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Pushback: Anger over Samoa land law changes

[photo: RNZI]

A recently formed rights and activism group says local law is stripping customary land rights away from Samoan families.

The Samoa Solidarity International Group said the Land Titles Registration Act 2008 alienates the rights of customary owners.

The group's Faleauto Taua said a notice of opposition would be presented to the Prime Minister next week.

Mr Taua said the law changes property in Samoa.

"Which has the effect of imposing the Torrens system on a communal based people and much as the land of the [New Zealand] Maori people, the communal land was broken up into individual title and therefore their society at that time was broken to conform with the colonial model. The same, unbelievably is happening in Samoa in the 21st century."