Highlands Human Rights Defenders Welcome Consultations on Protection Bill

Highlands Human Rights Defenders Network’s Mary Kini states, “I think it is very important that we have that protection bill because it’s going to protect our lives.”

Mary joined fellow human rights defenders Eriko Fuferefa , from Kafe Urban Settlers Women’s Association, and Angela Apa, from Kup Women for Peace, in Mt Hagen for a three-day consultation on the development of a Human Rights Defenders Protection bill. The consultation, held in partnership with the Spotlight Initiative and the Constitution and Law Reform Commission, was the first of four that are taking place in March across the country to progress legislation to better protect human rights defenders from retaliation or intimidation in the course of their work.

“We really need to be protected because for so many years we have not been protected and some human rights defenders have been killed along the way,” said Eriko. “Some of them are abused, tortured. We have so many bruises.”

Mary is also a co-chair of the Civil Society Reference Group (CSRG), a core part of implementation of the EU-funded Spotlight Initiative to end violence against women and girls in Papua New Guinea. The Spotlight Initiative has provided technical support to the Special Parliamentary Committee on Gender-Based Violence which completed a second public inquiry into gender-based violence in Papua New Guinea on March 4, 2022. 

“As a CSRG co-chair and human rights defender, I would really like to acknowledge the Spotlight Initiative over these two years,” said Mary. “They created a platform where we can go and lobby and we can advocate at that level.”

“We are able to get into that space to talk about our issues down at the grassroots level and in the regions around the country.”

If successful, the draft bill will complement other human rights protections in Papua New Guinea.

Recent amendments to the Criminal Code have taken steps to address the role of glasman and glasmeri, and the role of the individuals or families who use them, in perpetuating sorcery accusation related violence in Papua New Guinea. The amendments to the Criminal Code make it illegal to use, or attempt to use, the services of a glasman or glasmeri. It is also a crime to threaten to use the services of a glasman or glasmeri. Penalties include up to 10 years in jail and fines up to 10,000 PGK.

Accusations of sorcery by a glasman or glasmeri have initiated the torture and murder of dozens of women across Papua New Guinea. Accurate numbers of those affected are difficult to collect as fear of retaliation means some cases go unreported. Prosecutions are rare.

“People have these norms, these beliefs,” said Mary. “When a glasman or glasmeri comes along and says something, people automatically react to what these glasman or glasmeri are saying. They are provocative.”

“So I think this is very important and I am really pleased that this is passed as this is something we have been asking for a long, long time.”