A mining watchdog says the owners of the Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea's Enga province are neglecting their duty to relocate landowners living on the mine area.
MiningWatch Canada's Catherine Coumans says the mine's owner, Barrick Gold of Canada, has a poor record of social responsibility in its various mines around the world.
She shares similar concerns as Amnesty International over Barrick's support for last year's police operation to evict thousands of people deemed illegal squatters from the Porgera mine.
Mrs Coumans describes the operation as a gross violation of the rights of legitimate landowners who she says are asking the government and mine operators to help relocate them.
"It's not fit for human habitation anymore to be living right up against the waste dumps, they're living up against the contaminated rivers, up against this huge open pit mine. They want to be relocated. And that's the demand that they've been putting forward for quite some time now. There's a definite lack of credibility on the side of the company and respect, as far as the landowners are concerned."
Catherine Coumans of MiningWatch Canada
