PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Nature Customary of Collingwood Bay won the Claim on Kuala Lumpur Kepong Ltd ( KLK ) in the National Court of Papua New Guinea. KLK was found guilty for acquiring about 38.000 hectares nature area without their agreement to be palm oil plantations.

Last year, helped by Rainforest Action Network (RAN), asForest Peoplesreported, Wednesday, (22/5/2014), the people claimed to RSPO and said that they rejected palm oil. The company illegally operated in their land. The representative board did not make Prior and Informed Consent ( FPIC ) for them to develop what should be developed.

For the complains, on January 2014, RSPO had asked KLK not to enlarge palm oil unless FPIC could be proved to be given to the people. But the court had come to a conclusion on the operational legality,

On the other hand, one prosecutor having land in Collingwood Bay, Lester Seri, said, the people of Collingwood Bay had spoken through our chiefs that we were against the palm oil plantation in big scale in our land.

“Our 9 headmen, tenths of thousands international headmen, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have spoken and now the National Court of Papua New Guinea decide that KLK must leave Collingwood Bay and never come back,” he ended his words.(T3)