The 127 clans affected by the Papua LNG pipeline have challenged the Government and TotalEnergies EP PNG Limited to prove who authorized Hiri Elema Holdings Limited to represent them in the project’s National Content and commercial opportunities.
The landowners, represented by James Iahe, spokesperson for the Kela Oevavo and Arehava 2 clans, in a statement amplified their petition.
Earlier, they have formally petitioned the Government and TotalEnergies for independent verification of Hiri Elema’s mandate to represent Project-Affected Midstream Landowners.
They organized a media conference at Granville Motel in Port Moresby yesterday to air their grievances but was disrupted by a police unit who justified the proposed event was in breach of government protocols.
However, the spokesman authorized the release of this media statement to media representatives who were present to cover news.
Mr. Iahe said the issue was not whether Hiri Elema Holdings Limited was a legally registered company, but whether it had been given a legitimate mandate by the affected customary landowners to represent their collective interests.
“The question is simple: Who gave the mandate?” Mr. Iahe said on behalf of the affected landowners.
The landowners, he said, are demanding documentary evidence showing the specific customary, corporate, contractual, Development Forum or other lawful authority relied upon to recognize Hiri Elema as representing the Midstream Landowners.
The 127 affected clans are spread across the North, Middle and South pipeline segments, comprising 25 clans in the North, 50 in the Middle and 52 in the South.
Mr. Iahe said corporate registration, directorship or shareholding should not automatically be treated as proof of customary authority to represent all affected clans.
“A company can be registered without being mandated,” he said.
The landowners stressed that they were not calling for Hiri Elema to be deregistered or prevented from competing for legitimate commercial opportunities.
Instead, they want a clear distinction between a company’s commercial eligibility and its authority to represent the collective interests of customary landowners.
Mr. Iahe continued that the landowners support Papua LNG, National Content and genuine landowner participation in the project.
“We support Papua LNG. We support National Content. We support genuine Landowner Companies,” he said.
However, the landowners want properly mandated and qualified Landowner Companies to have equal opportunities to participate in EPC contracts, subcontracting, joint ventures and consortiums, civil works, equipment hire, transport and logistics, environmental services, rehabilitation, camp services, catering, security, accommodation, maintenance and operations support.
Mr. Iahe said no single LANCO should automatically become the exclusive gateway through which all 127 affected Midstream clans must access National Content or EPC opportunities without a clear collective mandate.
He said they have petitioned the Government and TotalEnergies to verify which specific clans or Incorporated Land Groups mandated Hiri Elema and how its shareholder companies and underlying shareholders are connected to the affected customary landowners.
The landowners are also demanding that TotalEnergies explain how it recognized, nominated, supported or presented Hiri Elema as a representative of the Midstream Landowners.
They want confirmation that properly mandated and qualified Landowner Companies will have equal access to commercial opportunities through direct contracts, joint ventures and subcontracting.
The petition further calls for an independent professional advisory mechanism and an inclusive Midstream Landowner National Content and EPC Participation Framework.
Mr. Iahe said the petition was not intended to obstruct the Papua LNG Project or legitimate procurement processes.
“We are not against Papua LNG. We are asking for transparency, fairness and proper representation,” he said.
The landowners, he said, want the representation issue resolved before commercial arrangements involving a disputed representative structure become entrenched and potentially affect the long-term economic participation of affected communities.
They have therefore asked the Government and TotalEnergies not to treat Hiri Elema as the exclusive representative of all 127 Midstream Landowners while the mandate issue remains unresolved.
The landowners have given the Government and TotalEnergies until 5pm on Friday, August 21, 2026, to provide a written response and documentary answers to the issues raised in their petition.
Mr. Iahe said failure to provide an adequate response would leave the matter unresolved and could lead the landowners to pursue appropriate Government, regulatory, Development Forum, legal and professional channels.
The landowners have also reserved all lawful rights and remedies available to them.
Mr. Iahe said Hiri Elema should remain free to compete for commercial opportunities if it meets the applicable qualification and procurement requirements.
But he stressed that commercial participation should not automatically translate into collective customary representation.
“A LANCO can participate commercially without automatically becoming the representative of all affected Landowners,” Iahe said.
For the Kela Oevavo and Arehava 2 clans and the wider Midstream landowners, the central issue remains whether the company being presented as their representative can demonstrate a clear and verifiable mandate from the people whose customary lands and communities are directly affected by Papua LNG.
“Verify the mandate. Protect equal access. Establish an inclusive participation framework,” Mr. Iahe said.