The Wire

Hundreds of people protested in Papua New Guinea today against the government’s decision to ban legal challenges to resource projects. In amendments to the Environment and Conservation Act rushed through Parliament on Friday night, court actions against government approved mines are now forbidden. The changes follow complaints from the mining industry after land owners won an injunction preventing a Chinese-owned nickel mine from dumping waste into the sea off Madang. The government says the amendments are in the national interest, but critics argue they suppress the rights of PNG nationals.