The killing of the Fly: state-corporate victimization in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Over the past fourteen years, the Ok Tedi mining project run by BHP in Papua New Guinea has caused extensive damage to the environment by discharging untreated cyanide, copper, cadmium and substantial quantities of sediment into surrounding river systems. In this paper, we consider whether the concept of state-corporate crime might aid analysis of the way the relationship between BHP and the national government resulted in damage to the Fly; second, we examine how this case study might contribute to our understanding of state-corporate crime. Show more