In Papua New Guinea the government has declared a state of emergency in the mining township of Porgera.
The Post Courier reports more than one-hundred policemen and soldiers from Port Moresby and Mt Hagen are already on the ground in Porgera.
It says the rapid increase in uncontrollable illegal mining activities within the mine lease area and other law and order issues in the valley has prompted the state of emergency.
The paper says illegal miners are extracting gold from the mine site which has continuously disrupted production and risked shutting down the Barrick-operated world class open cut Porgera gold mine.
