Papua New Guinea’s civic space is rated as ‘obstructed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. Among concerns previously documented are the harassment and threats against human rights defenders, particularly those working on land and environmental rights, use of the cybercrime law to criminalise online expression, intimidation and restrictions against journalists, and excessive force during protests. There is still no freedom of information legislation, and a national human rights body has yet to be established.
In April 2026, CIVICUS together with the Pacific Island Association of Non-Government Organisations (PIANGO) and Transparency International Papua New Guinea (TIPNG) made a submission to the UN Human Rights Council for the upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) highlighting our civic space concerns.
In recent months, an anti-corruption activist was detained for defamation under the Cyber Crime Act while a journalist was assaulted by correctional service officers. A court ruling allowed for Starlink to resume operations while an NGO took legal action to secure publication of information on the forest industry.
Expression
Anti-corruption activist detained for defamation
In February 2026, John Endemongo Kua, President of the Papua New Guinea Anti-Corruption Movement, was detained by police at Kundiawa Police Station following a complaint filed by Prime Minister James Marape.
Chimbu Police confirmed Kua was taken into custody under allegations of defamation of character brought against him by the Prime Minister. The complaint was reportedly filed under the provisions of the Cybercrime Act.
Kua said: “I have been detained on a defamation complaint raised by the Prime Minister.” He challenged the authority of police to detain him without the physical presence of the complainant or formal written instructions, raising concerns over due process and the rule of law.
Kua has been a vocal anti-corruption campaigner, known in recent years for pushing complaints and legal actions against public officials and agencies over alleged abuse of office and misconduct in public administration. He has previously called on legal institutions — including the Ombudsman Commission and police — to act swiftly on corruption complaints involving high-profile leaders.
The 2016 Cybercrime Act has been used to silence criticism and creates a chilling effect. The law has been criticised by the opposition, journalists and activists for its impact on freedom of expression and political discourse. In recent years, the law was used to arrest human rights defender and ACT NOW! Campaign Manager Eddie Tanago and journalist Hennah Joku for their online comments.
Journalist assaulted by correctional service officers
Veteran Papua New Guinea journalist Rebecca Kuku said she was assaulted by correctional service officers at the Bomana remand facility after she reported on the living conditions of inmates residing there. https://t.co/OnqIpLP98E
— Global Voices (@globalvoices) March 9, 2026
On 27th February 2026, senior PNG journalist Rebecca Kuku was assaulted by Correctional Service (CS) officers in Port Moresby, sparking condemnation from media watchdogs regarding press freedom.
Kuku was allegedly verbally attacked, threatened, and punched from behind by prison correctional officers near the main gate of the Bomana Correctional Service facility. The attack on Kuku followed her recent reporting on human rights concerns in the facility after an attempted prison break by inmates on 23rd February 2026 left nine detainees hospitalised with serious injuries. The Pacific Media Forum reported it had information that the attack was intentional and planned.
Papua New Guinea's Media Council called for a swift and independent police investigation after the journalist was allegedly assaulted by Correctional Service officers. The Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) echoed the same sentiment and strongly condemned the alleged assault.
Following the incident, the journalist lodged a police complaint, and Prime Minister James Marape called for a full investigation.
As of May 2026, Papua New Guinea ranks 73rd out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index. RSF reported that journalists in the country are “faced with intimidation, direct threats, censorship, lawsuits and bribery attempts, making it a dangerous profession.”
Court ruling allows for Starlink to resume operations
A significant ruling by the PNG National Court on 24th April 2026 allowed Starlink to resume operations in the country. This decision effectively ended a two-year delay caused by a dispute between the country’s telecommunications regulator, the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA), and the Ombudsman Commission (OC).
In her judgement, Judge Susan Purdon-Sully sided with NICTA and ICT Minister Timothy Masiu, who had filed for a judicial review of the OC’s actions. The court described the OC’s intervention as an ‘arbitrary and unconstitutional’ overreach of power, characterising the directive as a disproportionate ‘pre-emptive strike.’
As previously documented, in mid-December 2025, the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA) ordered Starlink to halt operations because it was not licensed in PNG. Starlink, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is a satellite internet company that provides internet to remote places. The agency say they are "legally restrained" by the country's Ombudsman Commission, which has blocked Starlink's licensing since March 2024 over reliability issues.
Starlink terminals served thousands of people, including some entire villages or districts in remote areas in the country. The service was mostly used in rural areas where mobile networks are unreliable or do not exist. The ban created frustration as businesses, health providers and communities struggle without access to internet services.
NGO takes legal action to secure publication of information on the forest industry
In April 2026, ACT NOW! - a prominent human rights organisation seeking to halt illegal logging and related human rights violations in PNG - took legal action against the PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) to try and secure the release of information about large-scale logging operations.
According to the group, the PNGFA has repeatedly failed to answer requests from ACT NOW! for information and has not responded to detailed and well documented concerns about individual logging concessions.
The failure to publish even basic information on logging licences and forestry operations contributes to a cloak of secrecy behind which foreign owned logging companies and compromised officials are able to operate with impunity.
ACT NOW! has published a number of reports, case studies and risk assessments over the last three years, all of which have been ignored by the PNG Forest Authority. Further, it has been rebuffed in its attempts to seek more information on the current moratorium on new Forest Clearing Authorities, the audits of existing FCA projects and the latest log export data.