NEW DAWN ON BOUGAINVILLE

Panguna landowners want mine to re-open

By Aloysius Laukai

Panguna landowners want to talk face to face with representatives of Bougainville Copper Limited.

This was the message they gave to the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Ombudsman, Moses Maladina, last Thursday.

In a meeting with Mr Maladina at the Panguna district office, the interim chairman of the Panguna Landowners, Michael Pariu, called for a quick forum with BCL to air long-standing grievances.

Landowners want to meet BCL and are now willing to discuss their differences and allow BCL to resume operations.

The Panguna landowners used Mr Maladina’s visit to air their grievances on a number of outstanding issues that they have been living with in the last twenty years.

Michael Pariu and Wendelinus Bitanuma took Mr Maladina for a tour of the mine site and the tailing area to see for himself the damage and the problems and risks the people of Panguna continue to live with.

According to the Bougainville Constitution any opening of the mine or any other mine on Bougainville must be decided by a referendum in which the people of Bougainville must vote to support.

Photo: MP Moses Maladina near the Pangna mine last week [Aloysius Laukai]

Kessa market reopened for business after conflict

The people of Haku of Buka island recently re-opened the Kessa market at the far end of the island. The market issaid to be an ideal place to promote bartering between the people of nearby Pororan, Yaparu and Petats islands and the Buka people.

The original Kessa market was destroyed during the Bouhgainville conflict and since then, the Haku people used the sandy beach as their marketplace. That all changed last Saturday with the opening of the new market.

Education the key to development says MP

Bougainville Regional MP Fidelis Semoso has said the Autonomous Region of Bougainville must give priority to education and information as the catalysts for development.

 

He said the Autonomous Bougainville Government should make it its priority to educate every Bougainvillean.

 

“If you have a well-educated society, you can expect a good society,” Mr Semoso said. “

Bougainville’s future aspirations will only be realised through the provision of good quality education.”

He said he would continue to support the education sector on Bougainville

as the students would become leaders one day and make informed decisions for the autonomous region.

Tourism back on agenda as cruise ships return

It’s a welcome sign of Bougainville’s gradual return to normality after the devastating civil war that cruise ships are once again dropping by.

In the recent past, even expedition ships like Orion would leave Bougainville well to starboard when cruising between Gizo in the north Solomons and Rabaul.

But yesterday Clipper Odyssey [seen here approaching Buka wharf] made its third trip to Buka in the past year, berthing there for four hours.

The ship’s 50 tourists were mainly Americans and they had a good time observing cultural dances, war relics and markets before returning to the ship, which sailed to Rabaul.

It’s good news for Buka and a great sign for Bougainville.

Story by Aloysius Laukai and Keith Jackson. Pictures by Aloysius Laukai

Buka’s Sister Loraine Garasu honoured by US

Sister Loraine Garasu, the founder of the Nazarene Rehabilitation Centre on Bougainville, was honoured on Friday as the Papua New Guinea winner of the US State Department's international women of courage award.

The award was presented to Sr Garasu in Buka by the US Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Ms Leslie Rowe. The announcement also marked this year’s International Women’s Day.

The award was established to pay tribute to women around the world who courageously champion human rights in their communities, and whose personal sacrifice is an inspiration to all people who seek peaceful change.

Ms Rowe told the gathering that International Women’s Day reminds us that, when women are excluded, the advancement of countries is inhibited. She said it is unacceptable that many women around the world continue to be deprived of the opportunity to reach their full potential.

The US Ambassador said Hilary Clinton, the new US Secretary of State, established the award to honour women around the world who are blazing trails and surmounting obstacles in pursuit of equality and opportunity.

Ms Rowe said that although they may not be well known, these women advocates are hard at work in every country seeking to fulfil their right to participate fully in political, economic and cultural lives of their societies.

They often work against great odds and with great personal sacrifice, and are a key to global progress deserving our admiration and support.

Last week the Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Duncan Kerr, announced Australian support to build the rehabilitation centre with funds totalling one million kina.

Story and pictures by Aloysius Laukai

Big bible given tribute in Buka procession

 

Members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Bougainville joined a procession from Buka airport to Buka town on Thursday to honour the arrival on the island of a 10kg bible from the United States.

This was part of the Church's campaign for people around the world to read the bible, and even buy one of their own, as well as listening to preachers. The procession and speeches were broadcast live on New Dawn FM as part of the radio station’s involvement in community activities.

New Dawn FM also covered the draw of a raffle to assist the people of Carteret Islands, who have become the world’s first climate change refugees. The raffle raised K80,000 in just two weeks.

The big bible had been flown throughout PNG and and has now returned to the United States.

Pictures and story by Aloysius Laukai

Bougainville peace talks resume next weekend

The President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, James Tanis, will visit the Mongai region of south Bougainville again next weekend as he works to strengthen the peace process. Mr Tanis will hold talks with the Mekamui breakaway region’s Commander Damien Koike [seen left with Mr Tanis] and will spend two days at the village of Mogoroi.

Mr Koike has already agreed to establish a stable Bougainville by peaceful means and has foresworn the force of arms, saying he will not fight any more.

Mr Tanis is now working on a process to get all the commanders out of Bougainville so they can negotiate true peace on neutral ground.

Upon his return from Madang last night, Mr Tanis said he had succeeded in getting the former Bougainville Affairs Minister Sir Peter Barter to co-chair a meeting along with the head of the United Nations Development Program in PNG.

The President also talked to PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to get funding support for this process.

Meanwhile, PNG Deputy Prime Minister, Puka Temu [with Mr Tanis, right], this week submitted a budget for the weapons disposal program on Bougainville, which will strongly support the work of the ABG.

Story & photos by Aloysius Laukai

Peace intervention heads for success in Mongai

Mongai village in south Bougainville has appealed to the Autonomous Bougainville Government to feed people who are surrendering to the police and home guards. Mongai chiefs made the call during a meeting with ABG President James Tanis. They have also petitioned the ABG to stop illegal activities in their area and want a police presence until peace is restored.

Mr Tanis told the Mongai people he was saddened at the state of their lives and the suffering they had gone through. He said his government was committed to restoring peace in the area but the process would take time. “Peace building is a process which needs special attention and more time before healing can take place,” he said.

Mr Tanis and his delegation took the risk of visiting the fighting zone around Mongai. The people of Mongai said they were overwhelmed by the president’s visit and said it was the first time leaders had come to their village.

Source: The National, 9 March 2009

President moves to fast track weapons disposal

The ABG President Mr James Tanis is in Port Moresby rallying the support of the Papua New Guinea government and the International Community on the latest moves by his government to fast track the weapons disposal program on Bougainville.

 

He has so far succeeded in moving from where the last President left the weapons disposal process three years ago and has already talked with the Papua New Guinea National government on ways to fast track the process.

 

All other stakeholders including the UN, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom had been approached through their High Commission offices and  are ready to work with the ABG and the Papua New Guinea National Government to speed up the process of reconciliation and weapons disposal.

 

The ABG delegation also met with other groups, including the big mobile phone company Digicel on their program to cover all of Bougainville with mobile phone services. Digicel has already covered many parts of Bougainville even the Morgan roadblock and beyond Panguna.

 

After Mr Tanis's meeting with the Digicel CEO today, the company will move next week to connect its voice and data services.

Story by Aloysius Laukai

Australia gives K1 million to fund crisis centre

Bougainville received a boost this week when Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs Duncan Kerr, visiting the Chabai rehabilitation centre, announced that Australia will provide K1 million to enable the centre to replace bush materials buildings with permanent houses, classrooms, a training centre and an administration building.

The rehabilitation centre was established in 2001 with to shelter homeless families and victims of the Bougainville crisis. It provides trauma counselling, drug and alcohol awareness campaigns and life skills training.

“This is truly remarkable work being done by a truly remarkable woman,” Mr Kerr said of Sister Lorraine Garasu, who established the centre. “The centre has played a major role in supporting women and children in the wake of Bougainville’s trouble.”

Sr Garasu said the funding was timely and thanked the australian government and people for their generosity. She told Mr Kerr the centre had been struggling for eight years to provide services. she assured Mr Kerr that, with the funding, the centre would go a long way in helping mothers, children, youths and other victims of the Bougainville crisis.

Source: PNG National, 6 March 2009