NEW DAWN ON BOUGAINVILLE

170319MUSINGKU CLAIM FALSE SAYS UN CHIEF
New Dawn FM News
The United Nations only recognises Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Governments and their constitutions which empowers the Bougainville Peace Agreement which has been honoured in the last twenty years and is coming towards its final leg with the Referendum scheduled for October 12th, 2019.
Apart from these two it does not recognise any kingdom or organizations in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
These were the exact words from the UN resident coordinator in PNG, GIALUCA RAMPOLLA.
MR RAMPOLLA made these comments when replying to a question that was directed to him when the Presidential road show team was at Panakei in the Siwai district.
A chief wanted to know if it was true that the UVISTRACT team were already independent and recognised by the United Nations as claimed by MR. MUSINGKU.
The reply was that only way for exit by Bougainvilleans was by following the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the upcoming referendum.
And this means anyone not involved in the Peace Process must join the process now as this was the only way forward for Bougainville.
He said the referendum was the only recognised process that all Bougainville must utilise to decide their future political status.
And to do that everybody must make sure their names are on the voter role and vote when polling starts on October 12th.
He said that the result of the vote will then allow the two governments to negotiate and agree on the way forward for PNG and Bougainville.
He also said that he has never met the man in person.

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180319MAKIS CONSTITUENCY DECLARED AS REFERENDUM READY
New Dawn FM News
The people and leaders of MAKIS constituency in Buin last Thursday completed their final reconciliation ceremony with a church service at the PIANO catholic mission.
The ceremony was witnessed by more than five thousand people including the ABG President CHIEF DR. JOHN MOMIS who was in Makis with the Road show team that included the member for South Bougainville, TIMOTHY MASIU, the regional member, JOE LERA and the Minister for Bougainville Affairs, WILLIAM SAMB.
MAKIS had completed all reconciliations without money and former warring parties had to make their commitment to peace in church in the eyes of the public and God.
A very happy member for MAKIS, JOHN VIANNEY KEPAS thanked his people for working together and making MAKIS weapons free and referendum ready.
The celebrations included songs and dances by both the students of Piano Primary School and the adults from the area.

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180319ROADSHOW TO END THIS WEDNESDAY WITH TALK BACK
New Dawn FM News
The ABG Presidential road show that travelled to Central and South Bougainville today ended their public presentations at the Bel isi park.
The Road show which included the ABG President, Chief DR. JOHN MOMIS, UN PNG Resident coordinator, GIANLUCA RAMPOLLA, the Bougainville Affairs Minister, WILLIAM SAMB, the Bougainville Peace Agreement Implementation Minister, ALBERT PUNGHAU were able to do their final presentations.
In direct interactions they talked to more than TWENTY THOUSAND people right throughout Bougainville.
They will make their final presentations to the ABG House of representatives when they meet tomorrow at 2pm.
And before they travel to Port Moresby the UN resident coordinator and his team will be on the New Dawn FM youth TALK BACK SHOW on Wednesday.
The team successfully made awareness on the progress of the Referendum since the last JSB approved the date for the conduct of the referendum.
The team will travel again to some more parts of Bougainville after the two voting options have been defined by the Special task force working on defining the two options before the people of Bougainville can cast their vote.

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180319 BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONERS VISITING BOUGAINVILLE
New Dawn FM News
The British High Commissioner to PNG, KEITH SCOTT and the British High Commissioner to the Solomon islands, DAVID WARD arrived in Buka this afternoon for a week-long visit to the region.
They were welcomed to Buka by the Deputy Chief Secretary, THOMAS RAIVET .
In a brief press conference at the Buka airport, the two said that it was their first time to visit the region and were looking forward to a successful visit.
They will travel to Arawa in Central Bougainville and Buin in South Bougainville before returning to Port Moresby on Thursday.
MR. KEITH SCOTT said that he has been in PNG for only six months however he was able to attend the last two JSB meetings in Port Moresby and already understands what is happening with the peace process on Bougainville.
He said that he was present when they set the questions to be put and the latest JSB that approved the date for the vote.
The High Commissioner for Solomon islands said that he comes as far as the Shortlands islands and its good to see Bougainville and also see Shortlands from this side of the border.

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180319POLICE BOOST MANPOWER
New Dawn FM News
The Bougainville Police Service’s manpower has been boosted by the graduation of 39 new graduates in Hutjena last week.
The new graduates are members of the Bougainville Community Auxiliary Police service.
They graduated at the Bougainville Police Training centre at Hutjena.
The training was done under the Bougainville Community Auxiliary Police project funded by the New Zealand Government under its Police support project.
According to the Bougainville Police Service, they would like to train more than One hundred new Police recruits before the conduct of the Bougainville Referendum in October this year.

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170319TOTOBU WANTS COMMUNITCATION IMPROVED
New Dawn FM News

A community chief from Kupon village in the BANA district, MICHAEL TOTOPU called on the government to make communication throughout Bougainville as their priority.
He was commenting on the presentation by the Presidential roadshow on referendum which included the ABG President, UN and the PNG government delegation that made their presentation to the people of BANA district at the BANA HIGH SCHOOL last Tuesday.
MR. TOTOBU was very happy with the presentation but wanted the people out there in the rural communities to also get the same up to date information.
He said with no mobile network in the area and also with no radio signal reaching his people many people were still in the dark.
Many people in the BANA district who attended this awareness session told New Dawn FM that they were happy at this high powered and very informative program and they wanted more face to face interactions with key stakeholders in the future.

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150319 MOMIS CALLS ON THE PEOPLE OF BOUGAINVILLE NOT TO SQUANDER A ONE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE THEIR FUTURE IN A DEMOCRATIC REFERENDUM
New Dawn FM News
The ABG President, Grand Chief DR.JOHN MOMIS this week called on the people of Bougainville not to squander a one in a lifetime opportunity to decide their future in a democratic referendum scheduled for October 12th this year.
He said the people of Bougainville have this rare opportunity to decide their future political status that is only available to Bougainville and no other Province in Papua New Guinea.
President MOMIS said that the Bougainville Peace Agreement guarantees the conduct of the referendum and the people must decide between Greater Autonomy and Independence for Bougainville.
He made these remarks at the first UN led Presidential Road show at the Arawa market on Tuesday.
Despite the heavy downpour the Arawa market was packed to capacity.
President Momis assured the people of Central Bougainville that the last JSB had agreed on releasing the much needed funds to the BRC to speed up the preparations for the referendum.
He said a Government task force including officials from the ABG and the national government are working on defining the meanings for Greater Autonomy and Independence to make it clear to the people what they will be voting for in the referendum.
President Momis said this will explain in detail what powers Bougainville will have under Greater Autonomy and what powers under Independence if the people decide.
He explained that even after the conduct of the referendum Bougainville will continue with its constitution and will not lose any of its powers and move into a transitional arrangement depending on the outcome of the referendum and also on how the two governments will negotiate the future political status of the region.

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150319BOUGAINVILLE REMAINS PNG S PRIORITY
New Dawn FM News

The National member for Goilala and Minister for Bougainville Affairs, WILLIAM SAMB says that Bougainville remains PNG’s priority and there is no two way about it.
This why he continues to come to Bougainville to show to the people of Bougainville that the National Government is committed to the peace process on Bougainville.
He said that comments like the Government is not delivering to the people is not true because the government continues to deliver much needed services to the country despite the tough economic times.
MR. SAMB said that services that the national government is delivering is similar in all provinces and Bougainville is no different.
The Minister said that the national government and the ABG will continue to work together to make sure the referendum is taken in October and it’s up to the people of Bougainville to decide their future through this referendum.
The minister made these remarks at the Presidential Roadshow in Arawa town on Tuesday this week.
The team met with the Meemakui government of unity before meeting the people of Panguna at Dapera village.
They then met the people of BANA at the Bana High school in the afternoon before crossing flooded rivers on their way to Buin.
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150319 UN SAYS BOUGAINVILLE PEACE A SUCCESS STORY
New Dawn FM News
The UN PNG resident coordinator, GIANLUCA RAMPOLLA told the people of Central Bougainville on Tuesday that the people of Bougainville have honoured the Bougainville Peace Agreement for more than twenty years and this is one of the very few success stories in the whole world.
He said that the people must be happy they have maintained peace since the signing in 2001.
MR. RAMPOLLA told the gathering that this was your peace and you must protect it and maintain it at all times.
Speaking on the referendum, he said that the referendum was one important step in a long journey that started twenty years ago with the Peace Agreement and take you to the referendum in October this year and beyond.
The UN representative said the journey will continue after you make your choice in the referendum and your choice will lead to consultations between the two governments on the future political status of Bougainville.
He said the people must understand that how you vote will give the two governments the opportunity to negotiate the best solution for the Bougainville conflict.
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150319DASIONA WELCOMES ROADSHOW TEAM TO ARAWA
New Dawn FM News
The ABG member for South Nasioi, SIMON DASIONA on Tuesday welcomed the Presidential Road show to Arawa.
The Highpower delegation led by the ABG President, Grand Chief DR. JOHN MOMIS his Peace Agreement Implementation Minister, ALBERT PUNGHAU, the Speaker of the Bougainville House of Representatives, SIMON PENTANU the Bougainville’s women representative to the BRC, RUBY MIRINGKA, the PNG Minister for Bougainville Affairs, WILLIAM SAMB and his Director for NCOBA, JOHN ANUMA, The UN resident Coordinator for PNG, GIANLUCA RAMPOLLA and the UN representative in Buka, RUI FLORES were in Arawa for the Presidential road show that will cover Central, South and North Bougainville.
The aim of the road-show is for all stakeholders to participate and explain on the progress towards conduct of the Bougainville referendum starting on October 12th, 2019.
They can also receive questions from the people and explain on how far preparations for the referendum is to date.
In welcoming the team to Arawa, MR, DASIONA thanked the team and also called on the people of Arawa to listen carefully on their presentations and understand how the preparation for the conduct of the referendum is progressing.
He said that he was happy for the first time his people will get the first hand information from the stakeholders who are heavily involved in the preparation for the referendum and how they are also mapping how the outcome of the referendum will be managed.
The meeting was held at the Arawa market because of the heavy rain in Arawa on Tuesday.

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120319STRONG WIND WARNING
New Dawn FM NEWS

The PNG National Weather Office and the Department of Maritime Safety Authority has issued strong winds warning for all Bougainville waters for the next 24 hours.

And all outboard motors travelling between Buka and the atolls are again told to stop operating until further notice.

The Bougainville Disaster and Emergency Services said that people must adhere to these warnings for their safety.

Six people who drifted to the Solomon islands last month are still to be repatriated by Solomon authorities..

The wind speed is expected to reach between 34 to 40 knots and this could create rough seas at times.

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