Land relations, resource extraction and displacement effects in island Papua New Guinea

We examine the relationship between dispossession, customary land relations, and involuntary displacement. Attention to customary land relations is the key to understanding how some households experience the extremities of extractive capitalism. By decoupling involuntary displacement from the acquisition of land, it is possible to surface indirect or secondary effects that are otherwise illegible. We conclude that 'messy' land relations and disputes are not simply a consequence of capital intensive projects acquiring rights over land and displacing people. Our findings highlight the dangers in assuming that issues and conflicts over land are readily resolved by resorting to 'customary procedures'.