By Aloysius Laukai
Ex combatants in the Wakunai district this morning removed a
roadblock [above] set up last week following the death of a youth from the area.
In removing the roadblock the Wakunai leaders petitioned ABG
President James Tanis to speed up weapons destruction which they said is long
overdue.
Ex-combatant leader Paul Akoitai told the President that his
people destroyed their weapons during United Nations supervised destruction
days and questioned why other regions are still holding on to guns and continue
killing innocent citizens.
A woman leader, Esther Wade, told the President that women
were happy the youths set up the roadblock with no guns. She said the youths
wanted to show the government and people of
The Wakunai chiefs and ex-combatants said they want the ABG
to immediately act upon three resolutions.
[1] That the Siwai people and their leaders pay compensation
of 200,000 kina to the family of the deceased in three days.
[2] That the ABG leadership talk with Siwai leaders to
apprehend the killer and hand him over to Bougainville Police to face the full
force of the law.
[3] That the ABG immediately secure funding to reactivate
the weapons disposal program under the supervision of the United Nations.
Mr Tanis commended the chiefs for supporting his move to rid
He said since his election he had pushed forward the process
of reconciliation and weapons destruction. He wished to speed up the process of
weapons destruction which has not moved in the past three years.
But he said since his election he had not received enough
support from the people for weapons destruction.
Mr Tanis said that the call by the people of Wakunai was what he wanted to hear. He said the first weapons destruction occurred at Poramato in the Bana district last week and he called on communities to hold their own destruction ceremonies.
Lower photo: The petition is handed to Mr Tanis [Aloysius Laukai]
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