Nongovernmental organizations are active and outspoken. In rural areas, foreign logging companies frequently swindle villagers and often renege on promises to build schools and hospitals. Violence and social discrimination against women are serious problems. A report released in December by the Australian aid agency AusAID said the incidence of rape had risen dramatically in recent years, particularly in the highlands where it frequently occurs during tribal fighting. The government has offered them permanent residency, and by October, about 1,000 had accepted the offer.
Unions are independent, and workers bargain collectively and stage strikes.
The International Labor Organization has criticized a law allowing the government to invalidate arbitration agreements or wage awards not considered in the national interest. Labor leaders criticized the 1999 budget for abolishing several labor-related agencies.