NEW DAWN ON BOUGAINVILLE

Safety of government office in Arawa guaranteed

By Aloysius Laukai

The move by the ABG President Hon James Tanis to open an office for the President in Arawa has been welcomed.

General of the Mekamui Defence Force, Chris Uma, has issued a statement supporting the move and at the same time guaranteeing the safety of the President and his staff.

Mr Uma’s group, which has been operating outside the Bougainville Peace Agreement, called on the ABG to establish quickly in Arawa.

He said his group wholeheartedly welcomed the move and would be working closely with the ABG to establish peace and normalcy in Arawa and Bougainville as a whole.

New Dawn FM understands that discussions are taking place to reconcile Mr Uma and his team with Ishmael Toroama and his ex combatants.

The first big reconciliation will be held at Panguna when preparations have been completed.

US team to remove bombs, ammo from Torokina

By Aloysius Laukai

The problems of unexploded bombs in the Torokina area could be solved once and for all with the engagement of a quick response team by the US State Department.

The quick response force (QRF) will be deployed to Torokina this week, where it will asses the potential impact of unexploded ordnance in the area, which was the scene of a protracted land battle between Allied and Japanese forces during World War II.

The US State Department says abandoned and unexploded munitions have had a significant lingering effect, including limiting people’s ability to pursue subsistence farming.

It also says that abandoned weapons, ammunition and explosives from Torokina have been used by militant groups and criminals over the years.

The QRF will partner with local people to find and prioritise areas for clearance so land can be returned to productive use.

The team will also gather data for future explosive ordnance clearance operations in cooperation with the ABG and the PNG National Government.

Parents owe schools many thousands of kina

By Aloysius Laukai

Many parents owe high schools in Bougainville thousands of kina for school fees for 2009.

And reports reaching New Dawn FM is that many students will not be allowed to sit for their final exams until they pay their school fees.

One of the biggest schools on Bougainville, Hutjena Secondary School, called on parents to pay outstanding fees before the start of Term 4 next week.

Parents are said to owe K108,000 in outstanding fees for this year.

Meanwhile New Dawn FM also reports that at least five high schools have not received a subsidy this year, which has affected their smooth running.

Cocoa borer threatens multi-million kina industry

By Aloysius Laukai

Bougainville’s multi million kina cocoa industry is under threat with confirmation of the cocoa pod borer in parts of Central and North Bougainville.

The Province’s biggest farmers are not sure what their future will hold without cocoa.

According to reports from Primary Industry officials, the cocoa disease has penetrated Manetai area and some parts of Kunua Kereaka.

This week Buka businessman Henry Onsa called on the ABG to fast track mining as the cocoa pod borer would definitely cripple the cocoa industry on Bougainville.

Another farmer, Leo Paupau, said Bougainville has to live with the cocoa pod borer and learn to develop measures to continue to harvest cocoa despite this disease.

Violence continues: two killed in Buin ambush

By Aloysius Laukai

Two youths and a freedom fighter were shot by Mekamui elements near Laitaro village in Buin, South Bougainville, on Saturday.

The two boys died instantly whilst the fighter was rushed to the Buka General Hospital.

According to eyewitness reports the incident happened when people were travelling to market from Tabago and surrounding villages.

They truck in which they were travelling was stopped and the three people were shot without any questions.

Several chiefs from the area said they were very disappointed that the incident happened when they were engaged in peace talks. They said the killings would only delay the peace process in the Konnou area.

South Bougainville has remained a flashpoint since the war on Bougainville ended.

Another chief called on the ABG to quickly address the situation in Konnou as more people continue to die for no reason.

Carterets people relocate as island inundated

By Aloysius Laukai

The first mothers and their children relocated from the Carteret Islands joined their families at Tinputz at the weekend while others are due there by the end of September.

Earlier five men from Carterets were moved to the new Tinputz Relocation Centre to start building houses and gardens in preparation for being reunited with their families.

They have been facilitated by the Tulele Peisa organisation as part of its commitment to help relocate the people of Carterets to safer ground on mainland Bougainville due to rising sea levels that are inundating their islands.

Meanwhile the Tulele Peisa management has said it will to work with the Bougainville administration to relocate the Carterets people and the movement of the first two families is only the first of many other relocations until the entire population is moved to mainland Bougainville.

New Dawn FM understands that many Carteret Islanders do not want to leave their islands.

Bottles banned as baby diarrhoea increases

Bougainville mothers will not be allowed to bottle feed their babies as a measure to prevent the spread of preventable diseases like diarrhoea which is increasing in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

The Clinical Supervisor of Buka General Hospital, Sr Mary Vilosi, told New Dawn FM that many illnesses can be prevented by taking simple precautionary measures like washing hands after using the toilet and drinking clean water.

UN doesn’t have answers to all our problems

By Aloysius Laukai

The ABG Member for Halia and Works Minister, Patrick Nisira, says that the United Nations does not have the answers to all Bougainville’s law and order problems.

Mr Nisira told the ABG House of Representatives that the answer to Bougainville’s problems lies entirely with the people of Bougainville.

He said that the UN does not have ready made solutions for Bougainville.

Mr Nisira made these remarks in supporting comments made by the ABG President Hon James Tanis that he was not ready to throw in the towel and call for the UN to return to Bougainville to address increasing law and order problems in the region.

They were responding to calls by the Member for Lule, Joseph Kinani, who wanted to know if the ABG had plans to get the UN to return to Bougainville.

Mr Tanis said that through the newly created Peace, Reconciliations and Weapons Ministry he hoped to address a lot of issues on Bougainville including law and order problems.

Mr Tanis later told a press conference that he wants to use the newly created Ministry to quickly get down to work.

The first Weapons Destruction was done last month at Poramato village near Panguna.

Mr Tanis is in Port Moresby this week to attend a meeting with donor partners who are supporting the Bougainville peace process.

New people’s bank is open for business

The PNG Nationwide Micro Bank has officially opened its doors for business on Bougainville.

Speakers at the opening ceremony urged the Bougainville people to start using the bank which will operate using passbook accounts.

The bank was officially opened by the ABG Minister for Micro Finance and Economic Service and Trade, Joseph Watawi.

Mr Watawi was also the first customer to open a passbook.

PNG Power re-establishes in Bougainville

The ABG side of the bargain to get a major electricity utility re-established in Bougainville has been met with the opening of the PNG Power office in Buka.

Acting CEO of PNG Power, Tony Koiri, said the ABG had met costs of K600,000 to enable PNG Power to return to Bougainville.

He said the money covered generators, staff housing and the building of the Buka office.

The building was officially opened by the ABG Acting President, Izekiel Massat.