NEW DAWN ON 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]

School students revel in their new water supply

By Anthony Kaybing

After more than twenty years the 500 students at Buin secondary school in South Bougainville have access to water in the school grounds.

Prior to the initiation of the water supply project, students had to walk to the nearest river located three kilometres from the school.

South Bougainville Region commissioner, Joe Lera, said the project was needed because students faced hardships in having access to clean and safe water.

“I also noted it was quite unsafe for the students, especially female students, when walking all the way to the Sigabai River”, Mr Lera said.

The K300, 000 project was given to Bougainville Technical Services to design while construction was done by Korikunu Builders.

Since the inception of the project in 2006 there have been problems associated with theft and delays in obtaining building materials.

“After several delays I am happy to say that the project is now fully operational”, said Mr Lera.

He also that the installation of water tanks is the first phase of an ongoing initiative that will see water pumped to the whole school campus.

Presently the water is only being pumped to student residential areas.

The second phase of the project will see water pumped to staff houses and the student mess and the building of proper ablution areas.

Mr Lera said that due to financial constraints the second phase may take time but made a commitment to the completion of the project.

He urged the staff and students of Buin Secondary School as well as the Buin people to look after the project and to maintain its sustainability.

Anthony Kaybing is a journalism student at Divine Word University who has been working with New Dawn FM

Panguna reconciliation unites old enemies

By Aloysius Laukai

The people of Panguna today attended a traditional clenching ceremony in preparation for tomorrow’s reconciliation ceremony.

The traditional ritual was to remove blood stains from former fighters in the Bougainville crisis that killed about 20,000 people and left another 40,000 people homeless.

The Panguna event was the first of three reconciliation ceremonies scheduled for the area around the former minesite.

The reconciliation was between uncles of the late chief and Panguna landowner killed at the start of the Bougainville conflict.

Those who were clenched included fighters in the conflict, Mekamui soldiers, Bougainville revolutionary fighters and those who fought alongside the PNG Defence force, the resistance fighters.

After the ceremony, ABG President, James Tanis said the ritual had united the youths of Panguna and there should be no more factions in the area.

Bougainville administrator gets out to districts

By Aloysius Laukai

Bougainville’s acting chief administrator, Patrick Koles, says his administration will meet with district staff to get first hand information on what the districts are doing.

Speaking at Wakunai, Mr Koles said that his administration will meet with the people and public servants in all the districts of Bougainville.

The team later travelled to Arawa to attend the first reconciliation in Panguna ceremony.

The chief administrator is being accompanied by regional inspectors and divisional heads of the Bougainville administration.

New Dawn FM understands this was the first meeting between him and the Wakunai district officers.

Representatives of the UNDP, AusAID and Law and Justice are also accompanying the Administrator.

Akoitai endorses leadership of president Tanis

By Aloysius Laukai

Former Bougainville national parliamentarian and runner-up in the ABG presidential by-election last year, Sam Akoitai, has announced he will not contest the 2010 ABG election.

Mr Akoitai was the Member for Central Bougainville and Mining Minister in the last national government until his defeat at the 2007 national election.

Speaking at a meeting of Wakunai chiefs attended by ABG president James Tanis, Mr Akoitai said he would not contest the presidential seat and appealed to his supporters to give their votes to Mr Tanis.

He said President is a young energetic and talented politician who deserves a full five year term in office. He said Mr Tanis had proven his worth and delivered services to his people.

Mr Akoitai said he is happy with the president’s vision on building a cooperative relationship with the national government and other institutions.

The former member said he would be working closely with the president who, since being elected, had achieved a lot to bridge the gap between former warring parties.

The two leaders will attend the Panguna reconciliation tomorrow.

Funding secured for Panguna reconciliations

By Aloysius Laukai

ABG President, Hon James Tanis, said he would remain in Bougainville and not and be travelling for some time so he can work on outstanding issues that needs to be addressed in the province.

Mr Tanis made these remarks after a recent trip to Port Moresby where he secured AusAID funding for the Panguna reconciliation.

He said the reconciliation has been awaited for many years.

Three separate events have been planned for Panguna starting with the first reconciliation ceremony tomorrow.

Bougainville elections will be held in March

By Gorethy Kenneth

Autonomous Bougainville’s second general election is set for March 2010.

The PNG National Government needs to allocate K3.8 million needed to run the election, according to the ABG election office.

ABG acting Electoral Commissioner Reitama Taravaru told the Post-Courier on Friday that the tentative election timetable for the 2010 ABG General Elections is as follows:

Issue of writ – 26 March

Close of nomination — 2 April

Polling starts — 7 May

Polling ends — 21 May

Return of writs — 9 June

“Preparations for 2010 ABG general elections have already started," Mr Taravaru said. "Much of our activities will be implemented next month. It will involve consultation with the council of elders because in the past elections we’ve not involved them. We will use them for awareness and common rolls update.

“There is also a team coming in from Port Moresby to assist us,” he said.

“We’ve identified certain areas where we will need support from the PNG Electoral Commission and they are mainly communication, training, developing training manuals, election regulations and funding.”

Mr Taravaru said during the first week of November there will be a full awareness program carried out, especially on Limited Preferential Voting. In the second week the commission will engage in the common roll update.

He said activities will continue until March when it would stop except for radio awareness.

He said Bougainvilleans outside the province need to enrol.

Source: PNG Post-Courier

Dialogue will determine if Panguna mine re-opens

By Keith Jackson

Bougainville’s President James Tanis says he will not tell the people of central Bougainville that they must reopen the Panguna copper mine.

Speaking during a visit by Paul Coleman, Bougainville Copper’s company secretary, Mr Tanis said he would have nothing to do with the decision to reopen the mine.

He said his role as President was to act as a facilitator, and not to direct or force BCL or other parties concerned to reopen the mine. He said the mine’s future will be decided by BCL and the other parties concerned.

Mr Tanis said that before the issue was discussed, peace and normalcy must prevail on the island.

Mr Coleman was invited by the ABG president to establish a dialogue with all parties involved in the crisis.

Meanwhile, three major reconciliation ceremonies will be held this month in central Bougainville, the first one on October 16 at Panguna.

PNG’s deputy prime minister Sir Puka Temu will attend all three ceremonies.

The ceremonies will coincide with the official opening of the President’s offices in Arawa.