world. You can show global leadership in your approach to balancing economic needs with ecological needs.
Mining activities will destroy the environment. including the Cave Arts & the marine life in the waters of the Karawari & Arafundi river systems.PLEASE THERE SHOULD BE NO MINING IN THE AREA.
RH is NOT welcome in Momase Region, nor in PNG as a whole. They had done more than tolerable damage to PNG's forests, to PNG's biodiversity and to PNG's people and more. How much more damage can we and our government allow them to continue to do.Go Karawari, Meakambut and ALL Sepiks and ALL PNGeans! Stand up for what is right and never allow these human rights abusers, environment destroyers, land grabbers etc to come onto your/our territory.You have my fullest support, that of the Madang Peoples Forum and my Gildipasi people from the north coast of Madang.Stap wantaim yupela!
The World should not sell its future or any part of our global culture and heritage (whether in Papua New Guinea or elsewhere) that will sustain it for succeeding generations, and certainlynot for nothing more than the short term and illusory benefits mining might bring. It will not be long before the profits are extracted and banked in corporate accounts far from Papua New Guinea and its people leaving your country and the world a poorer place.
Please protect the national cultural property of the Meakambut people of PNG and do not allow commercial interests to exploit it or harm them.
Mining is environmentaly damaging generally and to mine in wilderness areas and other special areas is indefensible. Papua is a unique environment with effects on species migration and continent development. There are subtle and profound consequences for the planet when PNG is mishandled. Stop mining.
To mine these caves would be equivalent to desecrating a cathedral. Please do not let your monetary desires interfere with your moral codes .
This is the nation's story house, history and legacy for the future generation and we cannot allow some foreigners digging for gold and minerals to spoils the 300 plus caves and the forest and the culture of the people, if they are against mining then let them be.
RH has cut enough of our Native forest. Now they are building a Large Hotel at Vision City that is worth hundreds of millions of Kina. I think they have made enough out of our country plundering our forest and robbing the locals LO.
As has become apparent, there is more to life than hotels, minerals, things. There is, in fact, life.And ecosystem services (see TEEB, MEA, ..., IPCC).I urge you to reconsider keeping some of the pristine habitat and indigenous peoples on this planet.
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