News 04.2011
30.04.2011
Source: Solomon Star
Cholera irks Oxfam International.
By EDNAL PALMER
THE cholera outbreak in neighbouring Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Bougainville has deeply concerned international aid agency Oxfam.
Katie Greenwood of Oxfam International said the agency is concerned that the disease could easily spread to the Solomon Islands.
“We are urging Solomon Islanders to take extra care to protect themselves from the deadly disease that has already killed more than 600 people and affected more than 10,000 in PNG.
“Just last month, a new outbreak of cholera occurred in Buka, Bougainville which is just next door to the Solomon Islands, where many Solomon Islanders travel to and from.”
Mrs Greenwood said with the latest outbreak, there are real fears the disease could spread to more villages and spill over to the Solomon Islands.
“Any man, woman and child in communities where cholera is present, or travelling to the cholera infected areas is at risk,” she said.
She said Oxfam International with the support of the Ministry of Health in the country, recommended Solomon Islanders travelling to Buka to follow the following instructions.
“Firstly seek immediate medical attention at first sign of diarrhoea, secondly start drinking safe fluids. Boil water before drinking or drink coconut juice immediately and during travel to medical assistance and thirdly wash hands before cooking, eating and after going to the toilet.”
More than 100 people have been reportedly affected in Buka but the figure is expected to rise.
Cholera can be contracted by eating or drinking water contaminated by the faeces of a cholera infected person.
Meanwhile Health authorities are stepping up awareness in the western parts of the country.
30.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ONE MILLION KINA FLOATED
By Aloysius Laukai
The controversial MV SANKAMAP 2 floated out of the Buka Passage anchorage last night with none on board.
Someone must have cut off its anchors to let it float past Buka town on the passage towards Ieta village.
It was stucked on the reef just out the main entrance when Aloysius Laukai took this picture this morning.
The former ABG minister who bought this boat is now the candidate for the North Bougainville Byelections
Two years ago another Million Kina Fishing Boat bought by the then Regional Member Leo Hannett sank just off the Taiof Island.
The former Regional member is now the Justice Minister for the Autonomous Bougainville Government.
There is another similar boat MV Buka Queen bought by the current member that has never left the passage and still anchored off the Sohano Island.
29.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
DRUNKS & CRIME LOW
By Tom Kathoa
Police in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville say the common street offence of drinking beer and other alcoholic beverages in public is declining.
Commander of Police in the Northern Region, Inspector Cletus Tsien says the common sore eye of people being drunk in public has drastically improved with the imposition of police foot patrols in the Kokopau and Buka Towns including Sohano Island.
Inspector Tsien said other liquor related crimes have also improved as indicated by the number of police arrests for the first four months of this year.
Inspector Tsien said the number of police arrests is as follows; January 79, 72 for the month of February, 68 for March while the figures for April is yet to be compiled.
He said the April figure is expected to be much lower around the 40 to 50 mark.
Although, satisfied police are confident a total clean up of this can be achieved.
Meanwhile, it has been generally quiet overall in the region during the Easter weekend apart from cases not of criminal nature.
29.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SOLOMON WATCH
By Aloysius Laukai
Reports of the Cholera outbreak in the Haku area of Buka island is taking its toll now into the Solomon islands.
The Outbreak was contained by immediate response from Health Authorities on Buka island however there are still individual cases being addressed still on Buka island.
There has been no case reported from Bougainville mainland since the outbreak was reported several weeks ago.
Meanwhile in the Solomon Islands,
Solomon Islands has taken the controversial step of telling citizens not to travel to neighbouring Bouganville in PNG because of growing concerns a cholera outbreak may spread across the border.
The World Health Organisation has advised against banning all travel between the regions... fearing the move could encourage people to cross the border undetected.
The Solomon Islands Health Ministry has stepped up surveillance of the border and embarked on an aggressive cholera awareness campaign in the North Western Provinces.
29.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
WORLD VISION TO EDUCATE PEOPLE
BY JOYCE TOHUI
A team from World Vision Buka office last week carried out awareness on its Education Project into areas of Central Bougainville.
In making the report, Education Project Development Facilitator, MARTIN MATUA told New Dawn FM that the awareness is to make people aware of the project and how it will be implemented in the area.
He said that the project was initiated following a survey carried out by World Vision which stated that literacy was a problem on Bougainville.
He added that this survey also found out that there was a great imbalance between the number of boys going to school compared to the fewer number of girls attending schools.
MR MATUA said that this project is the first of its kind in PNG and the Pacific and would be implemented at ROROVANA 1, ROROVANA 2 and two more villages in the Central Bougainville.
He said there are two categories in the project, one will deal in teaching literacy to children and category two will train youths with life skills.
He said these skills will enable them to be productive in their communities.
The Officer said that during the awareness the people are more interested in the training of life skills.
29.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
GET READY FOR DROUGHT
BY JOYCE TOHUI
The Disaster Officer in the region, FRANKLYN LACEY is appealing to the people of Bougainville to start preparing themselves for the predicted drought expected in 2012.
He told New Dawn FM that Scientists said that the onset of the drought will be very slow for eighteen months but it would prolong.
MR LACEY said that as the price of copra and cocoa are good at this time, people must use their monies wisely and spend it on something that will benefit them in the long term.
He appealed to the people to buy iron roofing for their house to catch rain water and also get themselves water tanks and not to depend on the government alone.
He said the government is trying its best to deliver but it is the people that must think of their lives and put their priorities right.
MR LACEY said that if only people are mindful of sustaining their livelihood meaningfully than it will help the government to deliver whenever possible.
He said money is a big problem and one must help him/herself first.
29.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
One Thousands meet
By Aloysius Laukai
A total of ONE THOUSAND AND SIXTY EIGHT Primary School students are attending the Pikinini Soccer Competition in Buin South Bougainville.
The games started yesterday and will end on Sunday May first 2011.
Ages range from under seventeen and under fifteen.
In giving update from the Buin games, Senior Vice President of Bougainville Soccer League, JOE MAINEKE said that schools from BANA, SIWAI and Buin are attending the games.
He said that they would like Torokina schools to attend the next competition.
MR. MAINEKE said that South Bougainville plans to market its soccer stars in future that is why it is starting with the Pikinini Soccer competition.
New Dawn FM in Buka is getting update reports of the games in its broadcasts.
29.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Group wary of rebel threat
THE Autonomous Bougainville Government has been given a petition by a group of fighters providing defence to the Me’ekamui Defence Force criminal elements in south Bougainville.
The petition, by the Moongai Homeguards, a self-appointed group, claim they got permission and approval from the Bougainville Police to take up arms just to defend or protect their community and their population in the Konnou Constituency, from being harmed by Me’ekamui Defence Force elements like Damien Koike and his lot.
Mr Koike is asking for the group with others to be dismantled, but the Homeguards refused their demands and instead have presented this petition to the ABG with the aim of solving the problem.
The petition, signed by about 25 chiefs, freedom fighters and Moongai Homeguards, detailed that they seriously needed help from the ABG and the United Nations to intervene to sort the issue.
They have warned that since the MDF were refusing to co-operate and reconcile - and failing the process, they would take another step of asking for a special armed force unit or a RAMSI type United Nations peace keeping force.
“Please president John Momis, you must take this delicate situation very seriously as your number one priority for your government’s immediate action to neutralise the critical and very dangerous situation before more blood is shed and lives are lost. We appeal that you give us a positive response to this very critical and dangerous situation,” the team wrote in the petition to Mr Momis.
28.04.2011
Source: Yahoo Bougainville Forum
Semoso states.
On Saturday, April 23rd, 2011 the PNG Minister for Bougainville Affairs and Bougainville Regional MP, Fidelis Semoso, stated on the Yahoo Bougainville Forum as follows:
Barau traipla morning lo you and thanx for forwarding emails commenting on our endeavour to re open panguna. Quite obviously a lot of it is from the "academia" and people who are far removed from the realities of the situation on the ground in particular the day to day hardships of our people on the ground.
It is a sad truth that while the learned and leadership of Boug argue about the pros and cons of re opening of panguna or the best mining options suitable for us, our development remains static or is regressing as all statistics would reflect.
I just make the following observations based on the emails
1. The Vice President Mr Patrick Nisira and myself who both happen to be young leaders from Buka are not wasting our time by aggressively moving to reopen panguna. We have been mandated as leaders to make those decisions though hard and painfull but critical for the prosperity of AROB.
2. The issue raised by ML on ownership of panguna needs to put into proper perspective for the task of the reopening to proceed as smoothly as possible.
All of us throughout Boug can lay claim to ownership of panguna by virtue of the suffering we all endured from the spill over of the PLO related conflict and that is well appreciated by everybody including the LO going by the sentiments expressed during my discussions with them. And I believe this will be one of the key considerations if and when the BCA review is progressed.
It must be appreciated however that the LO from the six(6) Lease Areas are special people by virtue of their birth right and heritage and have a right to negotiate whatever they want. We the other LO from the rest of Boug will have our interests represented by our elected leaders in the ABG.
3. I for one totally agree that the long term prosperity of Boug is dependent on a sustainable economy driven by key sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, Human Resources and tourism.
We all agree however that for these sectors to be the catalyst and driver of our economy they need to fully developed first which requires a cash injection of massive proportion which can only come an impact project such as panguna. Our predicament is now even worse with Cocoa Pod Borer devastating our cocoa sector.
4. It is common sense that countries such as Samoa and Vanuatu are managing with Tourism as their major source of revenue and are only able to do so as they have excellent infrastructure courtesy of their european colonial rulers.
If we can develop our infrastructure we can tap into and benefit from this multi billion kina tourism industry.
Agriculture is another major potential economic driver for Boug but like tourism needs a massive cash injection to rehabilitate the 65 former expat owned plantations and the more than 5000 small blockholders.
5. No development initiative is without any negative environmental impact. The agriculture sector in Boug I believe isthe biggest contributor to deforestation on Bougainville. Developing cocoa and coconuts requires felling of virgin forests and drying of cocoa and copra needs endless supply of firewood= fell and cut down more trees. Samting blo upla ol save man.
These are the choices we have to make ol brata.
6. As leaders we have a time frame driving us to bring a certain level of development to Bougainville, the 2015 REFERENDUM. We must ensure our people access and enjoy a high level of service to enable them to VOTE FREELY and MAKE A REAL CHOICE during the referendum.
Given that the first opportunity is less than 4years away we have to implement a major impact project that can deliver and satisfy our peoples aspirations within this 4 years and that project is the Re Opening of Panguna.
As mandated leaders we are required to make tough but well informed decisions. The Boug leadership both in the ABG and National Government I believe remain united and resolved to delivering this project.
Most importantly ol brata, Bougainville was devastated by Panguna and Panguna must rebuild Bougainville.
Em ol tingting tasol blo wanpla lida blo ples.
Barau pls you lukim na sapos you ting em gutpla lo sharim wantaim ol narapla you putim through lo forum blo upla.
FS (Fidelis Semoso)
28.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ANITUA RECRUIT
By Aloysius Laukai
A local mining contractor, ANITUA MINING SERVICES is seeking for workers to work at the Lihir Gold Mine in the New Ireland Province.
And a recruitment team is on Bougainville to recruit Tradesmen in the fields of Auto Electricians, Heavy Equipment Fitters, Heavy Equipment Operators and Safety Officers.
People who are interested can see the recruitment team at the Kuri Village Resort.
For further information please call 986 4155.
28.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
LANDS SUMMIT
By Tom Kathoa
A three days Land Summit is being planned for Arawa next month.
Participants at the summit would discuss all land issues in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Among them are lands occupied by the Churches and plantations to be discussed on the first day of the summit.
On mission and plantation lands, participants would look at how and why land was acquired by these two organizations, and the positive and negative effects of their existence and activities.
On Post Conflict participants would discussed what has changed, ownership of monetary value overriding customary value, loss of knowledge on traditional and formal education and the likes.
It will also look Bougainville at its present as it is today
Speakers would include, Moses Havini who would set the scene and ABG Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon Michael Oni who would welcome submit participants to the summit
The following days would cover issues such as pressure on customary and alienated land, pressure on customs, environment and natural resources, Land tenure and dispute resolutions.
28.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SOKA TOURNAMENT
By Tom Kathoa
Primary school students in South Bougainville are taking part in the South Bougainville Pikinini Soka Tournament at Buin Town today.
Events Officer, Mr. Joe Maineke said schools taking part in the tournament are from the three districts of South Bougainville.
The games was kicked off by the Minister for Peace and Reconciliation, Hon Newton Kauva and witnessed by Michael Laita the Ex combatant Member for South Bougainville which started today would run for three days ending on the first of May.
Reports from Buin say that all the participant schools are being represented at the tournament.
New Dawn FM understands that the National member for South Bougainville, STEVEN PIRIKA is sponsoring the games.
28.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Fathers Fund Raise
By Aloysius Laukai
Marist Fathers working in the Bougainville Diocese would be having a corporate dinner to raise funds for pastoral work.
The corporate dinner would be held at the Kuri Village Resort between 6pm and 9pm this Saturday.
According to their invitation letter the aim of having the corporate dinner is to raise funds for a vehicle to carry out pastoral work.
And tables of Ten people would be going for One Thousand kina.
There would be some entertainments during the dinner.
New Dawn FM also understands that since the last of missionaries left Bougainville last year, the church is now left in the hand of the locals and they need our support to carry out God’s work.
28.04.2011
Source: ABC Radio Australia - Pacific Beat
Solomon Islands advises citizens not to travel to Bougainville
Solomon Islands has taken the controversial step of telling citizens not to travel to neighbouring Bouganville in PNG because of growing concerns a cholera outbreak may spread across the border.
The World Health Organisation has advised against banning all travel between the regions... fearing the move could encourage people to cross the border undetected.
The Solomon Islands Health Ministry has stepped up surveillance of the border and embarked on an aggressive cholera awareness campaign in the north west provinces.
Presenter: Stephanie March
Dr Cedric Alependava, Solomon Islands Under Secretary for Health Improvement
Listen here !
28.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
UN team meets rebel faction
THE United Nations successfully entered the Me’ekamui Defence Force controlled Konnou area, in south Bougainville, four years after they were banned from entering the area.
UN head on Bougainville Anthony Agyenta and his team, led by Bougainville Catholic Bishop Bernard Unabali, travelled to the rebel stronghold area, firstly for the big Easter Mass celebrations at Tabago with the people of Buin, Bana and Siwai in south Bougainville, and later convened a meeting with the rebel soldiers to hear their grievances and the issues they were facing.
They met with the soldiers but not the MDF commander Damien Koike.
This meeting has resulted in three immediate recommendations from the UN and the Catholic Church that seriously need the backing of the ABG hierarchy and they include: the signing of ceasefire agreement; containment of weapons and reconciliation.
“It was a successful mission with the church and that’s why I want Parliament to back this up immediately.
“I am appealing strongly to the ABG to commit themselves because in the shortest possible time, this is the greatest opportunity to move in and sort this issue once and for all. Let’s strike when the iron is still hot,” Mr Agyenta said.
28.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Momis’ plan for weapons
By GORETHY KENNETH
Bougainville President John Momis issued a strong statement on weapons disposal detailing his 10-point plan.
“The continuing presence of weapons and ammunition in the hands of groups and individuals is causing many problems. It’s a major factor in localised conflict in the south of Bougainville, resulting in more than 50 deaths since 2006,” Mr Momis said in his Easter speech.
“Many people have been displaced, many people are living in fear of weapons and investments in economic projects are restricted by weapons. It is essential that Bougainville find ways of removing weapons from our communities and weapons disposal is a priority for my government.
“After wide consultation, I am proposing some basic principles based on lessons learnt from the past experience on weapons disposal in Bougainville, both successful cases and the unsuccessful ones since 2005.”
In summary, these principles are:
* All disposal plans must be based on facts about weapons in Bougainville;
* Disposal plans must provide incentives, pressure and processes that respond to the reasons why different groups and individuals hold weapons;
* Political incentives maybe important reasons for some groups to dispose their weapons;
* Weapons plans must involve the whole community
* Weapons disposal plans must not include buy-back arrangements or economic projects in exchange for weapons;
* Disposal plans must be realistic in what they propose in relation to economic development projects in support of weapons disposal;
* Disposal plans must include a process for actual disposal of weapons that is accountable and transparent;
* Disposal plans must consider whether there is a need for supervision of the process of actual disposal of weapons that is accountable and transparent;
* Disposal plans may need to be linked to reconciliation programs that support weapons disposal; and
* Disposal plans need to address the security concerns of those holding weapons.
“I am requesting all Bougainvilleans interested to do so to send me their comments on these draft principles,” Mr Momis said.
“I will then re-consider these principles before submitting them to the Bougainville cabinet.”
27.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
UN MAN IN PANGUNA
Picture of Anthony Agyenta (middle) at the recent Panguna Mekamui reconciliation in Panguna.
He is flanked by two Mekamui leaders, Left is President Philipp Miriori and a Panguna chief.
Picture by Aloysius Laukai
27.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
UN MAN HAPPY
By Aloysius Laukai
The special technical officer for UN on Bougainville, Anthony Agyenta is happy to have accompanied the Catholic Bishop of Bougainville to the troubled Konnou Constituency for the Easter celebrations.
He told New Dawn FM this afternoon that his trip to Konnou was a breakthrough for the UN who were not allowed to go into the area in the past four years.
MR. AGYENTA said that he was now in a better position to negotiate with Damien Koike and his team to lay down their arms and talk peace.
He says that since the Konnou trip they are now working on a team that would progress the peace process up to full arms disposal.
On the news of Prayers by friends from Senegal in West Africa, Anthony Agyenta an African himself from Ghana thanked his brothers and sisters from Africa for their prayers.
27.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Nurses concerned on Cholera
By Aloysius Laukai
NURSES at the Buka General Hospital are upset with the lack of preparedness the hospital seems to have in addressing cholera cases in Buka town, Bougainville.
The nurses who requested anonymity said the hospital does not have a proper cholera treatment centre to treat suspected cases of cholera patients who turn up at the hospital.
They said the current advise by the hospital management and Bougainville Cholera Task Force was to refer all suspected cholera patients to Lemanmanu Health centre which is three hours by road to Haku constituency.
The nurses said, to date, there have been random cases of suspected cholera from urban areas who needed immediate health care at the hospital but were immediately transported to Lemanmanu health centre.
They said although this course of action is successful in containing the disease, it is not sustainable and a well thought out plan in addressing cholera on a large scale is urgently needed should cholera spread to other areas of Bougainville.
The nurses urged the Bougainville Cholera Task force team to immediately focus on long term solutions such as establishing a cholera treatment centre at the hospital, in preparation for any cases that come from areas far from the Haku constituency.
The nurses raised this concern yesterday after a suspected cholera patient was received at the hospital’s outpatient clinic which was immediately closed to the public in fear of the bacteria spreading to other sick people who were waiting to be treated.
The maternal health care clinic was then temporarily set up as the outpatient clinic yesterday which in consequence displaced more than 20 pregnant women who were at the hospital for their regular antenatal checks.
The expectant mothers were asked to return on Thursday for their antenatal care.
27.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Rebel warns ABG to meet promises
ONE of Bougainville’s feared rebel operating out of south Bougainville, Damien Koike, has issued a stern warning to the Autonomous Bougainville Government to adhere to his requests or face trouble.
Koike is the Me’ekamui Defence Force commander in south Bougainville. His counterparts are Chris Uma and Moses Pipiro who live in Arawa and Panguna, central Bougainville. Koike was accused of unnecessary killing of people in the Konnou and Wisai areas of South Bougainville. He was also alleged to be building up arms to win more men to fight the ABG.
In his Easter message to the people of Buin, Bana and Siwai, the man accused of the killings in that part of the region, wants their issues taken out of ABG offices and handled by a neutral organisation like the United Nations. A phone call to the Post-Courier on Saturday by the Me’ekamui soldiers from Konnou advised that the rebel hardliners were angry with the ABG because they claimed it had not fulfilled its promises to help the MDF, in particular, Koike and his soldiers with their demands for the current government to settle outstanding claims since the establishment of the ABG in 2005.
Koike also demanded the ABG to dismantle its forces, the WILMO and Mongai Homeguards established to fight his Me’ekamui soldiers in the south and stressed that he was for peace and unity but was not happy with the way ABG was handling their issues.
“Mipla laik tokim yupla olgeta pipol “with tears on our face” plis go bek na tokim ABG olsem stop killing your own people…stop hunting us like wild animals,” Koike wrote in his Easter message.
“ABG must dismantolim olgeta forces em i bin fomim,” Koike stated.
27.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
‘ABG must pay for deaths’
By Peterson Tseraha
THE Autonomous Bougainville Government will be responsible for all those who died in the latest Wisai shooting and they will compensate their families.
This is because the Mekamui criminals were allegedly funded by the ABG when they came over to Buka in their recent visit to collect their claims. A chief from Wisai confirmed this before the Easter weekend.
“Damien Koike and his band of criminals have lied to the Government many times now,” they said.
“We the village leaders have asked the ABG for funds to make reconciliation ceremonies but they never listened to us,” the chiefs said. “But the Mekamui came, and in just one hour got paid, because the ABG had the mentality that by giving them money, they would be tamed, but everything just went the other way around, they bought bullets and came up to Leulo village and started shooting innocent villagers which is totally inhuman and unacceptable, and a clear breach of human rights,” they said.
“We want the ABG to come out clear on whose side are they on, are they for us or are they with criminals who terrorise and murder innocent people.” The chief further stated that the ABG must now compensate the families of those that were killed in the shootout because they have paid the criminals, and there is no excuse for the ABG to deny any claims from their families.
“Do not negotiate with criminals because they are here on Bougainville and they would only be encouraged if they a being honoured by the Government,” the chiefs said.
They said the first K15,000 given to them was used to purchase a speed boat to transport them to Solomon Islands. “They sell gold there in exchange for firearms, according to latest information from our sources,” he said.
26.11.2011
Source: ESBC Research
Unterstützung für Bougainville-Aktion
BoJe-Verbund: Landjugend spendet 4350 Euro für guten Zweck
Neusustrum. Den Betrag von 4350 Euro hat die Katholische Landjugendbewegung (KLJB) im BoJe-Verbund der Kirchengemeinden Ober-Niederlangen, Sustrum, Neusustrum, Niederlangen-Siedlung, Sustrum-Moor und Hasselbrock für die von Pater Hermann Wöste initiierte Aktion Bougainville gespendet.
Das Geld stammt aus der von den Jugendlichen organisierten „Six-Pack-Party“ in Neusustrum. Nach Mitteilung der KLJB ist das der höchste Erlös, der seit der ersten Party im Jahr 1999 erzielt wurde.
Im Laufe des nun mehr als zehnjährigen Engagements der KLJB für die Bougainville-Aktion wurden unter anderem der Bau einer Berufsschule in Koromira, die Verlegung eines Wasserversorgungssystems und die Errichtung eines Krankenhauses mitfinanziert. Der Berufsschule, an der zurzeit über 300 Jugendliche unterrichtet werden, kommt auch der aktuelle Spendenbetrag zugute.
26.11.2011
Source: REUTERS
Analysis: Barrick bid suggests copper will be the new gold
By Nick Trevethan
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Soaring global demand for copper makes the metal a better bet than gold and explains a surprise bid by Barrick Gold Corp, the world's No. 1 bullion producer, for copper miner Equinox Minerals.
Barrick's (ABX.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) (ABX.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) $7.68 billion offer for Equinox (EQN.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) (EQN.AX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) trumped one by Minmetals Resources (1208.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), a unit of China's largest metals trader.
Minmetals on Tuesday bowed out of the battle for the copper miner, which has been involved in takeover tussles of its own with smaller miners, saying Barrick's bid was too rich.
The move signals a shift by Barrick away from a near-pure gold play into a more diversified mining company, highlighting the positive demand outlook for industrial metals in an improving global economy.
"Perhaps copper is the new gold. The long-term prospects for base metals look good," Pinaki Rath, managing director of Gold Matrix Resources, said.
He noted that the risk of rising interest rates as world economies shift from the highly accommodating monetary policy adopted during the global financial crisis to more normal conditions could cap the upside for gold, while industrial appetite for copper would support prices.
Both copper and gold prices have hit record highs this year -- copper on the London Metal Exchange touched an unprecedented $10,190 a ton in February, while spot gold rallied to a record $1,518.10 an ounce as recently as Monday.
And demand growth from emerging economies like China, which currently consumes 40 percent of world copper output or around 8 million tons, will keep prices firm, while miners struggle keep up.
Estimates vary, but analysts see demand for copper, where its ductility and conductivity make it an essential input in electrical products, wiring and in tubing, outstripping supply by between 300,000 tons to almost 1 million tons this year.
"For at least the next three years we are still very bullish on copper as the market will remain in deficit over that period, even under the most conservative global demand forecasts," said Judy Zhu, analyst at Standard Chartered Bank in Shanghai.
"And there is a possibility that this deficit could be more prolonged if demand grows faster than expectations. Copper is highly exposed to Asia, and urbanization in China and India will provide upside momentum for at least the next 10 years and perhaps as long as 20 years."
Equinox's prime asset is the Lumwana mine in Africa's rich Zambian copper belt, which produced around 147,000 tons of copper in concentrate last year, 1 percent of global mine supply. Equinox also owns a mine project in Saudi Arabia.
"ALCHEMY IN REVERSE"
The acquisition would more than double Barrick's copper output, seen at less than 150,000 tons in 2011, Reuters Metal Production Database shows.
At current prices, the merged entity's annual copper output would be worth $3 billion, while its gold output is worth around $11 billion. The takeover would reduce Barrick's exposure to gold to 80 percent from 90 percent currently.
"It's alchemy in reverse -- turning gold into base metals -- but increasing exposure to industrial metals is probably a smart move if you expect the global economy to return to pre-crisis levels," said a trader in Singapore.
"In that scenario, the upside to gold is likely to be capped, while the potential for gains in copper are greater. They have a lot of cash, but it is telling they went for a copper play, and not another gold miner."
COPPER, GOLD GAINS
Both copper and gold markets have seen a huge turnaround from their lows in the post Lehman Brothers financial meltdown, with copper prices up threefold from lows struck in December 2008 below $3,000 a ton. Gold prices have risen by a more modest 120 percent in the same period.
A recent Reuters poll of analysts pegged gold at around $1,700 an ounce in 2015, up 13 percent from current prices.
"It's not a bad time to diversify if you are a gold miner. There are lots of reasons to be bullish on gold, at the same time copper has a stronger long-term outlook," said William Adams, analyst at FastMarkets.com.
"Over the next five years I am by and large bullish and wouldn't be surprised if copper saw an upper range between $10,000 to $12,000."
Other forecasters were also bullish on copper.
RBS forecast average prices between $10,000 and $11,500 in 2012, 2013 and 2014, versus between $5,100 and just over $9,800 between 2009 and 2011.
Barclays Capital saw copper trading on average at $12,000 in 2012, while StanChart's Zhu saw prices at just under $12,000 in 2014 .
"According to Barrick's statement, they are looking to diversify into copper, obviously because of the bullish outlook," said Australia-based mining equities investor Richard Longley, who owns shares in Equinox.
He said many mining companies were seeking ways to diversify and copper producers were in favor, given the positive longer term outlook for the metal.
"However, there is a 'gold halo' effect to pure-play gold companies, where people put a premium on gold companies more than on others. So there is a danger that some of Barrick's investors may not like this bid."
26.11.2011
Source: Financial Times
CIC set for up to $200bn in fresh funds
By Henny Sender in Hong Kong and Jamil Anderlini in Beijing
China Investment Corp, the Chinese sovereign wealth fund, will soon receive $100bn-$200bn in new funds from the government, according to three people familiar with the matter.
CIC, which has already fully allocated the $110bn it had available for offshore investments, is to get the new money as Beijing seeks to reduce its exposure to US government debt. “There has been bureaucratic bickering for a year,” said one person familiar with the matter. “It has been difficult to resolve.”
The reserves, already the largest in the world, grew by nearly $200bn in the first quarter to top $3,000bn for the first time. In the past week, two senior government economists have publicly said China only needs reserves of around $1,000bn.
CIC was established in 2007 with the mandate to invest some of the country’s foreign reserves in riskier offshore assets. At that time, China had less than $1,500bn in its foreign exchange coffers.
While the fund suffered some early missteps – investing in US private equity firm Blackstone and in Morgan Stanley before their shares plummeted in the global financial crisis – people who deal with the fund say CIC has grown in professionalism and confidence.
“They had a lot of growing pains in the beginning but now they know more,” says one private equity executive. “They will be smarter and more rigorous going forward.”
In addition to handing more money to CIC, Beijing is also considering using the reserves to set up a variety of new special-purpose funds that would invest in sectors such as energy and precious metals, as well as a foreign-exchange stabilisation fund, according to a Chinese media report on Monday, citing unnamed sources.
Debate has raged among policymakers in Beijing for more than a year over how much more money CIC should receive, while the central bank and the ministry of finance have fought a bureaucratic turf war over whether the central bank should have more control over the fund.
The central bank had proposed that the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, an agency under the central bank which manages the forex reserves, either invest directly as a shareholder in CIC or hand CIC a mandate to manage a certain amount of reserves on its behalf.
Those suggestions were eventually rejected, according to people familiar with the matter, and CIC will now probably receive the money from the finance ministry, its shareholder and biggest champion, as occurred when it was initially capitalised in 2007.
At that time, the ministry issued renminbi bonds and used the proceeds to buy foreign exchange from the central bank.
After its initial investments in western financial institutions, CIC has increasingly focused on offshore investments that take advantage of China’s economic boom. Besides focusing on natural resources and energy, it is also increasingly interested in investing in Chinese companies listed offshore.
Recently, for example, it took a stake in SMIC, a semiconductor company listed in Hong Kong but with all its assets in the mainland. In addition, it recently began asking some of its private equity partners for co-investment stakes in China deals, an indirect way to invest in China.
However, much of what CIC does is hard to track because it often uses private equity firms to act on its behalf as it did when Blackstone bought Morgan Stanley’s troubled property loan portfolio in Japan last year at CIC’s behest.
In general, state-owned Chinese companies in particular are rapidly expanding their investments abroad with direct encouragement from Beijing. China’s non-financial outbound foreign direct investment totalled $48bn in 2009, 48 times the amount in 2002, according to UN figures. From focusing almost exclusively on securing offshore supplies of natural resources Chinese companies are now interested in a wide range of industries, especially ones where they can acquire technology.
China’s non-financial offshore interests are dwarfed by its financial investments abroad, which mostly go into low-yielding but relatively safe government bonds.
26.04.2011
Source: CHINA ECONOMIC REVIEW
CIC to receive $200b in new government funds
China's sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corp, will soon receive US$100-200 billion in new government funds, a move reflecting Beijing's aim to reduce its exposure to US government debt, the Financial Times reported. CIC has already fully allocated the US$110 billion it had available for offshore investments. A number of senior officials, including China's central bank governor, have recently argued that the nation's foreign exchange reserves are beyond "reasonable requirements" and that it only needs around US$1 trillion. Already the largest in the world, China's forex reserves grew by nearly US$200 billion in the first quarter to top US$3 trillion for the first time. Beijing is considering using the reserves to set up special-purpose funds that would target sectors like energy and precious metals, as well as a forex stabilization fund.
26.11.2011
Source: SPIEGEL ONLINE
Staatsfonds CIC
China rüstet sich für Milliarden-Shoppingtrip
Peking treibt die globale Expansion voran: Laut einem Pressebericht will die Volksrepublik im großen Stil in ausländische Firmen einsteigen - und steckt dafür bis zu 200 Milliarden Dollar in ihren Staatsfonds CIC.
Hamburg - 3,04 Billionen Dollar Währungsreserven hortet China - einen Teil ihres gewaltigen Vermögens will die Regierung nun investieren, um sich auf der ganzen Welt an Unternehmen zu beteiligen. Laut einem Bericht der Londoner "Financial Times" ("FT") wird der Staatsfonds China Investment Corporation (CIC) bald eine gewaltige Geldspritze erhalten. 100 bis 200 Milliarden Dollar soll CIC bekommen, berichtet die Zeitung unter Berufung auf drei Insider.
Das Geld werde wahrscheinlich vom Finanzministerium bereitgestellt. Der chinesische Staatsfonds CIC war 2007 gegründet worden, um die enormen Devisenreserven des Landes anzulegen. CIC soll eine möglichst hohe Rendite erzielen und investiert deshalb auch in riskante Vermögenswerte.
Erste Investitionen tätigte der Fonds 2007: Er kaufte seinerzeit knapp zehn Prozent an der US-Beteiligungsgesellschaft Blackstone für drei Milliarden Dollar und knapp zehn Prozent der US-Großbank Morgan Stanley für rund fünf Milliarden Dollar. Die Anteile büßten im Zuge der Finanzkrise deutlich an Wert ein. Aus den Fehlern hat der Staatsfonds nach eigenen Angaben gelernt. "Sie werden künftig klüger anlegen", zitiert die "FT" einen Private-Equity-Manager.
Dem Bericht zufolge plant die chinesische Regierung nicht nur eine Finanzspritze für CIC. Es könnten auch neue, zweckgebundene Fonds gegründet werden - unter anderem für die Bereiche Rohstoffe, Energie und IT. Für CIC würde das neue Konkurrenz bedeuten; der Staatsfonds hatte zuletzt verstärkt in Rohstoffe investiert.
China versucht, die eigenen enormen Devisenreserven zu reduzieren. Die Zentralbank in Peking und mehrere Regierungsvertreter hatten zuletzt betont, die gehortete Geldmenge habe ein Niveau erreicht, das deutlich "über dem vernünftigen Maß" liege. Laut "FT" will die Regierung nicht nur die Währungsreserven verringern, sondern auch ihr gewaltiges Engagement in US-Staatsanleihen zurückfahren. Mit rund 900 Milliarden Dollar ist China Amerikas größter Gläubiger.
26.04.2011
Source: The National
ABG calls for funding from donors
AUTONOMOUS Bougainville Government vice-president Patrick Nisira has appealed to aid agencies based and working in Bougainville to help with sourcing funds for projects that will help the unification process jointly established by the ABG and Me’ekamui leadership.
Nisira said the unification process was established to unite the people in the mine affected district to enable them to be involved in a peace and reconciliation programme and initiate development projects for their communities.
The process was to enable their leaders to be involved in proactive discussions for autonomy building in Bougainville and preparations for the region’s referendum for independence.
“While the ABG has included the Panguna district administration in its annual budget, funds have not often adequately met the required programmes that would meet the people’s demand.
“I am, therefore, seeking specific assistance from aid agencies for the people of Panguna and Ioro constituency,” he said.
Nisira singled out the UNDP and AusAID to come to the aid of the Panguna people who he said had missed out on many basic government services due to the ‘No Go Zone’ syndrome that was placed on them by their leaders.
The leaders had signed an MoU in 2005 known as the Panguna communiqué with the late ABG president Joseph Kabui which allowed for development initiatives for Panguna.
26.04.2011
Source: The National
Momis: Violence in Bougainville must stop
By JEFFREY ELAPA
THERE will be no hope of holding a referendum in Bougainville if violence continues in the region, Autonomous Bougainville Government President John Momis said.
He said this after learning of the shooting deaths of two more people, taking the death toll to more than 50 people since 2006 killed in Konnou in South Bougainville.
Momis described the shootings as “terrible news”, adding that the people of South Bougainville had seen too much death and injuries and demanded the removal of weapons and a return to peace and normalcy.
“I call on the leaders of the armed group to work with me and other leaders to end violence for good.”
He said the Bougainville crisis ended 14 years ago and there was no place for weapons and violence now.
He said the deaths in armed conflict since 2006 “have nothing to do with the grievances that caused the Bougainville crisis”.
“Instead, they are the result of personal differences, lawlessness and criminal activity.
“Innocent people are being killed and injured and displaced from their homes, economic development is impossible in large areas and insecurity and crime are becoming a part of everyday life.
“This must stop.
“If violence continues, there is no hope of holding a referendum that the international community will judge as free and fair,” Momis said.
He said there would be no chance of mining to provide economic development, and the revenue needed for autonomy and referendum, adding that if nothing changed, “we will only attract dishonest foreigners that will try to exploit our resources.”
He said he would call a summit of leaders from South Bougainville and a consensus must be reached on how to get rid of the weapons.
Leaders of the armed groups must be involved in preparing for the summit.
Momis said the Bougainville administration would plan the summit for South Bougainville leaders to be held as soon as possible.
He will also discuss with the national government and regional embassies for possible arrangements for a small regional force to provide local security in South Bougainville for the weapons disposal process and find funding for training of members of armed groups if an agreement was not reached.
26.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Me’ekamui hails ABG
By GORETHY KENNETH
ME’EKAMUI diehards and its leaders have hailed the unification effort of all factions in Panguna by the Autonomous Bougainville Government as a success.
Me’ekamui president Philip Miriori and his cabinet Philip Takaung and William Mungta have given the thumbs up for the ABG, through acting President Patrick Nisira, for the work they have been doing in uniting the Panguna factions.
Mr Nisira has been driving the government’s unification process since the beginning of this year. He is now calling on the Me’ekamui leaders to join the ABG and the other stakeholders in delivering the much-needed basic government services like health and education to the people of Panguna and the rest of the Ioro Constituency.
He is also urging the Me’ekamui leaders to be involved in the peace and reconciliation process and help to provide stability in the region.
Nisira gave the ABG’s undertakings to support and maintain the unification process among all Panguna factions during the recent “domanto”, a traditional cleansing ceremony between the Panguna leaders, the ABG and the Me’ekamui which would now enable all factions and leaders to re-enter the Panguna administration centre and to hold their meetings there. After the passing away of the Francis Ona, the leaders could not use the centre and his office – they are now free to use the facilities there for negotiations.
To compound the problem further, the Me’ekmaui leadership split into two groups – the Me’ekamui Government of Unity (MGU) led by Philip Miriori, Philip Takaung and Moses Pipiro of the Me’ekamui Defence Force and the Original Me’ekamui, led by Blaise Iruinu, William Mungta and Chris Uma, another well known former commander of the BRA and MDF.
These leaders earlier this month met with Bougainville Affairs Minister Fidelis Semoso and had pledged to work together to move Bougainville forward.
26.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
ABG must pay compo: Chief
THE Autonomous Bougainville Government will be responsible for all those who died in the latest Wisai shooting and they will compensate the families.
This is because the Me’ekamui criminals were allegedly funded by the ABG when they came to Buka recently to collect their claims. A chief from Wisai said this to the Post-Courier just before Easter.
“Damien Koike and his band of criminals have lied to the Government many times now,” he said.
“We, responsible village leaders, have asked the ABG for funds to make reconciliation ceremonies but they never ever listened to us.”
“But the Me’ekamui came, and in just one hour, they got paid, because the ABG had the mentality that by giving them money, they will be tamed, but everything just went the other way around, they bought bullets, came up to Leulo village and started shooting innocent villagers which is totally inhuman and unacceptable.”
26.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Wisai massacre
By Peterson Tseraha
A 12-year-old grade six student and his cousin are dead and others wounded after a band of criminals opened fire on them in South Bougainville.
This incident happened on Saturday when a group of armed men alleged to have been led by former U-Vistract Me’ekamui commander Damien Koike moved into Leulo village in the Wisai area in the Konnou constituency, South Bougainville, and started firing at villagers.
The Konnou area has been ABG’s major setback in terms of peace.
The United Nations is trying its best to contain lawlessness in the area.
It has also been alleged that Koike and his men are building up arms from the Torokina war relics for their own war.
The winding down of operations by the Wisai Liberation Movement (WILMO), the pro ABG faction in the Wisai area, was taken as an advantage by Koike and his men who are now branded as criminals from the Tabago area.
On Saturday, two men died and several others wounded. One of the wounded is now in a critical condition in the Buka General Hospital.
The 12-year old boy was doing his grade six in Ugubagohu Primary school in Wisai.
WILMO commander Philip Pusua, in a written statement given to the Post-Courier, said Koike and his men left their village, Mohoroi in the Tabago area, and have been hiding in the jungles of Siniminoi and Tonolei which is an unoccupied area in Wisai and have continued killing people in their own land.
The statement also said the criminals are operating an alluvial gold mine which they have taken over from landowners of Leulo village and so far they have killed three landowners which add up to 23 in total killed.
26.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Killings mark our Easter celebrations
The long Easter weekend came to an end yesterday.
In Papua New Guinea, Christians marked the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ with church fellowships and worships, combined with sporting activities that took up much of the weekend.
Now with the end of all the activites, let’s see whether the long Easter weekend was trouble free and peaceful around PNG?
To the PNG Police Force, the answer to that question is yes. Police commanders around PNG, including the nation’s capital, claim the long Easter weekend was trouble free.
We however do not agree with the Police. The reason or reasons are outlined below.
A Chinese national was killed in brutal fashion on the eve of Good Friday in Port Moresby by criminals who held him up to steal from him.
NCD/Central Police Commander Fred Sheekiot told us that the Chinese national was shot at point blank range when he refused to submit to a gang who had held him up at gunpoint.
Police were able to round up four suspects after the shooting and two firearms were recovered and the four are under interrogation at the Boroko Police Station. Sheekiot also reported a murder on Easter Saturday in Hiri district Central province. The man was killed after a drunken brawl.
Then in East New Britian, Easter Friday was only a few hours old when wanted criminal Anton Marko was smoked out of his hideaway and shot dead by police.
Marko was trapped in a bush house near Keravat township between 4 and 5am on Friday. The convicted murderer and prison escapee was with a woman in the house when police stormed inside, calling on him to surrender. Provincial Police Commander Sylvester Kalaut told us that Marko fired back at police and they retreated outside, after then they placed tear gas canisters under the house and smoked him out. He was armed when he came out and was shot dead.
In Port Moresby again, a family of more than six was left homeless fire gutted their home on the eve of Easter eekend. The cause of the fire is not known but the family lost everything. Two children who were in the house were saved.
Last Thursday, a man was murdered in Atamo, Manetai District of Central Bougainville, and on Good Friday, a Dantanai man was knifed in Arawa town and is nursing serious wounds at the Arawa Hospital after police came to his rescue.
In South of Bougainville, a 12 year old boy, who was in his sixth grade, is now dead along with his first cousin and others were wounded, after a band of criminals opened fire on them in South Bougainville.
This incident happened on Saturday when a group of armed men allegedly led by former U Vistract Mekamui Commander Damien Koike moved into Leulo village in Wissai, in the Konnou constituency, and started firing at innocent villagers.
On Good Friday in the centre of Mt Hagen, PNG’s third city, a middle aged man was brutally murdered. Shocked eyewitnesses, watched as police came to take the wounded man away to hospital but he died later from his wounds.
Six deaths were recorded over the long Easter weekend. There may be many more around the country and were not reported to police. What these deaths clearly tell us is that PNG did not have a peaceful and trouble free Easter weekend.
Easter is the most important feast in the Christian world and PNG proclaims it to be a Christian country.
We are sure that over the long weekend, at all church services, Papua New Guineans were reminded of the obvious by their pastors or priests and that is that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ should mark a new beginning in their lives.
Given that the Christian churches in PNG are more than 100 years old, except a few minority groups, the majority of the PNG population is Christian, who should really try and make a new start in life. Only then will this country know real peace and harmony.
26.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Sorcery related attacks grip Central Bougainville
By GORETHY KENNETH
CENTRAL Bougainville is facing a serious problem with sorcery related issues and already Arawa police are asking for intervention from the United Nations, the Human Rights Commission and relevant authorities.
Last Thursday, a man was murdered in Atamo, Manetai District of Central Bougainville, and on Good Friday, a Dantanai man was knifed at the heart of Arawa town and is nursing serious wounds at the Arawa Hospital after police came to his rescue. Other sorcery related cases have been reported from Panguna, Pokpok Island, Bairima and just last week also three men from Pomaua were brutally shot at close range over sorcery accusations.
Arawa Police Station Commander Senior Sergeant Herman Birenka said despite a peaceful Easter celebrations in Arawa, he faced the biggest problem of sorcery related murders and issues in the central region.
Sgt Birenka said at the weekend that his policemen needed urgent help from authorities as they are handicapped to carry out critical arrests and operations.
Mr Birenka said his men could not do much as they were not armed under the Peace Agreement and it had been very difficult for them as the offenders were dealing with weapons while his policemen were not.
“We seriously need back up from authorities including, especially the UN and the Human Rights Commission. We are talking to these people but we can’t do arrests because people are not coming out to assist us as they are saying it is their right to do this and that, including murder of people.
“I cannot just go into any area and make arrests because also, people are not aware of these issues as human rights,” he said.
26.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
NEW PROGRAM ON NEW DAWN
By Tom Kathoa
Listeners to New Dawn FM Station would be able to know of how past ABG Governments and their administrations have performed through a new program to be introduce next month.
The program, titled ‘KNOW YOUR GOVERNMENT OR SAVE LONG GAVMAN BLONG YU “is a joint initiative of the Office of the ABG President and New Dawn management.
The first of such a program would be aired on the 3rd of next month, May 2011.
The weekly program of thirty minutes would be aired on New Dawn every Tuesday, at half-past eight in the evening.
The new program will complement the present program produced by the office of the president, but would detail some of the activities of the past government under the leadership of two former presidents.
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville and the ABG was led by the first president, the late Joseph Kabui until his untimely death in 2008 and the second president, James Tanis following a presidential by election in 2009.
The current ABG Government is lead by the President Hon. Chief John Momis.
Tune to New Dawn FM to know of how your region has and is being governed by our political leaders.
26.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ANOTHER RECONCILIATION
By Tom Kathoa
Youths and Community leaders of Poposoko Village in the Hagogohe Constituency used the Easter period as a time to reconcile among themselves.
The group under the name Hamaraha, held a reconciliation ceremony in the village putting behind all their differences and striving for unity within the community, constituency and region as a whole.
Youths are now working together with their elders and all and members of different church denominations in the areas of church fellowship and community participation.
Village leaders commended the young people for their initiative and appealed to them to continue the spirit of unity and love for their community.
The Member for Hagogohe, Hon Robert Hamal Sawa is pleased with the move and promised government assistance to them.
Member Sawa challenged the people of Poposoko to lead the way so others in the constituency can follow.
26.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
GOHAN OBITS
By Tom Kathoa
Bougainville has lost one of its pioneer public servant and broadcaster, Joseph GOHAN.
The late Gohan is one of the first Papua New Guineans to work as a radio broadcaster better known as Radio Announcer.
He joined the then department of information and extension services, DIES in Port Moresby and later moved to Radio Rabaul in East New Britain.
During his time, he worked in Bougainville, Rabaul in East New Britain, New Ireland, Madang and Vanimo in West Sepik province as manager of radio stations in these provinces.
At one time he was attached with the North Solomons Provincial Government.
The late Joseph Gohan passed away at the Buka General Hospital on Monday night.
He died a ripe age of more than 70 years.
26.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
63 GRADUATE
By Aloysius Laukai
SIXTY THREE students graduated last week with various disciplines from the Autonomous BOUGAINVILLE Youth Training and Rehabilitation Centre.
The Centre which was established in 2010 at Katsinkuri in Buka town was later moved to Hangan village outside of Buka Town.
The first graduation was witnessed by the local ABG member for Tsitalato, COSMAS SOHIA .
The students graduated with certificates in Information Technology, Accounting, Business Management, Sales and Marketing, Advance Computing and Basic Secretarial.
26.04.2011
New Job on Bougainville!
25.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SOUTH PEACEFUL
By Aloysius Laukai
Police in South Bougainville have reported a trouble free Easter.
According to the Buin Police Station Commander, Senior Sergeant JOHN POPUI Buin and South Bougainville have celebrated Easter peacefully.
JOHN POPUI said that this follows continuous awareness by Police throughout South Bougainville.
MR. POPUI reported that during the Easter celebrations police and the youths of LUGAKEI COE combined and removed all Home brew containers and gas bottles from their area.
He said that the youths from the villagers signed a MOA with the Buin Police to remove all home brew making equipments and vowed to change their lives.
Senior Sergeant POPUI thanked the chiefs from the LUGAKEI COE for reaching this understanding with their youths.
He called on other COE’s in Buin to follow the example set by the youths of LUGAKEI and create a peaceful environment in which mothers and children can walk freely.
25.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MISSION SUCCESSFUL
By Aloysius Laukai
The Easter celebration and mass led by Bishop of Bougainville, BENARD UNABALI was hailed a success.
Reports from Buin states that it was a breakthrough for a new era for Konnou.
FR.TONY NAWATA who spoke with New Dawn FM from Buin said that the place was packed to capacity for the Easter mass.
He said although the team could not talk to the notorious DAMIEN KOIKE during the Easter celebrations they were able to talk to his fighters to establish dialogue in the area.
FR. NAWATA said that the peace team that has been working on the special Easter mass would continue to talk to KOIKE and his men to put down their weapons and talk peace for Konnou and Bougainville as a whole.
The Bishop of Bougainville was accompanied by the UN Special technical officer, ANTHONY AGYENTA.
25.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
POLICE APPEAL
By Aloysius Laukai
The Provincial Police Commander for Bougainville Police Cletus Tsien has appealed to the people of Bougainville to celebrate Easter peacefully.
He said that there was no need for the people to celebrate Easter with liquor as it only causes pain and suffering for families.
MR. TSIEN made these remarks in his Easter message to the people of Bougainville on New Dawn FM.
He said that Police would be patrolling the streets of Buka town to make sure that people adhere to liquor restrictions throughout the festive season.
PPC Tsien also called on the Liquor Licensing Commission to cut down on the number of Liquor shops within Buka town.
He said that nearly all the streets of Buka has two or more liquor shops thus creating their premises as trouble spots.
The PPC appealed to the Bottleshop owners to follow liquor restrictions.
25.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SHORT OF STAFF
By Aloysius Laukai
A former senior public servant is calling on the Autonomous Bougainville Government and its divisions to beef up manpower to stand by for any emergency that could occur in the future.
The former public servant who wants to remain anonymous told New Dawn FM at the weekend that the ratio of two nurses at the Wards of the Buka General Hospital at any one time was too much and could not cater for any emergency that may occur.
The officer said that with the outbreak of cholera in parts of Buka more deaths would be expected if the outbreak reaches Buka town.
The former senior Officer said that as the Cholera is moving towards Buka town the hospital management must be prepared for what could become an out of control situation for the small town.
The officer said that certain staff of the Buka hospital have already contracted the disease and they should be put off work immediately.
Attempts by New Dawn FM to get comments from the Cholera Committee were unsuccessful.
25.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Not Alone
By Aloysius Laukai
Meanwhile Christians throughout Bougainville and abroad have been praying for Peace to reach the trouble spots of Konnou Constituency in Buin, South Bougainville.
And prayer groups from Buin have been fasting and praying for the Easter celebration in Tabago to proceed as planned.
Reports from Buin says that their prayers have been answered as the celebration was successful.
New Dawn FM also received reports from a Bougainvillean Sister, Sister Jeline Giris who is based in Senegal, West Africa said that her group also prayed for peace for Konnou this weekend.
24.04.2011
Source: ABC Radio Australia - Online
Bougainville shooting
Liam Fox reported this story on Sunday, April 24, 2011 08:20:00
Listen here !
ELIZABETH JACKSON: Recently we reported on the stalled efforts to dispose of the weapons that fuelled the decade long civil war on the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.
Ten years after a peace agreement ended the conflict, hundreds, possibly thousands of weapons are still in the hands of former combatants and criminals.
Bougainville's government says it doesn't have the money or the expertise to solve the problem and has called for international help.
The issue's importance has been highlighted with the murder of two people, one of them a high school student, and the shooting of another man in the island's south last week.
Our PNG correspondent Liam Fox spoke to the local police Inspector Paul Kamuai, who says his unarmed officers are largely powerless to respond.
PAUL KAMUAI: These three victims were actually unarmed and they were actually staying in the village when this criminal element walked into the village and then just started shooting at them without saying anything. And it is a big pity that we still have this criminal element operating within that area.
This criminal element has been operating in that area for the past years since the Bougainville peace agreement and then onwards.
LIAM FOX: Do you know much about them; who's their leader?
PAUL KAMUAI: Their leader is Damien Koike and from our information he is still armed. He has quite a number of armed boys with him, numbering between 20 and 30 and they don't stay in a particular village, they keep moving.
LIAM FOX: And you said that these are boys, most of them are not former combatants are they?
PAUL KAMUAI: No. They could be a mix of boys and former combatants in the group. The police are not able to go into the constituency unless they are armed and if police are to make any attempts to make arrests, there would be an armed confrontation and that is something we need to avoid.
LIAM FOX: So effectively police aren't able to go and arrest the people responsible for this shooting, is that right?
PAUL KAMUAI: Not at this point in time unless there will be an armed confrontation.
LIAM FOX: Do you think there needs to be another effort to try and get people to disarm and if you do what do you think needs to be done to get people to give up their guns?
PAUL KAMUAI: That's a good question. We've been asking all this time, all these years that we wish to do something about these firearms, they should be disposed.
I believe all the plans have not been working, most probably because of finance, I think the financial situation with the government, that's my guess.
LIAM FOX: Would it help police if they had more resources and had arms themselves?
PAUL KAMUAI: That's the way I see it. That has been the concern with and the Bougainville police service. We really need to be well resourced. We need to have the right kind of training. We need to have the infrastructure built, because the police service was totally destroyed.
ELIZABETH JACKSON: Inspector Paul Kamuai of the Bougainville Police talking there to our correspondent Liam Fox.
22.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MOMIS EASTER
By Aloysius Laukai
ABG President Chief John Momis is calling on the people of Bougainville to unite and work together for the better of Bougainville.
He made these remarks in his Easter message to the people of Bougainville.
President Momis said that we must work to bring peace bring justice also establish rule of law to Bougainville.
MR. MOMIS called on the people of Bougainville to reject corruption of all forms and also other activities that would bring pain and suffering to other Bougainvilleans.
MR. MOMIS says that Easter should bring happiness to our people as we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
He made this call from Port Moresby today.
The ABG president said that there is no need to kill other Bougainvilleans like what is happening in Konnou.
He said that the people should settle their differences through peaceful means and not by the barrel of the gun.
22.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Rebuild Bougainville
By Aloysius Laukai
The ABG President says that the meaning of Easter this year can make us change our attitude and help rebuild Bougainville.
MR. MOMIS called on the people to renew our effort to bring about changes and development on Bougainville.
He said with the involvement all our people we can build a true and fulfilling society for our people.
The ABG President said that this can happen if we stop the killings and remove all deadly weapons from all over Bougainville.
MR. MOMIS said that we must stop the killings and other activities that are happening to create terror in our communities.
He said if all these activities can end we can see a new prosperous nation emerge where its people can live in harmony with each other.
22.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
NISIRA APPEAL
By Aloysius Laukai
The ABG Vice President, PATRICK NISIRA is appealing to the people of Konnou to stop the fighting in their area.
He said in his Easter message that there was no need to kill fellow Bougainvilleans.
MR. NISIRA said that the fighting should stop and allow development take place in their area which have suffered for a long time.
He said that the people of Konnou need to go into business and sustain their livelihood.
MR. NISIRA also called on the leaders to unite and opt for peace once and for all.
22.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
CATHOLIC EASTER SERVICE
The Bishop of Bougainville diocese BISHOP BENARD UNABALI will celebrate Easter mass at TABAGO Catholic parish in the troubled Konnou constituency.
And all catholic believers from all over South Bougainville will be celebrating Easter mass with the people of Konnou.
Reports from Buin states that the people are excited to have mass with the Bishop of Bougainville for this 2011 Easter.
Earlier reports of the ABG President and ministers attending the mass has been post phoned to a later date due to the latest killings in the area.
Konnou has seen no peace since the start of the Bougainville conflict and fighting in the area has continued until today.
22.04.2011
Source: Foreign Policy Journal
Conflict Resolution in a Hybrid State: The Bougainville Story
by Timothy G. Hammond
22.04.2011
Source: ESBC Research
Trading in Australia and Europe
The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) will be closed on Friday, April 22nd (Good Friday), on Monday, April 25th (Easter Holiday) and on Tuesday, April 26th (belated Anzac Day) !
The Deutsche Börse Frankfurt will be closed on Friday 22nd (Karfreitag) and Monday, April 25th (Ostermontag).
22.04.2011
Source: ESBC Research
Anzac Day (as Volkstrauertag in Germany)
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, and is commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all those who died and served in military operations for their countries. Anzac Day is also observed in the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tonga. It is no longer observed as a national holiday in Samoa.
22.04.2011
Source: Bendigo Advertiser
A time to remember
KAREN SWEENEY
BENDIGO residents are being reminded this year that war veterans aren’t just older generations.
Anzac Day keynote speaker Major Carl Edwards will lead the 15th Transport Squadron and says there are present-day veterans, including his own son who is currently on deployment in Afghanistan.
Officer in Command of the 15th Transport Squadron, Major Edwards leads troops from Bendigo, Horsham and in between.
“I’m responsible for the leadership and management of soldiers in the transport decision, both full-time and reservists,” he said.
“I’ve got veterans in my unit right now who are only 20 or 21 but have seen action in Afghanistan,” he said.
“Then there’s some older gentlemen like myself who went along to East Timor in 1999 and 2000.”
Major Edwards will speak about reflecting, remembering and celebrating Australia’s defence forces and connecting those serving now with those who served before.
“It’s all about the Anzac spirit,” he said.
“It’s still about remembering those who have gone before and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, but also about recognising the achievements of those still serving today.”
Major Edwards, who has also represented Australia on active duty in Papua New Guinea, East Timor and the Middle East during his 27-year career, will lead his squadron in Bendigo’s Anzac Day march while the unit will also be represented in Horsham’s march and services in towns across the region.
“My first deployment was to Bougainville in 1998 and that in itself was a peace deployment; we went unarmed,” Major Edwards said.
Peace mission in Bougainville: Keynote speaker Major Carl Edwards will lead the 15th Transport Squadron
in the Anzac Day march and give the address at the following service.
“Timor was a tad different when I went in 1999, given that it was an armed deployment.
“That was my first real look at whether my training in Australia was enough.”
As a Regimental Sergeant Major he said the mission had been a privilege in that he got to see the difference the soldiers’ presence made to the local people.
“It is absolutely (rewarding) and I think it’s the same for every soldier ... to see they have had a positive effect on the
local community,” he said.
In February 2009 Major Edwards went to Afghanistan.
“It was not necessarily a deployment because I was there on other business,” he said. “It was about how we train our soldiers.
“We audited it to make sure that the way training is delivered in Australia is appropriate to conditions over there.”
Major Edwards will speak at the Bendigo Anzac Day service at the Memorial Soldiers Hall at 11am.
21.04.2011
Source: Island Business
POLITICS: The break-up of PNG
The real resources curse
Susan Merrell
Like a wet blanket amidst the excitement being generated by the resources boom in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Hillary Clinton during her visit to the Pacific last year gloomily warned of an unwanted potential consequence known as ‘the resources curse’.
A well-documented phenomenon, it points to negative possible outcomes for a national economy that is heavily dependent on resources.
It is what caused Sheik Ahmed Yamani, a minister from the oil-rich Saudi Arabian government, to lament: “All in all, I wish we had discovered water.”
Negative consequences of the curse include inflation, revenue volatility and its effects on excessive (good time) borrowings, lack of diversification of the economy, the creation of circumstances conducive to corruption and a draining of human resources away from other areas into the more lucrative resources sector.
And PNG is already experiencing some of the aforementioned negative socio-economic effects—like shortage of teachers—some having been wooed into the resources sector by better wages.
Inflation is also evident, with the price of scarce real estate, especially in the capital Port Moresby, soaring from increased demand. Hotel rooms too are at a premium costing upwards of K800 per night, or approx 200 man/hours at minimum wage.
However, the real resources curse for PNG is not necessarily economic in nature. As an immature nation still struggling to achieve modernity, it is possible that the intra-national conflict fuelled by competition for the considerable monetary spoils of the resources boom will threaten the very political existence of PNG as a nation.
I’ve been told: “you don’t mess with a Western Highlander;” it was good advice given their reputation for ferocity.
Equally, these same Highlanders are reportedly entrepreneurial and adept in business matters, which is quite remarkable given that it wasn’t until the 1930s when the Leahy brothers were prospecting for gold in PNG that the Highland tribes were discovered. And it was a mutual discovery; it was their first encounter with a white man too.
Fast-forward to 2011 and you’ll find many Western Highlanders, just two generations removed from their primitive forebears, inhabiting a very sophisticated western-style world and doing it with aplomb.
Wait—there’s more!
The learning curve must have been exponential. Exponential learning curves seem to be the order of the day for the whole of PNG, for it was just 40 short years later (1975) that the country was granted independence from colonisers who had first imposed an alien nation-state structure on one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world—a country with over 800 distinct languages and a similar number of equally distinct tribes.
It’s now just over 35 years since the declaration of independence. In all, we’re only talking just over 75 years from when Western Highlanders saw their first white man to them inhabiting, along with many other discrete ethnic groups in PNG, a sophisticated, highly industrialised western-style democracy based on the British Westminster-style of government.
Yet, there’s growing evidence that the socio-economic transformation has been too rapid. For while many tribesmen and women have made the transition, many have not.
Indeed, over 80% of the country still subsists and live in their traditional villages clinging to a culture that is often at loggerheads with the goals of a modern nation-state especially when their first loyalty lies, not with their country but, as tradition dictates, with their tribespeople or ‘wantoks’.
Bougainville: an early indicator
When independence was granted to PNG in 1975, one of the underlying assumptions was that the Panguna gold and copper mine on the outlying island of Bougainville would provide a sound economic platform for the nascent nation. The assumption was wrong.
Bougainville is an island, discrete from mainland PNG, where its inhabitants are more ethnically and culturally attuned to the nearby Solomon Islands. Nevertheless, when the arbitrary boundaries of the state were drawn, Bougainville was attached to PNG. The attachment was legal and notional; it held little popular support.
Taking these factors into consideration and further factoring in the benefits flowing from the mine, that ethnic fighting broke out resulting in a civil war is hardly surprising.
Traditionally, Bougainvillean society is matrilineal, mainland Papua New Guineans marrying Bougainvillean women threatened the ethnic makeup of the island and the distribution of the benefits flowing from its cash cow: Panguna.
Ironically, the civil war caused the closing of the mine, which has, thus far, never reopened (although there has been talk lately about that possibility).
The peace process involved the granting of political autonomy to Bougainville and the very real possibility of future secession.
And so the political entity of PNG starts to break down and break up—the catalyst: the resource industry.
Wait—there’s more!
New Ireland, also discrete from mainland PNG is the host to the world-class gold mine ‘Lihir’. The benefits that flow to Papua New Guinea from this mine are considerable. Are New Irelanders happy sharing this wealth with other Papua New Guineans? No they’re not.
Many New Irelanders consider they’d be economically better off if they seceded and a significant secessionist movement has grown up.
It is said that New Irelanders are tired of ‘their’ money being used to fund other projects that benefit people other than themselves—like the PNG Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) project and the rest of the people of PNG who are, in actuality their compatriots but who are more often viewed as an alien other: ‘them’.
Just recently, Sir Julius Chan, a former Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and now Governor of New Ireland Province in response to a cyanide spill from the Simberi Mine owned by Australian company Allied Gold said he wanted the owners of the mine out of the province.
He also made clear his attitude towards the PNG government saying: “Enough is enough. New Ireland does not need Waigani [the seat of the PNG government] or foreign miners dictating its future.”
An ominous warning from another potential chip off the block—catalyst: the resources industry.
On the Mainland
The LNG project, an investment by the American corporate giant Exxon-Mobil has been welcomed with an almost messianic fervour in PNG. It is costing upwards of $15 billion and is set, on its own, to double the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Still in its infancy and not expected to be fully operational until 2014, nevertheless, as early as January 2010, a skirmish broke out between a gang of villagers from Erave district and a neighbouring clan. Eleven people were fatally shot. A dispute over profits from the PNG LNG project was the cause.
Moreover, earlier this year the LNG plant in Hides in the Southern Highlands of PNG was closed when villagers attacked the plant and workers over non-payment of their dues under the agreement.
It seems that the resources boom is not only pitting the tribes against each other but is pitting the government of PNG against its own people too - hardly an ideal nation-building exercise.
In the courts in the seaside town of Madang there is more evidence of this. In an action against the largely Chinese-owned Ramu Nickel Mine, the traditional landowners are litigating to stop the dumping of the detritus from the mine, known as tailings, into the sea in a controversial practice known as Deep Sea Tailings Placement (DSTP).
The PNG government, on the other hand, has sought to stymie the court action by legislating it away with a rushed through amendment to the Environmental Act that would indemnify any company which had been granted a mining licence from any future litigation for pollution etc.
None of this augurs well for creating the ‘we’ feeling necessary to build a functioning nation—to build Papua New Guinea.
The Paradox
An expert on nationalism, Ernest Gellner, pointed out that the modern industrial world is bound to create a nation/state in most cases. And that makes sense.
In the case of PNG, without the state to negotiate and organise on behalf of its people, mining and the extraction of oil and gas from its territory would be so cumbersome as to make a project impossible. One large project would mean negotiating separately with thousands of stakeholders—it couldn’t be done.
But be that as it may, the spoils available from the resources boom is not a unifying national phenomenon but the opposite, fuelling competition between rival entities that have yet to embrace the idea of collective nationhood.
And, lately, the stakes have been ramped up further.
In a letter prepared by lawyers representing landowners and delivered to both the Japanese and Australian government early last month, warning that Australian and Japanese companies must respect landowners rights, the lawyers stated: “…our country comprises more than 800 languages and nations (emphasis added)…”
If each discrete tribe of PNG starts to self-consciously declare itself to be a nation then all paradigms shift—in the main, nations believe they have the right to self-determination.
Under these circumstances, will the nation/state of Papua New Guinea survive the resources boom? Now there’s a question.
21.04.2011
Source: Australian Mining
Controversial copper mine may re-open
By Cole Latimer
Bougainville Copper is considering re-opening its copper in Papua New Guinea.
The mine was originally forced to close due to civil war on Bougainville Island, which left thousands dead, according to the ABC.
This forced the miner to shut down operations in 1989.
However, land owners have called for the mothballed mine to be re-opened, to provide funds for Bougainville’s independence movement.
Peter Taylor, chairman of Bougainville Copper, welcomed the move by the islanders, adding that the election of a new president last year was a crucial factor in the re-negotiation of the mine’s re-opening.
Initial estimates put the re-commencement of the mine at around $3 billion.
21.04.2011
Source: The National
BCL announces K2.8 million profit in 2010
By BOSORINA ROBBY
BOUGAINVILLE Copper Ltd, operator of Panguna mine, revealed at its 44th annual general meeting a net profit of K2.8 million at the close of last year – a drop of K5.9 million from 2009’s K8.7 million.
Chairman Peter Taylor (picture) reported to shareholders yesterday that the drop was due to operating expenses related to the budget save for exchange losses.
He explained that because of the small profit and the need to preserve cash for future developments, no dividends would be paid to shareholders.
BCL has remained debt-free, with sufficient funds available to meet expenses in the immediate future, while engagment with the landowners and the government has been frequent and positive.
Taylor said the profit, instead of an expected loss, was due to better than expected income from interest and dividends, and the realised capital gains on disposal of investments.
“However, the tax dispute legal fees continued to be a drain on revenue,” he said.
BCL’s liquid assets continued to be in cash and Australian equities, which, as a result of the good performance from the Australian equity market, had improved returns on investments.
Taylor said it was intended that this current investment strategy continued until such time when equities needed to be sold to fund mine planning and development.
He explained that this year’s income was expected to improve in terms of percentage returns but the size of the investment portfolio had been reduced as a result of the continued tax dispute in court.
Taylor pointed out that the election of John Momis as Bougainville president for the next five years was seen as an important development for BCL.
He said in this period, Panguna mine should be reopened to take advantage of the resurgence in mineral commodity prices and demand, with considerable support from Momis, the cabinet and the landowners.
He said although there was much to do, the common agreement that operations at the mine could continue woul deliver significant benefits locally and regionally.
“There is increasing acknowledgment among stakeholders that Bougainville’s economic future needed mining if it was to be able to fund basic services from its own resources,” he said.
Taylor said among other issues, BCL’s non-profit arm Bougainville Copper Foundation had continued giving out scholarships to students for training in safety, risk management, corporate governance and litigation.
21.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
EU: Violence a bad habit
Violence is bad – people must be violent but solve issues peacefully.
The strong message was given by the head of the European Union Diplomatic Mission in PNG Ambassador Martin Dihm (picture).
“Every individual has the potential to be violent and this can be controlled. The European Union has learnt the hard way. We know what conflict is because we had a lot of wars. At some stage we decided not to do this and resolved the issues peacefully by talking and working together,” Ambassador Dihm said.
Mr Dihm was speaking to 186 participants who took part in the Community Justice Training program at Avatip village along the Sepik River last month.
Unlike other diplomatic corps, the EU team broke protocol and refused security escorts to travel to a remote location, encouraging the participants to resolve conflicts peacefully and harmoniously.
“Fighting is bad, talking to resolve conflicts is best,” he said.
Mr Dihm said the European Union wants to transfer the lessons from their own experiences to PNG through programs such as the European Initiative for Democracy and Rights (EIDHR) to support projects like that run by the Peace Foundation Melanesia (PFM) for the promotion of a system of peaceful settlement of conflict through negotiations, mediations and other forms of dispute resolution.
“The EU wants to see this kind of training implemented at this level. We would like to see communities being happy and working together to achieve a common good, not separation,” Ambassador Dihm said.
He said the government and other stakeholders need to recognise the effort by PFM and other organisations that implement such training at the community level throughout PNG.
21.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Funds woe threatens poll
By Fabian Gatana
THE North Bougainville by-election may be severely hampered if funding is not immediately released by the PNG Electoral Commission.
Election manager Reitama Taravaru said that a budget submission of K2.6 million for the by-election was submitted to the Electoral Commission in February but no funding has been released with less than two and a half weeks remaining before polling starts.
“The Bougainville Electoral Commission needs the funding to continue carrying out LPV awareness and updating of the common role throughout the North Bougainville region.
“The funds will also be used to pay for electoral officers’ allowances and for vehicle hire,” Mr Taravaru said.
However, he said that he was happy with the preparations towards the by-elections and also thanked the candidates for their “clean” campaigns.
There are currently 21 candidates contesting the North Bougainville Open Seat, left vacant by now Governor-General Michael Ogio. Among these candidates, there is one woman contesting and she is Rachel Opeti Konaka.
21.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Policy set for joint ventures
By Alex Munme
THE Autonomous Bougainville Government has a policy in place for joint venture arrangements for business activities in the region.
The policy is a mechanism to ensure that desired classes of investors benefit from an enterprise.
Under the policy, any foreign investor seeking access to natural resources shall have a local partner to ensure participation of local people and other resources to localise a proportion of the benefits.
The policy states that effective joint ventures consist of genuine business partners who contribute to the venture and are rewarded from profits according to their contributions.
Foreign investors have free access to the market but it is required that where any natural resources are involved in the enterprise, these are to be accessed through a joint venture arrangement with the owners of the resources.
An example of such an arrangement is when a company wants a factory site, it would enter into a joint venture with the owner of the site.
The owner would lease the site to the locally registered company and be paid for the lease according to agreed terms.
The value of the resources contributed can be used to determine the proportion of the shares which each partner holds in the company.
This is more equitable than arbitrarily deciding that each member has 50 per cent, 49 per cent or some other division. If State land is involved, such land shall be leased to a local entity in a joint venture arrangement. This overcomes the difficulty of having a foreign owner for local resources and also overcomes the issue of the State not being directly involved in enterprises which it is also responsible for regulating.
This policy is put in place to guide, assist and protect all including the foreign investor, the local partner, the resource owner and ABG. The function of ABG in relation to joint venture is a regulatory role.
21.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
LOOSING PATIENCE
By Aloysius Laukai
Meanwhile the Autonomous Bougainville Government is already considering other options in case options decided by the summit fail or if the summit does not agree on a solution.
ABG President, Chief John Momis whilst calling on the leaders of South Bougainville to agree quickly on a internally developed and workable solution of the ongoing troubles in South Bougainville, also said that other options could be considered if all these fail.
He called from Port Moresby stating that a South Bougainville leader’s summit must quickly agree on a consensus for the option to take to stop the killings in the South Bougainville.
The ABG President also warned that if the summit does not agree on a solution or if what the summit agrees to fails, he will have no choice except to consider other options.
He cited one option would be the RAMSI-Style Operation that would disarm those with weapons and those that have committed criminal offences.
The ABG President stressed that he does not want RAMSI-Style intervention however, if all other plans fail it will be considered.
21.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SOUTH SUMMIT
By Aloysius Laukai
ABG President, JOHN MOMIS today called on all leaders of South Bougainville to decide on the best possible way of ending the killings in South Bougainville through a summit.
He said that a summit with the widest range of leaders of communities from South Bougainville.
The ABG President said that the summit must reach a consensus on how to get rid of the weapons.
He said that he wants the leaders of all the armed groups to attend the summit.
MR. MOMIS said that he was aware most of the leaders of the groups understand the problems and agree on the need to change whilst other leaders are having difficulty controlling young men associated with their groups.
He says this is the reason why he wants all armed factional leaders to attend the summit and contribute to a most practical solution.
The ABG President also emphasized that the situation was urgent and the solution must be found as the people have already lost patience.
21.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
End the killings
By Aloysius Laukai
ABG President, JOHN MOMIS is calling on all armed factional leaders in South Bougainville to work with him to end the terror in South Bougainville for good.
He made these remarks from Port Moresby that he wants the killing in South Bougainville to stop immediately.
He said that South Bougainville has seen too much death and injury from weapons and all leaders must unite to get rid of these deadly weapons.
Me'ekamui terrorists in Konnou
MR. MOMIS said that the Bougainville crisis ended 14 years ago in 1997 and questioned why there was continuous killing in the Konnou constituency which has claimed more than 50 lives since 2006.
He said that these deaths in Konnou have nothing to do with the grievances that caused the Bougainville crisis.
MR. MOMIS said that the killings are the result of personal differences, lawlessness and criminal activity.
The ABG President said that he was very concerned at the lives of innocent people are being taken away for no reason at all.
He said this must stop.
The weapons destroying the lives of ordinary Bougainvilleans must be removed.
President MOMIS is calling on all the people of South Bougainville to agree and remove the weapons and end the violence once and for all.
20.04.2011
Source: ABC News
Controversial PNG copper mine may reopen
By PNG correspondent Liam Fox
A once-prominent Australian mining company is optimistic a controversial copper mine in Papua New Guinea could be reopened within five years.
The Panguna mine on the island of Bougainville was the epicentre of a decade-long civil war that left several thousand people dead.
Its Australian owner Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) suspended operations in 1989.
But many islanders want it reopened to fund their long-held desire of independence from PNG.
At BCL's annual general meeting, chairman Peter Taylor welcomed initial moves by local landowners to renegotiate the mine agreement.
He said the election of John Momis as Bougainville's president last year was a crucial event, as he has publicly supported the mine.
Mr Taylor said it would cost around $3 billion to reopen Panguna and the next step would be a pre-feasibility study.
20.04.2011
Source: PNG Industry News
Bougainville Copper hails Momis
BOUGAINVILLE Copper president Peter Taylor has hailed the election of John Momis as president of Bougainville, while estimating the cost of the Panguna mine reopening could run as high as $3 billion.
Panguna Copper Mine, Bougainville PNG
Momis was elected for a five-year term with an absolute majority, leading Taylor to tell shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting in Port Moresby yesterday the election would ensure stability as negotiations between the government, company and landowners continued.
“This is an important development for the company because the next five years is the period in which the mine should be reopened to take advantage of the resurgence in mineral commodity prices and demand,” he said.
“The company will need the support of the new president and the cabinet as well as landowners.”
He added that although there was much detail to work through, there was common agreement that recommencing operations on Bougainville would lead to positive outcomes both locally and regionally.
Rio Tinto’s recent application for exploration licences in the project could be taken as a sign it was willing and able to assist in Papua New Guinea’s future mineral development.
Before any mining can happen on the island, the Bougainville Copper Agreement will have to be amended.
The agreement was drawn up in the late 1960s, before Papua New Guinea became independent and Bougainville existed as a separate province.
20.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
NEW UNIFORMS FOR CIVILIAN STAFF
By JOYCE TOHUI
The Acting Director Administration from the Police Headquarters in Konedobu, Port Moresby, VIKA MAUKA today presented new sets of uniforms for civilian staff serving in the Bougainville Police Service.
The presentation ceremony was held at the Buka Police Station today.
MR MAUKA said this is the first time in the history of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary for civilians to be supplied with uniforms.
MR MAUKA has already supplied civilian staff in the Highlands, Southern and the Momase regions and now is covering the New Guinea Islands region.
Meanwhile the ACP for the Bougainville Police Service, THOMAS ELUH says this was another boost and uplift to the image of his police officers.
He says police image in public is very important because it shows the image of a discipline organization.
MR ELUH says along with the uniforms there will be more accessories to be included such as badge and proper caps for the police officers.
ACP thanked the former Police Commissioner, GARI BAKI for the initiative to purchase the uniforms.
20.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
ABG calls on UN for funds
By PETERSON TSEHARA
THE Autonomous Bougainville Government is calling on the United Nations to provide funds for the Panguna Unification Process.
Vice president Patrik Nisira has called on other overseas aid agencies in Bougainville to consult with the ABG and Panguna District Administration to source funding for projects that would help the unification process jointly established by the ABG and the Me’ekamui leadership.
Mr Nisira, speaking as the acting President of the ABG in Panguna last week, singled out the UN/UNDP and AusAID to come to the aid of the people of Panguna, whom he said had missed out on many basic government services due to the “no go zone” syndrome that was placed on them by their leaders, who have since signed a Memorandum of Understanding, known as the Panguna communiqué with late President Joseph Kabui.
“While the ABG has included the Panguna District Administration in its annual budget, funds have not often adequately met the required programs that would meet the people’s demand, and I am therefore, through Anthony Agyenta, the UN representative who is present here, seeking your specific assistance and that of AusAID for and on behalf of the people of Panguna and Ioro COE for that matter,” Mr Nisira said.
“The communiqué among other things, had opened up a whole lot of development initiatives for Panguna, including a joint working relationship between the Me’ekamui and the ABG in Panguna, and a user friendly check point at the Morgan Junction.
“The process has been especially established to unite the people in the mine affected district, to enable them to be involved in a peace and reconciliation program, initiate development projects for their communities and enable their leaders to be involved in proactive discussions for autonomy building in Bougainville.”
20.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Ex-diplomat in by-election race
By Germaine Koles
ONE of Bougainville’s former diplomats Aloysius Banono aka Matubuna Tahun (pictured top) is contesting the by-election for the vacant North Bougainville Open Seat.
Mr Tahun, a language professor, in his aim to win numbers in this election, has a different style of campaigning.
He plays music all day at his Bel Isi Park residence with the aim of luring everyone that passes by.
“Buka town is a place where all people come to and Bel Isi Park is a place where everyone comes to rest – all I do is play my music, speak a little bit and attract attention so they know what I stand for,” Mr Tahun said.
The former diplomat, who claimed that he set up the PNG office in New Zealand, said he had a wealth of experience to run any government because he has had his hands on different organisations in PNG and abroad including Bougainville.
He was the public relations officer with the Bougainville Development Corporation, National Parliament interpreter in English, Pidgin and Motu School, plantation manager, executive director for Bougainville Business Association and chairman of the Haku Community Government.
Mr Tahun published a book in 1997 titled- Tsomi (the unfortunate) and so far about five million copies have been sold all over the world.
The book tells his story of the Bougainville crisis.
He sits in front of Bel Isi Park with his music on and sometimes at the side of the PC Corner road to greet people who pass by.
20.04.2011
Source: The National
Ex-PM fights for resources
By JEFFREY ELAPA
“TODAY, I propose to transfer wealth to resource owners, to those simple villagers who are blessed with owning a piece of inherited customary land, many of whom remain poor – so they too can
enjoy a worthwhile, more satisfying life.”
So saying, governor of New Ireland and former prime minister, and one of the longest serving parliamentarians, Sir Julius Chan yesterday proposed before a parliamentary committee to turn the mining, oil and gas extraction regime on it head.
He proposes, among others, to:
*Wrestle ownership of minerals and oil and gas back from the state into the hands of customary landowners;
*Devolve resource development powers to the provincial governments;
*Have local companies be licensed to explore and develop mineral and oil and gas resources with management rights extended to foreign firms if no expertise is found onshore; and
*Streamline existing state agencies into two so that one engages in exploration and extraction activities and another being an investment house. Sir Julius, who moved a motion on May 14, 2009, for a comprehensive review of the Mining Act of 1992, said in a hard-hitting presentation that PNG was a country in “crisis”.
“If we do not correct some serious faults and failures in the way we approach the extraction of resources such as minerals, gas and oil, we will not only continue to fail to deliver progress to our people but will put the very survival of our country at peril.”
He said history had shown that resource-rich nations like PNG did not often do well while resource-poor countries like Singapore and South Korea do very well indeed.
He said this was because of the effects of the “resource curse” linked to resource developments, which drive up the cost of doing business in the country so that all other sectors of the economy suffer while only the resource sector prospers.
While the “resource curse” could be beaten, as had been experienced in other countries, it could only happen in PNG with a quantum shift in the way the resources sector was managed from the legal and policy framework up, Sir Julius said.
Sir Julius Chan
He said the past ad hoc and project-to-project approach should be reviewed so that resource landowners and the provincial government take ownership of their resources.
He blamed the current regime on no particular PNG administration but on a historical accident where PNG had inherited an Australian colonial legislation that discriminated against and took ownership of minerals and hydrocarbon resources from landowners and vested it in the administration, later the national government.
From then on, he said, it was “a story of ineptitude, ignorance, robbery and deceit”.
“It is shocking such a story can be told; even more shocking that it is the truth. But, it is the truth.
“We – the state, the people – have been duped. I know it is uncomfortable, but we must face the truth.”
Sir Julius, a former prime minister and the minister for finance, said ownership of the resources by the landowners was important for the equitable distribution of benefits.
He said PNG had been described as a “mountain of gold floating on a sea of oil”, but the truth was that the wealth of the nation was squandered and, in so doing, condemned our people to poverty while others prospered.
“Without mincing words, our country has been systematically giving away its birthright.
“That is not rhetoric; it is literally true.
“We may be pardoned for this at self-government, at independence but, after 35 years, we should have matured.
“The national government either does not understand or does not care that the way it has structured the minerals, oil and gas industries – indeed, the entire renewable and non-renewable resource sector, including fisheries and forestry – is not only wounding the people of this country, it is robbing the state of what should be its legitimate incomes for the development of the country.
“How has this happened?
“Put politics aside. We need to take a bi-partisan approach to correct our mistakes.
20.04.2011
Source: The National
Shift in resource ownership
FORMER prime minister Sir Julius Chan asked three questions yesterday to the parliamentary referral committee on minerals and energy.
1.Can you buy what you already own?
2.Does it make economic or business sense to transfer title in property to someone freely or for a paltry payment of K10,000 and then buy back a 30% interest in that same property for K300 million?
3.Does it make sense for a country to earn billions in income and not be able to improve the lives of its people?
To all of these questions, Sir Julius, now governor of New Ireland, answered in the affirmative.
He elaborated: “First, the state cedes exploration and production rights to foreign companies for next to nothing. Insignificant licence fees are charged – often K10,000 – and royalties of 2% are levied.
“But, for this pittance, the foreign developer gets full control of all the wealth that can be taken from the ground.
“The next step is for the state to seek equity in the project, usually 30% in a mining project and 22.5% in an oil or gas project.
“The state has ‘given away’ the entire resource to a foreign company, and now returns to buy what was already legally its own property by spending K200 million or K300 million, or even more, for a 30% interest in the project. And, to do so, the state usually takes out a commercial loan that puts the country further into debt at high interest rates.”
However preposterous the prospect might seem, when you view it when it is presented as starkly as that, it has happened in Papua New Guinea, it is continuing to happen and will continue into the foreseeable future until and unless something is done about it.
We agree entirely with Sir Julius:
“This is ludicrous.
“ It is reckless and stupid. It is a complete failure of the state to act as the sworn steward of its people.”
How did this happen?
What can we do about it?
Sir Julius provided historical material, derived from extensive research into the history of resource extraction in PNG and abroad, in places as diverse as Norway in Europe, Botswana in Africa and Chile in South America in answer to the first question.
He drew on the desires enshrined in the preamble to the constitution which calls for equitable distribution (goal No.2), PNG ways and self-reliance (goal No.3) and how, 36 years on, PNG is as far away, if not further, from achieving these goals than it was at independence.
In answer to the second question, he made a series of proposals, principal among them being to amend the Mining Act (1992) and the Oil and Gas Act (1998) to reverse the ownership of all minerals and hydrocarbon reserves six feet under the ground from the state back to the landowners.
Along with this, Sir Julius has proposed strategies that will completely change the current resource development regime in the country.
He wants Waigani to transfer more powers to the provinces in relation to resource development.
He wants more Papua New Guinean companies to be in control of the development of resources from exploration to extraction activities.
Where foreign companies discover commercial quantities of minerals or oil and gas reserves, that company’s exploration expenses would be reimbursed by the state and it be given first right of refusal to manage the project if no expertise can be found onshore.
These are extreme measures proposed.
They will meet with plenty of opposition, we are certain, from those who enjoy life under the present regime.
The National sees three weaknesses which must be addressed.
Equitable distribution might be far more difficult under Sir Julius’ proposal until and unless the land tenure system can be addressed meaningfully.
Right now, we might take ownership away from the state but, then, we vest in a group whose membership is expanding all the time with inter-marriages and land boundaries that are uncertain.
The potential for inter-clan and tribal feuds mount exponentially.
Unless the landownership issue can be addressed, attracting the huge financial commitments that is required for resources developments will be next to impossible from within and outside the country.
If that is somehow resolved, government will have a most difficult time trying to perform the equitable distribution trick, by trying to prise loose from landowners something to give to the rest of a province or the rest of the country.
There will be pockets of very rich Papua New Guineans and a lot of very poor ones as well.
And, finally, the provincial government experiment has shown us that not all provincial governments are ready or capable of managing their affairs well.
Thirty-six years on and this is another failed story.
More responsibility is not going to, overnight, translate to efficient and smooth running of provincial governments. The administrative and financial management capacity of each province has to be reviewed thoroughly before any more power should be devolved.
20.04.2011
Source: The National
Terror in South Bougainville
By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
CIVILIANS in the Konnou constituency of South Bougainville are living in fear as armed thugs continue a killing spree that has been ongoing since 2006.
In a most recent spate of killings, two people, including a Grade 6 student of Ugubagohu primary school, are dead and another is wounded and recovering at the Arawa health centre.
South Bougainville police commander Paul Kamuai confirmed armed thugs fired several shots at civilians last Saturday, killing the two people instantly and wounding the other.
He said policemen were immediately dispatched to the area to protect the villagers and investigate the deaths.
Preliminary reports received by police said the gunshot victims were drinking alcohol when the armed thugs shot them in the head and chest and wounded the other on the leg.
Commander of Wissai Liberation Movement Philip Pusua, who travelled to Buka yesterday to report the fatal shooting, said no one knew why the latest shooting deaths had taken place.
Head of the outlaws: Damien Koike
He claimed the criminals were followers of former combatant Damien Koike from Mohoroi village in the Tabago area of South Bougainville and alleged they were led by Koike who moved into Leulo village indiscriminately firing shots at civilians before fleeing into the unoccupied Siniminoi and Tonolei jungles.
He said 23 civilians, including women and children, had been killed by Koike’s band of criminals in the Wissai area.
Pusua appealed to the PNG and Bougainville governments and former combatants in Bougainville to protect the people of Konnou.
“I call on the government that we are not fighting a war or have a crisis in the Wissai Konnou area, we are being surrounded by a bunch of criminals, murderers, killing human beings in cold-blood, criminals who don’t have any desire for humanity, people who listen to no men,” he said.
“I want to appeal to the government or the ex-combatants to come up with an appropriate solution or action to address this lawlessness.
“I think it is time we draw a line between political issues and law and order issues, or should there be a law for our government in providing welfare and security for its citizens,” he said.
20.04.2011
Source: ABC Radio Australia - Pacific Beat
PNG Attorney-General defends state ownership of resources
Papua New Guinea's top legal officer has defended the government's right to own the country's underground natural resources.
A new political party has been formed by lawyer Peter Donigi aimed at giving ownership of PNG's oil, gas and minerals to traditional landowners.
He says it's not right that the government owns them.
But attorney-general Sir Arnold Amet says although many people might believe traditional landowners ought to control resources, it's better if the state does.
Presenter:Bruce Hill
Speaker:Sir Arnold Amet, Papua New Guinea's attorney-general
Listen here !
19.04.2011
Source: Bougainville Copper Limited
Chairman Peter R. Taylor's Statement
at the Annual General Meeting 2011
Please download PDF file here!
19.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
World Vision: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Project
Picture of the VIP Toilet being built in the three costituencies of MAHARI,TEUA and TOROKINA by World vision's WATER and SANITATION, HYGIENE Project
19.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
WILMO CHALLENGES ABG
By Aloysius Laukai
Commander of the Wisai Liberation Movement (WILMO), PHILIP PUSUA is calling on the Autonomous Bougainville Government and Ex combatant groups to come up with an appropriate solution to stop the killing of un-harmed civilians in the Konnou area of South Bougainville.
He made these remarks when commenting on the latest killings at UGUBAKOGU village in the Konnou area of Buin.
MR. PUSUA said that he was concerned at the number of death of unarmed civilians whilst the Authorities continue o remain silent.
He said that the criminals were panning for gold in the jungles of Tonolei and killing innocent landowners of the area.
The commander said that it was time to put a line between political issues and law and order issues.
He said that the people of Konnou are surrounded by a bunch of criminals who have no respect for fellow Bougainvilleans.
19.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MOMIS: GUNS MUST GO
By Aloysius Laukai
ABG President Chief John Momis says that Bougainville will remain stagnant as long as the people hold on to their weapons.
He made these remarks when announcing the Ten points Weapons Disposal Process that his office announced yesterday.
Mr. Momis said that the continuing presence of weapons and ammunition in the hands of groups and individuals is causing many problems.”
“It is a major factor in localized conflict in South Bougainville resulting in more than 50 deaths since 2006.
He said that many people are displaced whilst people in many parts
of Bougainville live in fear of weapons.
On investments President Momis says that economic projects are restricted by the use of these weapons.
He said that it was essential that we find ways of removing weapons from our communities.
The President also reiterated his inauguration speech in June last year, that weapons disposal would be a priority for his government.
19.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MOMIS ON WEAPONS
By Aloysius Laukai
ABG President Chief John Momis says that FUTURE weapons disposal plans for Bougainville will be guided using 10 basic principles identified by the Autonomous Bougainville Government.
The draft proposal released yesterday by the office of President John Momis anticipates that an accountable and transparent process is followed, ensuring full participation by member communities including the cultural, economic and social well-being of the people.
In summary, those principles are:
* All disposal plans must be based on facts about weapons in Bougainville;
* Disposal plans must provide incentives, pressures and processes that respond to the different reasons why groups and individuals hold weapons;
* Political incentives may include important reasons for some groups to dispose of their weapons;
* Plans must involve the whole community;
* Weapons disposal plans must not include “buy-back” arrangements or economic projects in exchange for weapons disposal;
* Disposal plans must be realistic in what they propose in relation to economic development pro¬jects in support of weapons disposal;
* Disposal plans must include a process for ac¬tual disposal of the wea¬pons that is accountable and transparent;
* Disposal plans must consider whether there is a need for supervision of the process of actual disposal by an independent authority;
* Disposal plans may need to be linked to reconciliation programmes that support weapons disposal; and
* Disposal plans need to address the security concerns of those holding weapons.
19.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Workshop on finance on
By JOYCE TOHUI
A two-day workshop on procurement procedures commenced today for public officials in the Autonomous region of Bougainville.
The workshop is being held at the KURI VILLAGE RESORT conference room in BUKA.
First Assistant Secretary for Corporate Services Division for the Department of Finance, JOE SAPA told New Dawn FM that the basis of this workshop followed a visit by the Deputy Secretary for Finance, STEVEN GIBSON to Bougainville early this year.
He said the Provincial Administrations and the Executive officers directed him that was a need and a big gap in terms of governance of procurement and awarding of contracts and compliance with the Public Finance Management Act in Bougainville.
MR SAPA said as the need was defined recommendations was made to the National Department of Finance to deploy its training people to Bougainville to run the program on procurement process.
The workshop aims to give knowledge to the public officials on how to deal with public money and use it for its purpose.
The two-day workshop ends tomorrow.
19.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
WB funded project lauded
THE Somare-Abal government welcomes the launching of the World Bank-funded Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (PPAP) as the way forward to enhance cocoa development.
The Minister for Higher Education and Acting Agriculture Minister Paru Aihi said in Buka last week that the government recognised the plight of smallholder farmers, especially when they had been affected by cocoa diseases such as the cocoa pod borer.
Mr Aihi said that PPAP would provide opportunities to revitalise and promote the cocoa industry.
He said the launching was significant as it was the Somare-led government that initiated the process and invited the World Bank to assist in redeveloping the cocoa and coffee industries.
“The government recognises the important role of agriculture in the economic development and introduced initiatives such as PPAP that are aimed at empowering its population in sustainable agriculture production,” said Mr Aihi.
Speaking at the launching of the PPAP at the Cocoa Coconut Institute facility at Kubu, Buka, Mr Aihi said the introduction of the agriculture development project would have a positive impact in the farmers’ social and economic well-being.
“The PPAP will improve the incomes and livelihoods of smallholder farmers by building relationships between farmers and agribusiness for better access to markets, technologies, and services; strengthening industry coordination; and providing access roads and wharves to ensure cocoa producers can readily get to markets,” he said.
Mr Aihi said PPAP, supported by the World Bank, International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and PNG Government, would benefit coffee and cocoa institutions, the smallholder producers and the smallholders in market access.
He said it was anticipated to improve performance at all value chains and public-private partnerships.
“The World Bank and its partners are to provide almost US$46 million for the project,” he said.
Mr Aihi also stated that the PPAP concept will work with the support of the private sector and reminded those attending the launching that public-private-partnership, especially those at the smallholder level must be seen to be working effectively. He said the private sector must be involved to ensure that smallholder cocoa development was enhanced. He called on relevant government agencies to roll out the program quickly and ensure it was implemented.
19.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
ABG, Me’ekamui to meet
THE Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and the original Me’ekamui government and its soldiers met in Panguna on Thursday to reconcile to pave way for more negotiations.
ABG vice president Patrick Nisira and Natural Resources and Lands Minister Michael Oni met with Me’ekamui hardliner Moses Pipiro in Panguna on Thursday for a “small but significant handshake” and reconciliation ceremony.
ABG officials said the meeting with the ABG and the Me’ekamui hardliners in Panguna would pave way for easy access to Panguna Mine for negotiations on its reopening.
Mr Nisira and Mr Oni met with Mr Pipiro and his team in a small ceremony to mark the occasion.
But women of Kieta, after the ceremony, said the Panguna issue should not be rushed.
In a statement from Arawa, the women said that Panguna needed a peace process on its own in order for the process to flow.
They said that the ABG and the National Government should address Panguna separately and advise that the mine will never reopen if Panguna and its problems are not sorted out separately.
“We should never talk about the reopening of the Panguna Mine if first of all our leaders are not united on the issue.
“We should see Panguna as a separate entity and address it separately, let’s say Panguna needs a peace process on its own. By this we mean the Me’ekamui soldiers need to reconcile among themselves then with the ABG, with the National Government, with us women, the children and with the outside world. After all these are completed, then we can start talking about the reopening of Panguna Mine and take on from there,” the women leaders said from Arawa.
19.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Three gunned down in Kieta
By FABIAN GATANA
THREE men from a remote Kieta village are dead after they were shot at close range over allegations and accusations of practising sorcery this week.
The victims, all brothers, from Pomaua village, Kieta District, were taken from their home early on Tuesday morning and executed with high powered rifles in front of the grave of the deceased they were said to have killed through sorcery last month.
The victims were then hacked to pieces and buried in unmarked graves — more like they had been thrown out of the village and left to rot where no-one knows their whereabouts.
Arawa Police Station Commander Snr Sergeant Herman Birenka said that the suspects were known to police but efforts to apprehend them had been hampered by the community standing together and aiding the suspects.
“The situation is very tense at the moment.
“We the police are finding it hard to apprehend the suspects because the villagers are holding guns and are hesitant for any government bodies to enter their area and carry out investigations into these killings.
“They (the suspects) have to be brought to justice because they have violated human rights but at the moment, police are severely handicapped,” Snr Sergeant Birenka said.
Sergeant Birenka said that sorcery cases in Central Bougainville were steadily on the increase as compared to other law and order problems.
He said so far 10 people had died or been killed in the last six months in the name of sorcery — the recent incident being in Koromira where one person was also gunned down.
“In the past six months, 10 people have died of being suspected of practising sorcery.
“Sorcery cases are hard to investigate because police are not fully equipped to tackle such cases,” he said.
The relatives of the victims’ however, are calling for the return and proper burial of the victims’ bodies.
19.02.2011
Source: ESBC Research / Yahoo Bougainville Forum
These two postings were published today on Yahoo's Bougainville Forum. This shows that there are very serious and foresighted people on the island who struggle hard for a better life on Bougainville. That's encouraging!
The war was not about anti-mining. Rather it was about equal and fair distribution of the benefits, environment issues and other social/economical issues that were associated indirectly or directly with the mine. Anti-mining sentiments came about because the nat government and bcl were ignorant to address the issues. It's'a good thing that they learned to listen the hard way. With new and better deal we can move forward, without some people preying on our ignorance as before. In whole, I still maintain my stand that those currently against mining should provide the alternatives to where ABG can get required funds to meets its development expenditures. And also tell us how we can remove the current radioactive materials at Panguna and Loloho. I can say more, but inap pastaim.
posted by Camillus Kabui (CK)
Some people who live affluent lives in Oz do really want us to get stuck in the past, do they? They’re doing all they can to revert us back into the stone age whilst they enjoy all the comforts back in Oz made possible by money from Bougainville and other mines around the world. I indeed agree with CK in that these people are complete hypocrites. Why don’t you fellas go find a cave somewhere and hide yourselves from the outside world? See what it feels like to struggle each day just to put a decent meal on the table? Finding school fees from selling vegetables and doing other menial jobs is also in itself a struggle and the list goes on. Bougainville, being a part of the global village does not have to be another African country where life is no better than where they were some 100 years ago. GOD has given Bougainville abundant riches and does one really expect us to just stare at them and keep them there? These were given so that we can better our lives. If we were to concentrate on Agriculture, Fishing, Tourism and other resources only, then why did He also give us gold, copper and other minerals? Obviously He didn’t make a mistake?
Besides, those factions in Panguna (CK and good thinking landowners excluded) who don’t want the mine to reopen better start thinking about how they can compensate the rest of us Bougainvilleans who suffered through no fault of ours. Or should we put up a demand for K10 billion compensation to them. See where they find the money to pay us. With all the reconciliation that’s going on in Bougainville, these people should not try to complicate things.
I sympathise with CK and other landowners who are trying their best to help us all and Bougainville. If only the rest of them could think like him. Maybe some people out there are taking advantage of our uneducated people back in Panguna?
We need the mine to kick start our economy. At this stage as I see it, if we do not reopen the mine, then we can not have an independent Bougainville. If we are struggling right now to find money to develop Bougainville, where will we suddenly find money come independence time without a mine? Any money obtained through so called aid from other countries always has strings attached to them, or wrapped around our necks.
posted by Francis Chibelle
19.04.2011
Source: The National
UN rep: Bougainville ignorant of UN
By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
WARRING tribes in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville still do not understand the role of the United Nations, which has been in existence in post-conflict Bougainville for 10 years, UN representative Anthony Agyenta says.
He was speaking to leaders from the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and Mekamui tribal government last Friday during the reuniting of the Original Mekamui and Mekamui Unity Group at the Panguna mine site.
Agyenta raised this after he was stopped at the Mekamui roadblock at Morgan Junction and questioned before continuing his journey to Panguna with the ABG delegation as a neutral international observer to the peace and reconciliation progress on Bougainville.
“The UN is an international body that has the freedom, because we are governed by that law; we have the freedom to go into places of conflict and mediate or observe the situation.
“I have gone to warring countries and, once I am in a UN car with the UN flag, even rebels will open up and say, ‘go’ but, when you go, do not do this, do not do that; but in Bougainville, it seems we do not have that,” Agyenta said.
He said the UN was a neutral and impartial body that protected the interest of mankind.
“This is just my appeal that, before and as part of the reconciliation today, the two groups that are coming together, you make a decision today, that checkpoint, and wherever there are checkpoints, tell your boys that UN is different from the government.
“UN is different from the individual; please, recognise UN’s role.”
Agyenta said the UN was involved in the peace process because it wanted to see the problems solved.
19.04.2011
Source: The National
Momis says weapons disposal is priority
FUTURE weapons disposal plans for Bougainville will be guided using 10 basic principles identified by the Autonomous Bougainville Government.
The draft proposal released yesterday by the office of President John Momis anticipates that an accountable and transparent process is followed, ensuring full participation by member communities including the cultural, economic and social well-being of the people.
Momis said: “The continuing presence of weapons and ammunition in the hands of groups and individuals is causing many problems.”
“It is a major factor in localised conflict in South Bougainville resulting in more than 50 deaths since 2006. Many people are displaced.
“People in many parts of Bougainville live in fear of weapons. Investment in economic projects is restricted by the use of these weapons.
“It is essential that we find ways of removing weapons from our communities.
“As I stated in my inauguration speech in June last year, weapons disposal is a priority for my government.
“We can learn a lot from past experiences.
“We have had one partially successful weapons disposal process supervised by a United Nations Observer Mission from 2001-05 that resulted in 2,000 pieces being destroyed.
“But the Mekamui groups were not part of the process including some elements of Bougainville Revolutionary Army, resistance army, criminals and businessmen who also held onto their weapons,” he said, adding that since 2005 a number of plans and proposals had not worked out.
“Part of the reason for their failure is that they have not been based upon analysis of the facts about weapons and the many different reasons why groups and individuals want to keep their weapons,” Momis added.
In summary, those principles are:
* All disposal plans must be based on facts about weapons in Bougainville;
* Disposal plans must provide incentives, pressures and processes that respond to the different reasons why groups and individuals hold weapons;
* Political incentives may include important reasons for some groups to dispose of their weapons;
* Plans must involve the whole community;
* Weapons disposal plans must not include “buy-back” arrangements or economic projects in exchange for weapons disposal;
* Disposal plans must be realistic in what they propose in relation to economic development projects in support of weapons disposal;
* Disposal plans must include a process for actual disposal of the weapons that is accountable and transparent;
* Disposal plans must consider whether there is a need for supervision of the process of actual disposal by an independent authority;
* Disposal plans may need to be linked to reconciliation programmes that support weapons disposal; and
* Disposal plans need to address the security concerns of those holding weapons.
19-04.2011
Source: Scoop New Zealand / Me'ekamui Press release
PNG: Panguna mine interview trip on Bougainville
By Clive Porabou
PANGUNA, Bougainville (Mekamui News/Pacific Media Watch): On the April 13, a cloudy and wet day, we took a chance to visit Panguna mine.
Before we left Arawa, we thought that it will be sunshine in Panguna but unfortunately it was not.
When we reached Panguna we couldn’t see anything, it was all cloudy, so we drove to the top of the hill on the west side and stopped at a house at the mine site.
Out came the person who owns the place and lives there since the mine stopped. As I wasn’t able to go out and take footage I asked him if he could talk on the camera about the issue of re-opening Panguna mine.
Max is one of the landowners who makes a living carrying people on his truck to Arawa and back.
The first question I asked was: “You have build this house in a mine site and BCL is planning to come back. If all the negotiations go well with the pro-mining landowners, will you move from here?”
He says “I will not move, this is my land and I have no place to go.”
He pointed to the gardens on the hills behind us and said: “That is all the land left for us to make our gardens, the rest is being dug up and left with gravel, you can’t plant food here now. Those who are talking about re-opening the mine live on money not on the land, they are like the old people who sold our land for axes and tobacco. If we let BCL come back again where will we go? We don’t have land anywhere else on Mekamui.”
While talking with him, a mother and her son aged about 6 or 7 came, covering themselves from the rain with a banana leave and an umbrella. They came to one of the houses near Max’s and were putting down taro when I walked over to them and asked the woman if I could take their photo, she agreed and I filmed them.
Later I asked her if she mind if I asked her a question, she nodded her head in agreement. I asked her the same question about re-opening the mine. She looked very sad and said, she doesn’t like to see the mine reopened.
If the mine re-opens, she told me, they will spoil the land which she uses to plant the taro. I asked her: “What if they offer you money?” she says, “I don’t want money I want my land preserved.”
As the rain still continues and it makes it hard for me to take pictures of the mine pit after almost one year and 3 months since my last visit, my comrade the driver JM says we will go to the district office at Kavarong and interview the Mekamui hardliner Moses Pipiro. So we jumped into the truck and drove over.
We asked John Duni, one of the founders, and he told us that Mr Pipiro must be in his base or went to pan for gold up the river. We didn’t make any arrangement to see him so when we stopped near his base and I opened the door I saw a young girl looking down at us. I know that if we asked calling him Moses they would not tell us where he is, even though he is home. They will think that we are strangers, so I used the name he is called back home, when I asked the girl for him. She quickly says I will go and call him.
In few minutes he appeared and came to us and when he saw me he was full of smiles and put his hand out to shake mine.
We told him why we are there and we drove to the other side of the buildings where on the ground women were selling ramputan or local lollies [fruits] and frying doughnuts. His secretary met us there and took us up to the second floor of the burned down 3 story building. To waste no time I turned on the camera and asked him about the issue of Panguna mine.
He told me that Panguna mine had been closed and will remain closed till Mekamui/Bougainville becomes an Independent Island Nation. He further stated: “When the leaders from Bougainville and PNG came to talk to me they returned and they spread their propaganda saying that I gave green light for the re-opening of the mine.”
He says even though the landowners talk about it or if there is a referendum about the issue carried out from South to North and the majority says yes, it will remain closed, mining is not the issue, the issue now is Independence for our island. We fought for:
1. To preserve our culture
2. To preserve our land
3. And for the betterment of our future generation.
The original demand still stands: that is PNG 10 billion Kina.
He told me that the landowners have no right to talk about the re-opening of the mine and those who talk about it live in Arawa and elsewhere. This bloody mine causes bloodshed to the people of this Island and it’s not a small issue.
Later, after the interview I went downstairs and took some footage of the women and asked them the same question. All they say is no to mining, enough is enough, the land is for gardening not for mining.
http://mekamui.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/panguna-mine-trip/
Pacific Media Watch Online
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz
18.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Picture from Panguna Meet
By AL
UN's Officer Anthony Agyenta pose for this AL picture with from left(Philip Miriori, Agyenta middle and another Chief from Panguna
18.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
WATER AND SANITARY PROJECT: SUCCESS
By Aloysius Laukai
The World Vision’s Water and Sanitation project’s is finalizing its implementation program in three constituencies of MAHARI, TEUA and TOROKINA before moving into some communities in Central Bougainville.
This was revealed by the Water and Sanitation Program Manageress, MISS.GAIL PIGOLO TODAY.
She was talking to New Dawn FM’s BOUGAINVILLE MERI TEDE Program.
She said that the project has been involved in building Ventilated Improved Toilets in these communities including putting up of Water Tanks and also carrying out awareness on good hygiene practices.
She said in the early stages the people were not really supportive of the projects until they saw water tanks arriving many people started enquiring for projects.
She said that the World Vision Water and Sanitation project only supports the Governments development programs.
MS.PIGOLO said that the real changes would be seen after the project has been completed.
18.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PIPIRO HAPPY
By Aloysius Laukai
Commander of Panguna Mekamui Defence Force, MOSES PIPIRO says that the agenda of Bougainville is Independence for Bougainville.
He was speaking at the reconciliation ceremony in Panguna last Thursday.
MR. PIPIRO said that the unification of the two Mekamui groups was good sign for peace and development of Bougainville.
He warned those present that the future of Bougainville was in today’s leadership who could be blamed if they do not plan for the future generation.
MR. PIPIRO said that he was disappointed that MR. CHRIS UMA did not attend the first phase of the Mekamui reconciliation.
18.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
NISIRA ON UNIFICATION
By Aloysius Laukai
ABG VICE President, PATRICK NISIRA has welcomed the unification of the two Mekamui groups in Central Bougainville.
He was speaking at the reconciliation ceremony of the Mekamui Government of Unity led by its President, PHILIP MIRIORI and the Original Mekamui Government led by Administrator LORD WILLIAM MUTAA.
MR.NISIRA said that the ABG government under President JOHN MOMIS has been embarking on the unification of all factions throughout Bougainville and the Mekamui reconciliation was welcomed.
He said that the ceremony was not for Panguna only but for the whole of Bougainville.
18.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
British Television series to involve PNG
By Aloysius Laukai
AWARD winning British television company Dragonfly Film and Television Productions Ltd is in search of people in Bougainville and PNG who think they may have a distant ancestor from the UK and is inviting residents in the country to participate.
Company representative Cher Anderson told New Dawn FM from UK that this was part of a new television series called ‘Guess the Relative’ in which people from around the world will get the chance to travel to Britain to discover living British relatives who they never knew existed.
“It is a fun and entertaining show all about family history and our distant living relatives. Their ancestor might be several generations back and come from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, but if Papua New Guineans have any link to the UK whatsoever we want to hear about it,” urged Anderson.
She said for more information and to apply to take part, people can search the company’s website www.guesstherelative.tv
Or you can contact New Dawn FM on www.bougainville.typepad.com for further assistance.
Dragonfly TV, based in London, UK, is globally known for producing award winning television documentaries that are shown throughout the world.
18.04.2011
Source: ABC Radio Australia - Pacific Beat
Chinese shops issue not about race says business leader
The role of foreigners, particularly Chinese, opening retail shops in Pacific island countries, has been criticised by a business leader in Papua New Guinea.
Robert Atisr, President of the Bougainville Business Association, denies that anti-Chinese racism or jealousy is behind concerns about non-citizens operating small businesses.
And Professor James Chin, an academic expert on the role of overseas Chinese in the Pacific says part of the problem is that many of the business operators from overseas don't plan to stay in the Pacific very long.
Presenter:Bruce Hill
Listen here !
HILL: It's a touchy subject, and one which can lead to serious consequences. There have been violent incidents including the torching of shops in several Pacific nations in recent years. An expert on this issue, Dr James Chin, from the Malaysian campus of Australia's Monash University, says it's the already well established long term Chinese communities in our region who are most concerned about this.
DR CHIN: In the Pacific, you will find that there are Chinese communities there whose been there for hundreds of years, they're very well attuned to the local population and in fact a lot of them are inter-marriages, so those are people I would call the older Chinese, they're very well established. Then you get the newer Chinese. Most of them are either from South East Asia or mainland China and they've only been in the Pacific for the past ten to 15 years.
HILL: So what is it about this newer group of Chinese that seems to be getting some people upset?
DR CHIN: I think we have several issues at hand. The first is that many of these new Chinese are much more aggressive compared to the older Chinese. Most of them are in the Pacific for a very short term. Most of them are there basically in the retail industry, so they have direct contact with the local population and they're idea is to make as much money as possible before moving on to countries like Australia and New Zealand. So they come in close contact with the local population and a lot of them do not plan any long term plans to stay in the South Pacific, so they get into conflict with the local population.
HILL: And local people could say well, they're here to make a buck and then move on. It's not actually going to help the community long term, which the older established Chinese community obviously do?
DR CHIN: Exactly. The older Chinese have always had plans to live in the Pacific Islands for long term and that's the reason why a lot of them involved inter-marriages.
HILL: Well, tell us about the reasons why some of the new Chinese act like this, is there a cultural difference perhaps between the Pacific and China that perh aps Pacific people aren't picking up on?
DR CHIN: I think the conflict comes at two levels. The first one as I mentioned a lot of these Chinese are actually there, they're doing retail trade. If you look at most of the Pacific countries, most of the front line retail trade, like running small shops or what we call grocery shops or milk bars. Most of these activities are actually reserved for the local population, so in fact a lot of the Chinese are involved in illegal activities if you look at it from a legal standpoint. The second thing is that a lot of these Chinese companies, especially stable enterprises. What they do is when they move to the South Pacific, instead of subcontracting the work to the local population, most of them bring their own workers and very often a lot of these workers of China do not have any language skills other than Mandarin-Chinese, so they find it very difficult to communicate with the local population. So basically you get a big group of people who are there in the retail trade who don't speak any local languages or they don't speak any English at all, so you can see the potential for misunderstanding and conflict.
HILL: Don't they perhaps pick up on some of the hostility that they get as a result of this and try to learn the local languages? Are they not perhaps understanding the effect that sometimes they're behaviour is having on local people?
DR CHIN: Unfortunately, many of these people have very short term plans. They're idea is that they'll work in the Pacific for may be for maximum of five years before they move on. So a lot of them have no interest in terms of trying to learn the local cultures and trying to get along with the local population.
HILL: Robert Atisr, President of the Bougainville Business Association, says race or concerns about competition are not part of his member's worries about foreign owned shops. He says it's simply not fair that people seem to be coming into the region to start businesses in defiance of laws which reserve certain occupations for citizens.
ATISR: It creates stiff competition for local business operators and this is where we come into lodge our complaints from a distance association point of view particularly with regards to wholesale and retail and as well as we questioning whether some of the laws are that requires other investment into the Papua New Guinea structures specification of foreign investments and to Bougainville in particular, definitions of Bougainvilleans, which is quite broad here are being abused and this is where we are raising some concerns.
HILL: Do you make a distinction between the newly arrived business people from mainland China and perhaps the older established Chinese community, which has had a long tradition and history in Papua New Guinea?
ATISR: As far as we understand, well established Chinese communities, many of them are citizens of this nation and therefore they have every right as citizens to conduct business so long as they're within the laws of the country. We only questioning because of examples around the country in Papua New Guinea and in other provinces about cases where mainland Chinese are operating business connecting time out to lack of documents, to enable them to conduct their business. As well one of the requirements is that you cannot come in and set up this business, set up operations to employ Papua New Guineans unless you can speak fluent English or not necessarily fluent English, but you can communicate in English. So these are some of our concerns.
HILL: Mr Atisr, what about the accusation that some of these criticisms are motivated basically by business competition, jealousy and a certain of racism?
ATISR: No, racism is not an issue here. We believe that because there is certain open invitations for these people to come in that that's working under the guise that come in as tourists or short term stay but then they're getting to employment, when they shouldn't be getting into employment and they start businesses when they shouldn't be getting into businesses.There are cases that are proven in court or as in that they have not been able to produce the documents that they are entitled to conduct business or entitled to be employed. It's got nothing to do with race here.
18.04.2011
Source: Solomon Star
Young women empowered.
By Suzanne Jimbul
The first young women’s 1325 empowerment meeting for Bougainville youth was convened by Leitana Nehan Women's Development Agency recently.
The young women’s empowerment meeting on UNSCr 1325 enabled young women to address health security priorities including overcoming maternal health barriers to enhance women’s participation and preventive action was an eye opener and an opportunity for the young women from various constituencies in Buka and Selau who had the opportunity to raise their health security concerns.
Speaking at the UNSCr 1325 Young Women’s Empowerment meeting, Leitana Nehan's Executive Director, Helen Hakena stressed that young women do not have their say as being overlooked by official processes:
‘Today is the first empowerment 1325 meeting for young women staged in Bougainville since the adoption of UNSCr 1325 on October 31 2000; and this is an opportunity for you as young women to talk about women’s health security issues as experienced in your communities.’
‘This meeting is also to educate and empower young women to understand that they must not be blamed for inter marital affairs - an emerging issue in Bougainville that also contributes to women’s health,’ added Mrs. Hakena.
She further recommended the government should include Health Education in the education curriculum to educate the pupils on the importance of health security and the effects it has on women’s development and everyday life.
To commemorate the first young women’s empowerment meeting on UNSCr 1325 a Generation Next Club was formed consisting of 15 young women from different constituencies in Buka and Selau.
This network will link these young women from the 3 main regions in Bougainville to work collectively to contribute to key areas of UNSCr 1325 in enhancing the 3 P’s of the resolution – Participation, Peacekeeping and Protection.
The Generation Next Club will also keep young women’s security issues visible on the grass roots level and to further enhance the equal participation of women at all decision making levels.
According to Hakena the meeting was an opportunity to strengthen young women’s participation and collaboration within the region and to empower them to voice their issues of concern.
The young women's stories will feature in upcoming community media initiatives produced by the Regional Women's Media and Policy Network on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 convened by Femlinkpacific
18.04.2011
Source: The National
Tribal leaders unite
By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
LEADERS of the split factions of the Mekamui tribal government in Bougainville have pledged to work together to rebuild peace on Bougainville.
The commitment was made at a reconciliation ceremony between the Original Mekamui and Mekamui Unity Group last Friday at the Panguna mine site.
Division in the Mekamui government came about in 2007 over issues of leadership following the death of their leader Francis Ona.
The brief, but significant, ceremony would ensure both factions work as a united government in handling all Panguna issues and assist in peace and reconciliation on Bougainville.
The tribal government’s pledge for unity was witnessed by Autonomous Region of Bougainville Vice-President Patrick Nisira, chiefs of Panguna and United Nations Bougainville representative Anthony Agyenta.
Panguna chief John Duni reminded the leaders that unless they work together, Bougainville’s vision to bring peace and unity among its people as a lead-up to referendum would not be achieved.
He said with both factions united, any decision on the re-opening of Panguna mine must be discussed and agreed upon by the united government.
“The copper is in our land.
“We must understand each other and work together for the benefit of our Panguna people.
“We have aims; we must work together and decide as a united group,” Duni said.
He also cautioned people from North and South Bougainville, islands and the atolls to refrain from making decisions for the Panguna people.
“As it is in our culture, peace will prosper only when those who are primarily involved in a dispute unite and make peace at the site of where it all started – in our case, Panguna mine,” Duni added.
Mekamui Unity Group commander Moses Pipiro said the occasion showed all stakeholders in PNG and overseas that the tribal government was ready and willing to work in unity in addressing peace and reconciliation in Bougainville.
17.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Picture of JICA Bridge
This is one of the Mabiri bridges to be handed to the ABG in July this year. (AL)
17.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ND Pics
by Aloysius Laukai
ABG leaders ready to attend the ceremony as obsevors
From left ABG member for South Nasioi, JOHN KEN,Vice President PATRICK NISIRA, DPI minister and member for North Nasioi, NICHOLAS DARKU and Mining Minister and local member for Ioro which covers Panguna, MICHAEL ONI
17.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Picture of the Meeting at Panguna
Pictures by Aloysius Laukai
The team led by Philip Miriori and UN man Anthony Agyenta are captured working to the meeting venue
17.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Two death in South Bougainville
By Aloysius Laukai
South Bougainville Police have reported two death and several others wounded from an incident at Ugubakogu village.
Commander of South Bougainville Police, Inspector, PAUL KAMUAI said from Buin that armed thugs in the area fired several shot at civilians at Ugubakogu killing two instantly and wounding one who is now at the Arawa Health Centre.
The Commander named those killed as Aloysius Siugu aged about 35 and married with four kids and another a student at the Ugubakogu school.
The 3rd person managed to escape and is nursing wounds at the Arawa Health Centre.
Reports from South Bougainville Police said that three were drinking alcohol when they were confronted and shot.
Inspector Kamuai also reported a road accident in which two brothers fell off a moving truck last Friday.
He said the two were drunk and were hanging on the side of the moving vehicle when the incident happened.
The two are now recovering at the Buin Health Centre.
Meanwhile Reports from Buka states that, Bougainville Police Service (BPS) are on alert in anticipation of trouble from grieving relatives of a man from Malasang village, Buka island who died instantly when he was hit by a speeding vehicle in town in the early hours on Saturday.
The deceased, an auxiliary policeman, had been to a dance with his friends at Buka’s popular nightclub Kenny’s Hall and were walking home when the vehicle bumped the drunk deceased and sped off.
An uncle of the deceased confronted BPS duty officers on Saturday morning demanding the police hand over to the family the man suspected of killing the deceased.
The relative had assumed that the suspect was already in police custody which was not the case.
The officers, who sympathized with the man, sent him home with a stern warning that BPS will not tolerate such actions and assured that they are addressing the accident.
According to BPS, investigation is underway to identify and arrest the suspect who is still at large and any others involved.
BPS had also met with the immediate family of the deceased and urged that the family not take matters into their own hands but let the police deal with it through proper process of the law.
15.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BAU ON RECONCILIATION
By Aloysius Laukai
The mediator between the two Mekamui factions that reconciled in Panguna yesterday, CHRIS BAU says that the ceremony was the first step in the two factions reconciling during are traditional ceremony at a later date.
MR. BAU was explaining that yesterdays event was the first step in getting these two factions coming together.
He said that the two group splitted into two groups following the death of their late leader FRANCIS ONA.
The group that remained in Panguna under President PHILIP MIRIORI and PHLIPH TAKAUNG with their Panguna commander Moses Pipiro whilst the Original Mekamui went down to Arawa under their Administrator, LORD WILLIAM MUTAA and their Mekamui Defence Force Commander CHRIS UMA.
Those who remained in Panguna through the Panguna Communique formed the Mekamui Unity Government which later became part of the Panguna Administration under ABG.
The result was the declaration of Panguna as an District with its own CEO,MR.OTTO NORUKA.
Yesterdays ceremony paves the way for the final unification as one Mekamui group that would work hand in hand with the Autonomous Bougainville Government.
15.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
AGYENTA ON CUSTOM
By Aloysius Laukai
The special Technical Officer for UNDP on Bougainville, Anthony Agyenta yesterday praised the Mekamui leaders for using tradition in ironing out their differences.
He told the gathering that there is no peace, if we do not utilize the traditional mechanic, that the chiefs, that our culture and our tradition, is very important, if you want to keep ourselves as a people, because our dignity and our image and everything stands from our tradition.
He saidt that this means that our chiefs are going to be very important forces in this peace process in Bougainville, not just in Panguna.
The chiefs are very important because they are the local people on the ground, who deal with all the problems and the people.
He said this was why the connection between the people, the chiefs and the government, is very very important.
He said that Bougainville cannot move forward, if that connection is not built. So we are looking forward to seeing how, you the chiefs are going to be part of this process, how we can help you, to strengthen you to contribute to this process.
MR. AGYENTA called on them to utilize the village assemblies, you have your village courts, you have the coes, you are the connections between all these institutions.
15.02.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Criminal charges against acting judge stayed
By TODAGIA KELOLA
CRIMINAL charges against an acting Judge of the National and Supreme Court that is to go before the District Courts has been permanently stayed by the National Court.
And the actions of police in arresting her and charging her amount to “a gross abuse of process” the National Court found.
Acting Judge Royale Thompson was arrested and charged with two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice and spreading false reports, two weeks ago.
The charges relate to a newspaper advertisement in January concerning a ship that had been detained by customs after loading oil in Bougainville.
At the time acting Judge Thompson was a lawyer acting on behalf of the ship’s owner.
Two days after her arrest she made an application in the National Court and restrained the Police from further dealing with the matter and at the same time restrained the two daily newspapers from publishing any story in relation to her arrest.
Last Friday submissions were made by her counsel Ian Molloy and Sam Koim from the Solicitor Generals Office on behalf of the defendants.
Mr Molloy had argued at that time that the proceedings must be permanently stayed because there is no reasonable prospect of a conviction and no likelihood of success, therefore an abuse of process.
He also stated that his client whilst an acting Judge of the National and Supreme Court and whilst the proceedings exist, they are interfering with the performance of her duties and have a tendency to threaten to bring the Judiciary into disrepute.
Sam Koim from the Solicitor Generals Office argued otherwise and said “The matters that they are raising can be raised at the District Court. Why is it that people are always running to this Court to interfere with the normal investigation and criminal process?
He went on further and argued that “A worst case scenario is that if high class people are always going to stop police from carrying out their constitutional duties than, what’s the purpose of having a police force. Let’s decommission the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary and the District Courts from dealing and initiating the criminal process.”
Justice Catherine Davani yesterday, in a 32 page decision held that the advertisement in the newspaper put in by the plaintiff was all alone correct and that Police actions had amounted to an abuse of process.
“I find the actions of Superintendent Kalaut to be a gross abuse of process, where he has abused his position as a Police Prosecutor to file Court proceedings against the plaintiff.
“The court must never be used by individuals for their personal battles. Only genuine claims must be filed and pursued. If the claims are not genuine, they should rightly be stayed or dismissed or withdrawn or discontinued. This case is clearly one of abuse of process where the plaintiff was arrested on charges based on facts known to the Police Prosecutor and whoever lodged the complaint, as being incorrect and false.
“As I stated above, the Courts must be protected from abuse. This is a case where the Court system has been abused by the filing of charges and the arrest of the plaintiff which has only resulted in serious embarrassment to her.
“This must stop and must stop now.”
“The Court must exercise its inherent powers to ensure that justice is done. I find the District Court charges are abuse of process and are now permanently stayed,” she concluded.
15.02.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Pirika happy with projects
By JOYCE TOHUI
MP for South Bougainville, Steven Pirika is satisfied with projects he initiated, the electorate.
Mr Pirika was in his electorate last weekend and presented three police vehicles.
He also kicked off the South Bougainville School Children’s Soccer competition which he had funded.
The MP also announced K700,000 communication upgrading in South Bougainville.
This would be for the provision of wireless telephone and Internet services in Buin Town and surrounding villages by Telikom PNG Limited.
The program would also see the provision of FM 100 radio signal to parts of South Bougainville.
Since Monday last week, the MP visited projects he had funded in Buin, Siwai and Bana districts.
He also launched the Pikinini Sports Program in Buin.
The MP than attended a big reconciliation ceremony between the warring parties of Takemari village in Nagovis last Friday.
Mr Pirika then left for Port Moresby on Tuesday afternoon.
The Member is expectedc to return after Easter for the reconciliation between himself and the Bougainville Engineering Company in Buka.
15.02.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Factions threaten road closure
BY PETERSON TSERAHA
FACTIONS in the south of Bougainville, mainly in the Buin area, who have been fighting since 2005 with the Mekamui are going to set up a main roadblock again until the ABG supports them with funds for reconciliation among themselves.
Two factions, the Peace Struggling Force (PSF) commander Michael Niaka and Michael Maikei, representing the Mekamui, fronted up in the Post-Courier office in Buka to express their disappointment about the ABG.
A total of 15 fighters, including their paramount chiefs 11 PSF and four Mekamui, were in Buka for six weeks awaiting the government’s response but were unsuccessful.
And the factions joining hands with Mekamui are now going to set up a roadblock in the Leulo pass, which has been recently cleared after a landslide blocked it. The road will remain blocked until the government pays them to reconciliate.
“We went to see the president, the peace minister, the peace officer and the CEO and there is no response. We waited with hunger and thirst for six weeks and we have run into bills from business houses in which we were getting accommodation and little food from.
“In our hearts, we really want peace once and for all and the current government has to understand that we were the factions that always uphold peace, law and order, and for us to be given no as an answer, that means there will be no reconciliation, we feel both sad and frustrated,” Mr Niaka said.
All these trouble happened after the Tonu raid in 2006. The raid had a blessings from the Bougainville Executive Council where police and special constables comprising ex-combatants went in to apprehend Noah Musingku, but failed in the attempt but two Buin freedom fighters were seriously wounded and one died. “We are now withdrawing today (Friday) to go back to Bin after the government said to fix our transport fares,” he said.
14.02.2011
Source: moviepilot
Hugh Laurie ist reif für die Insel
Hugh Laurie, Star der erfolgreichen Fernsehserie Dr. House, wird die Hauptrolle in der Verfilmung von Lloyd Jones' Buch Mister Pip spielen.
Hugh Laurie hat mit der Serie Dr. House, in der er die misanthropische und depressive Titelfigur spielt, großen Erfolg. Seine Karriere als Filmschauspieler liegt aber nicht auf Eis, ganz im Gegenteil, sie nimmt wieder richtig an Fahrt auf: Hugh Laurie wird die Hauptrolle in der Verfilmung von Mister Pip übernehmen und Andrew Adamson wird, wie schon bei Shrek – Der tollkühne Held, Shrek 2 – Der tollkühne Held kehrt zurück und Die Chroniken von Narnia: Der König von Narnia, Regie führen.
Das Buch von Lloyd Jones aus dem Jahr 2007 handelt von Mr. Watts (Hugh Laurie), dem letzten weißen Mann auf der Insel Bougainville, die zu Papua-Neuguinea gehört, der die Aufgabe als Lehrer für die einheimischen Kinder übernimmt. Er liest ihnen aus Charles Dickens’ Roman Große Erwartungen vor und begeistert sie damit, vor allem die 14-jährige Matilda.
Die Idee einer Adaption kam Regisseur und Drehbuchautor Andrew Adamson, nachdem er das Buch während eines Flugs richtiggehend verschlungen hatte. Und auch Hugh Laurie war äußerst angetan von Mister Pip: “Von den ersten Worten des Romans und der ersten Idee des Drehbuchs an war ich süchtig nach Mister Pip. Es ist eine ungemein berührende, einzigartige, dennoch völlig unsentimentale Geschichte von Liebe. Es ist anders als jedes Skript, das ich gelesen habe, oder jede Geschichte, die ich je gehört habe. Und ich komme nach Papua-Neuguinea und nenne es Arbeit. Ich bin ein sehr glücklicher Mensch.”
Andrew Adamson hat sich dafür entschieden, in Neuseeland und auf der im Buch vorkommenden Insel Bougainville zu drehen. Beginnen werden die Arbeiten bereits nächsten Monat. Läuft alles nach Plan, können wir Hugh Laurie alias Dr. House bereits 2012 auf der Pazifikinsel bewundern.
14.02.2011
Source: ABC Radio Australia - News
PNG court rejects charges against Australian judge
By PNG correspondent Liam Fox
A court in Papua New Guinea has described charges laid against an Australian judge as "a gross abuse of process".
Two weeks ago Acting Judge Royale Thompson was arrested and charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice and spreading false reports.
The charges related to a newspaper advertisement in January concerning a ship that had been detained by PNG customs after loading oil in Bougainville.
At the time Judge Thompson was a lawyer acting on behalf of the ship's owner.
The advertisement contradicted a statement by the customs commissioner that the ship had left PNG waters illegally.
Today Justice Catherine Divani found the advertisement was correct and the customs commissioner's statement was not.
She threw out the charges against Judge Thompson, saying they were "a gross abuse of process".
14.02.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
OISCA project targets 2012
By JOYCE TOHUI
The MANANAU OISCA Project is targeting 2012 to take its first intake of students, according to Project Officer, GABRIEL WAYEN.
He told New Dawn FM today in Buka that only funding constraints are slowing the progress of the project.
MR WAYEN said that due to the little funding they received, they try to put many things under one roof to make the cost cheaper.
He said so far two buildings have already been built on the project site which housed one classroom, one dormitory, office spaces and a staff house.
He said they still need to build an ablution block, kitchen and mass and water supply as these are the necessities that are to be installed for an institution to accommodate students.
The Project Officer said that their plan is to take in the boys first and girls later on when other facilities are constructed.
MR WAYEN said that such institutions will not achieve everything needed overnight but it will take years to implement.
14.02.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MEKAMUI unites II
By Aloysius Laukai
The two Mekamuis from PANGUNA area today unified to become one at a small ceremony in PANGUNA this morning.
The two Mekamuis are the Original Mekamui and the Mekamui unity group based in PANGUNA.
Since the death of late Francis ONA the Mekamui faction splitted into the original Mekamui and the group that remained in PANGUNA.
The group from PANGUNA then joined the ABG to create the PANGUNA unity government.
Today's ceremony saw the two becoming one Mekamui that can address issues currently affecting Bougainville of course with the ABG government.
Speakers at today's ceremony included the vice president PATRICK NISIRA, Mekamui Defense Commander, MOSES PIPIRO, UNDP boss ANTHONY AGYENTA, Mining minister, MICHAEL ONI.
14.02.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Bougainville needs OSICA
By JOYCE TOHUI
GABRIEL WAYEN a project officer with the Division of Primary Industry said that Bougainville needs such project as OISCA as more than 80% of our people live in the rural areas.
He said that most of their food and their cash income depend mainly on the land.
He said if the DPI officers teach modern farming it will require big investments which people must have the money to pay for tractors and so forth.
He added that many of these things are costly and only a few will afford to buy whereas the majority cannot.
Therefore Bougainville must come up with an institution that will target areas where people will not need high technology.
And the OISCA initiative is one impact that deals mainly organic farming to promote food security and help people not to destroy their land.
14.02.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MEKAMUI unites I
By Aloysius Laukai in PANGUNA
The Original MEKAMUI and the MEKAMUI Government of unity vowed to work as one unified MEKAMUI group at a ceremony which was witnessed by the ABG Vice President, PATRICK NISIRA, UN Technical Officer, ANTHONY AGYENTA and members of the ABG, Mining Minister, MICHAEL ONI and the Peace and Reconciliation Minister, NEWTON KAUVA.
The ceremony ends long division that has existed since the death of the Late FRANCIS ONA.
After the death of FRANCIS ONA, the group splitted into the group that remained in Panguna under PHILLIP MIRIORI and PHILLIP TAKAUNG and their Commander, MOSES PIPIRO whilst those Original Mekamui's under Administrator Lord WILLIAM MUNTA and Commander CHRIS UMA went to ARAWA.
Mediator CHRIS BAO told the gathering that the ceremony paves the way for a unified Mekamui group to move with development issues in partnership with the ABG.
14.02.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Teachers quiz risk pay list
By ALEX MUNME
THE risk allowances for teacher’s who were teaching during the crisis from 1991 to 1994 in the Autonomous region of Bougainville is still an issue that needs to be clarified before a final list is confirmed and released for payout.
Teachers who were not attending classes during the same period are now calling on the Papua New Guinea Teachers Association Union executives and the Bougainville Regional President Jonathan Ageva to come out, clarify and confirm if their names are listed on the risk allowance pay list.
Headteacher of Pelei Primary school and PNGTA representative in Bana district Peter Lusio raised this concern in Buka this week.
Mr Lusio demanded the union to provide information on who was on the pay list prior to the final and official pay list was released.
He said they were available during the crisis to teach but the situation did not allow them. He said they contributed K100 towards legal fees for the union to fight for the risk allowance and should not be left out. He said the manner and procedure in which the teachers information were documented for the risk allowances was questionable.
14.02.2011
Source: Post-Courier
World Bank, national govt launch cocoa and coffee farming project
A World Bank-funded agriculture development project, launched last week, will be a major boost for smallholder cocoa and coffee farmers.
Cocoa and coffee are two of the country’s most important agricultural commodities and with the formal launching of the Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (PPAP), it should contribute to a positive impact in the social and economic wellbeing of the majority of the rural population.
PPAP, supported by the World Bank, International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and PNG Government, would benefit coffee and cocoa institutions, the smallholder producers and the smallholders in market access and is anticipated to improve performance at all value chains and public-private partnerships.
The formal launching of the PPAP took place in Kokopo last Tuesday. It was attended by World Bank and government officials, agricultural agencies, farmer organisations and farmers. This was followed by a similar launching in Buka the next day.
The coffee component was launched in Goroka this week. At the Kokopo launching, the Minister for Higher Education and acting Agriculture Minister Paru Aihi told a big gathering at the Gazelle International Hotel that it was not only fitting but also significant that the World Bank and IFAD had chosen the two most important commodities that directly influence the economic wellbeing of the rural communities. He said it was also the Somare-Abal government’s desire to ensure that the majority of the rural population that depended on cocoa and coffee must ultimately be the beneficiaries.
“The government has created a conducive political and economic environment which has resulted in the confidence of such highly esteemed bodies like the World Bank and IFAD to fund this project,” he said. Mr Aihi said the government recognised that PPAP would contribute to the growth of the country’s agricultural export industries, enhancement of smallholder income, and rehabilitation of market access infrastructure, and called on all stakeholders involved in the implementation process to work together.
14.02.2011
Source: Post-Courier
‘Revive run-down research center’
THE National Government has been urged to re-establish the rundown Duncan Cocoa and Coconut Research Institute in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
The ABG Minister for Agriculture and Livestock and a former chief executive of the Cocoa Board, Nicholas Daaku, made the call during the launching of a World Bank-funded agriculture development project last week.
“Cocoa is one of the country’s most important agricultural commodities and with the launching of the Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (PPAP), it should contribute to a positive impact in the social and economic wellbeing of the majority of the rural population,” said Mr Daaku.
PPAP, supported by the World Bank, International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and PNG Government, will benefit coffee and cocoa institutions, the smallholder producers and the smallholders in market access and is anticipated to improve performance at all value chains and public-private partnerships.
Mr Daaku, speaking during a dinner in honour of the World Bank and government officials including the Acting Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Paru Aihi, said the revitalisation of the once-successful research station, operated by the Cocoa Coconut Institute, should be part of the PPAP implementation process.
“This will enable research scientists to travel to Bougainville and conduct research activities on cocoa and also because the region is a leading cocoa producer,” he said.
14.02.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Buka market opens
By JOYCE TOHUI
BUKA urban market has finally opened its doors to vendors after all bills incurred during the upgrading and maintenance of the market was finally settled.
On Tuesday morning, vendors were seen selling garden produce and other food crops at the market, away from those with betel nuts, cigars and art and crafts at the current market.
All food stuff have moved to the main market. However, due to the cholera epidemic in parts of Buka island, all cooked food and the sale of fresh fish is still banned.
Mothers are happy to return to the main market because it has roofing to protect them from rain and sun.
The Buka urban council wants to create a separate betel nut market like it is done in other urban centers in Papua New Guinea are practising.
14.02.2011
Source: REUTERS
Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie playing "Mr. Pip" for Shrek director
By Jay A. Fernandez LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – "House" star Hugh Laurie is headed to Papua New Guinea and New Zealand for a feature adaptation of the best-selling novel "Mister Pip"
Andrew Adamson ("Shrek 2") will direct and produce from his adaptation of fellow New Zealander Lloyd Jones' novel.
Shortlisted for Britain's coveted Booker Prize, "Mister Pip" tells the story of the last white man left on the strife-torn island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. He reopens a school and reads his favorite novel, "Great Expectations," to the students, inspiring a gifted 14-year-old named Matilda.
The filmmakers plan to begin filming in New Zealand and on location on Bougainville in May. The New Zealand government is among the financial backers.
"I read 'Mister Pip' on a transatlantic flight and, by the time of landing, knew I would make this film," said Adamson, who first optioned the film rights.
Added Laurie: "From the first words of the novel, and the first image of the screenplay, I was hooked on 'Mister Pip.' It's an immensely touching, unique, yet completely unsentimental story of love. It is unlike any script I have read, or any story I have ever heard. Plus I get to go to Papua New Guinea and call it work. I am a very lucky man."
Adamson most recently co-wrote and directed the first two installments in the "Chronicles of Narnia" series. He is currently directing and producing a 3D Cirque du Soleil project. Laurie is currently in theaters as part of the voice cast for the animated film "Hop."
14.02.2011
Source: The National
Vehicles boost South Bougainville police service
By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
MORALE is high for the 42 Bougainville police service constables in South Bougainville who have been given three vehicles to monitor law and order in the remote districts of Buin, Torokina and Siwai.
The vehicles, worth a total of K430,000, were given by South Bougainville Member Steven Pirika.
In handing over the vehicles on Monday to Buin administration authorities, Pirika said the donation was a step towards the fixing law and order problems in South Bougainville.
“Our districts must be safe so that our children will have the freedom to move around safely.
“Think of the future and let us change our attitudes and ensure we have law and order in this region,” he said.
He urged all South Bougainville police personnel to respect these assets and take good care of the vehicles.
“Don not misuse these assets by drinking and driving around in these vehicles or transporting your relatives around.
“The vehicles are public property and must be used for the service of the public.”
Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) finance minister Albert Punghau also encouraged peace and normalcy to continue in South Bougainville.
“We have very limited time, only five years remaining towards referendum of independence or autonomy.
“This occasion shows once again that our police must unite with the communities to carry out their work of maintaining law and order.”
He said under the Bougainville Peace Agreement, the people and leaders of Bougainville must work together in achieving the three pillars of the agreement, adding that the second pillar was rule of law which emphasised on maintaining good law and order in the region.
“If you want independence, if you want autonomy, you must have law and order. Our people must be law abiding citizens.
“You can talk about the Chinese, Americans and Japanese coming in to invest but you must have law and order.”
He added that the third pillar, weapons disposal, must also be achieved.
Punghau announced ABG’s commitment of a portion of the 2010 restoration and development grant of K15 million towards assisting the Bougainville police service.
“Budget process in all districts is being delivered, after budget review at the end of this month, then ABG will be able to grant some money,” he said.
This would complement the recent assistance of K700,000 by the Australian government towards the rebuilding of the Bougainville police service residential houses throughout the region.
13.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Youths takes initiative
By Joyce Tohui
Youths in Bougainville are taking the bold stand in trying to sort out their own problems, according to LUCIAN TARIA a representative from the KATSINKURI Youth group.
MR TARIA was speaking on New Dawn FM talk show yesterday.
He told New Dawn FM that youths have seen that the government has not addressed many of their issues that are affecting their lives today.
He said that it is now time the civil society, NGOs and the government recognized youths and give them support to help themselves.
He added that there are many unheard issues of youths in Bougainville and his group is trying to address some of these problems if given the support.
13.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Tanks fills again
BY JOYCE TOHUI
Buka town residents are happy once again after a down pour this morning filling their tanks with water.
Since last month there was no rain and many people ran out of water for cooking and drinking.
People were seen walking around with containers in search of water to use for drinking and cooking.
As for bathing and doing laundry people were using wells and bow water.
For the unfortunate ones they went to the extent of using well water to wash their eating utensils and even cooking their food with.
Since the cholera epidemic is still in some parts of Buka this was not very good for their health.
However the down pour this morning has come to their relief to ease the problem.
13.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SELAU VA
By Aloysius Laukai
The member for SELAU, TERRY MOSE believes SELAU can reduce law and order issues and other problems affecting SELAU with the establishment of the four village assemblies his constituency.
He told New Dawn FM today that empowering village people is the right approach to take.
MR MOSE said that since the swearing in of the four village assemblies they are now working on trainings to start work.
He said that his village assemblies are the first to have their swearing in ceremonies and are ready to start work
13.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Fix Buka town roads
By Joyce Tohui
People living in the township of Buka and Bougainville wants the town authority to fast track the upgrading and maintenance work of the Buka town roads.
A concern Bougainvillean who wants anonymity says these roads must be fixed immediately as they are in very bad condition.
He says there is no space available now on these roads for people to walk as passing vehicles spills murky mud on them.
While praising the Buka Town Manageress, BRENDA TOHIANA on her speech delivered during the opening of the Buka main market.
He says if the K3 million funding promised by Minister for Treasury, PETER ONEIL is available first priority must be given to fix the roads
13.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PANGUNA RECONCILE
By Aloysius Laukai
A team from the Autonomous Bougainville Government travelled to PANGUNA this afternoon to witness a reconciliation ceremony between the PANGUNA people themselves.
The team to witness the ceremony includes the ABG Vice President, PATRICK NISIRA, Minister for Natural Resources, MICHAEL ONI and member representing the PANGUNA area.
Also on this trip is the Minister for peace, NEWTON KAUVA and members of the ABG.
13.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
CHIEFS HELP
By Aloysius Laukai
Chiefs along the Buka- Arawa highway have been praised for their support on the JICA bridge program.
JICA bridge Technical Officer, JOHN KOLAN made these remarks in Buka this week.
He said because of their support the JICA bridge project is progressing on schedule.
MR KOLAN said the chiefs have helped in mediating with those who have tried to disturb the project.
He called on other stakeholders to support the project to continue into South Bougainville.
13.04.2011
Source: ABC Radio Australia News
Climate change forcing people off Pacific island
A community activist from the Carteret Islands in the South Pacific says the island's people are becoming the world's first refugees as a result of climate change.
Ursula Rakova, executive director of aid charity Tulele Peisa says the Carterets are experiencing unprecedented high tides.
These are rapidly covering the fragile low-lying atolls, destroying the soil for food production and forcing the people to move.
Ms Rakova says she is currently involved in urgent negotiations to arrange for the evacuation of some 1,500 people to the larger island of Bougainville, over 80 kilometres away.
Speaking on the first leg of a Climate Wise Women European tour in Dublin, Ms Rakova says what's happening in the Carterets is going to happen to other islands in the Pacific.
Ms Rakova is calling on big nations to do something urgently to stop the pollution.
13.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Pod-borer takes its toll
THE regional member for Bougainville and Minister for Bougainville Affairs, Fidelis Semoso, said that members were now feeling the pinch of the Cocoa Pod Borer on Bougainville.
He said that the number of requests for assistance for school fees and medical assistance had increased since the cocoa pod borer was detected on Bougainville.
The Minister said that this clearly showed that the cocoa pod borer was slowly killing the cocoa industry on Bougainville.
He was speaking at the launch of the Productivity Partnership in Agriculture Project (PPAP) program in Kubu.
Mr Semoso said that the PPAP program had come about at the right time to assist farmers who were struggling to make ends meet without any assistance from the government.
He said that the program for Bougainville should be controlled from Bougainville.
The Minister said that he did not want to see the program controlled by remote control from Port Moresby.
Meanwhile, Mr Semoso called on the cocoa farmers of Bougainville to work hard on their blocks and not just use them as their automatic teller machines.
He said that many farmers were just harvesting from redundant plantations without rehabilitating their plantations.
He said that those actions would only kill the industry in the future. The Minister also called on the farmers to use this latest intervention taken by the National Government and the World Bank to financially assist them.
On the assistance, Mr Semoso said that most farmers needed the basic pruning tools to work in their plantations instead of using knives only.
He said that World Bank assistance should also look into making sure that the farmers got the right tools for their farms.
13.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
MP keen to help restore law, order
SOUTH Bougainville MP Steven Pirika wants to fix the law and order problems in his electorate before development can take place in the region.
He made these remarks when officially handing-in the three police vehicles to the Commander for South Bougainville Police, Chief Inspector Paul Kamuai in Buin last Saturday.
Mr Pirika said that the three police land cruisers including accessories cost K400,000.
The MP said South Bougainville must be free from guns and the rule of law must be established to attract investors into the region.
He also called on the youths to respect properties such as the vehicles and houses so that real peace can be achieved in the southern region.
It is understood that each vehicle will be stationed at Bana, Siwai and Buin.
Meanwhile, the Executive Manager for Bana district, David Rumbali, assured chief inspector Kamuai of his support to look after the three police vans.
Mr Rumbali said although not many people turned up to witness the occasion, it was a significant start for development in South Bougainville.
He assured Mr Kamuai that if one of these police vehicles is given to his district, he will closely work with the police to ensure it is used for its purpose.
He said the vehicles would help police to enforce law and order so that peace would prevail in South Bougainville once again.
Mr Rumbali said the MP had put first priority in addressing the issue of law and order before development progressed in South Bougainville.
He urged the people of South Bougainville that law and order were addressed first by the community to help police in their work.
Speaking on behalf of the people of Bana district at this occasion, Mr Rumbali said that South Bougainville region was regarded as a troubled spot in the region and the onus was on the people to change the trend.
13.04.2011
Source: Irish Times
Climate change 'forcing' people off Pacific island
A COMMUNITY activist from the Carteret Islands in the South Pacific gave a first-hand account in Dublin last night of how its people are becoming the world’s first refugees as a result of climate change.
Part of Papua New Guinea, the Carterets are experiencing unprecedented high tides, which are rapidly covering the fragile low-lying atolls, destroying the soil for food production and forcing the community to move to a larger island, Bougainville, over 80km (50 miles) away.
Ursula Rakova, executive director of aid charity Tulele Peisa, described the situation facing the Carteret Islands as urgent and said arranging the evacuation of 1,500 islanders to Bougainville had involved delicate negotiations, particularly over land.
Blaming climate change, she told an audience in Trinity College: “It is not just us, though. It is going to happen to others right through the Pacific and in other parts of the world. The pollution has to stop. The big nations have to do something very, very urgently.”
Speaking on the first leg of a Climate Wise Women European tour, Ms Rakova said it was “all about advocacy and being able to share the stories of my people. “Climate change is here to stay and more individual advocacy will result in major climate change action.”
Constance Okollet, chair of the Osukura United Women Network in eastern Uganda, who is accompanying her on the tour, spoke about the “dramatic changes in climate” in her region, with “extreme cycles of drought and rain” making it impossible to grow traditional crops.
This was “threatening the food security of the community and limiting their ability to earn a modest living”, she said. Death by drowning, starvation or disease and disruption to children’s education are some of the other impacts of climate change experienced there.
Ms Okollet also recalled her own awakening to climate change at a community meeting organised by Oxfam that led her to understand that the problems of her people “were not an expression of God’s displeasure with them but were, in fact, caused by mankind”.
Former president Mary Robinson, who has set up her own foundation to promote climate justice, said focusing on the human dimension of climate change would let the world “see the effects of the problem differently”.
13.04.2011
Source: The National
Buin man retires after 39 years
PUBLIC servant John Karai, 59, from Buin, Bougainville, officially retired from duties last Friday after serving the PNG and Bougainville governments for 39 years.
In a ceremony hosted by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and attended by family, friends and former colleagues, Karai, who held the position of chief executive officer for finance, said: “I am humbled and honoured to have been recognised for having served the public service for the last 39 years.”
He thanked the division of finance staff for their support, particularly during the crisis, in ensuring a high standard of operations was maintained.
He said it had been a difficult task maintaining the standard of finance operations because at the height of the Bougainville crisis after most experienced officers had transferred out.
“We were left with very junior officers.
“With this capacity problem, it was very difficult to maintain finance operations, but we managed.”
He said the finance division on Bougainville still had a long way to go in improving finance management services.
Karai joined the public service in February 1973 with the then Department of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries and later the Department of Decentralisation at Waigani.
He then served with the Department of Community and Family Services in Port Moresby before transferring to the Department of North Solomons in Arawa, Bougainville, in 1980.
Karai was tasked in 1984 to establish a finance division on Buka Island which he successfully did and managed until last Friday.
Karai said he intended to spend his retirement in supporting family and community economic activities.
ABG finance minister Albert Punghau thanked Karai for his guidance in ensuring the minister successfully tabled the ABG budget of K167 million last year.
“I am happy that you have served the people of Bougainville and PNG very well.”
12.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PIRIKA RETURNS
By Aloysius Laukai
The member for South Bougainville, STEVEN KAMMA PIRIKA left FOR Port Moresby this afternoon after visiting projects that he has funded throughout South Bougainville.
After donating three Police Vehicles to South Bougainville Police and opening the Pikinini Sports in Buin last week he also presented a cheque of SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND KINA to Telikom PNG to get telecommunication services into South Bougainville.
He also attended a big reconciliation ceremony between warring parties at Takemari village in Nagovis last Friday.
The member would return after Easter for the reconciliation between himself and the Bougainville Engineering Company in Buka.
This follows a dispute over the use of funds for the maintenance of Buin Secondary School between the company and the member.
12.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BUKA MARKET OPENED
By Aloysius Laukai
Buka urban market opened to vendors this morning after all bills have been settled.
New Dawn FM visited the market just to find out that the sale of Betel Nut and cigar and Arts and Crafts will remain at the current market.
All food stuff has moved to the main market.
However due to the Cholera epidemic in parts of Buka island all cooked food and the sale of fresh fish is still banned.
New Dawn FM understands that the Buka Town Council wants to separate the sale of Betel nut similar to what centres are practicing.
12.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Filter promoted
By Aloysius Laukai
The Kina for Kina scheme is promoting a water filtering system that can be used to purify bore water so that it can be used for drinking.
This is in preparation of the predicted EL NINO drought for Bougainville starting this year.
Kina for Kina coordinator, JOHN KONNOU told New Dawn FM this morning that the purifier is much cheaper and affordable and is very simple to use.
He said that the water purifier is a small bucket that can be used to fetch bore water and as it purifiers water clean water can be collected on a clean container.
MR. KONNOU says that the purifier can be purchased for TWO HUNDRED KINA only.
He said the purifier can not change salt water into clean water.
12.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BRIDGES ON TARGET
By Aloysius Laukai
The Japanese Bridge Projects on Bougainville are still on schedule according to the Project Liason Officer, JOHN KORAN.
He told New Dawn FM in Buka today that the 15 bridges would be completed by next year.
He said that the first two bridges built by KITANO Construction should be opened around July this year.
MR. KOLAN said that they are already looking at extending the program into South Bougainville.
He said second phase of the JICA Bridge Project would cover 27 bridges between Bana, Siwai and Buin.
MR. KOLAN said that despite facing minor disturbances and thefts they have managed to recover stolen items through working with the village chiefs.
He also thanked the chiefs for fully supporting the bridge project on Bougainville.
12.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
KATSENKURI YOUTH FORMED
BY JOYCE TOHUI
Youths living in Buka town, mainly at KATSINKURI have formed a group called KATSINKURI Youth purposely to help youths in Buka and Bougainville.
KATSINKURI Youth spokesman, LUCIAN TAREA told New Dawn FM that the youth group was formed on March 8th 2011.
He said the group was formed purposely to address many problems faced by young people today which the government is not doing enough to help the youths.
He added the aim of forming the group is to try and find means and ways to help address the issues and needs of the youths.
MR TAREA said the group is formed with its own policy, constitution and structure being organized which will enable them to get assistance from organizations such as UNDP, Care International and other organizations on Bougainville.
In the meantime, the group will fundraise to start up its capital and will be holding a corporate dinner at the Kuri Village Resort on Wednesday next week.
The monies gained from the corporate dinner will help register the group with IPA and the Bougainville Youth Association in the region.
12.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
NEW STATION TESTS SIGNALS
By Aloysius Laukai
A new privately owned FM station STAR FM has started testing its signals since last weekend.
The FM station is broadcasting on 99.9 MHZ from Kubu on Buka island.
This now brings the number of Radio Stations broadcasting on Buka island to five.
The stations are as follows, FM 100 which is broadcasting on 100.8 MHZ ,
NBC Bougainville is broadcasting on 100.1 MHZ, WANTOK RADIO LIGHT on 105.9 MHZ and New Dawn FM broadcasting on 95.3 MHZ.
One other FM service for Tinputz is the TINPUTZ FM which broadcasts on 93.5 MHZ.
New Dawn FM understands that the Bishop of Bougainville diocese also wants to establish Radio Maria on Bougainville.
11.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Buka police to pay tax
BOUGAINVILLE police living in Buka and Kokopau townships have been ordered to pay head tax to the Buka Urban Council.
North Bougainville Regional Commander, Inspector Cletus Tsien, issued the edict after the Council complained that some public servants, especially police and teachers living in these areas, were refusing to pay the annual urban council head tax because they claim that they were “already paying revenue tax through their salary deductions.
“I have been advised by Bougainville Police Service lawyers that the annual K20 head tax demanded by the council is a legal tax and must be paid by all tax payers within the particular area,”he said
Inspector Tsien said that officers liviing outside the town area should pay K20 head tax to their Council of Elders in areas such as Tonsu, Hago, Halia or Haku COE’s.
10.04.2011
Source: ABC Radio Australia News
Bougainville scars remain 10 years on
Liam Fox reported this story on Saturday, April 9, 2011 08:24:00
Listen here!
ELIZABETH JACKSON: It's a decade since a civil war killed thousands of people on Bougainville in Papua New Guinea but the island is still infested with the guns that fuelled the conflict. Disarmament efforts have stalled and there are still plenty of weapons in the hands of former combatants.
Our PNG correspondent Liam Fox reports from Bougainville.
LIAM FOX: The fighting on Bougainville may have formally ended with a peace agreement in 2001 but the scars remain. The charred and rusting carcasses of buildings torched during the conflict are dotted around Arawa on the island's east coast.
A short drive out of Arawa is another scar from those times. A group of former combatants guard the roadblock to the defunct Panguna copper mine. They're not carrying weapons but when asked if they've got any guns one of them produces an M16 assault rifle from a nearby shed.
He pops out the cartridge to show it's packed with bullets.
FORMER COMBATANT: These weapons are only for self-defence. We don't misuse weapons in here.
LIAM FOX: Colonel Alex Dakamari from the Me'ekamui Defence Force, a remnant of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, is in charge of the group.
And does Me'ekamui still have many guns?
ALEX DAKAMARI: Yeah we do have many guns. It's all over the island.
LIAM FOX: It was anger towards the mine that sparked the decade-long secessionist war with PNG that left several thousand people dead. Locals fought with homemade weapons and with old guns and ammunition buried here during World War II.
After many failed attempts the peace agreement brought an end to the fighting and included a disarmament process. Two thousand weapons were initially destroyed but there's been little progress since the United Nations' observer mission left in 2005.
John Momis, the president of the Autonomous Bougainville Government says the momentum has been lost.
JOHN MOMIS: We don't have the funds and we're not paying enough attention. We're worried about it, we haven't forgotten about it.
LIAM FOX: An unknown number of guns are still in the hands of former combatants and criminals. While many of the guns are rarely used lawyer and Bougainville expert Anthony Regan says they are causing serious problems in some areas.
ANTHONY REGAN: In the south of Bougainville in particular there's been localised conflict over the last four or five years and the weapons are being used in that. A number of people killed - 50 or 60.
LIAM FOX: Mr Regan says disarmament efforts collapsed with the departure of the United Nations observer mission.
ANTHONY REGAN: One of the advantages of the UN was that they were independent so there was no sense that it was somebody associated with one of the factions.
LIAM FOX: The Australian Government says it wants to help Bougainville. During a visit to the island the Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs Richard Marles told locals if they develop a plan Australia is ready to assist.
RICHARD MARLES: The job is certainly not complete and not enough weapons have been brought forward. We really do regard this as central to the whole issue of Bougainville.
LIAM FOX: Time is running out to solve the problem. Under the Bougainville peace agreement a referendum on independence is due to be held between 2015 and 2020. But that's unlikely to happen until the weapons that fuelled the war are destroyed.
ELIZABETH JACKSON: That's Liam Fox reporting from Bougainville.
09.04.2011
Source: ESBC Research
10 New Videos on this Homepage !
10 neue Videos auf dieser Homepage !
10 vidéos nouveaux sur ce site !
09.04.2011
Source: ESBC Research
Watch here latest picture taken by Jaive Smare on the ground in Panguna !
09.04.2011
Source: ESBC Research
Watch here Petra Koenen's latest Video on Bougainville!
Sorry, Dutch only!
09.04.2011
Source: OXFAM
Water for Survival
Find out more about the New Zealand Oxfam initiative for better drinking water on Bougainville:
08.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
KARAI RESIGNS
By Aloysius Laukai
The CEO for ABG Finance division, JOHN KARAI was fare welled at a small function this afternoon.
Mr.Karai joined the public service on February 1973 in Port Moresby and has continuously worked for the last 39 years.
He joined the North Solomons Provincial government in 1982 and worked for the BMS division.
And became the OIC finance in-charge of outstations in Arawa.
In 1994 he was in-charge of the team that started the Finance office in Buka.
He became the Assistant Secretary for finance which was changed to CEO finance in 2007.
Speakers at the farewell included the ABG minister for Finance, ALBERT PUNGHAU, The Chief Administrator, LAWRENCE DISIN and officers from the Bougainville administration.
Chief administrator, LAWRENCE DISIN said that it would be very difficult to find a replacement but he has requested him to stay for another three weeks to help the new CEO with this new task.
Picture of John Karai st the fare well function He is receiving a present from the Minister for Finance Albert Punghau
08.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BANA EM ASSURES SUPPORT
BY JOYCE TOHUI
Executive manager for BANA district, DAVID RUMBALI assured the Police Chief Inspector for the South Bougainville Police, PAUL KAMUAI of his support to look after the three police vans given to police in South Bougainville.
He made these remarks during the presentation of these police vehicles delivered by the National MP for South Bougainville, STEVEN KAMA PIRIKA in BUIN last Saturday.
He said although not many people turned up to witness the occasion but it is a significant start for development in South Bougainville.
He assured MR KAMUAI that if one of these police vehicles is given to his district; he will closely work with the police to ensure it is used for its purpose.
He told the gathering that these may be vehicles as seen by naked eyes but it will help police to enforce law and order so that peace will prevail in South Bougainville once again.
MR RUMABALI said that the member has put first priority in addressing the issue of law and order before development progress in South Bougainville.
He urged the people of South Bougainville that law and order are to be addressed first by the community to help police in their work.
Speaking on behalf of BANA district at this occasion, MR RUMABALI said South Bougainville region is regarded as a trouble spot in the region and only the people will change the trend.
08.04.2011
Source: ABC Radio Australia - Pacific Beat
Bougainville cholera outbreak under control
The cholera outbreak in the Autonomous Region of Bouganville is reportedly now under control, but has come at the cost of two lives with 159 suspected cases so far.
The outbreak occurred mainly in the northern tip of Buka Island, and has mostly affected children between the ages of ten and fifteen.
Authorities are encouraging people to take extra care with hygiene, and have introduced a ban on certain foods and home-made ice blocks in an effort to combat the disease.
Alma Mistry spoke to the Chairman of the Cholera Task Force in Bougainville Patrick Koles, and began by asking him if the outbreak was under control.
Presenter: Alma Mistry
Speaker: Patrick Koles, Chairman of the Cholera Task Force in Bougainville
Listen here!
KOLES: We pretty much lack the manpower underground and at the same time, the cases that are being reported are a lot of them are actually mild cases, some of which are probably are just diarrhoea and the other thing is we still believe that we are actually under control is that since the first reported cases of two deaths, we haven't had deaths at all and we're actually controlling the people that are affected and it's not really actually serious. They are mainly mild cases.
MISTRY: OK, so what are the symptoms and where can people go to get treatment?
KOLES: The symptoms are basically people will develop very severe diarrhoea as well as vomit. There is no headache and there is in fact on the tummy, the stomach is sort of kind of cramped, sort of muscle cramp, that's the sign where people actually have the cholera.
MISTRY: You mentioned that you don't have enough manpower, but what is being done on the ground?
KOLES: Throughout the entire region of Bougainville, we've actually conducted workshops to bring in all the health staff in the rural areas to come for a two day session in the Sarak quarters of Bougainville and they've already gone back to their own districts and what they're doing at the moment now is before the cholera is actually spread to the mainland of Bougainville, what they're doing is they're actually conducting intensive awareness programs now with the mobilisation of the council of elders in each of the COE areas. And where the cholera is actually being contained, we have also despatched the teams and then they are directly in the villages where cholera is being noticed. And at the same time, we're actually getting a lot of assistance from the National Health Department as well as the World Health Organisation.
MISTRY: What are the preventative measures people can take and are they being educated about them?
KOLES: There's a lot of education in the areas that are affected as well as those areas that have not been affected by cholera. What we are doing is, we have a mass production of simplified posters and pamphlets and we actually going door-to-door, door-to-door to the households, so this is the sort of awareness that we're doing and all the teachers have also been orientated so they can actually undertake the awareness in the classrooms.
As far as the council of elders are concerned, we've already talked to them about it and they're actually going around now in each of their COE areas and actually conducting the awareness.
MISTRY: So cholera is proving an ongoing problem in PNG. Now that it's surfaced in Bougainville, is there a risk it will spread into the Solomon Islands?
KOLES: There's a possibility that it can spread into the Solomon Islands, but what we are trying to do now is sort of contain where it has been detected and so far it has not spread to the other areas at all.
MISTRY: Would you be wanting to put some quarantine measures in place?
KOLES: Yes, yes and when we see that it is very, very critical, but at the moment we see that we actually having it controlled. What we're telling them at the moment is that in the areas where cholera has been detected, that they shouldn't move around to other areas for the time being.
07.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Miriori urges wider view on re-opening
By FABIAN GHATANA
Martin Miriori
A KEY architect in the Bougainville peace process has strongly appealed to all stakeholders who are aggressively pushing for the re-opening of the Panguna mine to first of all consult with the people of Bougainville.
Panguna landowner Martin Miriori, who is the elder brother of the late President Joseph Kabui, said that a referendum on the re-opening of the Panguna mine and any other future mines should be conducted throughout Bougainville at the landowner level and among all Bougainvilleans.
He said that if the majority voted towards the re-opening of the mine then talks on the BCA review could go ahead.
He said this would avoid any potential problems in future.
“Surely nobody wants to see a repeat of the same problem happening again in the future due to lack of awareness and close consultation being carried out among the people.
“Therefore we must be prepared to commit all the necessary resources to approach the issue in a right way,” said Mr Miriori.
He said that the application of short-cuts on the possible re-opening of the Panguna mine should be avoided at all cost.
“Most people throughout Bougainville, particularly among the landowners, are already quietly complaining.
“They are expressing their disappointment, claiming that they are being kept in the dark as to what has been happening so far with regard to the discussions towards a possibility of re-opening the mine.
“All they get to hear is only through the media which is not good enough.
“It is important that whatever we do along the way, we must always try to move together with our people instead of a minority pushing for the re-opening of the mine in isolation from the majority.
“Having said that, I therefore want to re-assure the public that I am for the re-opening of the mine as long as we do it properly this time and negotiate the best possible deal for our people,” said Mr Miriori.
07.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
38 graduate from Osi Tanata institut
By PETERSON TSERAHA
THE Osi Tanata Innovative Business Training Institute (OTIBTI), the training arm of Osi Tanata Incorporated, sent off their third batch of 38 students in a memorable graduation in Arawa last Thursday.
Abraham Nevirui, who is Osi Tanata Executive Director, Arawa high school headmaster Paul Lapun, Pastor Francis Munau, Linus Dake - North Nasioi COE chairman Virginia Pycroft, Evelyn Banas and prominent Arawa businessman and owner of the STI Trading Steven Ipiung witnessed the graduation.
OTIBTI provides a great opportunity for young people who have been chucked out of the conventional system, especially grades 9s, 10s and 12s in many different situations to continue education and improve their personal skills.
OTIBTI principal Ben Nawa said the students graduated in basic accounting and secretarial studies.
“Our main objective is to provide opportunities for young men and women to gain formal skills and qualifications in business training,” Mr Nawa said.
A lot of students have enrolled since the program was introduced because it has lifted the burden of parents who spend extra costs to send their children to Rabaul and other private schools throughout PNG. “A lot of our students are now working in government offices and private sector areas which we are now very happy and proud of, we still have a big contingent of our students now studying in our partner school Kokopo Business College,” he said.
Executive director Abraham Nevirui, in his speech, said Osi Tanata was offering a second opportunity for young men and women.
“We are delivering this service in the best quality in order to meet the requirement for better training for our youths,” Mr Nevirui said.
Women’s representative Evelyn Banas encouraged graduating students to start their own businesses and appealed to the government to look at human resource seriously.
07.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Guns smuggled out of Bougainville
By GORETHY KENNETH
TOROKINA’S WWII weapons are re-appearing under gun smuggling and trading out of Bougainville.
Reports detail that live bullets and ammunitions coming out of Torokina are now being sold on the streets of Buka, throughout Bougainville and to other parts of Papua New Guinea. And it is frightening because even students and young youths are involved in selling these items outside of Torokina.
This is because those selling claim that it is fast and easy money, it doesn’t cost money to hire a boat to and from Torokina to Buka and easy to handle and carry on the bag. They claim the ABG and the Government had failed to address the issue of shipping facilities to assist them with transporting their cocoa and copra produce to Buka or nearest depot to sell.
“Mipla no wari, em easy money ya. Mipla hirim boat long Torokina igo ikam long K1000 one way or K2000 one way karim kakao or copra na taim mipla laik go bek ples bai mipla karim wanem? Long gun, yumi isi long karim long bag, salim pinis long taun long K2000 to K5000 na baim boat long K100 one way tasol na planti mi nau,” one of the youths (named) told the Post-Courier. ABg giamanim mipla long ship long karim kakao na kopra na mipla tait lo weit olsem na isi way, salim bullet na gun.”
A prominent businessman (named) who has businesses in Bougainville including Buka bought a K2500 homemade shotgun type rifle from two youths who were selling the weapons.
07.04.2011
Source: Radio New Zealand International
Quick response contains Bougainville cholera outbreak
An NGO in the autonomous Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville says prompt action by health authorities has contained the spread of cholera there.
The disease, which has claimed about 600 lives in 6 other PNG provinces in the past 20 months, has killed at least two on Bougainville with dozens more infected.
The Bougainville Women’s Federation spokesperson, Hona Holan, says the disease is affecting the northern parts of Buka island and hasn’t reached Buka town.
She says once people were discovered with continuous vomitting and diarrhoea, the health department launched a response.
“And it’s being addressed. We are all doing our best, the government has engaged youth groups, women’s groups, Red Cross, everybody, to go out and do awareness on the cholera.”
Hona Holan says this involves having people be particular about their hygiene and boiling water before use.
07.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Work hard
By Aloysius Laukai
The Regional member for Bougainville and Minister for Bougainville Affairs yesterday called on the cocoa farmers of Bougainville to work hard on their blocks and not just use them as their Automatic Teller Machines.
He was speaking in Kubu yesterday.
Minister Semoso said that many farmers were just harvesting from redundant plantations without rehabilitating these plantations.
He said that these actions will only kill the industry in the future.
The Minister also called on the farmers to fully utilize this latest intervention taken by the National Government and the World Bank to financially assist farmers.
On the assistance, MR. SEMOSO said that most farmers need the basic pruning tools to work in their plantations instead of just using knives.
He said the world bank assistance should look also in making sure that the farmers get the right tools for their farms.
07.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
CPB requests
By Aloysius Laukai
The Regional member for Bougainville and Minister for Bougainville Affairs, FIDELIS SEMOSO says that members are now feeling the pinch of the Cocoa Pod Borer on Bougainville.
He said that the number of requests for assistance for School fees and medical assistance has increased since the Cocoa Pod Borer was detected on Bougainville.
The Minister said that this clearly shows that the Cocoa Pod Borer is slowly killing the cocoa industry on Bougainville.
He was speaking at the launch of the PPAP program yesterday.
Minister Semoso said that the PPAP program has come about at the right time to assist farmers who are struggling to make ends meet without any assistance from the government.
He said that the program for Bougainville should be controlled from Bougainville.
The Minister says that he does not want to see the program controlled by remote control from Port Moresby.
ABG minister for Primary Industry (left) and Minister Semoso in his cocoa Block at Malasang village yesterday.
Mr. Semoso is one Model Cocoa farmer on Bougainville.
07.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
DARKU on PPAP
By Aloysius Laukai
The ABG minister for Primary Industry, NICHOLAS DARKU says that the Agriculture and livestock can sustain all Bougainville’s economic activity if given the attention it needs.
He was speaking at the launch of the Productivity Partnership in Agriculture Project or PPAP at Kubu yesterday.
The Minister said that as the Minister for Primary industry he does not believe in mining as minerals will be depleted in no time leaving the people to suffer in the future.
He said the partnership arrangement with the World Bank and the farmers was what the rural farmers need to move increase production from their farms.
The Minister said that Bougainville will definitely take on board this project and work to improve production and also maintain the quality of the product.
Pic of the Minister visiting one of the model plantations on Buka Island.
From left to right Senior DPI Officer Jacob Momoi,Minister AIHI,Woman officer from DAL and ABG Minister for Primary Industry, Nicholas Darku.
Pic of the Minister visiting one of the model plantations on Buka Island.
From left to right Senior DPI Officer Jacob Momoi,Minister AIHI,Woman officer from DAL and ABG Minister for Primary Industry, Nicholas Darku.
07.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
POD BORER STRIKES
By Aloysius Laukai
Cocoa Production in the East New Britain has dramatically dropped from TWENTY THOUSAND TONNES to just FIVE THOUSAND TONNES per year due to the Cocoa Pod Borer says a PNG Cocoa Industry Board Officer.
The officer was speaking at the launch of the PPAP program representing the Cocoa Industry Board.
He made these remarks when announcing that Bougainville was the main cocoa producer before the Bougainville conflict but went down badly during the conflict.
The officers said that Bougainville took over again the title two years ago and so far reached Twenty Five Thousand tonnes per year.
The Cocoa Industry Board officer said that with the PPAP program Bougainville will be able to reach new levels in production.
07.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
FAMILY PLANNING FAILURE
By Aloysius Laukai
The Buka General Hospital’s Maternal child health section does not carry Family planning awareness to the rural communities due to no Transport.
This was revealed to New Dawn FM by one of the Senior Nurses there.
The officer said that although they carry out awareness to their daily patients,they do not record the number of patients that they attend to.
The Nursing officer was answering questions to why there was a rise in teenage pregnancies in the region.
New Dawn FM runs weekly programs on Women’s Health Issues sponsored by the Commonwealth of Learning based in Canada.
06.04.2011
Source: ESBC
ESBC press release 20110406
Bougainville Copper Limited
Crucial Annual General Meeting ahead!
Bougainville’s President Momis to assist the BCL AGM?
On Tuesday, April 19th, 2011, the shareholders of Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) will get together in Port Moresby’s Crown Plaza Hotel as every year. This year’s convention has to be considered as crucial for the future of the dormant Panguna mine in Central Bougainville. The huge copper, gold and silver mine (one of the biggest worldwide) had been shut down in 1989 due to local unrest that turned into the so called “Bougainville Crisis”.
Today, the mine is only one step away from re-opening. Since years BCL’s board of directors, the Autonomous Bougainville and the PNG Government, local landowners and shareholders are struggling for resuming mining on Bougainville. This could bring back prosperity to the remote Pacific island and pave the way for future independence.
The European Shareholders of Bougainville Copper (ESBC) who invested more than K60m in Bougainville, welcome the promising efforts of all stakeholders. The ESBC support the ongoing process amongst others by publishing all Bougainville related information on their homepage www.bougainville-copper.eu . “This site is a shining success worldwide!”, says ESBC President Axel G. Sturm, “Within the last three years round about 50,000 visitors kept informed on our homepage on the progress in Bougainville. We are proud that there is no better in-depth source on Bougainville in the world. We are also very pleased that the majority of Bougainvilleans understood that mining only is able to provide a better future for the young generation on the island.”
For this year’s Annual General Meeting again, the ESBC prepared a detailed questionnaire. Find out here: http://www.bougainville-copper.eu/questions-answers.html .
Rumours even say that ABG President Hon. John Momis might assist the Bougainville Copper Annual General Meeting this year. Mr. Momis left Bougainville on April 6th for a medical check-up in Port Moresby and will stay in PNG’s Capital until April 20th. Momis, since in office in June 2010, cautiously paves the way for resumption of mining on the island. Mining is still considered as a “sensitive issue” amongst some Bougainvilleans because left-wing groups from abroad try to push back Bougainville into the stone-age.
06.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
The Minister for HE and Acting Minister for Agriculture and Livestock PARU AIHI welcomed at the Buka airport this morning. Picture by Aloysius Laukai
06.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MOMIS OUT
By Aloysius Laukai
ABG President John Momis left Buka this morning for medical review in Port Moresby.
He will be out of the region for two weeks.
Before he flew out of Buka he briefly met the visiting World Bank Representative, MR. KANTHAN SHANKAR and the acting Minister for Agriculture, MR. PARU AIHI .
The two leaders came for the launch of the Productive Partnership in Agriculture Project on Bougainville.
The project will see the World Bank providing funds for small Cocoa holder projects throughout Papua New Guinea.
06.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
WORLD BANK HERE
By Aloysius Laukai
A scheme to help farmers in Papua New Guinea was launched today in Buka for the benefit of Bougainville farmers with similar launch made in Rabaul yesterday and another in Goroka next week and Port Moresby later this month.
The scheme called Productive Partnership in Agriculture Project (PPAP) will be funded by the World Bank with funds totaling ONE HUNDRED THIRTY MILLION KINA.
In announcing the project, Minister for Higher Education and acting Minister for Agriculture, MR. PARU AIHI said that the aim of the program is to support farmers to raise production by utilizing the latest techniques used in agriculture.
He said that the people have waited for too long for the government to support them and this was one program that the government wants to make sure that the rural majority benefit from.
Minister AIHI said that the program took three years to eventually come off the ground since the Somare government started talking to start such a project.
Picture of the World Bank Rep KANTHAN SHANKAR welcomed at the Buka airport today.
Pic by Aloysius Laukai
06.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BOOMERANG AID
By Aloysius Laukai
The Regional Member for Bougainville and Minister for Bougainville Affairs Fidelis Semoso wants Bougainville’s share of the ONE HUNDRED THIRTHY MILLION KINA funds from the World Bank controlled out of Bougainville.
He was speaking at the launching of the Productivity Partnership in Agriculture Project in Buka today.
MR. SEMOSO said that he does not want these funds used on Boomerang aid that will not assist the people of Bougainville.
The Regional member said that these funds should reach the ordinary farmers in the villages who contribute immensely to the economy of this country.
He said that since the plantation owners left Bougainville during the conflict, the production of cocoa and copra have increased by these small block owners
06.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PIRIKA ON CONTROL
By Aloysius Laukai
The member for South Bougainville, STEVEN PIRIKA wants Police vehicles he donated last week to be used for its purpose.
He was speaking at the Official hand-over ceremony in Buin last Saturday.
MR. PIRIKA said that he does not want to get reports that Policemen were transporting families and friends on these vehicles.
Meanwhile, Commander of South Bougainville Police, Inspector PAUL KAMUAI thanked the member for his donation that would definitely boost Police capability in the Southern Region.
He said that this donation from the member would make the mobility of policemen and women in the South Bougainville easier.
The Inspector also promised to look after the donated vehicles and use only on police work.
06.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PIRIKA ON LAW
By Aloysius Laukai
The member for South Bougainville in the National Parliament, STEVEN PIRIKA wants to fix the law and order problems in South Bougainville before development can takes place in the region.
He made these remarks when officially handing –in three Police vehicles to the Commander of South Bougainville Police, Chief Inspector PAUL KAMUAI in Buin last Saturday.
MR. PIRIKA said that the three Police Land cruisers including accessories were bought for FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND KINA.
The member said that South Bougainville must be free from guns and the rule of law must be established to attract investors into the region.
He also called on the youths to respect properties such as the vehicles and houses so that real peace can be achieved in the southern region.
New Dawn FM understands that the one each of these Police vehicles will stationed at BANA, SIWAI and BUIN.
06.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PROPER AWARENESS FIRST
By Aloysius Laukai
One of the key architects and leaders in the Bougainville Peace Process, and also a Panguna Landowner urges that all major stakeholders should broadly consult with the people first on the possible re-opening of the Panguna mine.
Former International BIG/BRA spokesman and human rights advocate during the Bougainville crisis, MR MARTIN MIRIORI has strongly appealed to those who are aggressively pushing and campaigning hard for the early re-opening of the Panguna mine that the leaders must first of all properly consult with the people in order to avoid any potential problems happening again in the future.
Mr. Miriori the elder brother of the late President Joseph Kabui and now a private businessman was a leader and signatory to some of the historic agreements on the Bougainville side.
He said that nobody wants to see a repeat of the same problem happening again in the future due to lack of proper awareness and close consultation being carried out among the people this time around, both at the landowner level and among all Bougainvilleans.
New Dawn FM understands that this is the approach the ABG President JOHN MOMIS has been echoing to involve all parties on Bougainville.
06.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MOLA RECOGNISED
By Aloysius Laukai
Bougainville’s oldest National Politician, DONATUS MOLA has been recognized for his outstanding service to the people of Bougainville.
Yesterday, the ABG President Chief JOHN MOMIS presented a Toyota 5th Element worth ONE HUNDRED TEN THOUSAND KINA to the former National member for North Bougainville.
ABG President JOHN MOMIS whilst presenting the keys of the car commended the former member for Bougainville for his loyal service to the people of Bougainville since he first represented the North Bougainville people in 1968.
MR. MOMIS said that he had bought the car for the old man to assist him travel to Buka town and his village which is normally two hours from Buka town.
New Dawn FM understands that when the former Administrator Late Peter Tsiamalili was around there was a talk of presenting a car to the pioneer politician but this never eventuated.
06.04.2011
Source: The National
K500mil for Bougainville over next 5 years
By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
THE national government, through Finance and Treasury Minister Peter O’Neill, has announced it will deliver this year, the first K100 million of the K500 million commitment it made to the Autonomous Bougainville Government for the restoration and development of Bougainville.
The announcement by O’Neill changes the initial plan committed by the state during the joint supervisory body meeting in Port Moresby in February in which it would appropriate K100 million for the next five years starting in 2012.
“We are moving this commitment forward as 2012 is election year and the election period may interfere with the delivery of our commitment,” O’Neill said.
He added that rebuilding of infrastructure and boosting economic growth in the region was a priority of the state and, as such, prioritised projects that would be considered including the restoration of Aropa Airport and Kieta port and maintenance of roads.
O’Neill said this last Friday when he officiated at the re-opening of Buka town market, in which he also presented three cheques amounting to K27 million to regional member and Minister for Bougainville Affairs Fidelis Semoso.
The total K27 million funds from the government comprised K20 million for phase one of the upgrade and sealing of the 210km Kokopau to Buin main highway, K5 million for the sealing of the Buka ring road and K2 million for communication in Buka.
An addition of K3 million was committed to the maintenance of Buka town after town manageress Brenda Tohiana challenged the state and ABG leaders to “fix Buka town first as the gateway to Bougainville before establishing Arawa as the capital of the autonomous region”.
O’Neill said the additional assistance would be granted after cabinet sits next month.
ABG minister for finance Albert Punghau, in welcoming the news, said yesterday that ABG was prepared to implement prioritised projects as soon as the money was received.
He added that the reactivation of Bougainville restoration and development authority on Monday indicated ABG’s commitment to prioritising restoration and development projects for Bougainville.
05.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MOLA CAR
By Aloysius Laukai
One of the remaining former National Members, DONATUS MOLA today received a brand new Fifth Element Toyota car from the ABG President chief John Momis.
MR. Momis handing over the keys to Mr. Donatus Mola
05.04.2011
Source: Radio New Zealand International
Bougainville leader urges common approach in mining debate
The president of the autonomous Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville, John Momis, has called for leaders to try and achieve a common approach on mining.
This follows a workshop on mining last week which Mr Momis says helped people focus on how they might make use of the province’s mineral resources.
The New Dawn website reports Mr Momis as saying that re-opening the Panguna mine is one approach, but the people need to decide if the province should put all its efforts in that direction.
He says Bougainville could also consider the development of other mines, or help small-scale Bougainvillean miners build up their productivity.
But he says there’ll be no significant mining projects unless everyone works together to bring stability and peace to all parts of the province.
And Mr Momis also says there’ll be no mining unless there’s agreement on a stable mining policy and law that meets the interests of landowners, government and investors, and is fair to all of them.
05.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BUKA MARKET CLOSED
By Aloysius Laukai
The recently maintained Buka town market still remains closed to the public as local contractor company KATSIN PLUMBING and CONSTRUCTION limited wait to be paid K30,000 in outstanding payments from Buka Urban Council.
The contractor says despite the official re-opening of the market last Friday, the market will not be open to vegetable sellers until they receive their outstanding payment.
The contractor says because they have not been paid their K30,000, they were not able to pay off their debts with the main local timber suppliers for the market building.
As a result, the contractors claim, they have received threats that the newly re-built market would be burnt if it is opened for market business without the contractors settling all outstanding payments.
Buka Urban Council manageress Brenda Tohiana confirms the delay of the K30,000 in payment of the contractors.
She also assures that payment would be made this week as soon as money is released from the office of the Minister for Bougainville Affairs FIDELIS SEMOSO.
The rebuilding of the Buka town market was at a cost of K700,000 of which the K30,000 is yet to be paid.
05.04.2011
Source: The National
ABG works on mining policy
THE Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) is working towards developing its own mining policy, President John Momis has said.
Speaking at the close of a three-day workshop in Buka last week, Momis said the workshop had helped ministers and senior officers to reach common understanding on the aims of future mining and the main options for achieving those aims.
The workshop, which was attended by ABG ministers and senior Bougainville administration officials, focused on developing proposals for the ABG cabinet to consider in the next few weeks.
“I emphasise that the workshop did not make any final decisions on the future of mining. Instead, it was an important part of the process to help the ABG consider all options.
“When cabinet has considered those options, much more awareness and consultation will be needed,” Momis said.
He added that the most important consultations would be with landowners of the six leases associated with the Panguna mine and wider consultation may occur through regional forums.
Momis said last week’s workshop was an important step for the ABG in thinking about the choices that could be made about future mining in Bougainville.
He said ABG’s possible aims for future mining included:
*Increased ABG revenue (both before mining begins and after it starts);
*Best possible mining practices in terms of environmental and social impacts; and
*Broad-based economic development ensuring maximum opportunities for the people of Bougainville.
“There are many possible ways of pursuing those aims.
“Re-opening the Panguna mine is one, but we will need to decide whether we put all efforts in that direction. We can also consider development of, perhaps, one or two other mines in Bougainville and another possibility is to help small-scale Bougainville miners to increase their productivity,” the president said.
He also called on all Bougainville leaders to work with the government towards achieving a common approach on future mining.
“Only the ABG has the legal authority and responsibility to represent and work with all Bougainvillean interests towards achieving outcomes that ensure maximum benefit for Bougainville.
“There will be no negotiations with the national government or BCL or any other major mining company unless the ABG decides to negotiate,” Momis said.
05.04.2011
Source: The National
Activist: Consult all before mine reopens
PROPER awareness and close consultation with the people should be given priority if the Paguna mine in Bougainville was to reopen.
This was the concern raised by one of the key architects and leaders in the Bougainville Peace process, Martin Miriori, in a statement yesterday.
Miriori, who is also a Panguna landowner and a former international BRA spokesman and human rights advocate during the Bougainville crisis, strongly appealed to those who were aggressively pushing and campaigning hard for the early-reopening of the Paguna mine that the leaders must, first of all, consult the people in order to avoid any potential problems happening again in the future.
“Surely, nobody wants to see a repeat of the same problem happening again in the future due to lack of awareness with the people.
“Close consultation must be carried out with the landowners and among all Bougainvilleans.
“Therefore, we must be prepared to commit all the necessary resources to approach the issue in a right way from the start, instead of simply trying to rush it by taking short-cuts without first consulting the people and carrying out the proper awareness programme with them,” Miriori said.
05.04.2011
Source: The National
AusAID provides K60,000 for cholera
By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
ACTIVITIES to address cholera in Bougainville has been boosted with K60,000 from AusAID.
The Australian government’s funding assistance complemented Bougainville cholera task force’s (BCTF) current budget of K50,000 granted jointly by the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the national government through the Department of Health.
Australian parliamentary secretary for Pacific Island affairs Richard Marles, in announcing the assistance, said the K60,000 would be used to maintain Lemanmanu Health Centre.
The health centre has been the central treatment point since the outbreak of cholera last month, which prompted BCTF to declare a medical state of emergency and prioritised all medical supplies to the area including relocating two doctors in Arawa to Lemanmanu on Buka Island.
Maintenance of the health centre would include improvement to existing water and toilet facilities, maintenance of existing wards and improvement to power services.
BCTF chairman Patrick Koles said cholera in the Lontis and Gogohe areas had been contained with the 65 reported cases, mostly from Lontis, all treated and discharged.
Buka General Hospital chief executive officer Dr Cyril Imako said doctors in Bougainville were on standby for any emergencies.
05.04.2011
Source: The National
ABG development body elects board
By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
BOUGAINVILLE Restoration and Development Authority (BRADA) yesterday celebrated the swearing in of seven of its nine board members by Buka district court magistrate Vincent Linge.
The BRADA board appointed by Bougainville Executive Council (BEC), comprise former managing director of Kalang Advertising Ltd Peter Tareasi, ABG minister for Works, Transport and Communication Carolus Ketsimur and ABG minister for Primary Industry and Marine Resources Nicholas Daku as BEC representatives, CEO Planning Lesley Tseraha and acting CEO technical services Simeon Itamai as Bougainville Administration representatives, prominent Bougainville woman Josephine Harepa as community representative and Secretary to BRADA Andol Sione.
Two other board members director of National Coordination Office of Bougainville Affairs Ellison Towallom and deputy secretary of PIP Juliana Kubak as National Government representatives will be sworn in at a later date after NEC endorses their appointments.
Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) finance minister Albert Punghau, in congratulating the board, warned that the board’s responsibilities would not be easy.
“I believe with your wisdom, you will guide the ABG administration in restoring and developing Bougainville. It is very important that the funds are better used on good infrastructure for the betterment of Bougainville,” Punghau said.
BRADA board chairman Tareasi, in thanking the ABG, said the government’s agenda was very precise, “we will do our best to achieve this”.
“We will set out a development agenda for our first meeting and also elect a deputy chairman,” Tareasi said .
05.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
ABG hosts mining workshop
AUTONOMOUS Bougainville Government President John Momis yesterday spoke out about the work that the ABG is doing to develop a policy on future mining operations in Bougainville.
The ABG held a three day workshop last week in Buka which was attended by ABG ministers and senior Bougainville administration officials to develop proposals for the ABG Cabinet to consider the aims of future mining operations and the main options for achieving those aims.
Bougainvilleans with extensive industry experience attended the workshop as facilitators and expert resource people on major issues. These included Mel Togolo, Sam Akoitai and David Osikore.
Those from the ABG that attended include Minister for National Resources Michael Oni and the senior officials from the ABG’s Department of Mining, headed by experienced mining engineer Stephen Burain.
Professor Ciaran O’Fairchallaigh of Griffith University (Brisbane) helped Mel Togolo to facilitate the workshop.
He also discussed how indigenous landowners in other countries prepare to negotiate large resource projects.
Dr Collin Filer from the Aus-tralian National University talked about social mapping of landowner communities in other parts of PNG. Two senior officers from the Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation discussed the use of sovereign wealth funds to manage revenues from large resource projects.
Mr Momis said the workshop had helped ministers and senior officers reach common understanding on the aims and options for future mining.
Recommendations from the workshop will be considered by the ABG Cabinet in the next few weeks.
“I emphasise that the workshop did not make any final discussions on the future of mining,” Mr Momis said.
“Instead it was an important part of the process to help the ABG consider all options.”
05.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Picture from the Mining Workshop
From Left Administrator Lawrence Disin, President John Momis, Mining Minister Michael Oni and Deputy Administrator Raymond Masono
04.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Momis on mining workshop
By Aloysius Laukai
The President of Bougainville, Chief John Momis, last Friday spoke about the work that the ABG is doing to develop policy on future mining in Bougainville.
He made these remarks at the closing of a three-day workshop from Wednesday 30th March to Friday 1st April.
The workshop was attended by ABG ministers and senior Bougainville Administration officials and developed proposals for the ABG Cabinet to consider the aims of future mining, and the main options for achieving those aims.
Senior Bougainvilleans with extensive mining industry experience attended the workshop as facilitators and expert resource people on major issues.
They included Mel Togolo, Sam Akoitai and David Osikore. Their input was in addition to major inputs from expertise and experience from within the ABG. That included our Minister for Natural Resources, Mr. Michael Oni, and the senior officers from the ABG’s Department of Mining, headed by the very senior and experienced mining engineer, Mr. Stephen Burain.
Several international experts came from overseas. Professor Ciaran O’Fairchaellaigh of Griffith University (Brisbane) helped Mel Togolo to facilitate the workshop. He also discussed how indigenous landowners in other countries prepare to negotiate large resource projects.
Dr. Colin Filer from the Australian National University talked on social mapping of landowner communities in other parts of PNG. Two senior officers from the Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation discussed the use of sovereign wealth funds to manage revenues from large resource projects.
The President said that the workshop had helped ministers and senior officers to reach common understandings on the aims of, and options for, future mining. Recommendations from the workshop will be considered by the ABG Cabinet in the next few weeks.
President Momis emphasised that the workshop did not make any final decisions on the future of mining. Instead it was an important part of the process to help the ABG consider all options. When the Cabinet has considered those options, much more awareness and consultation work will be needed. The most important consultations will be with landowners in the 6 leases associated with the Panguna mine. Wider consultation may occur through regional forums.
04.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
CONSULT LANDOWNERS
By Aloysius Laukai
ABG President Chief John Momis says consultation with Panguna mine lease landowners would be through the legally recognised executive bodies of the 6 landowner associations.
He said that“Since 2009 the ABG has worked with the communities in the 6 lease areas to establish their representative associations.
Mr. Momis said that officers from Bougainville Mining Department and Law Division have been doing this work and There has been very good progress with most of the leases.
He said that the ABG will wait until these associations are fully established and have chosen their executive bodies.
The current interim executives are doing important work to help establish the associations, and the ABG will continue to work with them until the associations are established.
But the interim executives have not been selected by all mine lease community members. So it is important that the ABG wait until fully representative bodies are established.”
The President said that when the 6 associations are fully established, they will make their own decision about a single umbrella body.
And the purpose of the umbrella body will be to bring together issues from all lease areas, and to represent them all in any discussions about the future of the Panguna mine.
Until the 6 associations are established, no decisions can be made about the structures and membership of the umbrella body.
Those decisions must be made by the associations representing the lease areas, because it is those associations that will together make up the membership of the umbrella body.”
04.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
WORKSHOP SUCCESS
By Aloysius Laukai
ABG President Chief John Momis has described last week’s workshop as successful.
He says that the workshop was an important step for the ABG in thinking about the choices that can be made about future mining in Bougainville.
MR. MOMIS said that our possible aims for future mining include: increased ABG revenue (both before mining begins and after it starts); best possible mining practices in terms of environmental and social impacts; broad-based economic development ensuring maximum opportunities for Bougainvilleans.
There are many possible ways of pursuing those aims. Re-opening the Panguna mine is one. But we will need to decide whether we put all efforts in that direction.
We could also consider development of perhaps one or two other mines in Bougainville. Another possibility is to help small-scale Bougainvillean miners to build up their productivity.
He says that No final decisions have been made on any of these issues. After the ABG Cabinet has considered the possibilities, they will be discussed with landowners and other major interest groups in Bougainville.”
The President also called on all Bougainville leaders to work with the ABG towards achieving a common approach on future mining.
He said only the ABG has the legal authority and the responsibility to represent and work with all Bougainvillean interests towards achieving outcomes that ensure maximum benefit for Bougainville.
MR. MOMIS further stressed that there will be no negotiations with the National Government or BCL or any other major mining company unless the ABG decides to negotiate.
And he called on all leaders, including National Government MPs, COEs, churches, women’s groups, veterans associations, and previous landowner associations, to cooperate fully with the ABG to pursue the common good.”
The President also called on leaders to be responsible in what they say in their discussion of the possibilities of mining, and about issues like reconciliation and weapons disposal in central and south Bougainville.
He said that there will be no significant mining project, either at Panguna or anywhere else in Bougainville, unless all Bougainvillean interests work together to bring stability, peace, and law and order, to all parts of Bougainville.
There will also be no such mining unless we can agree on a stable mining policy and law that meets the interests of landowners, government and investors, being fair to all of them.
04.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Instability
By Aloysius Laukai
ABG President Chief John Momis is also concerned that in the process of setting up landowner associations, there are dangers of stirring up old interests and divisions that can cause renewed instability and conflict.
He also made these comments at the closing of the Mining workshop in Buka last Friday.
He said that there is a real danger that in the lead-up to the 2012 National Parliament elections, sitting members and candidates could seek short-term political advantage.
He says that certain individuals could try to buy support amongst mine lease landowners, or raise unrealistic expectations about mining revenues or the early resumption of mining. In the process they can open old divisions or create new ones, and create instability.
He therefore called on all leaders to be responsible in what they say about the possible future arrangements for mining, and about such closely connected issues as weapons disposal.
MR. MOMIS says that all Bougainvilleans must work in solidarity for the best interests of Bougainville.
04.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BRADA ON
By Aloysius Laukai
Seven of nine Board members of the Bougainville Restoration and Development Authority (BRADA) were sworn in this afternoon by the Buka District Court Magistrate Vincent Linge.
This is the second board since BRADA was established in 2006 one year after the establishment of the Autonomous Bougainville Government.
The aim of establishing the BRADA was to co-ordinate development programs for the ABG similar to the Gazelle Restoration Authority in East New Britain which was established after the twin volcano eruptions in East New Britain.
The new Board members are, PETER TAREASI as Chairman.
ABG Minister for Works, Transport, Communications and BRADA, CAROLUS KETSIMUR.
ABG Minister for Primary Industry and Marine Resources, NICHOLAS DARKU.
Bougainville Planner, LESLEY TSERAHA.
CEO for Technical Services, SEMION ITAMAI,
Community Representative, JOSEPHIN HAREPA,
Director of the National Co-ordination Office of Bougainville Affairs(NCOBA)
And the Deputy Secretary for PIP, representing the National Government, MRS. JULIANA KUBAK.
Only the two National Government representatives, Ellison Towallom and MRS Juliana Kubak will be sworn in later once the NATIONAL Executive Council approves their appointments.
04.04.2011
Source: The National
Help for teacher-less atolls
CHILDREN in Mortlock and Tasman atoll group in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville have reportedly been out of classes since the beginning of the school year because there are no teachers.
This has caused much anxiety and concern among parents, the community and children eager to study.
The shortcoming came to light last week when Rabaul Shipping Ltd announced that it would help by taking 10 teachers, who had been stranded in Buka, to the atolls today to start classes.
The Bougainville government and its education division had been unable to hire a ship to take the teachers to Mortlock and Tasman, the atoll group northwest of Buka.
Acting chief executive officer of the ABG education division, Michael Meten, asked for Rabaul Shipping’s help last week.
In a letter to the coastal shipping company, he said it was well into the school year and his teachers were still on the Buka mainland.
Meten said since after the Christmas school holidays, there had been no ships available to take them to the atolls.
Rabaul Shipping managing director Peter Sharp said last Friday that children should not be denied their right to education and it was also their aim to assist where they could, thus they have come to the aid of the teachers.
The ABG, through its education division, has expressed appreciation for the initiative the shipping company was undertaking to assist the stranded teachers while admitting that the government was not able to assist due to lack of funding.
Also travelling with the 10 teachers to the isolated islands were other stranded passengers for Mortlock and Tasman.
Sharp said the initiative came after chairman of the Te-emarae Development Foundation of Mortlock Islands, Televika Faite sought assistance from Rabaul Shipping to assist the stranded teachers.
04.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
O’Neill gives K30m to Bougainville
By GORETHY KENNETH
PAPUA New Guinea Treasurer Peter O’Neill gave away K30 million to the people of Bougainville last Friday for impact projects earmarked for the region.
Treasurer O’Neill who was guest of honour at Buka’s K700,000 “made in Bougainville” market opening gave away K20 million for the Kokopau Tinputz ring road 25 kilometre sealing, K5 million for the Buka Ring Road sealing, K3 million for the Buka town maintenance and K2 million to improve communication in the region.
Treasurer O’Neill officially opened phase 1 of the Buka Market last Friday accompanied by Western Highlands Governor Tom Olga, Prime Minister’s advisor Chris Haiveta, Mining Secretary Nellie James, Office of Rural Development director Paul Sai and National Planning deputy secretary Takale Tuna.
New Zealand High Commissioner to PNG Marion Crawshaw and other foreign dignitaries were also there to witness the official opening of the Buka Market.
The Phase 1 Buka Market project cost K500,000 – part of the K700,000 market project that came under the K1.4 million impact project on Bougainville. With these funds, Bougainville Affairs Minister and Regional MP Fidelis Semoso built 35 mini road side markets throughout Bougainville.
Last week Bougainville Affairs Minister Fidelis Semoso picked up a K1 million infrastructure grant for projects in Central Bougainville mainly to assist women groups, youths and the National Government office in Arawa.
O’Neill announced that the Somare-Abal Government’s commitment of K500 million for the next five years to Bougainville to start in 2012 would now be moved back to 2011 where some of the funds will be appropriated and distributed for major projects in the region.
The Treasurer handed two cheques to Minister Semoso on Friday – K5 million for the Buka Ring Road and K2 million for the communication program in the region. The K3 million cheque for the Buka town maintenance will be ready when the next Cabinet meeting convenes in Port Moresby..
04.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Govt to start paying funds to Bougainville
By GORETHY KENNETH
PAPUA New Guinea’s K500 million commitment to Bougainville to start next year will now be moved forward with the first batch of funds made available this year, Treasurer Peter O’Neill announced in Buka last Friday.
Initially the National Government through the Joint Supervisory Body meeting in Port Moresby last month announced the K500 million to be distributed for the next five years and earmarked for impact projects on Bougainville will officially be disbursed in 2012. It will not be the case now - the funds will be made available this year according to Treasurer O’Neill.
Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal made the announcement in Port Moresby last month, advising that the money would be included in the National Government Budget allocation to Bougainville where K100 million should be released every year for the next five years. This K100 million will be added on the yearly budget of K70 million for Bougainville every year, which would now bring the total every year for the next five years to more than K170million.
“I want to announce today that this year 2011, we will move our program forward and part of the K500 million funds allocation will be made available through the National Budget to Bougainville this year. The government has been committed to developing Bougainville by providing funding for road maintenance throughout the region, law and order, health and education. During the JSB meeting I was horrified to learn about the region’s funding problems. This time I will make sure all funds for you will be released on time.” He said the funds would be used for major impact projects to effect service delivery to the most remote parts of Bougainville.He brought about K30 million - K20 million for the Kokopau-Selau road sealing, K5 million for the Buka Ring Road sealing, K3million for the Buka town maintenance and K2 million for the communication sector.
04.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Cops boosted
PARLIAMENTARY Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs Richard Marles last week announced a funding of K700,000 to help improve the law and order situation in Bougainville.
Mr Marles made the announcement at a meeting with President of Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), John Momis during his first visit to the island.
The funding will support a greater police presence in Bougainville through the establishment of police posts in Haku, Sipuru and Buin.
Buin will also benefit from the construction of 16 accommodation blocks at Buin Police Barracks. In Awara, the existing 16-unit barracks are rundown and the funding will also be used to refurbish them.
The funding has been provided by AusAID through the Governance Implementation Fund, which is supported by Australia, New Zealand, the Government of Papua New Guinea and the ABG.
“Some areas of Bougainville, particularly in the south, are relatively under-developed and inaccessible. These areas continue to suffer from factional conflict, which in part is due to limited economic opportunities and poor access to services,” Mr Marles said.
“Australia is addressing this situation and is an active partner to the ABG in developing the region. We have restored more than 500 kilometres of roads, funded maintenance and equipment for 90 per cent of primary schools and strengthened maternal and child health in Bougainville.
“Funding announced today to improve law and order in the south, complements other assistance in this area including the construction of a new prison in Buka.”
Australia has contributed more than $A280 million in aid to Bougainville since 1997 to help Bougainville address post-crisis issues that demand flexible and conflict-sensitive responses.
In 2010-11, funding is expected to be approximately $A20 million.
During the visit, Mr Marles officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony for a new science lab at St Gregory’s Technical High School, Koromira. AusAID committed K250,000 to the project.
“The number of functioning schools in Bougainville is now equal to pre-crisis levels and enrolment is increasing, which is something the Government of Papua New Guinea and the ABG should be proud of,” Mr Marles said.
“Education is vital to the development of Bougainville and this science lab is a small but a practical example of the effective partnership between Australia and PNG that is seeing more children enrol in school and more children complete their schooling.”
02.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Bougainville Regional member receives check of K5 Million for the Buka Ring Road sealing.
The sealing reached Malasang last year, this will reach Lonahan village and beyond.
02.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Crowd at the Buka Market Opening
01.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Communications Minister in the ABG Carolus Ketsimur (right) presents gift to the Governor of Western Highlands Tom Ogla (left) at the Buka market opening.
01.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PNG Minister Peter O'NEILL welcomed at the Buka airport.
Pic by Aloysius Laukai
01.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
KUNUA CHANGES
By Aloysius Laukai
KUNUA DISTRICT in the north- west area of Bougainville is one of the region’s least developed areas. However, people from villages like Tohein and other areas near the Kunua District Station have finally put their heads together to eradicate cannabis or marijuana from their area.
North Bougainville Regional Police Commander Inspector Cletus Tsien and his New Zealand Police Advisor Inspector Andrew Smith along with a team of community policing officers from Buka Police Station were at Kunua last Saturday to witness the second marijuana uprooting and burning event in the Teua Constituency.
The ABG member for Teua Constituency, Joseph Nopei, Kunua Executive Manager John Sisiasi; Council of Elders rep, John Siriri including various youth and women’s representatives were also present.
The eradication program began last month at Tohein Village and continued on at Ubuyopei Village last Saturday.
Kunua Police Post Officer in Charge, Acting Sergeant Donald Boire with the help of Community Auxiliary Police Officers, youth, teachers and students from two primary schools in the area all helped in the uprooting of plants from a mountainside farm which they carried all the three kilometers way to Ubuyopei Village where the plants were burnt up after a short ceremony.
A primary school teacher, Michael Sition, who along with fellow colleagues and students, helped police with the uproot and burn exercise expressed his views that marijuana was a drug not worth taking as it was a contributing factor to many social ills in the community. He said that he used to take marijuana when he was young but later in life quit smoking weed because he found out that it was very harmful to one’s well being and not worth taking.
Police and other leaders also expressed similar sentiments and encouraged the youth of Kunua to keep up the good work of freeing their area from marijuana.
01.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SEMOSO ON ECONOMY
By Aloysius Laukai
The Regional member for Bougainville and Minister for Bougainville Affairs and Trade, FIDELIS SEMOSO wants more women to participate in economic activities on Bougainville.
He said women’s participation in economic activities will empower the women to have cash for basic family needs.
The Minister was speaking at the Buka Town Market opening this morning.
He said if ONE HUNDRED KINA each was given to a man and a woman, the woman would go for foods whilst the man will go for his beer.
MR. SEMOSO said that it was based on this believe that the National Government has gone into Town, Village and road sides markets around Papua New Guinea and Bougainville.
He said that if the women are able to earn money near their home, they can also have funds to meet school fees and other basic household necessities.
01.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
TREASURER DISHES FUNDS
By Aloysius Laukai
The Minister for Finance and Treasury, PETER O'NEILL today announced funds to Bougainville totaling ONE HUNDRED THIRTHY MILLION KINA.
He made this announcement at the opening of the Buka Town Market on Buka island this morning.
He said TWENTY MILLION KINA would go to the KOKOPAU to Arawa sealing, TWO MILLION KINA for Communications, THREE MILLION KINA to the Buka urban Council, FIVE MILLION for the sealing of Buka ring road and the first ONE HUNDRED MILLION KINA from the FIVE HUNDRED MILLION KINA approved by the last JSB meeting in Port Moresby.
MR. O'NEILL said that they would want to put forward the first batch of ONE HUNDRED MILLION KINA to this year instead of waiting for next year.
01.04.2011
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BUKA MARKET OPENED
By Aloysius Laukai
The long awaited Buka Town Market opening was done this morning by the Minister for Finance and Treasury, PETER O'NEILL in front of a capacity crowd in Buka town.
The market upgrading was made from funds totaling SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND KINA from the National Government.
In his speech, Treasurer, PETER O'NEILL apologized to the people of Bougainville for waiting for so long for the National Government to come to their assistance.
He said that the National Government under Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare is committed to bump more money to support the reconstruction process on Bougainville.
MR. ONEIL also announced TWENTY MILLION for the Buka to Arawa Highway upgrading and sealing.
He also gave another FIVE MILLION KINA for the continuation of the Buka ring road sealing.
The Minister also gave another TWO MILLION KINA for communication to the Regional member for Bougainville.
01.04.2011
Source: Post-Courier
Aust concerned
AUSTRALIA is concerned about Bougainville’s weapons disposal program and how the guns issue is still a major problem for the newly established government.
But Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs Richard Marles is confident the Autonomous Bougainville Government is handling the issue at their own rate and phase and is adamant the matter will be resolved in time.
Mr Marles was asked by the media if Australia was concerned about the lack of address by the ABG and the slow progress of the guns issue.
Australia spends K3.5 million a year on Bougainville’s weapons disposal program indirectly through another non-government organisation or through the United Nations Development Program.
Mr Marles told reporters in Arawa that Australia was concerned but optimistic that Bougainville leaders headed by ABG president John Momis had the initiative and push to address the issue and that Australia was ready to assist more if there was any help needed and proposals presented on the specific issue. A lot of guns are still being carried around by youths, rebels, former rebels and even public servants and businessmen.
