A US human rights community says a Canadian mining company must condemn the violent eviction of villagers near its goldmine in Papua New Guinea.
Porgera mine. Photo: wikicommons / Richard Farbellini
A local human rights organisation, the Akali Tange Association claims police raped and assaulted villagers and burned down houses during an operation near the Porgera Mine.
The association has also accused the mine co-owners Barrick Gold of ordering the operation late last month.
Photo: Supplied/ McDiyan Robert Yapari
The company has denied any involvement but Columbia Law School Human Rights Clinic Director Sarah Knuckey said it must go further.
"The company Barrick Gold must immediately make a statement condemning the violent evictions and especially the practice of burning down homes and the alleged assaults. And then it should suspend its support for the police units involved," said Sarah Knuckey.
Sarah Knuckey said their needs to be a truly independent investigation into the operation and its findings must be made public.