Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABL)

Minister for Police, Jelta Wong, said he issued a statement last year that police should not be used to intimidate or harass landowners, and that stance has not changed.

Following his appointment last year, Minster Wong said police are not to interfere in SABL matters.

He also said the National Executive Council Decision of 187/2014 to revoke and cancel all SABLs was in force and there should not be any such operation.

“The stance is still the same. I put out a statement when I was one month into the job. I said that no policemen will be in those SABL areas.

They have also called on the government to pull out police presence protecting the interest of logging companies and to hold accountable those who have broken laws.

US Senators Patrick Leahy (Vermont), and Jeff Merkley (Oregon), both signed the letter dated December 7^th, 2016, conveying their concerns after receiving information that more than 50,000 square kilometres of land has been leased by the government to foreign backed companies.