Landowner group to challenge Papua LNG Gas Agreement in Court

Dear Prime Minister Peter O’Neil,

The Purari Development Association Inc. on behalf of the eight (8) tribes of Baimuru Sub-District namely, Iare, Koriki, Kaimare, Koravake, Pauaea, Vaimuru, Ipiko and Lavivana (Maipua) Tribes would like to thank you and your government for:

1. Fooling the eight (8) tribes of Baimuru Sub-District in August 2015 to submit our Position Paper through the Minister for Petroleum and Energy then Hon Nixon Duban which included amongst others our expectations for increased Equity considerations of up to a minimum 11.25% or 50% of the States Equity as provided under the suppressive Oil & Gas Act, 1998 (O&GA) when in fact your government had NO intention(s) of accommodating , and

2. Fooling the eight (8) tribes of Baimuru Sub-District again in May 2016 when we physically presented you a copy of this Position Paper in person in which you undertook to ‘look into’ when in fact your government had NO intention of doing so.

Prime Minister if you think the landowners are happy about your announcement to change the O&GA after rushing through and signing the Papua LNG Project Gas Agreement after been silent about our Position Paper and others from Gulf Province ALL these years, we are NOT.

In fact it is a hard slap in the face when all we have done is try to respond proactively to your challenge issued in 2012 when newly elected as Prime Minister for resource owners to ‘think outside the box’ in major resource development.

We did, and your government put us back into it and nailed it shut when the Gas Agreement was signed.

‘We don’t need your sympathy as an ‘after thought’ when the damage is done, all we asked for was empowerment and protection through direct legislative changes’ prior to the signing of the Gas Agreement or any subsequent project agreements.

It has come to our attention that PDA’s request for amendments’ to the O&GA could not be accommodated because of the MOU signed with Total E&P Limited in Paris in 2015, if this is so we have been sold out and fooled twice in favour of the same foreign developer.

PDA maintains its position and that is to seek legal advice to challenge the Papua LNG Gas Agreement as Not been in the interests of Landowners and the Nation.