Paper short abstract:

Argues that the state's role at the Porgera mine has shifted to focus on policing to the exclusion of other services. This indicates broader shifts in state/society relations in Papua New Guinea.

Paper long abstract:

The paper examines the Porgera valley of Papua New Guinea, which is home to a large gold mine. It argues that conceptions and practices of the state have shifted over the past two decades. The state's primary goal now is to police the valley and suppress violence, with other services (e.g. education) decreasing in salience. This departure from the independence-era view of the state importantly shifts relations between stakeholders. Local populations and the mine find themselves aligned against violent disorder, while grassroots activists find the identity 'indigenous' increasingly attractive and align with international activists since they no longer view the state as an advocate for their interests. These changes speak to broader trends in contemporary PNG.