The Minister for Justice and the Attorney General Pila Niningi has acknowledged the work of the Land Commission of Papua New Guinea for its ongoing research on colonial land acquisition at the Bundesarchiv or Federal Archives in Berlin.
This research is a crucial step in addressing the land ownership related historical injustices and will guide future policies to protect the rights of our citizens.
The Minister in a statement says this initiative is an important step towards reconciling our colonial past.
“By thoroughly examining the historical records, we can better advocate for the rights of our citizens and inform our policies to support rightful land ownership.”
The Minister highlighted that the upcoming diplomatic meetings the Land’s Commission will have in Berlin including a scheduled discussion with the Minister of State assisting the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, Katya Keul, is very significant because it will provide a platform to strengthen bilateral ties and explore potential support for the Commission’s work.
Minister Niningi also highlighted the potential for expanding research opportunities at additional archives such as the Geheimes staatsarchiv, the Political Archive of the Foreign Ministry and the Church Archive which will broaden our understanding of this complex history.
“Our goal is to provide comprehensive data that can inform our legislative reforms and empower our communities,” he says.
The Minister went on to thank the Marape -Rosso Government, the German Federal Foreign Office and other diplomatic partners who also came onboard to support the Land’s Commission in its effort to retrieve Papua New Guinea’s colonial land acquisition records from Germany.
He further expressed his gratitude to the commission for their dedication and professionalism in this critical undertaking.
The Minister ussures the public that updates will be provided as the research progresses
The Land’s Commission team, led by Chief Commissioner Molean Kilepak has made remarkable progress analyzing over 25,000 slides from various micro flims, relating to German – New Guinea.