The restraining order application also applies to a New Zealand lawyer working for the church, Doug Tennent.

It comes after Panfilo and Tennent tried to assist other landowners at Pomio to renegotiate a Special Agricultural and Business Lease (SABL) with Malaysian multinational Rimbunan Hijau (RH).

Panfilo said the three landowners seeking the restraining order are close to RH.

He said he doesn't yet know the basis for the restraining order.

"I am suspecting that they are doing this because this coming Friday I will go to Pomio to start my pastoral visit, and for sure in my pastoral visit there is one afternoon when I am supposed to meet the people and discuss the issues," he said.

"So I don't know if this is an attempt to restrain us from this."

Some landowners, with help from the Catholic Church in Rabaul, have initiated legal action over the SABL being negotiated with RH.

Earlier this month Panfilo said they hoped the company would agree to mediation in Pomio rather than take court action.

He said if the company came to Pomio it would meet and hear directly from the landowners.

"The people of RH would be obliged to listen to the people because as of now I think they get the impression that [they are] doing everything all right and there are some people disgruntled.

"We are convinced that the majority of the people want a renegotiation of the SABL" he said.

In 2016 Panfilo was honoured by the government of Papua New Guinea for his outstanding contribution in pastoral care, leadership, education and technical training of the young.

He was given the title ‘Grand Companion of Order of Logohu' which is the highest order in the honours system in Papua New Guinea.

Source

• RNZ
• Bosco
• Image: Bosco

Mr Tennent, who is a New Zealand lawyer, was removed nearly two months ago despite a court order stopping it.

Panfilo said some had advised the church not to let the PNG government off the hook.

"But we are not after blood, we are not vindictive, we just want Doug to be back and to be back as quick as possible."

The PNG court ordered immigration services to issue Tennent a new visa last month which would see him return by August 8.

Tennent is scheduled to fly out on Friday, but is not confident his visa will come together in time.

"It doesn't look like that's happening," he said.

Despite criticisms he should be suing immigration for damages, Tennent is just looking forward to returning to work.

"The Archbishop and I have decided we're not into that. We just want to get back, carry on with the job."

But Tennent will be making submissions to the Ombudsman, Constitutional Law Reform Commission and immigration calling for a change in the deportation process.

"I don't want this sort of thing to happen again. If you've got a concern about somebody, you go to them firstly and you let them respond. That was not done at all.

"I think we've got a moral obligation to try and address that."

Tennent had been working with Panfilo on the concerns people in one district of East New Britain had over their relationship with a multi national company involved in logging and oil palm, Rimbunan Hijau.

Source

• RNZ
• Asia Pacific report
• Image:MSC

Hollie Fifer's film The Opposition won the Grand Prize at the International Pacific Documentary Film Festival, FIFO, in French Polynesia, in February.

The documentary is about the struggle to stop the eviction of 3,000 people from a decades-old squatter community to make way for an Australian-backed property development that promised a hotel, marina and exhibition centre.

Bulldozers were used to clear a waterfront residential area in Papua New Guinea's(PNG) capital Port Moresby and make space for the development

However Australian property developer, Paga Hill Development Company (PHDC), was given a 99 year lease on the land where many families had been living for four generations.

Selected to screen at DocEdge last year, The Opposition, was pulled at the last minute because of a court challenge.

The documentary was cleared for international release in July.

Fifer was in PNG in 2012 as a student filmmaker. She made contact with Dame Carol Kidu, the Australian-born PNG MP; she was the only woman in parliament and had became leader of the opposition.

While they were talking, Kidu suddenly got a phone call alerting her to the fact that demolition of Paga Hill was underway.

Fifer went with Kidu and filmed what happened: houses being demolished, distressed people being pushed around by police.

Kidu's was arrested as she protested against what was taking place.

Subsequently Kidu quit parliament; she became a consultant for PHDC and her relationship with the community and the filmmakers began to change.

She took legal action against the film. Her case was rejected.

Source

• scoop.co,nz
• theaustralian.com.au
• smh.com.au

"It was a decision by the Council to try and ensure no lives will be wasted and blood is not shed." They visited because they wanted the people of Satapuala "to feel God's presence and remind them that the heart of God is about keeping the peace," said Le'aupepe.

There is a long standing land dispute between Satapuala and the government over land now legally under the Samoa Trust Estates Corporation opposite Faleolo international airport.

The Satapuala village council recently delivered a letter to the Prime Minister asking the government to return part of the disputed land.

Villagers then set up a security watch post on disputed land after Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi said that police will soon take up camp on site.

Village orator Vaili Mimita confirmed the village's decision saying that matais from various sub-villages of Satapuala will take turns in keeping watch over the lands.

Vaili had previously announced the village's intention of taking over the airport.

Rev Le'aupepe was accompanied by an NCC delegation consisting of the President of the Methodist Church, Reverend Aisoli Iuli and Reverend Nu'uausala Siaosi of the Apia Protestant Church.

Vaili told the Samoa Observer they politely thanked the NCC for their visit and told them that Satapuala's decision stands.

"They (the delegation) told some of our matai that the Government had requested for their help as spiritual leaders of Samoa," said Vaili.

"We all knew that this was the Prime Minister's tactic in thinking that it would solve the problem, but he is wrong again."

Source

• The Samoa Observer
• Radio New Zealand International
• Talamua
• Image: Talamua