Gold's costly dividend : human rights impacts of Papua New Guinea's Porgera gold mine.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Albin-Lackey, Chris.

Contributor:

Ganesan, Arvind.

Human Rights Watch (Organization)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gold mines and mining--Papua New Guinea--Porgera.

Gold mines and mining.

Barrick Gold Corporation.

Women--Violence against--Papua New Guinea--Porgera.

Women.

Police brutality--Papua New Guinea--Porgera.

Police brutality.

Human rights.

Social conditions.

Women--Violence against.

Papua New Guinea--Social conditions.

Papua New Guinea.

Human rights--Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea--Porgera.

Physical Description:

94 pages : color illustrations, color map ; 27 cm

Other Title:

Human rights impacts of Papua New Guinea's Porgera gold mine

Papua New Guinea, gold's costly dividend

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Human Rights Watch, 2010.

Summary:

"This details the story of Papua New Guinea's rich and controversial Porgera gold mine. Ninety-five percent owned and fully operated by Barrick Gold, a Canadian company that is the world's largest gold producer, the mine has long been a boon to PNG's national treasury. But its impact on local communities has been far more complicated. Gold's Costly Dividend: Human Rights Impacts of Papua New Guinea's Porgera Gold Mine describes how some private security personnel employed by the Porgera mine have allegedly engaged in brutal gang rapes of local women as well as other violent crimes. It also sets out longstanding environmental and health concerns about the mine's operations--especially its practice of dumping 16,000 tons of liquid waste into the nearby Porgera river every day--and Barrick's response for many years to disclose only the minimum of relevant data. Based on interviews with local community members, victims of human rights abuses, company and government officials, police personnel and others, the report shows how Barrick failed to take appropriate action in relation to allegations of serious abuses around the mine. But in response to Human Rights Watch research, the company has taken meaningful steps to address the inadequacies--including supporting a criminal investigation of its own personnel. The company has also undertaken to disclose key environmental data for the first time. Playing an absentee role in all of this is the Canadian government. Canada is home to more than half of the world's international mining and exploration companies, but the government does virtually nothing to oversee or regulate their conduct overseas. The longstanding problems at Porgera show why there is an urgent need for the Canadian authorities to play a more constructive role in guiding and overseeing the human rights practices of Canada's corporate citizens abroad."--P. [4] of cover.

Contents:

Summary

Recommendations

Methodology

I. Background and Context

The Porgera Joint Venture

Box 1: An Altered Landscape

Poor Living Conditions and Demands for Relocation

Poisonous Local Politics: Barrick and the Porgera Landowners Association

II. Violence and Illegal Mining: PJV's Security Challenges

Illegal Mining on the Waste Dumps

Organized Raids on the Mine

Criminalization of Illegal Mining and its Limitations

III. Gang Rape and Other Abuses by PJV Security Personnel

The PJV Security Force

A Legacy of Abuse?

Box 2: Replicating Broader Patterns of Abuse

Ongoing Patterns of Abuse by PJV Security Guards

Gang Rape by APD Personnel

Box 3: Another Investigation at Porgera

Box 4: Retaliation at Home

Box 5: A Gang Rape Survivor Tells Her Story

Treatment of Detainees in APD Custody

Excessive Use of Force

IV. Barrick and the Mobile Police Deployment to Porgera

V. Barrick's International Human Rights Obligations

VI. Barrick's Response to Human Rights Concerns at the Porgera Mine

Long Term Company Efforts to Implement the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights

Falling Short

Barrick's Response to Human Rights Watch's Allegations

VII. Health and Environmental Concerns Regarding Riverine Tailings Disposal at Porgera

Box 6: The Ok Tedi Disaster

Transparency Concerns

VIII. Mercury Use by Small-Scale and Illegal Miners

IX. The Need for Canadian Government Regulation

Box 7: No Oversight of APD in Porgera

Bill C-300: A Missed Opportunity

X. Acknowledgements

Annex: Barrick's Response to Human Rights Watch.

Notes:

"This report was researched and authored by Chris Albin-Lackey, senior researcher in the Business and Human Rights Division"--P. 86.

"February 2011"--P. following t.p. verso.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

1564327388

9781564327383

OCLC:

701907750