NEW DAWN ON BOUGAINVILLE

PNG commissioner makes first visit to Panguna

By Anthony Kaybing

PNG police commissioner, Gary Baki, has arrived in Buka for a five day tour of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

The commissioner began his tour by meeting with ABG officials, the Bougainville Administration and the Bougainville Police Service.

He also paid a courtesy call on acting chief Administrator, Patrick Koles, and ABG Police and Justice Minister, Hon Ezekiel Massatt.

Mr Baki will visit the Tinputz district office and the Wakunai community justice centre. He will inspect two new police houses in Wakunai and the proposed site for the new Wakunai Police Station.

Panguna executive manager, Otto Noruka, will meet the commissioner at Morgan Junction to escort them to Panguna which is a first for a commander of PNG’s disciplinary forces.

Other plans include a visit to Buin to talk to police personnel and Siwai to inspect the proposed new Ameu police station site.

Police say Wakunai law & order is improving

By Anthony Kaybing

Wakunai station, notorious for its lawlessness, is facing a total makeover in its drive towards a safer community.

Wakunai police commander, Sergeant Oscar Tugen, says not much was done before he was assigned to the area.

“Now we have the community saying they are tired of the ongoing law and order problems,” said Sgt Tugen, who says the crime rate in the district has gone down considerably.

Surrounding communities are now inviting Tugen and his police to carry out their awareness programs in the villages.

Marijuana, which had become thriving business in Wakuani especially in the mountainous of the Aita area, is one aspect of interest to Tugen and his team.

It has become such a major concern that village chiefs and youths have appealed to Sgt Tugen to help them eradicate the problem.

Sgt Tugen said his officers will conduct a pre-Christmas police operation.

Operation Kovovio (which, in the Wakunai dialect, means ‘We Can Do It’) signifies the Wakunai people’s interest in turning a new leaf.

The operation will cover road and traffic programs along the Buka to Arawa Highway and general law and order surveillance in preparation for the Christmas and New Year period.

Sgt Tugen said he is proud of the way his officers have discharged their duties and is especially proud of the Wakunai people in their efforts to respect the law.

He also made an appeal to the Bougainville government to support his men by providing a vehicle and building a new police cell.

Bougainville development must be phased: Nisira

By Tapo Tovilu

The ABG Minister for Works, Hon Patrick Nisira, has said the government has developed a phased approach towards development in the autonomous province.

“The government has many challenges in development it must overcome,” he Nisira said, identifying four fundamental development aims the ABG government is working towards: human resource development, a communications system, a good and reliable transport system, and electricity generation.

He said that currently the ABG government is limited in what ti can do by the shortage of funds for development work.

The government has responded by taking a phased approach to development.

Tapo Tovilu is a journalism student at the Divine Word University

Wakunai reconciliation with Siwai after murder

By Anthony Kaybing

People from Siwai in south Bougainville can now move freely in the Wakunai area after a peace and reconciliation ceremony last Wednesday.

The ceremony included a compensation payment for a young man from Rotokas who was shot dead in the Siwai District in August by someone from Noah Misingku’s Mekamui faction.

After the incident, all vehicles from south Bougainville were barred from travelling in the Siwai area.

An initial payment of K27,000, two mimis (shell money) and two pigs were given as belkol to settle the matter before the total payment of K200,000 is made.

Present at the ceremony was Autonomous Bougainville Government Minister for Peace and Reconciliation, Robert Hamal Sawa, Minister for Veterans Affairs, Glen Tovirika and other ABG members and officials.

Mr Sawa congratulated both parties for their understanding and quick reaction in resolving the matter. He said it was the ABG’s wish to see all conflicts settled peacefully.

Mr Sawa also made an appeal to people to respect each other and refrain from taking the law into their own hands in resolving conflicts.

Mr Tovirika said the war in Bougainville had ended and that all differences between groups must follow the right channels in letting Police handle the matter.

Lights to be switched on for the Tsitalato people

By Tapo Tovilu

A rural electrification program, officially launched on Friday for the people of Tsitalato in Buka, was the first of its kind in Bougainville and sets the tone for development in the region.

Joseph Gatana, chairman of Tsitalato Council of Elders, gave thanks for the K1.8 million project and said it was the right decision.

He also challenged PNG Power to also bring electricity to other areas of Bougainville.

The program was funded by PNG Power and the National Government and was launched at Hangan village with the official groundbreaking at Hutjena, marking the beginning of construction of a power distribution system in the Tsitalato area.

Daniel Mutara, PNG Power rural electrification program director, said his organisation is committed to the program

Construction work begins today.

Tapo Tovilu is a journalism student at the Divine Word University

Incomplete plant is breeding place for mosquitoes

By Sonia Kenu

Funds allocated by the national government have created a breeding place for mosquitoes in the heart of Buka General Hospital.

Money was released early this year for the construction of a water and sewage purification plant to supply water for the hospital.

But work on the project has remained idle for the past few months and is creating a health hazard to patients.

According to concerned hospital staff, who did not want to named, the project was not advertised but offered to a local construction company. This was said to be unusual for such a large scale project.

A company representative scoped the project but no further action has been taken to complete it and it has been reported that work had to be abandoned due to shortage of funds.

To date the hole for the purification plant is the only part of project completed and people are wondering where the funds went.

The staffer has asked if the whole can be filled as it is a health hazard.

The hospital is currently getting its water from tanks, there being no proper supply system.

Sonia Kenu is a journalism student at Divine Word University

Councils of Elders need more support

By Anthony Kaybing

The Councils of Elders in Bougainville are not running properly due to lack of support from the Autonomous Bougainville Government, says chairman of the Buka District Councils of Elders, Joseph Gatana.

Mr Gatana says the annual budget allocation of K40,500 is insufficient for the councils to effectively manage their affairs.

“The councils are part of the ABG’s bottom up approach to bringing a more direct form of governance and service to the people of Bougainville,” he said. “The powers of the councils are well stipulated in the ABG’s constitution.”

He said these powers are useless when they aren’t put into practical effect. There is an urgent need for support from the ABG in the form of vehicles and more trained staff.

Mr Gatana added that there is also an urgent need for capacity building of the councils around Bougainville.

In the area of self sustainability, councils had to wait for the Bougainville Executive Council to approve for the collection of head tax. He said the slow enactment of the policy had led to a late and ineffective tax collection this year.

He also called for the early release of the Councils of Elders review, undertaken to examine areas where the council system might be strengthened and governed in ways that are more traditionally oriented.

He said the release of the review would greatly help the councils to improve their services to the people of Bougainville.

Buin police detain six men in cell murder case

By Aloysius Laukai

Buin Police have arrested six men suspected of entering Buin Police Station early this month and murdinged detainee Aloysius Koran.

The men are now in the Buka Police cells awaiting trial.

The suspects are Michael Boski, Joe Tubare, Vincent Lau, Walter Kangki, Lawrence Morokana and William Lailai, all from the Buin District. They were brought to Buka by Buin Police last Thursday.

The victim, Aloysius Koran, had been arrested by Buin Police last month for the murder of his wife. He was in the police cells when relatives of his wife raided the police station, dragged the victim outside and killed him.

Meanwhile South Bougainville Police Commander, Inspector Paul Kamuai, commended his men for the arrest. He also appealed to the people of South Bougainville to respect the rule of law and not to take the law into their own hands.

Police arrest prime suspect in hijack incident

By Aloysius Laukai

Following a tip off, Buka Police have arrested a man they believe was the mastermind behind the commandeering of a United Nations vehicle in South Bougainville at the weekend.

The man, named only as Monoa from Waruwaru village in the Bana District, told many people in Buka that he was the man who planned the hijack.

Another man who was approached to support him refused and reported the plan to authorities.

Buka Police will formally charge Monoa for car robbery using force.

Bana district has been very peaceful since all arms were destroyed  but local people believe this incident has tarnished their good name.

UN vehicle hijacked in south Bougainville

By Aloysius Laukai

The disgruntled son of former a former Bougainville Revolutionary Army commander hijacked a UN vehicle at the weekend claiming he needed to be recognised by people in authority.

Benson Singko, son of the BRA’s second in command, the late James Singko, hijacked the white Toyota Landcruiser deployed to the newly-created Peace and Reconciliation Ministry and in the area for a peace meeting.

Benson Singko accompanied by a group of men armed with bush knives demanded the keys of the car from the UN driver. He drove the car away complaining that, as the son of one of the revolutionary founders, he was not properly recognised by those in authority.

New Dawn FM understands the meeting was set up at a remote village in order to seize the vehicle from the Peace Ministry team. They had expected a government vehicle but decided to hijack the UN vehicle instead.

The driver said that he was outnumbered by six people armed with bush knives and grass knives.

ABG President James Tanis has appealed to Benson Singko and his accomplices to return the car immediately with no conditions.

Photo: Vehicle of the type that was hijacked [Aloyius Laukai]