News 04.2012

30.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Panguna Metals still in business

By PETERSON TSERAHA

THE management of Panguna Metals have explained their side of the story, after their equipments worth around three million kina were torched by a frustrated mob.

Two excavators, a hundred tonne crane truck and a Mack truck (Semi-trailer) were burnt in what the management calls a criminal act and the Law will be involved in this case now.

According to Manager Jeffery Clayson, Panguna Metals is a registered Company with the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) and has complied with Government regulations as well as pays tax to the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC).

“We are a well organised Company. There was an internal matter and we (PML), were given four days to sort it out. We were about to sort out the matter when they burnt the equipment on the very first day, when things are in process.” Mr. Clayson said. The situation will be resolved after a meeting with senior excombatants in Arawa. The management says the company will not seize operations.

Mr. Clayson further stated that those responsible shouldn’t have just taken arsonist action and burnt the equipment but they should have come to the management, sit down and talk on a round table and sorted the issue out.

“We have a benefit package that is fair and suites every stakeholder where a percentage goes to landowners, to the ex combatants and to everybody involved it is fair.” Mr. Clayson said.

Meanwhile the management further reiterated that they are still going to work with the people responsible for burning their equipment, because the partners say they still want to work with Panguna Metals.

“With the incident it doesn’t mean we are going to work without ex combatants, no.We still want to work with them only on one condition that they must not sabotage our equipment again.” Mr Clayson said.

Panguna Metals since the the beginning have been lending a helping hand to everybody, by employing unemployed youths walking around the streets of Arawa to funding sporting and other recreational activities. The company’s marketing strategy simply outlines their work in helping the community with t-shirts and caps with the name Panguna Metals on it shows transparency without any hidden motive or agenda. “Things will be sorted out once we sit down and talk about it. It is just another misunderstanding gone out of control. We are still going to continue with our business and operations.” Mr Clayson said.

30.04.2012

Source: PNG Attitude

We’ll ‘fast track’ Panguna says new chairman

29.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

LODGE9

By Aloysius Laukai in Port Moresby

Pictured is a family from Bougainville who are running a lodge at Nine mile in Port Moresby.

The new lodge named as Lodge9 is taking clients after it opened its doors to clients at the begining of this year.

The lodge currently has 14standard rooms which are available at K100 per night.

Toilet and Shower rooms are shared facilities..

If you are looking for a cheaper and safe accommodation in Port Moresby you can call them on 71810566 or 76845039 or wireless phone 3413519 or you can also email them on lodge9png@gmail.com

Tansport to and from the airports are provided for free...

New Dawn will do a separate coverage for this lodge shortly.

27.04.2012

Source: ESBC Research

Chris Damana elected!

Today, the landowners of the Panguna Special Mining Lease Association elected their new board of directors:

Chairman: Mr. Chris Damana

Vice-Chairman: Mr. Jo Avero

Secretary: Mr. Denis Nasia

Treasurer: Mr. William Basiku

Mr. Lawrence Daveona who, until now,  had served as an interim secretary has not been reelected.

In a first statement, Mr. Damana confirmed that his organization will fast-track to re-open the Panguna Mine as soon as possible. 

Only two landowner associations are still to elect their body. Once these elections will be hold, the Panguna lanowners are supposed to vote for a mutual association called the "umbrella body". This organsation will then represent all Panguna landowners in the negotiations on the new Bougainville Copper Agreement (BCA).The ESBC understands that this will take place within the next weeks.

Chris Damana who is one of the most shining personalities in Panguna, will also run for a seat in the national parliament in the upcoming elections in June 2012.The ESBC president Axel G. Sturm congratulated Mr. Damana and his colleagues and wished them wisdom and good luck in their ambitious tasks.

27.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Scrap metal war flares up 

Heavy equipment belonging to Panguna Metals, a sub-contractor to Komeri Limited, a firm dealing with scrap metal from the abandoned Panguna mine were set alight on Tuesday afternoon by disgruntled former combatants who had been promised a share in the affluent scrap metal trade.

Mr Onartoo said that the latest incident occurred because Panguna Metals had failed to keep their word by not paying former BRA members of “A”, “B”, “C” and “D” companies of Central Bougainville, proceeds from the electric shovel buckets as they had promised during a series of six meetings between Panguna Metals and the former combatants. 

“We know that most of the equipment such as the ball mills is not scrap and we are aware that BCL and CRA are involved in the Operations of Komeri because it allows for BCL to gets its hands on the equipment that it left behind and much of it good as new and not scrap metal. BCL has a lot to answer for in Bougainville and it should compensate the lives lost in the crisis before it even talks about re-opening the mine.”

“We are also aware that directors of Komeri are the controversial old Panguna landowners whose dealings with BCL marginalised certain families of the landowning clans causinga rift that resulted in Francis Ona taking up arms. We don’t want to see the repeat of what happened in the past.”

Mr Onartoo added that the Autonomous Bougainville Government had failed miserably in dealing with the scrap metal issue when it did not declare all the equipment and material left behind by BCL state property. He further claimed that sales invoices by the scrap metal firm were falsified to mislead the customs so that only a small duty was paid for the shipments.

According to a former Resistance Forces commander, he and his colleagues from the BRA were asked to sign an agreement by Panguna Metals to allow the scrap metal from the mine site to be sold overseas. “We were promised employment and other benefits if we signed those papers but to date we have not heard from them and it is no surprise to me that their equipment has been destroyed,’’ he said.

“Much of the metal from Loloho and Panguna had already been sold out to overseas buyers. A fair bit of this equipment had been sold intact to mine operations around the world. Building structured walk ways, steel beams that were ideal for building Government offices, classrooms, and halls were among other useful things that were cut up and sold as scrap overseas.’’

27.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Semoso opposes Bill on women’s seats

By PHILP KEPSON

FORMER Speaker of Bougainville Autonomous Government Assembly Francesca Semoso said she would continue to fight for gender fairness in other aspects of life but not reserved seats for women in Parliament.

“I will fight for gender justice in terms of equal participation in other aspects of life. However, I strongly oppose the idea of having reserved seats for women,” she said.

Ms Semoso told hundreds of supporters at the launching of the Peoples Party National Convention in Enga Province last Friday that the idea of allocating special seats for women was a system to undermine women’s potential to fight for their rights to contest in elections in the same manner as men and she did not like the idea of vying for specially reserved seats.

“I am a strong fighter for equal rights. However, the idea of reserving seats for women in Parliament is a dreadful idea. If we adopt the system, it would mean that women are naturally not fit to do some of the work that only men can do, which is not true. Therefore, both men and women must face the challenge of getting out there and convincing the voters to vote for them. We have to move on with life instead of going backward by promoting ancient mentalities,” she said.

On her intention to join Enga Governor and party leader Peter Ipatas, Ms Semoso said she had confidence in his leadership and to help her and Bougainvilleans in realising their dream of seeing the region becoming an independent state following the referendum which was scheduled to be held in 2015.

She said the current leadership and past governments had given the autonomous region of Bougainville lip-service which had resulted in zero expansion of programs that were initiated towards independence.

Ms Semoso said she also wanted to be part of a team that was led by a leader who had experience in delivering basic service and development with limited resources to the people.

“I think Mr Ipatas is the only Governor who has a track record in delivering development projects and services to his people. The successful administration of his education policy under which he introduced free education and later quality education are sufficient enough to convince me to be part of his party. What’s the use of being with leaders who don’t know how to deliver, I don’t have time to waste and pretend to do something for my people if I am given the opportunity,” she said.

Ms Semoso resigned last year as speaker to contest in the North Bougainville Open by-election. The seat was left vacant by incumbent Michael Ogio when he had opted to take up the Governor-General’s position.

Ms Semoso said she was confidently waiting for the issue of Writs for this year’s election before she announces her intention to contest the seat.

27.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

ICT HONIARA WORKSHOP ENDS

by Aloysius Laukai in Honiara

The two week Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Training for trainers workshop in Honiara ended today with participants receiving their certificates.

The workshop was able to empower the twenty participants mainly community radio workers and NGOs on tools hey can usee iin training others using ICT.

The workshop was funded by the Commonwealth of Learning supported by Unesco UNDP and other partners.

On the Fm radio operators from Isabel Province, they now have learned proper ways of using their equipments at their 8 stations as practical use of equipments and latest tools available to them like the fronttline sms were demonstrated and practised at this training.

A team from Solomon islands and New Dawn Fm would be developing a proposal to the Isabel Provincial Government on possible ways they can fully utilize the network established under UNDP as sustaining these radios has been the problem in the past.

Aloysius added a beautiful picture of sunrise (new dawn) in Honiara taken from Chester Rest house overlooking the wharf:

27.04.2012

Source: ESBC

Click here to find out more about  The Lasslett Dispute !

26.04.2012

Source: ABC Radio Australia News

PNG's deputy PM says party ready for mid-year poll

by Firmin Nanol, Port Moresby and staff

Papua New Guinea's Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah (pictured) says his party is ready to go ahead with the country's 2012 national polls in June.

PNG's parliament recently voted to defer the mid-year vote for six months, but the Electoral Commissioner, Andrew Trawen, is sticking to the mid-year time table.

Mr Namah says MPs and candidates from the PNG Party will nominate on May 18, the date set by the PNG Electoral Commissioner.

But he says, while the national elections will go ahead on time, he plans to sue the Electoral Commission to defer polls in his own electorate of Vanimo-Green electorate.

"I want to make sure that my electoral roll is properly done," he said.

"If it is not properly done then I will ask for the deferral for elections for my Vanimo-Green electorate, because I want every eligible citizen to vote in the elections. 

"Whether they vote for me or another candidate it does not matter."

Despite assurances from Prime Minister Peter O'Neill that the mid-year vote will proceed, there have been public protests opposing any delay.

There has also been speculation of another delay, after the PNG Government announced an investigation into the legality of the Mr Trawen's appointment.

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said there was an "illegality" because Commissioner Andrew Trawen had reached the retirement age of 55.

Australia's Defence Minister, Stephen Smith, who is visiting Port Moresby for Anzac Day services, says Australia wants to see the polls held on schedule in June.

"In these areas it's always most important to take it step-by-step, and I welcome very much the reports I've seen today, (Australia's) prime minister welcomed very much indications from Prime Minister Peter O'Neill that the election would be held on the constitutional timetable, with writs issuing in May and election in June, July," he said.

"But we also acknowledge that it's a very big logistical exercise - getting the roll right, getting the ballots to remote locations. The conduct of the exercise is a big and difficult logistical exercise.

"We want an election to take place in accordance with Papua New Guinea's processes, and we're confident that it will."

26.04.2012

Source: PNG Attitude

26.04.2012

Source: ESBC Research

Leonard Kania turned music video turned at Aropa Airport near Arawa.

25.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Trawen sticks to election program 

By GORETHY KENNETH

ELECTIONS will go ahead as planned with the issue of Writes scheduled for May 18 and the polls to be held in June, Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen has announced.

Mr Trawen said last night that the revised program for the 2012 National General Elections which was approved by the Governor General would go ahead as planned and had reassured the people of Papua New Guinea, investors and the international community on the PNGEC’s stand. 

Mr Trawen’s reassurance follows Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s reassurance, also in the media yesterday, that the elections would still be held on the dates set by the Electoral Commissioner and Electoral Commission.

“Despite doubts on PNGEC’s preparedness for the elections I can confidently say that our preparations are on target. I have not wavered in my stance for the elections to commence on 18th May with the issue of writs,” Mr Trawen said.

“Electoral Rolls for all the 89 Open electorates will be ready and delivered on time for polling to start on 23rd June,” he said.

In the meantime, he said, preliminary Electoral Rolls from New Guinea Islands, Momase and Southern regions are now being returned to Port Moresby to be finalised while preliminary Rolls for most of the Highlands provinces have been dispatched last week for public viewing and inspection. Preliminary Electoral Rolls for the Autonomous Region of Bougainville are still at Tokua airport for the past few days awaiting transportation to Buka by Air Niugini.

Mr Trawen said preliminary rolls for those Highlands provinces dispatched last week for public viewing and inspection included Eastern and Southern Highlands provinces, Enga, Hela and Jiwaka while preliminary rolls for Western Highlands and Chimbu were being dispatched this week.

“Let me place on record that Obura, Lamari and Yelia LLGs in Obura-Wonenara Open electorate and parts of Kainantu and Okapa Open electorates are also being printed and will be dispatched this week.

“Even the latest material to get out for public inspection would still give more than three weeks for the public to check the data to make sure it is accurate, before the rolls close with the Issue of Writs on 18th May, 2012,” he said.

“As such, I remain confident as I have always been that PNG Electoral Commission can produce a good roll for the public when we go to the polls with certified Ward Rolls in June.

25.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Morumbi Resources raises $US1.2mil

MORUMBI Resources (Morumbi), a Canadian diversified exploration company having interest in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, had raised approximately $US1.2 million through the exercise of 3 Million Warrants to fund general working capital and to pursue oil and gas and mineral opportunities in PNG.

According to a market release yesterday posted at the Toronto Stock Exchange, Morimbi announced that the company has received total proceeds of US$1,165,188 from the exercise of 2,713,320 common share purchase warrants and 326,640 finder’s warrants expiring on April 19, 2012. 

Bougainville Basin Oil, Gas Ltd. (BBOG) a PNG subsidiary of Morumbi, has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bougainville Basin Exploration Company (BBEC), a landowner company which was formed by the Babanna and Rabasti clans with the support and endorsement of the Chiefs in Bana District of Bougainville. 

The market release stated that the terms of the MoU contemplate that BBOG will submit, on behalf of the company and its landowner company partner, an Application for a Prospecting Petroleum License over much of the Bougainville Basin which is one of five oil and amp; gas basins located in PNG. 

The Bougainville Basin is largely unexplored with the only activity to date occurring in the early 1970s when Shell shot 1,800 kilometres of offshore 2D seismic and drilled one exploration to a depth of 1,682 meters after which it was plugged and abandoned. 

25.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Bougainville school gets financial help

PARENTS and citizens of Malabita Primary School in the Buin District of South Bougainville can now look forward to the construction of a new classroom in their school. And this is all thanks to the South Bougainville MP and Bougainville Affairs Minister Steven Pirika Kamma for allocating K50, 000 towards the construction of the classroom. According to the Council of Elders’ (COE) member for Malanku COE in the Baubake constituency in Buin, James Wape, it was the first time for them to receive such funding from any elected leader, and thanked Mr Kamma for the money. 

The K50, 000 cheque was officially handed over to the school last Friday.

Pictured is Mr Kamma (left) presenting the cheque to a representative of the school.

Words and Picture: WINTERFORD TOREAS

24.04.2011

Source: ESBC Research

TOMORROW, April 25th, 2012: ANZAC Day

SYDNEY SECURITIES EXCHANGE (ASX) CLOSED !

MORGEN, 25. April 2012: ANZAC Day

BÖRSE SYDNEY (ASX) GESCHLOSSEN !

24.04.2012

Source: The National

Semoso fails to drop charges 

By JUNIOR UKAHA

AN attempt by Bougainville MP Fidelis Semoso (pictured) to have charges against him dismissed was refused by a leadership tribunal yesterday.

Their refusal was on the grounds that strict rules of evidence needed to be complied with in the matter as Semoso had already responded to the charges against him.

Lawyer Charles Mende representing Semoso said his client would still file an application after the substantive hearing.

Mende said it was a normal court procedure.

Semoso is seeking to dismiss various charges against him which he claimed were “improperly drafted and are not sufficiently stated so as to give a fair opportunity to the leader to understand the specific requirements and to respond”.

Semoso was not in court for the hearing. The tribunal and state prosecutor were concerned as it was the second time he had been absent.

State prosecutor Anthony Kupmain said it was “not good enough” for Semoso to be absent.

Lenalia asked Mende if his client was in town. The lawyer said Semoso was in Bougainville.

Lenalia told Mende that delaying court proceedings was not in the best interest of justice and matters should be fast-tracked.

24.04.2012

Source: PNG Attitude

Is the Supreme Court a threat to democracy?

BY KEITH JACKSON

 THE CURRENT CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS in Papua New Guinea has been created by certain members of the Supreme Court, not by Peter O’Neill or by Michael Somare.

The paper argues that the crisis has been triggered by unconstitutional and undemocratic orders made by the Supreme Court, the refusal of Chief Justice to recognise the constitutional powers of cabinet, placing himself above the law, and the refusal of certain judges to recognise the unlimited constitutional power of parliament to legislate.

“By refusing to recognise the decisions and powers of parliament,” Ms Twivey argues, “certain Judges are destroying democracy and rewriting the Constitution.”

She also claims they are “breaching the oath to uphold the Constitution that they swore to observe on their appointments as judges.”

The paper says that “certain judges have exercised powers that according to the Constitution they do not have and have never been claimed or exercised by any judge in PNG or anywhere else.

“These certain members of the Supreme Court gave orders in December 2011 and now again in April 2012 over Parliament, the type of which have never, ever been made, not only in the history of PNG, but in the history of any Westminster system of democracy, not since the theory of the divine right of kings was abandoned in 1688 and the first Bill of Rights of Parliament was enacted.”

Ms Twivey concludes: “Since Independence Papua New Guinea has every reason to be extremely proud of its hard working judiciary. The present actions have created a crisis.”

23.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Highway drivers warned

By Tapo Tovilu

The Highway from Kokopau in Buka to Buin in South Bougainville has seen an increase in accidents in the past 2 years.

This has prompted Joe Mitore from Arawa to come out openly on the issue of dangerous driving.

He says that many Bougainvilliean highway drivers are well known for their aggressive driving and are highly respected in that area.

But he says if they are not careful accidents may occur on this long stretch of road linking our communities.

He has called on drivers to be considerate of their driving and also of others who use the road.

23.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

DPI plans more impact

By Tapo Tovilu

The Department of Primary Industries in Bougainville has planned for more impact projects to me implemented this year.

Planning Officer from DPI Sam Rangai says that these projects will be in line with their five year impact projects plan.

The plan initially planned after the lack of proper DPI projects in Communities in the region is nearing its completion.

The Department plans to be given support by the ABG with the implementation phase of this five year plan for Bougainville.

This Plan will be aimed at improving Agriculture and the Primary industries in the region to push forward development in the region.

23.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

ATM lines causing frustration

By Tapo Tovilu

The current state of Bougainvilleas banking systems is a nightmare for some who sweat it out for hours standing in line just to use the ATM’s in Buka.

A senior public figure in Buka town says that this which has been happening for too long must be improved.

He says the lines are a delay to work which many Bougainvilleas come to do when here in Buka town.

He added that is very hard to believe that only three ATM machines service the whole of Bougainville.

The figure says that if the banking system is improved the flow of development in the middle classes can be improved.

New Dawn FM understands that an ATM is currently being built in Arawa to service the people of South and Central Bougainville.

23.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Police loose comrade

By Tapo Tovilu

Bougainville Police service has lost one of its pioneer female policing officers who was present since Bougainville became Autonomous in 2005.

Police woman constable Genevieve Kepino in her thirties from Wakoya Village in Siwai South Bougainville passed away on Sunday after a long illness.

The late Constable Kepino was one of the first eight police women to be recruited in 2004 out of 92 male counter parts to form the Bougainville Police Service.

She served in Bougainville first at Buka Police Station than Arawa Wakunai up to her passing.

Wakunai Police station commander Sgt Oscar Tugein described late PWC Kepino as a very promising young police investigator who dealt with such cases as rape, armed robbery and homicide while attached with the Wakunai Police Station.

Her Body was escorted to her home village for burial on Wednesday and she is survived by her husband First Constable Steven Kamou and their child.

23.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Parents and students warned

By Tapo Tovilu

Students who are attending Hahela Primary School have been warned to be extra cautious when crossing the roads.

A concerned member of the public issued the warning following an accident involving a student over the weekend.

The accident just outside the Callan Services Center at Hahela has sparked concern from members of the public.

Because it is part of the Buka Highway many parents have been advised to take care of their children during peak hours when traffic is busy.

A call has been made to drivers to slow down when entering the Hahela area as it is a school area.

23.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Kunua District plans ahead

By Tapo Tovilu

The Kunua District officers will be, this Friday launching a district impact project implementation plan for the next 5 years.

The plan which will be launched is aimed at strengthening the impact projects to be issued in the coming months.

The Spokes person from the Kunua District say that more projects for the Kunua district are planned for this year.

They say this is because Kunua being one of the least developed areas in Bougainville must have more pumped in for more development.

The program will be held at the Kunua District office on Friday this week and will be attended by ABG ministers and other stake holders.

23.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Teachers not happy

By Tapo Tovilu

Many teachers who were present during 1994 to 2003 in the region are frustrated that their names were not on the RA payout list.

Many retired teachers from Central and South Bougainville who travelled to Buka are frustrated that their names have been missed.

One long time serving teacher from South Bougainville who traveled to Buka last week says that the system which they are using is biased and unfair.

He says that a lot of the serving teachers who had been working tirelessly during this time have not been included.

He made a call to those who had not received any payments to wait patiently as the list was to be updated for the next payouts in June.

New Dawn FM understands that many public servants from all departments have also been missed out in these RA payouts.

23.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Delays becoming a concern

By Tapo Tovilu

The constant delay of flights into Buka has caused frustration for many people in Buka wishing to travel to other parts of the country.

A resident in Buka says that in the past three weeks flight delays and cancelations have become common for the traveling public.

He says that a lot of this has caused inconvenience for many who travel on Air Niugini into and out of Buka.

He has called on relevant authorities to see to it that something is done to improve the service calling on other airline companies to also consider extending their roots to Buka.

New Dawn FM understands that Travel Air will soon be operating into and out of the region.

23.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Siriosi praises women

By Tapo Tovilu

Chris Siriosi CEO for Law and Justice in Bougainville has praised women from North Bougainville for speaking out on current issues in the region.

This follows some major issues which in the past weeks have threatened the peace and harmony in the region.

Siriosi says that many women in the region are doing the right thing by speaking out on these issues which are affecting the region.

He says that this has shown that the women of Bougainville have a heart for the region and for it to move and develop peacefully.

He also stressed that Bougainville is going through a time of transition and needs to be very cautious on what steps it would take.

Siriosi congratulated the women for the forum adding that they were playing a major part in educating and building the region.

23.04.2012

Source: ESBC 

Open letter to Dr. Kris Lasslett

Dr. Lasslett,

Your disgraceful lampoon is remarkable.

It's really shameful if an expert in criminology completely ignores facts and reality. Your naive adoption of statements and claims from rebel groups on the ground disqualify you as an honest scientist. In all your text there is no single word on competing criminal gangs on the ground. You don't refer on intimidation or blackmail. You don't expose neither robbery nor murder committed by these groups. A comparison to mafia or triads structures would be more appropriate.

You even do not hesitate to refer to the infamous California court case that has been initiated by a small group of greedy PNG citizens to raise money from Rio Tinto. No word about the doubtful involvement of former Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare in all this as well. All information on this was made public and is accessible thanks to some leaked documents in the past.

If you ignore facts, you do not deserve to be called a scientist. I suppose that your work in Ulster, a region well known for rebellion and organised crime, troubled your vision. Your text unmasks you as a naive and fanatic anti-mining activist. Unfortunately you are also allowed to spread your  ideas amongst young students. You shall not use your academic position as a platform for indoctrination and agitation.

Freedom of research and science does not mean promoting untruth!

I will not further comment on your ideas in future. It’s not worth it.

Axel G. Sturm

Escaldes-Engordany, 23.04.2012

23.04.2012

Source: Papua New Guinea Mine Watch

The greatest threat to Bougainville Copper’s future is it’s hidden past

By Dr. Kris Lasslett (picture), via ACT NOW! 

However, perhaps the ESBC’s President needs reminding, the greatest threat to BCL’s future remains its unacknowledged past. Despite revelations aired on SBS last year, which evidenced BCL’s complicity in the brutal security force operations on Bougainville, BCL and the ESBC continue to play down the company’s instrumental role in the conflict.

If the ESBC wish to restore the integrity of BCL, then they should forward the following demands to BCL’s Chairman and Managing Director Peter Taylor:

1. BCL must publicly apologise for its evidenced role in the Bougainville conflict.
2. In an act of goodwill BCL should publicly disclose the depth of its involvement in the security force operations on Bougainville. This public disclosure should document the logistical support BCL supplied to the government’s security forces between December 1988 and March 1990. It should also reveal the relevant conversations that took place between the BCL management and senior state officials during this period.
3. BCL should demand that Rio Tinto – its parent company – cease contesting litigation taken by Bougainvillean landowners in the US, and fully compensate those victimised by the security forces using BCL property/facilities.
4. BCL should immediately remove from its Board of Directors, Sir Rabbie Namaliu who was appointed in March 2011. Sir Rabbie Namaliu was the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea during 1988-1992. Under his Prime Ministership the Papua New Guinea security forces – in an effort to reopen the mine – executed and tortured civilians, systematically destroyed villages, and imposed a blockade on Bougainville, which included the denial of humanitarian aid. It is astonishing, in light of these facts, BCL would appoint Sir Rabbie Namaliu to the Board of Directors, and that the ESBC would support this decision.

As the last ten years has proven, Bougainvilleans are a forgiving people. But they will not suffer corporate intransigence lightly. If BCL comes to the table and publicly acknowledges its role on the Bougainville war, perhaps the healing process can begin. Only then will BCL shareholders find the certainty they demand.

22.04.2012

Source: ESBC Research         

 EXPOSED :

-  Invincible Resources Corp. , Vancouver / Canada

-  Ord River Ltd. ,  Sydney / Australia

-  Morumbi Inc. ,  Calgary / Canada

21.04.2012

Source: PNG Attitude

PNG mourns passing of novelist Regis Stella

ON THE EVE of the launch of his third book, Unfolding Petals: Readings in Modern PNG Literature, senior lecturer in Literature and English at the University of Papua New Guinea, Dr Regis Stella (picture), died on Wednesday.

Dr Stella had been a deputy dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and was formerly the director of the Melanesian Institute of Arts and Communications.

Colleague and fellow writer Dr Steven Winduo described him as a reserved, intelligent and hard working man.

PNG Attitude contributor Peter Kranz said  Dr Stella was “a private and talented man and a great writer”.

Dr Stella’s first novel in 1999 Gutsini Posa (‘rough seas’ in the Banoni language) was centred around the Bougainville crisis and experiences of that conflict.

Steven Winduo later wrote: “Far from its existential value, Gutsini Posa is a novel that [was] an important literary representation of the struggle of the Bougainville people to come to terms with the crisis that had completely devastated their moral and physical strength.

“Regis Stella’s place in the literary culture of PNG is secure.”

20.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Newmont executives visit Bougainville, hold talks

BY PETERSON TSERAHA

THE world’s second largest gold producing company, Newmont Mining (Newmont) had three of its top executives on Bougainville this week at the request of Isina Resources Holdings (IRH), a partner to Morumbi Resources of Canada.

The executives comprising Chris Clode (Director of Global Exploration/Business development), Linda Daley (director-Exploration Australia), Dave Dehlin (Director International Land) were on a fact finding mission to see firsthand how Bougainville is progressing in terms of exploration and mining after the Peace agreement signing in 2001, and the progress of the new Government in terms of its policies in mining, lands and resource ownership.

They met with IRH Chairman and Vice Chairman David Dapong and former Bougainville Revolutionary Army general Sam Kauona respectively and three other resource owners company chairmen and chiefs, from the Eivo Torau Constituency.

The three chiefs who are also chairmen of their respective landowner companies are, Michael Aite,Avaipa Resources Limited – Mainoki, Jacob Betopa , Pakasiapan Resources – Kopani,Richard Birikos, Baunapa Resources – Atamo.

The landowner company chiefs and executives explained to Newmont executives that the Bougainville Constitution section 23 gives Mineral Rights back to the people.

By exercising this right, “we the resource owners will have to come forward and free our land for exploration.” Sam Kauona said. 

“We fought for this very reason and we the resource owners will register our activity called exploration with our Government, (ABG) for its tax purposes”. 

The former BRA general said Bougainville is working on its own mining policies and legislation and it will be a home grown thing to the best interest for its people and their partners abroad.

The Newmont team also met with key Panguna land owners and were taken for visit to the mine pit at Panguna once operated by Rio Tinto in the early 60s and 70s and was shut down in 1989 which sparked up the Bougainville crisis.

The team also met with the Chairman of the Central Bougainville Parliamentary Committee and member for Eivo Torau, Melchior Dare, who represented and welcomed the team on behalf of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG).

Mr Dare said he was happy to see former general Sam Kauona and the Paramount Chiefs, for coming forward and freeing their land for exploration which went hand in hand with social programmes by Morumbi Resources of Canada. 

20.04.2012

Source: ESBC Research

exposed now:

Invincible Resources  

and Lindsay Semple !

(click here !)

20.04.2012

Source: ESBC

Questions to the board of directors published !

 Click here ! 

19.04.2012

Source: ESBC Research

ESBC starts to unmask backdoor players !

First to be exposed is ORD River Ltd.!

(click here !)

19.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

ABG needs K2m to run elections

By PORENI UMAU

THE Autonomous Region of Bougainville will need K2 million to conduct the elections.

This was revealed by the election manager Reitama Tarauaru yesterday.

Mr Tarauaru said that initially, his office submitted a budget proposal of K2.4 million but last month the Electoral Commission cut 17 per cent of the required budget as it would meet all transport costs.

He said that K600,000 would be used for preparations and also to facilitate training for all electoral officials and had requested that the balance of K1.4 million be released by headquarters in the coming quarter to meet polling and counting costs. 

He said that Bougainville alone had 181 polling teams which was twice the number of other New Guinea Island provinces and comprised of 965 officials, including carriers who would assist polling officials in remote areas.

Mr Tarauaru said that his office had not secured the assistance of a helicopter and all airstrips in the region remain closed. He said that they would need 139 vehicles with 35 in North Bougainville, 31 in Central Bougainville and 73 in South Bougainville. 

He said that in order to reach the atolls including Motlock, Tasman and Cartarets, he had already approached the Border Development Authority (BDA) to use their vessel, the MV Bougainville Atolls where two teams of electoral officials would also be dispatched. 

He said it was exactly seven weeks from now before the deployment of officials. Furthemore, he said he was also aware of the New Zealand Government’s help in the region especially with a sea transport and would contact the headquarters about it. 

Mr Tarauaru added that in order to reach coastal communities, his office would need 43 motorised banana boats with 33 dinghies for North Bougainville; one for Arawa, Central Bougainville, and nine for South Bougainville. 

19.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Voters urged to be wise

By PETERSON TSERAHA

BEING wise voters in an election will result in people having good leaders, says intending candidate for Central Bougainville Open Justine Borger.

Mr Borger told this reporter in an interview that Bougainvilleans had always been lured by money and the free handout mentality.

“I would like to call upon Bougainvilleans both living in and outside of Bougainville to vote wisely, and not be fooled by free beer and money which is happening right now.” Mr Borger said.

“I call upon Bougainvilleans to vote for leaders that are concerned about Bougainville issues, like weapons disposal, the status of the Panguna mine and leaders who are concerned about youths and the unemployed.”

“We want to see a candidate who is with the people, who can make Bougainville move and a National leader who is willing to work harmoniously alongside our ABG members.” 

Mr Borger said the most important thing on Bougainville was the outstanding issues like the Panguna mine, and weapons disposal which were really lagging. 

He also urged people to choose their leaders wisely.

“Another important thing is for you to vote someone who is transparent and God -fearing.”

He said it was good for leaders to provide services like water tanks, ambulances, but once these were sorted out they had to move to outstanding issues such as the referendum and independence.

Mr Borger also said on Bougainville a lot of people both male and female were now power hungry, and they would play with a lot of money to lure voters. He said some candidates were standing just to split votes so a current member could lose his seat.

“Bougainville is now an Autonomous Region and we have to prove it to the National Government and the international community that we can stand on our own,’’ Mr Borger said. “And it means we must have good leaders in the National Government to handle our affairs.” 

Meanwhile, Mr Borger has invited the Task Force Sweep Team to come to Bougainville and investigate Bougainville’s overnight millionaires and expose them, some of whom are corrupt and people need to know so they do not get elected if they are contesting in the elections.

19.04.2012

Source: The National

Trawen: Common roll will be ready before May 18 

ELECTORAL Commissioner Andrew Trawen (picture) has assured members of parliament that 93% of the common roll is processed.

Trawen told an audience at the state function room in parliament including unionists, police, defence force and members of the media that work had been completed for all the wards in Southern Highlands, Hela and Jiwaka provinces.

He said the preliminary rolls had been despatched last Monday to returning officers for public inspection.

He confirmed that preliminary rolls for the majority of wards in Western Highlands, Chimbu and Enga had also been despatched.

He said further processing this week would see all those wards completed and sent by early next week.

Trawen said Eastern Highlands was the focus of attention now and he was pleased that fieldwork data from 34 wards in East and West Okapa LLGs were sent to Port Moresby for data processing.

He was confident the remainder would follow shortly and that the preliminary rolls for the

highlands provinces would

be available for public inspection by the end of next week.

“Even the latest material to get out for public inspection would still give

more than three weeks for the public to check the data to make sure it is accurate, before the rolls close with the issue of writs on May 18,” he said.

He said in summary, of the total 2,142 wards in the highlands, 1,723 had now had their preliminary rolls printed for public inspection and processing for only 419 wards remained.

“I want to repeat that this roll improvement programme is on target.”

The other three regions – New Guinea Islands, Southern and Momase – have already displayed their preliminary rolls for public viewing and inspec­tion.

The updates are as follows:

lNGI – of the 796 wards, 136 wards have returned their feed-back information to Port Moresby for final processing, while 804 wards have yet to return their data:

lSouthern – of the 1,214 wards, 410 have returned their feed-back data for final processing, while 804 wards have yet to; and

lMomase – of the 2,012 wards, 312 wards have returned their feedback data, while 1,710 have yet to do so.

“In summary, for the nation, data for 5,745 wards has been received and processed out of the 6,164 wards in PNG.

“The commission is continuing to work 24 hours a day to complete data entry and printing for the remaining 419 wards,” Trawen said.

“In percentage terms, 93% of all preliminary rolls for the country has been completed, just 7% of the wards remain and the electoral commission wishes to assure the public that the roll improvement programme will be completed before the elections.”

19.04.2012

Source: The National

MP backs drive to restore Arawa town 

By KEVIN TEME

ARAWA, in Central Bougainville, is implementing its restoration programme.

The restoration roll-out programme is the brain child of Minister for Information and Communication, Jimmy Miringtoro (picture).

“Most of the kids who have grown up during the crisis period have one way or another gone to school and we have set up a committee to raise funds to re-establish the town to where it once was,” Miringtoro said.

He pledged K5 million towards the fundraising drive but said K15 million would be needed to fully upgrade the township.

Part of that restoration roll-out programme has seen Arawa High School turned into a secondary school this year, with its first Grade 11 intake.

“This will see most children who faced hardship because of the impact of the crisis will benefit and learn to be good citizens.

“I am proud to say that most of the people’s lives will change and I am making sure that we raise enough funds for the roll-out restoration programme,” he said.

Miringtoro, the MP for Central Bougainville, said with the K100 million given to Bougainville by the government, he would make sure K5 million was allocated to this work in his electorate.

He challenged his people to change their attitude to restore the island.

“We can only make things work for ourselves if we have the right attitude and

this is part of the roll-out programme.”

We will be doing. Making fundraising to help develop our place,” Miringtoro said.

Miringtoro said his hands were open to other electorates but he needed to do best for his Central Bougainville and later he could go into other electorates.

19.04.2012

Source: ABC Radio Australia - Network News

Supreme Court

Papua New Guinea's parliament is in the process of passing another controversial law, this time to restrict the powers of the Supreme Court.

The court stayed a controversial law giving parliament the power to suspend senior judges, until a legal challenge to the law's constitutionality is heard.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Belden Namah, says the amendment will prevent the court from interfering with parliament's law-making powers.

Duty bound

"The courts are duty bound to accept and implement the laws made by the majority members in this parliament," he said.

Mr Namah says the amendment will prevent the court from halting laws until after constitutional challenges are heard.

Civil society groups in PNG have expressed shock at the controversial new bill.

A spokeswoman for the PNG Social Networking partners, Cybele Druma, told Radio Australia the government is ignoring the concerns of the public.

"It's fallen on deaf ears and the very fact that they're now attempting to pass four very controversial bills now is definitely a shock and a surprise to us. We would never have imagined that this is the way is was all going to head."

Once passed, parliament will again have the power to suspend judges it deems of being biased.

18.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier  -   AN INTERESTING FLASH BACK !

New government makes date with destiny

By EPHATA SAMUEL

After the 1997 national elections, (late) Sir Bill Skate was elected Prime Minister. After two years in the job, he resigned when the country’s economy was at its lowest and inflation and cost of living was at an all time high. The exchange rate against the US dollar went as low as 18 US cents to K1.00. 

On July 14, 1999 Sir Mekere Morauta (picture) was overwhelmingly elected 99-5 as PNGs sixth Prime Minister and the following is the speech he delivered to Parliament after his election.

Our country has a new government. Today, 14th July, 1999, we have made a date with destiny. 

We have chosen order over chaos. We have chosen hope over despair. We have chosen pride in our young country over mindless pursuit of narrow interests. We have chosen to give our children the chance of a decent life in their own country, in the place of fearful descent into poverty, poor health, and disorder.

I do not pretend to you that the choice our nation has made will immediately put right all that has gone wrong in our country. The road back will not be easy. I do not pretend that our date with destiny will be followed soon by ease and prosperity.

In all honesty, the path to order, hope and pride will start with some steep hills. But with today’s change of Government, there will be purpose and reason in the load that we will have to carry as we work our way over the hills.

I need not remind any of you of the depths of our country’s problems. I need not remind any of you of the low incomes and low employment, the high prices, the deterioration in health and education, or the high interest rates and costs that have stopped the expansion of business.

The sad truth is that the reality is even worse than it seems. 

The hunger is worse than it seems because past governments have been eating the seed that is necessary for future crops.

The Government that was removed today, on Papua New Guinea’s date with destiny tried to stem the devastating fall in the kina’s value by eating what is left of our foreign exchange reserves.

The Government that was removed today tried to prop up its own spending with huge borrowing, that must be repaid with interest in future.

The government that was removed today increased any burdens on business to give it fast money to consume immediately. These burdens have stopped the investment that is needed for us to have incomes in future.

The Government that was removed today raided our national financial institutions to get fast money. In doing this, it weakened them for future.

Worst of all, the Government that was removed today, Papua New Guinea’s date with destiny, was eating our future by seeking political advantage through weakening the central institutions of state, and bypassing and discouraging the talented Papua New Guineans who continue to offer themselves for high public service.

Today, 14th July, we have formed a Government of national reconstruction and development.

From today’s date with destiny, the Government will work relentlessly to achieve five results.

The first objective is to restore integrity to our great institutions of state, the very institutions that are necessary for our personal security and for our prosperity.

The new Government will respect our great institutions of state, seek advice from them, and listen to their cautions. The new Government will encourage the return to public service of talented Papua New Guineas who have been discouraged and cast aside. We will ensure that when we need and seek advice from outside our own people, we obtain that advice in ways that encourage and strengthen our Papua New Guinean talent and institutions.

The second objective is to stabilise the kina, to earn again its respect in the international community, and to keep the rapid increase in prices that has hurt us now for too many years. We cannot turn back an unhappy recent history, and return the kina to its old value or prices to their old levels.

This kina will settle at a realistic level, and we will run the monetary fiscal policies that will stop it falling lower. These same policies will support a return to kina convertibility. Papua New Guinea has maintained financial stability before, and the new Government will do it again.

Nothing can stop the price rises that have followed the fall in the kina in recent months. Price rises that have followed the fall in the kina in recent months. Prices will continue to rise for some months yet. But under the new Government’s policies, this will be the last year of high inflation.

To support financial stabilisation, the new Government will immediately take the initiative in re-establishing productive relations with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Australian Government.

We value the money on good terms and the consultation that will come with return to normal relations with our traditional sources of development finance.

When I join Prime Minister Howard, President Clinton, China’s President Jiang Zemin, Japan’s Prime Minister Obuchi, Canada’s Prime Minister Chretian, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir, Korea’s President Kim Dae Jung, the President of Indonesia and other leaders of our region in Auckland in September at the annual APEC Leaders’ Meeting, I will explain our new purpose, and invite their co-operation in Papua New Guinea’s reconstruction and development.

The third objective of our Government is to restore stability to our national budget, to stop eating the seed, and to sow the seeds for future development. Recent governments have dissipated money and their administrative capacity by trying to do many things, and doing all of them badly. We will identify the most fertile seedbeds, make sure that they are well sown and that the plants are nurtured.

Successive governments have claimed that expenditures on education, health and transport were their priority. But we have not seen tangible positive results of the proclaimed policy emphasis. Our Government will be different, and will put words into action. We must and will address the problems of declining standards of our social services. We must and will maintain our public assets and economic infrastructure. 

The new Government will leave to the private sector all services that can be well provided by the private sector. If the Government sells government businesses, it will do this in a way that yields a maximum of funds for reduction of government debt and reduction of future interest payments. The new government will ensure that basic services, essential of development, that it continues to provide itself, are provided efficiently and well. The fourth objective is to remove obstacles to investment and growth. There is a lot of energy in our people, which yields income and wealth when it is given a chance. We will give Papua New Guineans their chance by removing the many barriers to small scale business through more effective government through privatisation. We will ensure that security; electricity, telecommunications, water, finance, foreign exchange and transport are provided competitively. We will review the tax system to ensure that it is the least possible obstacle to growth.

Economic projects vital to the future health of the economy, such as the gas project, will be given top priority. New investment in agriculture, in both export and food crops, must and will be a key focus of our Government. Every government has also said this before, but we are determined to make it a reality.

Our fifth, but not least important objective is to continue the Bougainville peace process. We acknowledge our predecessors’ achievement and affirm our commitment to a progressive political settlement in Bougainville – without threat or use of force and based on the rule of law. We call on the other parties, including Francis Ona and his supporters, to co-operate in making sure that the peace process keeps gathering strength and moving ahead.The new Government will immediately take stock of where the peace process is now – with a view to identifying any problems and possible answers, and working with the other parties to maintain momentum and produce practical results. In doing so, we must be mindful of the need for bipartisanship at the national level if we are to give agreements reached with the Bougainvillean parties a firm legal basis.

I pledge the new Government to achievement of these five objectives. We do not pretend that the path ahead is easy.

We know that we need the support of all of our people in our nation’s reconstruction and development. We know that we need the energy and talent of millions of Papua New Guineans. The new Government pledges its commitment to national reconstruction and development, and invites your participation with us in this great task.”

Sir Mekere was re-elected into Parliament as member for Moresby North West in the 2002 national elections but unfortunately did not muster enough numbers to form Government. 

ESBC: What changed since?

18.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Siwai school games hailed

By WINTERFORD TOREAS

THE Siwai district schools sports carnival held last week in South Bougainville was hailed a success.

The “Unification through sports” carnival was held last Friday and Saturday.

Three schools clusters from the district converged on the Hurai Primary School for the games.

Schools that took part during the carnival were Iruh, Sininnai, Haisi (cluster 1), Harinai, Hurai, Konga (cluster 3), and Maisua and Katukuh (cluster 4).

According to the chairman of the Siwai school headmasters’ forum, Robert Kebau, despite funding constraints they were still positive with their preparations and arrangements resulting in the successful staging of the carnival. 

Kebau thanked the Minister for Bougainville Affairs and South Bougainville MP Steven Pirika Kamma for the donation of K2000, saying that the money helped o offset some of the expenses incurred during the carnival.

Sports that were played during the games were athletics for the juniors, intermediate and senior students, minor ball games for the juniors, soccer for both intermediate and seniors and volleyball which was played only by the senior students.

In athletics, cluster three schools proved that they were the fastest and top runners in the district by taking out the title with 94 points, followed by cluster 4 with 93 points while cluster one could only settle for 81 points.

In the minor ball games, cluster 4 came out victors with 128 points, followed by cluster 1 (103 points) and cluster 3 with 93 points. 

The volleyball title was won by both the senior boys and girls from cluster three.

The completion of the two days carnival saw cluster four taking out the title of the champion cluster school in the district with 277 points, followed by cluster three with 250 points and cluster one with 236 points.

18.04.2012

Source: The National

Significance of Bougainville 

THE range of complex issues surrounding Papua New Gui­nea’s national election have been widely commented on by Australian media and politicians – some more helpful and diplomatic than others.

In the week before Easter, I visited PNG – my second extended visit to the country in the past nine months – accompanied by Queensland federal colleagues senator Ian McDonald and MPs Jane Prentice and Ewen Jones.

We held discussions with Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, senior members of his cabinet, the leader of the opposition, the chief of the PNG Defence Force, the police commissioner and the PNG election commissioner, among others, on the many and varied challenges associated with the election.

Papua New Guinea is a democracy and as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations is committed to regular parliamentary elections and strong democratic institutions, yet recent political events have been challenging.

Current indications are that the election will be held mid-year with hopefully many of the constitutional issues surrounding the composition of the government and a dispute with the judiciary being resolved by PNG voters at the ballot box.

What is less well known is that there is another vote that will take place in the coming years in Bougainville, an autonomous region of PNG, that is potentially of far greater significance to PNG and the broader region than the general election this year.

The Bougainville peace agreement, signed in 2001 between the PNG government and the leaders of Bougainville, brought a formal end to a civil war that had cost many lives in Bougainville over decades.

Bitter conflicts over land rights, the closure of the mainstay of the local economy in the Panguna mine in the late 1980s and a nascent secession movement has meant that Bougainville has presented a challenge to the fragile nature of PNG nationhood and its politics since PNG independence in 1975.

However, part of the 2001 agreement, which was brokered in part by the Howard government, provides for a referendum to be held between 2015 and 2020 on the question of Bougainville’s independence from PNG.

Various conditions must be met prior to the referendum, notably the disposal of weapons currently held in Bougainville and an acceptable standard of governance achieved by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG).

Put simply, this vote will determine whether Bougainville pushes ahead for full independence or chooses to remain an autonomous region of PNG.

Yet, the complexity of the issues in Bougainville, and as between the ABG and PNG, means that as the referendum date draws nearer, Bougainville will again inevitably feature prominently in Australia’s foreign policy considerations.

The process of negotiation between the ABG and PNG is fraught with difficulties as there appear to be deeply entrenched differences over the future of Bougainville, the possibility of reopening the Panguna mine and the direction of economic and social development.

As Anthony Regan, a leading expert on Bougainville, has stated, the starkly different views that are held by Bougainville leaders and the PNG government, gives rise “to possibilities of conflict over the referendum outcome”.

Aware of the challenges facing Bougainville and the importance of engaging with all relevant parties at the earliest opportunity, our trip to PNG included a number of days in Bougainville to gain a deeper understanding of the complex web of cultural, social, economic and political issues that lie at the heart of the referendum question.

During our stay in Buka, we met with leaders of the ABG including President John Momis and Vice-President Patrick Nisira to discuss progress of the peace process, weapons disposal and economic development.

While the 2001 agreement resulted in the destruction of many weapons used in the civil war, there are fears that a significant number of weapons are still held in the community.

Further, the military ordnance left in southern Bougainville by the United States during World War II in the Pacific is an ever present danger.

We made a seven-hour round journey by boat and four-wheel drive to Arawa, the pre-civil war capital of Bougainville, to meet with people involved in the re­conciliation process including members of the ABG Regional Administration and a representative from the Mekamui people, a tribe who had not taken part in the 2001 agreement.

The reality of the civil war and the bridges that have to be crossed before the referendum can take place were brought home to me in our meeting with former members of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, Sam Kauona and Ishmael Toroama.

Kauona, a Bougainvillean but also an Australian army trained former PNGDF lieutenant and explosives expert, who became one of the most-feared guerrilla fighters in the civil war, told me that he had been “rehabilitated” and that he was now committed to peace and reconciliation.

However, he was also deeply committed to an independent Bougainville and he is not alone in his views.

We saw the work funded by Australia’s foreign aid programme to improve basic infrastructure across the islands, as well as improving governance, education and health standards.

However, the massive challenge of achieving an independent Bougainville should not be underestimated.

Whether the preconditions for the referendum will be met within the timeframe remains to be seen, but this will be a crucial test for the people of Bougainville and the PNG government.

Australia must be, and be seen to be, deeply committed to the peace and reconciliation process in the lead up to 2015 and beyond.

18.04.2012

Source: The National

Revised laws to benefit customary landowners 

CUSTOMARY landowners will better bene­fit from their land with two amended legislations on land passed by parliament in 2009, an official says.

Constitutional and law reform commission deputy secretary Isaiah Chillion said the revised incorporated land groups and new voluntary customary land registration system paved the way for landowners to directly benefit from the land.

He said this at a three-day workshop hosted by the Lands Department in Mt Hagen on Land Groups Incorporation (amended) Act 2009 and Customary Land Registration (amended) Act 2009.

More than 60 participants from the seven highlands provinces including district administrators, deputy provincial administrators, provincial administrators, land officers and surveyors attended the training.

During the registration and induction on Monday, workshop programme manager Chillion said they were now trying to implement the amendments.

Chillion said the training was very important for the participants to fully understand the two important laws before implementing them in their districts.

He said the land problem was affecting development in the country.

He said the two amended laws would help address most of these land issues and at the same time help customary landowners to benefit more from their land.

Chimbu provincial administrator Joe Kunda Naur commended the commission and the Lands Department for taking a step in the right direction to address land issues.

Kunda said in the past injustice had been done to the people during the acquisition of their customary land.

He said now it’s a win-win situation.

He called on the Lands Department to have land officers, surveyors and other officers in every province in the highlands to successfully implement the laws and help the people to register their land.

18.04.2012

Source: The National

Landowners urged to register land 

By JAMES APA GUMUNO

LANDOWNERS have been encouraged to form incorporated land groups (ILGs) to register their land and benefit from the resource boom in the country.

This important issue was pointed out at the second regional national lands development programme (NLDP) workshop for the highlands region in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands, on Monday.

NLDP programme manager Esekia Warvi said the resource boom triggered by rapid globalisation, industrialisation and investments placed landowners in a situation where they had to form ILGs and register their land.

He said landowners of registered land “will maintain ownership with titles over them and can easily lease them to developers and reap maximum benefits for generations”.

Warvi said multi-billion kina projects like the liquefied natural gas, petroleum, oil and agriculture developments including the rapid rural-urban migrations had placed immense pressure on land space.

He said the complexity with the customary land issues and ownership, coupled with land disputes had forced the government to establish a national lands development task force in 2005.

After many consultations, forums, investigations, research and a national lands summit in Lae, recommendations were made to the government.

Director of legal and policy with the Lands and Physical Planning Department Sheila Sukwianomb took a session on legal frameworks of the two new amended acts.

“The primary objective is to empower landowners to use their customary land for development fairly, equitably and in a convenient manner.”

Sukwianomb said.

18.04.2012

Source: Solomon Star / Radio New Zealand International

PNG’s Police Commissioner says politicians are splitting police force 

Papua New Guinea’s Police Commissioner says politicians are splitting the force for their own ends, after policemen were attacked by colleagues in Port Moresby.

Commander Tom Kulunga (picture) made the comments yesterday after spending most of the day in crisis talks with officers in Port Moresby.

Mr Kulunga says he has deep concerns about the direct involvement of politicians in dividing the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary for their own ends.

He says it is no secret that certain politicians are providing funding and hire vehicles for certain elements of the police force who are operating outside of my command and control.

The attacking officers were allegedly members of four police divisions flown from Mount Hagen to Port Moresby during the recent failed coup attempt in January.

The attack has also been condemned by the PNG Trade Union Congress.

Its general secretary, John Paska, the attack was completely unacceptable, inexcusable and intolerable.

18.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

ICT TRAINING

by Aloysius Laukai in Honiara (Solomon Islands)

The Secretariate of the Pacific Community(SPC) with collaboration of under donor partners, Commonwealth of Learning,Unesco and Small Grants Scheme of the UNDP are running a two week Training of Trainers workshop in Honiara .

The workshop commenced this Monday at the UNDP Conference room in Honiara and will end on Friday 27th of April, 2012.

The aim of the training is to train staff and management team from Community Radios NGO and government organizations to know how they can further collaborate and work as partners.

People who are attending the workshop include four staff from the Isabel province's Buala FM a staff from the Solomon islands Broadcasting Corporation a staff from the Prime Minister's office, and other members of local NGO groups around Solomon islands.

New Dawn FM which has been supporting the Isabel Province's Radio network since last year is also represented at this training.

18.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Upe Initiation

By Aloysius Laukai

On Wednesday, 12 April 2012, a big cultural day celebration took place in

Raiovi Village Assembly in the Wakunai district, where about 200 people

from the community attended to witness youths taken into "Upe" house

for

the life long seclusion for 1-3 years. According to chief Mark Eric, the

period of seclusion is often more than 10 years, but in the recent years

reduced to 1-2 years, as boys have to attend formal education

The event also witnessed the passing out of young girls from their

seclusion to their families after being kept through special rituals and

initiation which is a special event, such like the Upe initiation.

The event was officially opened by the Hon. Joan Jerome, Women’s Member for

Central

, and presented at the big day was chief Mark Eric representing the

minister for Tourism Hon. Joe Egillio who was sick, a long time united

nations representative on Bougainville Justin Borgia and Dominic Diuka,

and other prominent local chiefs.

Mr. Borgia stated that cultural is our way of life used to make peace

through marriage and exchange of tokens, earn an income when tourist pay

when visiting sites, and directs our daily lives through songs and stories.

Justin challenged the chiefs to use culture and customs to resolved

outstanding recociliation issues which is more impactive on people rather

than waiting for money. He also pointed that it was his first time to see

the Upe house.

Member Joan Jerome, pointed that culture must be

nurtured for the future generations and donated K1500 to the events

organizers of the Upe and girls initiation, as a token of appreciation.

The event attracted many people from as far as Steamas, Red river, Rotokas,

and Upper Aita including youths, children and women to participate in the

event through dances and the special ceremonies

17.04.2012

Source: ESBC Research

From now the ESBC  provides more information on PNG's biggest problem:

Corruption 

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16.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Donors urged to do more

By PORENI UMAU

OUTSPOKEN Bougainvillean woman leader Francesca Semoso has saluted the efforts of foreign donors in trying to conduct workshops for women candidates in PNG to help them into Parliament.

However, Ms Semoso said that the donors who were conducting workshops for all women candidates in the three regions including Southern, Highlands and Momase in Port Moresby and also another in Lae should come out and state clearly if they would be there for the intending women candidates during campaign and polling periods.

She said that it was one thing to come and empower women in PNG to try and help them to get into Parliament by conducting workshops, but they should know that the women candidates were still hampered by two issues.

She said that these issues include d lack of funding support for women candidates during campaigns and lack of interest from political parties in endorsing them.

Ms Semoso said that the efforts to empower the intending women candidates through workshops was welcoming but queried if the donors were going to help fund each of these women candidates for their campaigns and also help find political parties for them to be endorsed.

She said that empowerment was good, but queried the next step after the workshop. 

“You cannot just come and empower me with the workshops and leave me like you came,” she said.

16.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Aust worry relates to Bougainville election

By GORETHY KENNETH

ONE reason why Australia has been concerned about elections held on time in Papua New Guinea is because in three years time another important election will be held in Bougainville. 

There are concerns now raised that the political impasse in PNG is already affecting the way forward for Bougainville, especially in implementing fully, the Bougainville Peace Agreement signed in 2001.

Australia’s deputy Opposition Leader Julia Bishop visited Bougainville when she came to PNG early this month. She said that the range of complex issues surrounding PNG’s national election had been widely commented on by Australian media and politicians – some more helpful and diplomatic than others. Ms Bishop held discussions with Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, senior members of his Cabinet, the Leader of the Opposition, the Chief of the PNG Defence Force, the Police Commissioner and the PNG Election Commissioner, amongst others, on the many and varied challenges associated with the election. And Bougainville was also another agenda.

“…Bougainville is an autonomous region of PNG, that is potentially of far greater significance to PNG and the broader region than the general election this year,” Ms Bishop said. 

“The complexity of the issues in Bougainville, and as between the ABG and PNG, means that as the referendum date draws nearer, Bougainville will again inevitably feature prominently in Australia’s foreign policy considerations,” she said. 

“Papua New Guinea is a democracy and as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations is committed to regular parliamentary elections and strong democratic institutions, yet recent political events have been challenging. Current indications are that the election will be held mid year with hopefully many of the constitutional issues surrounding the composition of the Government and a dispute with the judiciary being resolved by PNG voters at the ballot box.

“What is less well-known is that there is another vote that will take place in the coming years in Bougainville, an autonomous region of PNG, that is potentially of far greater significance to PNG and the broader region than the General Election this year.

The Bougainville Peace Agreement signed in 2001 between the PNG Government and the leaders of Bougainville brought a formal end to a civil war that had cost many lives in Bougainville over decades.

Bitter conflicts over land rights, the closure of the mainstay of the local economy in the Panguna mine in the late 1980s and a nascent secession movement has meant that Bougainville has presented a challenge to the fragile nature of PNG nationhood and its politics since PNG independence in 1975.

However, part of the 2001 Agreement, which was brokered in part by the Howard Government, provides for a referendum to be held between 2015 and 2020 on the question of Bougainville’s independence from PNG

Various conditions must be met prior to the referendum, notably the disposal of weapons currently held in Bougainville and an acceptable standard of governance achieved by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG).

Put simply, this vote will determine whether Bougainville pushes ahead for full independence or chooses to remain an autonomous region of PNG.”

16.04.2012

Source: The National 

Unable to shut up:

Somare condemns threat by prime minister 

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill’s threat of further action by parliament against the judiciary has been condemned by Angoram MP Arthur Somare.

Somare said in a statement: “O’Neill and his cohorts are so imbued by their self-importance that they even suggest that the judiciary is denying them natural justice.

“Such conceit can only be summed up as laughable. This regime thrives on these kinds of confounding tactics.

“Both sides have taken matters before the courts and are waiting for the results.”

 O’Neill’s side had spent K18 million on the court case and a further K8million from the public purse, Somare said.

 “O’Neill must know that nine months of his regime is enough and PNG is now wary of his empty assurances and promises,’’ Somare said.

“It is unbecoming of leaders to say one thing today and act differently the very next day.

 “The sad fact is that we have more educated members of parliament than any time in our history but the use of their education and intelligence does not appear to be in the best interest of the people of Papua New Guinea.”

 “To maintain their questionable hold of government this regime has no choice but to behave in this reckless self preserving manner that threatens stability and good governance in the country.

 “The Somare government will continue to fight this scourge that is upon us.”

13.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Six still lost at sea

By GORETHY KENNETH

SIX people are still missing between Solomon Islands and Bougainville since their departure a month ago.

The six, Central Bougainville businessmen, took to Solomon Islands through the sea border at Sirovai, to purchase goods for their shops in Gizo have not returned since March 16, 2012. 

One of the young and upcoming small business holders is one of Post Courier’s former photographer George Corbett. 

The Solomon Islands rescue team based in Gizo yesterday advised that authorities for both Governments have been advised and initial search attempts had not been successful due to bad weather. 

The Bougainville Disaster office has also been made aware but told the Post Courier that they are financially cash trapped and cannot do much.

Peter Corbett, father of George confirmed with the paper that he has not spoken to his son for the last one month and it was very unusual.

“Normally George would call and he always calls where ever he goes or whatever he does,” he said. 

Corbett could not further comment as he was in a shock state. “But I’m hoping him and the other five are safe somewhere in the waters of PNG where they could have drifted.”

He said the National Maritime Safety Authority has also been approached to help.

13.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Arawa school gets computers

By KOLOPU WAIMA

Arawa secondary, one of the oldest schools in the central Bougainville will be the proud recipient of five brand new computers from Telikom PNG.

Telikom PNG in quick respond to the minister for information and communication Mr Jimmy Miringtoro’s letter requesting five computers to present to Arawa secondary in his electorate as a fundraising to build human resource and to build school infrastructure.

Acting chief executive officer Charles Litau in presenting the five flat screen desk top computers at its head quarters at Waigani yesterday said that it is not a waste to these computers as it will be used by the future leaders of this country.

He said that they responded to the requested made by the minister for information and communication and we are happy to have this to the students “as it is our gesture to our students.”

Meanwhile the minister and MP for central Bougainville Jimmy Miringtoro in thanking Telikom PNG said that Arawa secondary school was one of the top 10 schools before in his electorate and the region.

Mr Miringtoro said that the school was established in 1971, three years before the emergency of Panguna copper mine.

He said these donations comes soon after he gave fifteen computers to the Kudjip school o nursing in the Western Highlands province and commending NICTA and National Broadcasting Corporation for distributing directly to the education of our education. Mr Miringtoro said Arawa High school is playing a pivotal role in-post crisis Bougainville by educating many children adversely affected by the crisis.

However, Mr Mirringtoro said that he will continue to help Arawa High School and others as long as he remains Member of Parliament.

He appealed to the school to appreciate and look after the computers because they are the fortunate ones to receive such assistances.

13.04.2012

Source: ON LINE  opinion  - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Australia's support essential for Bougainville referendum

By Julie Bishop

Julie Bishop is the Federal Member for Curtin,

Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The range of complex issues surrounding Papua New Guinea's national election have been widely commented on by Australian media and politicians – some more helpful and diplomatic than others.

In the week before Easter I visited PNG - my second extended visit to the country in the past 9 months – accompanied by Queensland federal colleagues Senator Ian McDonald, Jane Prentice MP and Ewen Jones MP.

We held discussions with Prime Minister O'Neill, senior members of his Cabinet, the Leader of the Opposition, the Chief of the PNG Defence Force, the Police Commissioner and the PNG Election Commissioner, amongst others, on the many and varied challenges associated with the election.

Papua New Guinea is a democracy and as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations is committed to regular parliamentary elections and strong democratic institutions, yet recent political events have been challenging.

Current indications are that the election will be held mid year with hopefully many of the constitutional issues surrounding the composition of the government and a dispute with the judiciary being resolved by PNG voters at the ballot box.

What is less well known is that there is another vote that will take place in the coming years in Bougainville, an autonomous region of PNG, that is potentially of far greater significance to PNG and the broader region than the general election this year.

The Bougainville Peace Agreement signed in 2001 between the PNG Government and the leaders of Bougainville brought a formal end to a civil war that had cost many lives in Bougainville over decades.

Bitter conflicts over land rights, the closure of the mainstay of the local economy in the Panguna mine in the late 1980s and a nascent secession movement has meant that Bougainville has presented a challenge to the fragile nature of PNG nationhood and its politics since PNG independence in 1975.

However, part of the 2001 Agreement, which was brokered in part by the Howard Government, provides for a referendum to be held between 2015 and 2020 on the question of Bougainville's independence from PNG.

Various conditions must be met prior to the referendum, notably the disposal of weapons currently held in Bougainville and an acceptable standard of governance achieved by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG).

Put simply, this vote will determine whether Bougainville pushes ahead for full independence or chooses to remain an autonomous region of PNG.

Yet the complexity of the issues in Bougainville, and as between the ABG and PNG, means that as the referendum date draws nearer, Bougainville will again inevitably feature prominently in Australia's foreign policy considerations.

The process of negotiation between the ABG and PNG is fraught with difficulties as there appear to be deeply entrenched differences over the future of Bougainville, the possibility of reopening the Panguna mine and the direction of economic and social development.

As Anthony Regan, a leading expert on Bougainville, has stated, the starkly different views that are held by Bougainville leaders and the PNG Government, gives rise "to possibilities of conflict over the referendum outcome".

Aware of the challenges facing Bougainville and the importance of engaging with all relevant parties at the earliest opportunity, our trip to Papua New Guinea included a number of days in Bougainville to gain a deeper understanding of the complex web of cultural, social, economic and political issues that lie at the heart of the referendum question.

During our stay in Buka, we met with leaders of the ABG including President John Momis and Vice-President Patrick Nisira to discuss progress of the peace process, weapons disposal and economic development.

While the 2001 Agreement resulted in the destruction of many weapons used in the civil war, there are fears that a significant number of weapons are still held in the community.

Further, the military ordnance left in southern Bougainville by the United States during the Second World War in the Pacific is an ever present danger.

We made a seven hour round journey by boat and four-wheel drive to Arawa, the pre-civil war capital of Bougainville, to meet with people involved in the reconciliation process including members of the ABG Regional Administration and a representative from the Me'ekamui people, a tribe who had not taken part in the 2001 Agreement.

The reality of the civil war and the bridges that have to be crossed before the referendum can take place were brought home to me in our meeting with former members of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, Sam Kauona and Ishmael Toroama.

Sam Kauona, a Bougainvillean but also an Australian Army trained former PNG Defence force lieutenant and explosives expert, who became one of the most feared guerrilla fighters in the civil war, told me that he had been "rehabilitated" and that he was now committed to peace and reconciliation.

However he was also deeply committed to an independent Bougainville and he is not alone in his views.

We saw the work funded by Australia's foreign aid program to improve basic infrastructure across the islands, as well as improving governance, education and health standards. However, the massive challenge of achieving an independent Bougainville should not be underestimated.

Whether the preconditions for the referendum will be met within the timeframe remains to be seen, but this will be a crucial test for the people of Bougainville and the PNG Government.

Australia must be, and be seen to be, deeply committed to the peace and reconciliation process in the lead up to 2015 and beyond.

13.04.2012

Source: The Age

Chinese get tough on foreign projects

by Peter Cai

CHINESE authorities are cracking down on foreign investment after a string of troubled projects that have run up tens of billions of dollars in losses, including two big resources deals in Australia.

In a decision that will have implications for Australia's booming resources sector, China's State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission has published new rules that will hold state-owned enterprises and their executives accountable for bad overseas investment decisions.

The commission's move follows two disastrous investments in Australia's resources sector.

The largest Chinese investment project in Australia, the $7 billion CITIC Pacific Sino Iron project, conceived by the magnate Clive Palmer, has been dogged by huge cost blowouts and delay. The budget for the project has almost tripled from the initial $2.5 billion estimate.

A second big investment project, the $2 billion Sinosteel Midwest project, was shelved last year after a string of difficulties. The head of Sinosteel, Huang Tianwen, reportedly lost his job because of investments that had gone awry in Western Australia.

The commission has demanded more due diligence and risk management on all overseas investment deals by state-owned companies. No penalties have been announced but executives will be held ''accountable'' for foreign investments that result in significant losses for the state.

Since the start of China's ''going out'' initiative in 2003, which encouraged Chinese companies to invest overseas, Australia has been a favourite hunting ground for them.

The Labor government is believed to have approved more than $70 billion worth of investments from Chinese companies since it was elected in 2007.

That growing investment in Australia will be affected by the commission's new regulations.

''Failed Chinese investors are likely to point their fingers at Australia and there is the potential for the ill-judged investments to become part of the tone of the bilateral relationship,'' the former president of BHP Billiton China, Clinton Dines (picture), said.

''A lot of prospective Chinese investors don't know much about owning, operating and investing in the resources industry. If there were to be too many bad Chinese investments in Australia, these difficulties would inevitably bleed across into the government sphere and that cannot be good for the bilateral relationship.''

Mr Dines, who is now the executive chairman (Asia) of the private equity firm Caledonia, said the introduction of the new rules was ''consistent with the evolution of policy thinking in Beijing'' as the government reassessed resources security.

''The Chinese government has learnt two important lessons since the advent of the 'going out' initiative,'' he said. ''Firstly, that Chinese companies are not always equipped to be successful buyers, owners and operators of overseas projects.

''Secondly, Chinese government thinking is gradually evolving towards the conclusion that security of supply does not necessarily require ownership of these assets.''

While a number of projects in Australia have cost the Chinese government billions, one is held up as a model of how to invest abroad successfully.

That company is Minerals and Metals Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of China Minmetals that emerged from the purchase of key assets from OZ Minerals in 2009.

MMG's chief executive, Andrew Michelmore, said all his dealings with the state-owned parent company had been positive.

''All my experience with Minmetals has been about the return on investments, profitability and shareholder values,'' he said.

12.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Women’s forum

By Tapo Tovilu

The Leitana Nehan Women’s Agency will be carrying out an open forum tomorrow to address women’s issues in the region.

The forum which is designed to help women come out more openly about issues affecting them is aimed at helping and strengthening women.

The forum will include a panel of women leaders in the region who will be answering questions and addressing the current issues affecting women.

New Dawn FM understands that the forum will begin at 10am tomorrow at the Bel-Isi Park purposely for the public to get involved and witness the occasion.

12.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Calls made to stop corruption

By Tapo Tovilu

A call has been made by a senior public servant to be more aware of the corrupt practices being carried out by public servants in Bougainville.

He says even though this fact is denied by many the truth remains that corruption is present in the public service sector.

He also says that the more the people are aware of what happens behind closed doors the better they can identify corruption.

He has called for the ABG to set up a anti-corruption taskforce to carry out investigations into these allegations.

He says each year millions of kina go missing in the public sector and added that something must be done to improve the current situation.

12.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

NO FUNDS FOR BY ELECTION

By Aloysius Laukai

The ABG President chief JOHN MOMIS said that the ABG would be having a By-Election for the LULE seat to replace the late PAUL MITU who passed away last Saturday when funds are available.

He said with the passing of the late PAUL MITU, having a by-election for the vacant LULE seat was inevitable as per the Bougainville constitution.

The ABG President made these comments when sending his condolences to the family and relatives of the late member for LULE.

New Dawn FM understands that several more by-elections would take place this year as some current sitting ABG Members would contesting the coming National Government Elections in June.

12.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Momis condolence

By Aloysius Laukai

ABG President Chief JOHN MOMIS today sent his condolence for the Bougainville House of Representative member for LULE Constituency, the late PAUL MITU.

On behalf of the people of Bougainville, the ABG and his family, Chief Momis sent his deepest sympathy to the family, relatives and constituents of the late member for Lule PAUL MITU who passed away on Easter Saturday after a long illness.

Chief MOMIS said that the late Paul Mitu was an outstanding leader and true son of Bougainville who contributed immensely to the economic development of Bougainville.

ABG President who had the opportunity to spend time with the family and relatives at his home in Pamoiuto village was deeply humbled by the story of the man who was recently a leader in the Momis government.

He said that the late PAUL MITU was a suffering servant who continued to deliver services to his people even when he was ill.

Chief Momis said that the late Paul Mitu truly incarnated the value of Christ’s kingdom, because he lived a life of goodwill, of forgiveness, of respect for others and caring for his people.

He said this was exemplified in all the pivotal roles that he played in the economic recovery of Bougainville including his tenure as a former Assistant Secretary to Commerce in the old Provincial Government days and deputy chairman of the parliamentary select committee on economic development.

As a member of the current ABG Government the late PAUL MITU managed to secure government assistance to fund the feeder road to his village of Pamoiuto when he passed away.

President Momis assured the constituents of LULE that his hard work will not be forgotten as the ASBG was in a process of prioritizing all economic feeder roads in Bougainville.

12.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

BOUGAINVILLEANS NEED TO VOTE TALKING MPS

By Aloysius Laukai

A senior Bougainvillean Lawyer, JOEL MINISIPI NAVA says that Bougainvilleans need to vote talking leaders this round.

He says that with the coming national elections to be held in June this year, our people in Bougainville will again be allowed their democratic rights to choose leaders who will lead Bougainville in the future.

We Bougainvilleans need to understand that the coming national election is a very special one for us in Bougainville because we will be voting for 4 National MPs (Bougainville Regional, North ,Central, and South Bougainville) who will exert some influence at the National political level. These 4 MPs that we will vote for in the 2012 elections will play a major part for the Bougainville Referendum, weapons disposal, implementation of transfer of powers to Bougainville and Bougainville’s political future.

Therefore we need to vote for leaders who, apart from being knowledgeable in the above political issues, are also talkers particularly during National Parliament sessions.

Since 2005 up till now when Bougainville gained autonomy from PNG, the only Bougainville leaders who talked openly on Bougainville issues during national parliament sessions include the current President, Mr. John Momis and the current Governor General Sir. Michael Ogio.

National Leaders that we had thereafter, seemed to have been very silent in all Parliaments sessions though we had more on Bougainville issues and concerns to convey to PNG Government.

Although one or two of our current leaders may be seen as service deliverers, within their own electorates, that is not enough. Great Leaders are talkers and it is only through talking that they achieve something for their own people.

When a leader does not talk particularly when he is sitting among other leaders , other leaders may think that the people he represents are always satisfied and do not need anything. Also the general public will think that the leader is too shallow and does not understand the issues being discussed. Also people who do not talk are generally viewed as having low self-esteem and lack confidence in themselves.

There are National leaders in Bougainville who cannot even campaign for themselves because they cannot talk in front of the public. These leaders openly give public monies to people and institutions especially when election times are near. These are the leaders we need to avoid in Bougainville.

We, in Bougainville have so many issues (relating to Bougainville) to talk about during national Parliament sessions and if our leaders cannot talk openly, we will not achieve much on the issues of implementation of transfer of powers, referendum, weapons disposal.

The future of Bougainville is in our hands. We need to get good, talking leaders to Parliament. Let’s choose leaders who can talk.

12.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

PNG investors eye Far North Queensland

PAPUA New Guinea residents are the largest foreign investors in the Far North of Australian (Cairns), according to the latest figures from the Registrar of Titles.

The Cairns Post reported yesterday that Papua New Guineans bought commercial, residential and other property worth $4.5 million (K9.58 million) out of $16 million (K34.09 million) of foreign purchases in the last financial year.

CBRE Cairns managing director Danny Betros said there had not been many large sales to PNG investors in recent times.

He said the last large sale was the $19 million three-storey office building at 120 Bunda St to a PNG consortium in July 2010. The building was bought by Mineral Resources Lihir Capital Ltd, a company that receives royalties from the $1 billion gold project on Lihir Island, and invests in property and other concerns on behalf of the community.

In May last year, a PNG family’s first foray into the Far North’s commercial property market was expected to be the start of further investments.

The newspaper said one Honale family bought the home of Channel 7 local news in Mulgrave Rd, Parramatta Park, for $3.2 million. Mr Betros said there were about 12 groups representing PNG investors active in the Far North. He said the mining boom was sparking interest by PNG investors in the Far North as well as because of its close proximity. It is understood a PNG consortium is also eyeing off one of the Cairns Central Business District’s largest office blocks, the Corporate Tower. Greg Wood of Knight Frank Cairns reportedly said interest in property in Cairns had dropped off following the political stability in PNG.

Mr Wood said he expected the number of Australians and others working in the PNG resources sector to start buying mainly residential properties in Cairns for their families.

The Far North’s lifestyle, attractive property prices and the resource boom is drawing investors from PNG as well as Western Australia and Darwin who are snapping up prestige waterfront homes and land in the elite Bluewater estate.

In February, investors from PNG called FNQ Hot Property Principal Nathan Shingles at 9am one day, inspected the Bluewater property and by 4pm had signed a contract.

Next on the list was the UK ($3.5 million), NZ ($2 million) and Japan ($1.9 million).

Other notable buyers were from the Czech Republic ($680,000), Greece ($530,000), Hong King ($491,470), Argentina ($490,000) and Malaysia ($394,300).

Hong Kong residents own the largest amount of land (1116ha) followed by Belgium (492ha), the UK (352ha), Japan (278ha) and China (91ha) while UK investors own the largest number of land parcels (257) followed by Japan (214), NZ (212) and PNG (101).

12.04.2012

Source: The National

Telikom gives five computers to Bougainville school 

ONE of the oldest schools in Central Bougainville electorate, Arawa Secondary School, will be the proud recipient of five new computers from Telikom PNG.

The company quickly responded to Minister for Information and Communication Jimmy Miringtoro’s letter seeking to start a major fundraising drive for his electorate in Central Bougainville.

At the Telikom headquarters yesterday, Miringtoro took possession of five new personal computers that will be donated to the new Arawa secondary as part of the roll-out programme for the redevelopment of Arawa town.

He thanked Telikom PNG, saying Arawa Secondary was the oldest school in Central Bougainville.

It was established in 1971, three years before the emergence of the Panguna Copper Mine.

Miringtoro said the people of Central Bougainville electorate were on a major fundraising drive to raise money to develop the area and it was good to see Telikom PNG being the first to help students there.

 “Arawa was regarded as one of the top 10 schools in the country before but due to the crisis it had fallen apart and we are trying to build its reputation again,” he said.

“I was in fact very surprised by the quick response by Telikom and I thank them for the support.”

Telikom acting chief executive officer Charles Litau said they hoped the students at Arawa Secondary School would use the computers wisely.

Meanwhile, from the K100 million given to Bougainville, Miringtoro will allocate K5 million to the fundraising drive and he is hoping to raise K10 million to fully cover all the infrastructure development plans in Central Bougainville.

“All this has been planned for and we will need K15 million to fund all these projects,” he said.

12.04.2012

Source: The National

Bougainville chiefs call for respect 

CHIEFS and other leaders in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville have told ex-combatants that the region will not develop unless they show respect for law and order.

Armed former militants have caused havoc in and around the main town of Buka in recent weeks.

This included the destruction of three ships belonging to the owner of the mv Rabaul Queen inter-island ferry.

The vessel sank two months ago off Morobe.

Chiefs and local government personnel met leaders of the ex-combatants and called on them to behave.

The chair of the chief’s council, Robert Tohia Tabuta, said these people had to realise they were holding back the development of the province.

“(In) the absence of law and order here in our region, there is no development,” he said..

“So the chiefs, the leaders, of Buka Island, Bougainville Island are concerned that if our ex-combatants do not abide by the law it negates development.” – Radio New Zealand International

12.04.2012

Source: ESBC Research

Somare family behind public unrest?

 from: PNG exposed

Read here the today's report of Radio New Zealand International:

PNG activist says Somare supporters hijacked rally

A Papua New Guinea NGO activist has accused groups loyal to the former Somare government of hijacking Tuesday’s large public rally against the deferral of elections and the Judicial Conduct law.

A mass gathering of between five and ten thousand people, including University students, NGOs and union groups, converged on Sir John Guise stadium in Port Moresby to present petitions to the government.

Noel Anjo of PNG’s Coalition of Civil Society Organisations says he had originally planned the rally to be on Thursday but that the plan got hijacked by groups with a political agenda.

“The coalition partner NGOs were not allowed to have a look at the content of the petition and we were not even allowed to sign on the petition. The few people who signed on the petition (included) the Trade Union Congress Secretary General, the President and groups that are aligned to the former regime.”

“Meanwhile, Noel Anjo says he is satisfied that the government is not going to defer elections.”

He remains against the Judicial Conduct Law even though he believes that the current Chief Justice should be removed from office for abuse of office.

Conspirational meeting on Easter morning 11 a.m.: Former Minister of PNG Public Enterprises, Arthur Somare (right) with PNG Trade Union Secretary General John Paska (left). Did they plan the rally againt the O'Neill government?

11.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Sir J opposes poll deferral

By PORENI UMAU

THE deferral of the 2012 Elections for another six months may have serious repercussions against the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

He said that the Constitution has stated it clearly that elections must be held every five years citing that Bougainville has a special case, especially the referendum on gaining independence during the peace agreement signing where Bougainville should be fully independent in 10-15 years time. Mr Sampai who was speaking with support from ex-combatants said that the deferral will surely hurt Bougainville’s work towards achieving independence as agreed by the PNG Government and the Bougainvillean leaders. “The deferral will delay momentum towards achieving what was promised to us,” he said.

He queried the current leadership citing ‘I see a weak leadership in this current government’.

He also urged South Bougainville MP Steven Pirika Kamma to speak out for such cause and not be quiet.

Also the deferral of elections has attracted the ire of New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan.

Sir Julius condemned the decision of deferring the national elections by another six months saying this was a blatant denial that has robbed the people of their right to pronounce judgment on their leaders in the June polls. Speaking from his village at Huris in the New Ireland Province, Sir Julius said usurping the people’s right from the ballot box for no justifiable reason is only prolonging the questions about the legality of the divided house. He repeated his disappointment issued previously and confirmed that the deferral was unconstitutional as were many recent passages of various laws to the Constitution.

11.04.2012

Source: The National

Election on schedule 

THE national election will be held as scheduled with only a slight change. The writs will be issued on May 18 instead of April 27 as previously gazetted.

The decision will not affect date for polling which falls on June 23 and for the return of writs on or before July 27.

Also yesterday:

- Hundreds gathered at the Sir John Guise Stadium to protest the deferral of the election and passage of the Judicial Conduct Law;

- Schools and many business houses in Port Moresby were closed as fears spread that the demonstration might turn violent;

- Demonstrators earlier stoned cars and damaged a shop in Koki;

- Hundreds converged at the Eriku oval in Lae to protest the deferral, led by the University of Technology students; and

Madang, demonstrators said they were ready to go to the poll.

10.04.2012

Source: ABC Radio Australia Network News

Thousands protest against PNG election delay  

10.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

ACTIVES MISSED

By Tapo Tovilu

Radio Bougainville's duo who covered mainland Bougainville during the Bougainville conflict have not been included in the paylist of staffs of NBC that were paid today by officers from the Department of Personal management.

Former Radio Bougainville's senior Officers, Timothy Masiu and Aloysius Laukai's name were not on the list of former NBC staff who served during the Bougainville conflict.

Timothy Masiu was covering the conflict mostly travelling with PNGDF troops whilst Aloysius Laukai was held up by the BRA and put in house arrest in Buin in 1991 and also held up by security forces in Buka on his return trip from the South Bougainville.

When asked why some names were not on the list, the officers said that it was the NBC office who gave them the list.

At least two other workers, Lawrence Banae who served also during the conflict and Phliph Bakatau were not listed for payment.

10.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

First batch get paid

By Tapo Tovilu

The first batch of public servants entitled to the controversial risk allowance payments received their payments today.

The National Department of Works, National Broadcasting Cooperation and MV Sankamap were among the first departments to receive the payments.

Officers on the ground say that public servants with surnames starting from A to L were to be paid with the next lot in June.

But not all were happy as many were turned away at the police station because their names were not on the list.

Some frustrated public servants whose names weren’t on the list say that the list should have been checked well.

New Dawn FM understands that this is not the final list of names with the list to be cross referenced again for the next payments in June.

10.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Increasing number of cars a concern

By Tapo Tovilu

The increasing number of motor vehicles in Buka town is a growing concern due to the limited road space.

Buka Town resident James Putsion says that with the increasing number of cars in the town area the roads are becoming overcrowded with people and vehicles.

He says that this is most common on any working day in Buka town and many people find it challenging just to cross the road.

Mr Putsion has called on authorities to look more into the possibility of redesigning the road systems into, out of and in Buka town.

He has also called for the general public to be careful when in town especially during the busy times of day.

He comments follow an incident last week Thursday when a man was nearly over run in front of the police station.

10.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Public Servants Meeting

Public servants waiting outside the fence for their names to be called

Public servants at a meeting with DPM at Hutjena Secondary School this morning

Pictures by Tapo Tovilu

10.04.2012

Source: Radio New Zealand International

PNG PM assures protestors over elections but keeps Judicial Conduct Act

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has assured several thousand protestors in Port Moresby that national elections this year will go ahead as originally scheduled.

Mr O’Neill addressed the crowd of an estimated five to ten thousand protestors at the capital’s Sir John Guise Stadium.

He and some members of his cabinet received petitions from civil society, student and union groups demanding elections be not deferred by six month as parliament voted last week.

They also voiced concerns over a controversial new law enabling government to suspend judges.

Our correspondent, Titi Gabi, says many were dissatisified with Mr O’Neill’s response, particularly on calls for his government to repeal the Judicial Conduct Act.

“The election is on course. That undertaking was made by the Attorney General Allan Marat. As for the Judicial bill, Peter O’Neill has said that the Chief Justice would have to resign first and then they (the government) can withdraw the bill. So there’s still a lot of dissatisfied protestors out there, unhappy with the outcome of today.”

Titi Gabi says the Trade Union Congress remains unhappy with the government’s response and will meet to decide on its next protest action.

10.04.2012

Source: The National

Momis: Poll deferral sets bad precedent 

ALOYSIUS LAUKAI

THE postponement of the general election sets a precedent, Bougainville President John Momis said.

The chief architect of the Papua New Guinea constitution said leaders could now find any excuse to delay the election and deprive the constituents and citizens of their rights to vote for their candidates.

Momis said although past elections were not perfect, previous governments had not used the unpreparedness of the electoral commission or the public service to delay elections.

He said this was a very bad precedent and he hoped “this does not become a habit”.

Momis said leaders must be subjected to scrutiny and election time was the opportunity for the people to use their knowledge and experience to make proper choices.

He said the delay would cause many unnecessary delays in Bougainville in respect of other important engagements they had with the national government.

 “We cannot go on procrastinating. The JSB has been put off for so long, the national government has not given us the budgeted K100 million and this is quite a concern to us,” he said.

Another Bougainville leader Sylvester Niu called on the PNG parliament not to play with the lives of six million people by deferring the general election.

Niu said in Buka the election must go ahead as planned.e said the decision by parliament was illegal and not in the best interest of PNG.         

10.04.2012

Source. ABC Radio Australia - Pacific Beat

PNG Electoral Commission adamant elections set for June

The PNG Electoral Commission says it will proceed with conducting the 2012 National General Elections as scheduled despite Parliament's decision to defer the polls.

Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen gave this assurance yesterday following last Thursday's parliament decision to delay the elections by six months.

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill was one of the members who voted in support of the motion. 

He's now saying that motion was tabled without his authorisation and that it's going ahead in June as scheduled.

Presenter: Geraldine Coutts

Speaker: ABC's reporter in Port Moresby, Firmin Nanol 

  Listen here ! 

10.04.2012

Source: The National

Woman jailed for bid to kill husband 

A 34-YEAR-old woman in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville has been jailed for eight years for conspiring with another person to kill her husband.

The National Court in Buka heard that Melba Posara, from Mamaguta village, Siwai district, was married to Benjamin Posara and that some time before April, 2011, she started an extra-marital relationship with her husband’s younger brother, Max Kariha.

In April, 2011, Kariha approached Posara and suggested a plan to kill her husband, to which she agreed.

On April 8, 2011, while his brother was asleep, Kariha slashed his face twice with a knife and thought he had killed him.

The State alleged that Melba conspired with Kariha to kill Posara.

Acting judge, Justice David Maliku said this was a serious matter because there was a conspiracy between two persons to take another person’s life.

“The fact that death did not take place makes this matter fall short of the worst category of cases.

“At the time of the commission of the offence, Melpa was the wife of the victim.

“She conspired with another person to kill her own husband. She was unfaithful and indeed betrayed her husband,” he said.

Although Melba’s lawyer claimed there was no evidence to show she had helped in the conspiracy, Maliku said she had given permission to kill her husband.

Maliku told Melba that nobody, including her and Kariha, had the right to kill or conspire to kill another person.

10.04.2012

Source: The National

Judge: Using knives to harm increasing 

CASES of grievous bodily harm and causing wounding are on the rise in many parts of Papua New Guinea, including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, a National Court judge says.

Speaking in Buka recently, acting judge Justice David Maliku,  said dangerous weapons such as knives had been frequently used to inflict serious and often permanent injuries.

He sentenced Julius Minsipi, from Tugiu village, Buin district, Bougainville, to five years in jail on one count each of causing grievous bodily harm and wounding.

The court heard that between 3pm and 5pm on April 25, 2009, the victims James Minsipi and Aloysius Kumunu were returning from Piaringo village when they stopped at Okurai, Numukei village, to look for tobacco.

While they were waiting to be served, a drunk Minsipi approached them with a grass knife and attacked them.

Both victims bled heavily and  were taken to Buin health centre for treatment.

James Minsipi was referred to Buka General Hospital where it was discovered that his right hand had to be amputated.

“Although this matter does not fall in the worst category of cases, it is still serious because of the extent of injuries suffered by the victims.

“It is the duty of the court to impose sentences that will deter the accused from recommitting and others from committing similar offences in the future and to ensure that the public is safe,” he said.

On the second count, he was sentenced to 18 months in jail, with the term to be served concurrently.

10.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Aust leader visits Arawa

By PETERSON TSERAHA

THE Australian Government Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop went all the way to Arawa on her official visit to Bougainville.

Ms Bishop and her delegation were accompanied by Autonomous Bougainville Government Mining Minister and Member for Ioro Michael Oni, Member for Eivo Torau Melchior Dare and National Coordinating office of Bougainville Affairs Director Ellison Towollom.

The delegation met with the Executive Manager for Panguna District Otto Noruka and the Mekamui Government of Unity Administrator Robin Tekapu.

Both officers briefed the delegation of the current situation on arms, peace process and the state of the Panguna mine discussions. 

The discussions paid particular attention on the unification process since the signing of the Panguna Communiqué in 2007, and the need for more funds to support the ongoing process.

“The Panguna process still has got outstanding issues to tackle and outstanding reconciliation. And in order for those things to be over, we direly need support, and if it’s from Australia that would be so nice cause you’re partly responsible,” Mr Tekapu said during the meeting.

The delegation then met with former BRA leaders Ishmael Toroama and Sam Kaona, a very important meeting and heavy discussions concerning the ongoing peace and reconciliation process on Bougainville.

Mr Kaona briefed the delegation on stolen rights of indigenous Bougainvilleans, and that Australia despite spending billions of dollars gets very little appreciation.

“We look to Australia to do the right thing and support Bougainville in its difficult journey. 

“I think those Australians, if they knew of the stolen rights of Bougainville 250 years ago they would support and give us a fair go,” Mr Kauona said. 

He added that Bougainville hoped Australia would remain its ally after independence.

10.04.2012

Source: Radio New Zealand International

Former Bougainville militants urged to respects PNG laws

Chiefs and other leaders in Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville have told ex-combatants that the autonomous province won’t develop unless they show respect for law and order.

Armed former militants have caused havoc in and around the main town Buka in recent weeks, including the destruction of three ships belonging to the owner of the Rabaul Queen inter island ferry which sank two months ago off Morobe.

Chiefs and local government personnel met leaders of the ex-combatants and called on them to behave.

The chair of the chief’s council, Robert Tohia Tabuta, says these people have to realise they are holding back the development of the province.

“[In] the absence of law and order here in our region, there is no development. So the chiefs, the leaders, of Buka Island, Bougainville Island are concerned that if our ex-combatants do not abide by the law it negates development.”

08.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

All participate

By Aloysius Laukai

ABG president chief JOHN MOMIS has called on the people of Bougainville to contribute meaningfully to the development of Bougainville

He says that Bougainville can change if every men women and children of Bougainville can do their part in whatever area of field they are working on.

Chief Momis said that Bougainville is a small area and if all Bougainvilleans are committed to peace and development we can achieve easily.

He called on all Bougainvilleans to unite,forget their differences and work for total peace and development in the region.

The ABG President made these comments in his Easter message to the people of Bougainville broadcasted on New Dawn Fm last night.

07.04.2012

Source: ABC Radio Australia News

PNG backtracks on election delay

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has called for early elections, just days after parliament voted to delay the June polls by up to six months.

In a statement released on Saturday, Mr O'Neill said parliament was not properly briefed on election preparations and that the motion was tabled without his authorisation.

"The Electoral Commissioner's brief to me dated April 2 did not recommend deferral of elections. All effort must be made to assure security and integrity of the elections," he said.

Mr O'Neill was one of 63 MPs who on Thursday voted to defer national elections by six months after hearing a report that preparations were inadequate.

Before the vote, the MP assisting Mr O'Neill on electoral matters briefed parliamentary ministers on a report from PNG's electoral commission.

He told them electoral rolls were not complete and police were not ready to provide security.

But Mr O'Neill now says the electoral commission did not recommend that the elections be deferred and the minister in question did not have clearance to suggest the delay to parliament.

Mr O'Neill has yet to give a clear indication of when elections will be held, but says all efforts must be made to ensure their integrity and security.

Cabinet is expected to meet on Monday to review election preparations ahead of Tuesday's sitting of parliament, where the decision to defer elections is likely to be reversed.

07.04.2012

Source: ABC Radio Australia News

PNG backflips on stalling national elections

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has called for early elections, just days after parliament voted to delay the June polls by up to six months.

In a statement released on Saturday, Mr O'Neill said parliament was not fully briefed on election preparations and did not have his authorisation.

"The Electoral Commissioner's brief to me dated April 2 did not recommend deferral of elections. All effort must be made to assure security and integrity of the elections," he said.

PNG's parliament voted 63-11 on Thursday to defer the mid-year elections for six months after hearing a report that preparations were inadequate.

Cabinet is expected to meet on Monday to review election preparations ahead of Tuesday's sitting of parliament, where the decision to defer elections is likely to be reversed.

On Friday, Papua New Guinea warned other countries, particularly Australia, not to interfere in its internal affairs.

Perhaps in anticipation of an international backlash, deputy prime minister Belden Namah warned other countries not to interfere.

He singled out Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr who floated, then later retracted, the idea of imposing sanctions on Papua New Guinea if elections were delayed.

"Whatever Mr Bob Carr says about sanctions, I want to say this: do not threaten the independence of this country," Mr Namah said.

Mr Carr says Australia is disappointed about the election delay, but is not considering sanctions at the moment.

He says Australia and New Zealand have already agreed to provide substantial support for the poll.

"In my view it would not be productive to be talking about sanctions at this time," he said.

"Questions are being raised in Papua New Guinea about the constitutionality of this decision, those questions will need to be resolved by the country itself.

"We respect Papau New Guinea's sovereignty and we'd like to see this decision reviewed."

In a statement, Prime Minister Julia Gillard made no mention of sanctions but maintained Australia believed the elections should be held on time.

"While we respect Papua New Guinea's sovereignty, as a strong supporter and long-time friend of Papua New Guinea, Australia believes the elections should be held on time, in accordance with the constitution," she said.

"Papua New Guinea's democracy has to date had a good record of holding elections on time."

06.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

MOMIS ON ELECTION

By Aloysius Laukai

The ABG President and Papua New Guinea’s constitution architect chief John Momis says that the announcement by the Government to postphone the 2012 general elections sets a dangerous trend in the history of Papua New Guinea.

He this is because leaders will find any excuse to delay elections and deprive the constituents and citizens of their rights to cast their votes for their choice candidates.

President Momis said that although past elections were not perfect but previous governments did not use the un-preparedness of the Electoral Commission or the public service to delay elections.

He said that this was a very bad precedent and just hoped this does not become a habit.

The ABG President said that leaders must be subjected to scrutiny and election time was the opportune time that enables the people to screen and use their Knowledge and Experiences to make proper choices.

President Momis said that the delay will cause a lot of unnecessary delays in Bougainville in respect to other important engagements we have with the National Government.

MR. MOMIS said AND I QUOTE “We cannot go on procrastinating, the JSB has been put off for so long, National Government has not given us the budgeted ONE HUNDRED MILLION KINA and this is causing quite a concern to us” end of quote.

06.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

CATHOLICS CARRY THE CROSS

By Aloysius Laukai

Catholics from the Hahela parish on Buka island joined christians throughout the world to carry the Cross and process to remember the pains Jesus had to go through to redeem the world 2000 years ago.

Hahela parishioners processed from Kenny's Hall all in Buka town all the way to the Church at Hahela.

They braved the heat of the sun and started their walk from Kenny’s Hall just after 1pm uphill to the Hahela Mission where they had the normal GOOD FRIDAY 

06.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

SOUTH MEET

By Aloysius Laukai

A two- day meeting by leaders of South Bougainville and Ex-combatants involved in the burning of the Rabaul Shipping ships ended today with resolutions to hold several meetings between leaders from Tinputz, Wakunai and Central Bougainville before meeting the chiefs of North Bougainville.

Spokesperson for the meeting and Buka businessman, GABRIEL PANGTEI told New Dawn FM this afternoon that the meeting has ironed out differences that has existed between the Ex combatants and the Bougainville leaders.

MR. PANGTEI however said that the resolutions will not be made public until other stakeholders have been given the opportunity to study the resolutions.

MR. PANGTEI said that the South Bougainville leaders had to call the meeting in response to calls by Buka Council of Elders for the Ex-combatants involved in the burning of ships to return to their respective homes.

He assured the people of Buka that the South Bougainville leaders would call for a meeting with them as soon as they have consultative meetings with all stakeholders on Bougainville.

05.04.2012

Source: Australian Network News

PNG enters uncharted waters  

05.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

BOUGAINVILLE NOT HAPPY

By Aloysius Laukai

A Bougainville leader, SYLVESTER NIU this afternoon called on the Papua New Guinea Parliament not to play with the lives of Six Million people of Papua New Guinea by deferring the National Elections by six months.

Mr. Niu told New Dawn FM tonight that this was not on the election must be allowed to continue on time.

Mr. Niu said the actions of the members was illegal and was not in the best interest of Papua New Guinea.

He said the current members must not use parliament to promote their selfish interests.

MR. NIU said that because Papua New Guinea had two Prime Ministers, two deputies,to Police Commissioners etc etc the only way to stop these was by way of the General election now deferred.

05.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

COMBATANTS CALLED TO MOVE OUT OF BUKA

BY TAPO TOVILU

Former combatants from Tinputz in North Bougainville, Wakunai in Central Bougainville and Buin in South Bougainville who were involved in the burning of the Rabaul Shippings have been given 24 hours to move out of Buka and return to their respective villages.

The agreement was reached from the combined conference of the North Bougainville Council of Elders held in Buka yesterday.

This was after countless reports by the people of Buka that they were fed up with the attitude of a few former combatants who continue to carry and discharge firearms threatening the people.

In a press statement released they said that the combatant’s actions are disrupting peace and stability which many had fought and died for.

The actions of the few have also affected the price of copra causing it to drop dramatically and have put fear into shipping companies operating within the region.

Chairman of the Buka Conference of chiefs, Romeo Tohiana and his council have assured shipping companies and investors that their investments will be protected.

05.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Pictures of the Mortlock Islanders camp under water from the recent heavy rains

05.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

SCHOOLS VISIT NEW DAWN

By Aloysius Laukai

Four Grade nine students from Hutjena Secondary school and three Grade Twelve students from Bishop Wade Secondary school visited New Dawn FM this afternoon.

The Grade nine students were doing a project on types of Programs and how they are prepared before they are aired to the public.

Whilst the Grade twelve students were on a project that looks at the Biography of a role model and in this case they talked to the Manager of New Dawn FM, Aloysius Laukai.

The students were surprised to see the level of Professionalism especially with the daily operation of a media organization.

This was the first time for students from Bougainville to have an interest in a local media although New Dawn FM has been providing an avenue for Bougainville students from the Divine Word University to do their practical since 2009.

05.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

UNITE WOMEN

By Aloysius Laukai

The World Bank’s Inclusive Development Programme in Post Conflict Bougainville will certainly unite the women of Bougainville according to the Minister for Community Development, ROSE PIHEI.

MRS. PIHEI was speaking at the launch of the program at the Kuri Village Resort this morning.

The program which is funded by the WORLD BANK’s SIX MILLION KINA Grant would assist Bougainville’s women groups to build their capacity to participate in development projects throughout the region.

The Minister said that if the women can forget their differences and work as one voice they can make big impact on Bougainville.

She said Bougainville women represent 50 percent of the population and can even vote their own women representative to parliament if they can put their acts together.

The Minister officially launched the project which will end in March 2014.

05.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

WOMEN WILL BENEFIT

By Aloysius Laukai

All women organizations will benefit from the World Bank funded Inclusive Development Project launched today in Buka.

CEO for Community Development, MANA KAKAROUTS made these remarks at the project launching in Buka this morning.

MRS. KAKAROUTS was responding to questions of which organizations would benefit from the project.

She said that the project will assist all women’s organizations and not just the Bougainville women’s federation.

The CEO said that only applications from organized women’s groups would be entertained as the project is not for individual women.

On the question of which projects would be funded, she said that it was up to the groups to decide which project would work in their areas.

05.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

BISHOP TOURS BOUGAINVILLE

By Aloysius Laukai

The Deputy Opposition leader for Australia, JULIE BISHOP and her delegation arrived in Buka this morning for a three-day visit to the Autonomous Region.

Her delegation included two other members of parliament.

The delegation was welcomed by students from the Kamarau International school and a Bamboo band from Malasang village on Buka island.

In her welcome message at the Buka airport ABG Minister for community development, ROSE PIHEI thanked the people of Australia for their continued support towards the peace process on Bougainville.

She said that Bougainville was happy with the visit by the Australia Deputy Opposition leader and her delegation to the region.

The team made a curtesy call to the ABG Chief Administrator, LAWRENCE DISIN and the President of Bougainville Business Association, ROBERT ATSIR before travelling to the NAZARETH REHABILITTATION CENTRE at Chabai.

The team will have several meetings with various groups in Arawa tomorrow before returning to Port Moresby on Friday.

New Dawn FM understands that the ABG President Chief JOHN MOMIS is currently in Port Moresby and would meet the team on Thursday when they return from Arawa.

Meanwhile, The Deputy Opposition leader for Australia, JULIE BISHOP says Australia will continue to assist Bougainville through its aid organization AUSAID to continue with its programs towards peace process in the region.

She was speaking to reporters at the Buka airport this morning.

The deputy Opposition leader said that AUSTRALIA has been Bougainville’s best friend since world war 2 and would continue to support the region through many of its programs in the region.

She said that her trip to Bougainville was to see how projects under Aus Aid have been received in the region and also to look at new areas that need to be looked at.

On the question if AUSTRALIA would support with the weapons disposal, Member BISHOP said that Australia was committed to work with the ABG on how best the issue can be addressed.

She said that by the end of the trip she would be in a better position to know how Australia can further assist the region.

05.04.2012

Source: Radio New Zealand International

PNG parliament defers election by six months

The parliament of Papua New Guinea has voted to postpone the national elections for six months.

The vote passed the house 63 to 11 following a 90-minute debate.

This comes after a recommendation by the minister assisting the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill on electoral issues, Waka Goi.

Mr Goi said the budget shortfall for the election was about 30 million US dollars and the electoral rolls were not ready for public inspection.

He also said security planning was not in order yet.

Mr O’Neill has previously stated he wants a full, free, fair and on-time election.

The electoral commissioner Andrew Trawen says the government does not have the power to suspend elections because the constitution lays out a strict five-year parliamentary timetable.

05.04.2012

Source: PNG Attitude

Namah’s triumph - PNG votes to defer elections

IN A SIGNAL VICTORY for deputy prime minister Belden Namah – the wild man of PNG politics - Papua New Guinea’s parliament today voted to postpone the national elections for six months.

The vote passed 63-11 following a short debate and represents a significant loss – and loss of face – for prime minister Peter O’Neill, whose days in office must now be numbered.

Speaking in parliament, Namah warned against foreign intervention in the decision.

"Whatever Bob Carr says about sanctions, I want to say ... do not threaten the independent state of PNG," Namah said.

"You must respect our wishes. You must not intrude into our election process."

Namah said the polls must be delayed to allow for proper security to be implemented in the volatile Southern Highlands.

Electoral commissioner Andrew Trawen has repeatedly said that the election will go ahead as scheduled

05.04.2012

Source: ABC Radio Australia News

PNG elections deferred

PNG correspondent Liam Fox

Papua New Guinea's Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of delaying upcoming elections by six months.

The motion was passed 63 votes to 11.

Before the vote the Minister assisting the Prime Minister on election matters, Waka Goi delivered an update on electoral preparedness.

He said there was a fundamental shortfall of around 30 million dollars, electoral rolls were not ready, and police were also not ready to provide security. During the debate most MP's supported the moves, others said the delay should be two not six months.

Voting was due to begin at the end of June and the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has repeatedly assured Papua New Guineans and the international community that the elections would proceed as scheduled.

The date of PNG's next election is a sensitive political topic.

Two days after being sworn in as Australia's Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, threatened PNG with sanctions if it delayed elections.

The threat angered the PNG Government, but Mr Carr has since apologised for the incident and said he was 'misunderstood.'

PNG's government told Australia's Parliamentary Secretary on Pacific Affairs, Richard Marles, in early March, the election would happen on time.

The elections are seen as important to PNG's democracy because it has two men claiming to be the legitimate prime minister.

Peter O'Neill has the support of Parliament after taking over from an ill Sir Michael Somare.

But Sir Michael, since returning to political life, has the support of the courts.

Opposition Leader Dame Carol Kidu supports a delay but says it should only be for two months.

But he and O’Neill were not counting on the persuasive powers of Belden Namah.

05.04.2012

Source: ESBC Research

  Breaking News ! 

Sydney: Huge demand in Bougainville Copper shares...

...but unfortunately at a limited price of AUD 0.81 per share !

Market Depth for BOUGAINVILLE COPPER

as at 10:18:10 AM Thursday, April 5, 2012

BOUGAINVILLE COPPER Trade Summary - Status  

Last Change % Volume Trades Open High Low 

0.810 0.000  0.00 2,500 2 0.810 0.810 0.810 

Last Traded 500 @ 0.81 - 09:59:45 

BOUGAINVILLE COPPER Market Depth 

BOC Buyers 

Level Buy Quantity Price 

1  2 509,079 0.810 

2  1 20,000 0.800 

3  1 900 0.760 

4  1 3,981 0.755 

5  1 40,000 0.750 

6  1 12,000 0.720 

7  2 73,871 0.700 

8  1 2,000 0.670 

9  2 11,800 0.650 

10  1 200 0.600 

BOC Sellers 

Price Quantity Sell Level 

0.855 2,000 1 1 

0.860 5,000 1 2 

0.900 53,468 2 3 

0.920 10,000 1 4 

0.940 6,000 1 5 

0.945 4,000 1 6 

0.950 3,871 1 7 

0.960 4,450 1 8 

0.990 10,800 2 9 

0.995 10,000 1 10 

1.085 10,000 1 11 

1.160 10,000 1 12 

1.200 10,000 1 13 

1.250 10,000 1 14 

1.310 10,000 1 15 

1.700 660 1 16 

12.000 5,000 1 17 

12.990 230,000 1 18 

14.990 150,000 1 19 

16.960 30,000 1 20 

18.000 5,000 1 21 

18.780 50,000 1 22 

19.230 40,000 1 23 

19.810 25,000 1 24 

20.000 88,026 1 25 

24.000 5,000 1 26 

29.900 5,300 1 27 

30.000 48,000 2 28 

31.250 10,000 1 29 

05.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Arsonists told to leave Buka

FORMER combatants who were involved in the burning of the three Rabaul Shipping vessels have been given 24 hours to move out of Buka and return to their respective areas.

In a combined conference of North Bougainville Council of Elders’ (COE) chairmen held on Tuesday it was decided that these factions return to their respective villages and take part in the region’s weapons disposal plan for each district and leave the people of North Bougainville alone.

Chairman of the Buka conference of Chiefs Romeo Tohiana told the meeting that the people of Buka were fed up with the attitude of a few former combatants who continue to carry and discharge firearms and threaten and intimidate those in authority.

“The use of threat and intimidation of Buka leaders and officers of the Government and threat to destroy Government institutions like the Buka Court House, the ABG Finance office, the Bougainville Police Service buildings and Bougainville’s Parliament Building is a threat to our peace, our women and children, our development and livelihood, a threat to the ABG’s unification efforts of all Bougainvilleans, and we will not sit back and watch our peace 

and good order destroyed overnight by criminals who have no respect for rule of law, good governance and the people’s Agreement, a roadmap for 

our future destiny,” Mr Tohiana said.

He said that most former combatants who were actively involved in the Bougainville war were strongly in support of Buka and North Bougainville leaders and have called on their comrades to return to their villages and 

help build Bougainville as a nation.

The conference was also told that the action by this minority group has already affected the price of copra in the region where it has dropped by K500 which 

has greatly affected local farmers.

Mr Tohiana said that their actions were criminal in nature and disturbed the peace and stability of Bougainville and were also in clear breach of the Bougainville Peace Agreement .

The meeting was also attended by the ABG Vice President Patrick Nisira, Members and Minsters of the ABG and senior officers 

from the Bougainville administration.

05.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Bougainville landowners want equity on resources

By PETERSON TSERAHA

VILLAGE chiefs and resource owners from Leulo and Tonolei in Buin south Bougainville have called on the member for North Fly Boka Kondra to amend his proposed Mining, oil and gas bills before presenting to the Parliament.

Resource owners’ representative Chris Bengko said landowners are happy with the proposed bills but section 6Aand 6B need more discussion from all stakeholders in PNG before any proposed benefit sharing can be legislated.

Sections 6A and 6B outline how profits generated from the project under production sharing contract shall be distributed between various stake holders as follows: Investor 51%,resource owner 44% Provincial government 4% LLG 1%. But Leulo and Tonolei landowners say a more equitable distribution would be: Investor 40%, Resource owner 25%, Provincial Government 20%, LLGs in the province 10%, churches in the province 5%.

They further noted that Christian Charity and Social justice demands that wealth in this country is equitably distributed among all citizens of this country and paying 44% to a minority of resource owners is not justified and promotes selfish, sectoral minority interests.

“Trillions of Kina have been expropriated out of this country, just because of unjust and draconian mineral and other resource legislations operating in this country, and we must put a stop to this nonsense.” Mr.Bengko said.

“No wonder all major investors are coming into PNG because all other mineral rich countries all over the world are now under production sharing contracts and PNG is an exception because of the current foreign introduced mineral legislations which do not recognise land owner rights.” He said.

The resource owners further stated that all major projects such as in minerals, fishing, logging, agriculture sectors should all be under production sharing contracts where landowners, provincial governments LLGs and churches should share in the profits generated and not to be exploited and marginalised like they are now by mainly foreign multinational corporations in Papua New Guinea.

Mr.Bengko further stated that the people of this Country owe the Bougainville people; Peter Donigi and Simon Ekanda from the Mama Papa graun party and Boka Kondra member for North fly great admiration for exposing this great injustice, by foreign countries and developers to our people and resources.

“It seems our politicians and some of our very senior public servants, may have been bribed by those multinational corporations and that is why they never introduce new mineral rights and legislations to safe guard the collective interests of resource owners and people of this great country hugely blessed by God.” “We have a lot of resources but we don’t feel an inch of development and benefits from resources exported out.” Mr.Bengko said.

05.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Step aside, PM told

MELANESIAN Alliance is calling on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to step aside for lying to the nation about the Judicial Conduct Bill.

And they are also calling on the PM to apologise to the people for misleading the country on this Act.

In a show of strength in Port Moresby yesterday, the MA “engine room” made up of businessmen, leaders and elites including intending MPs for the 2012 National Elections, strongly backed Parliamentary Leader Dame Carol Kidu saying that the country is now “under siege” especially when one of the three arms of government has “crossed the operations of another government”.

Former deputy prime minister and central Bougainville MP Sam Akoitai, said last night that the country must be put back in order and the Constitution restored by the leaders of this nation.

“The country is at risk if anything…when the Bill was being tabled in Parliament, the PM of this country assured the nation that the Bill was going to be referred to the Constitutional Law Reform Commission for a wider consultation,” Akoitai said. “The PM has lied outright to the people of PNG and evidence of his lies is now exposed by the fact that Parliament has now referred the Chief Justice and his fellow Judge to the Head of State to face the tribunal.” “The PM should now own up and apologise to the people of PNG and he should step aside to protect the office.” But Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s office last night said that everyone had the right to make comments even asking for his resignation as PM. He defended that the Bill was done in the best interest of this nation and its people. He said last night that the move by Parliament to suspend the two judges was a result of the two of them refusing to step aside. He said that it was not Parliament’s intention for the move to be pushed. The Judges were biased in their proceedings on Somare and it was Parliament’s duty to protect the integrity of this government and country.

05.04.2012

Source: The National

Bishop commits Aust to Bougainville 

by ALOYSIUS LAUKAI

AUSTRALIA has been Bougainville’s best friend since World War II and will continue to support the region, Australian deputy opposition leader Julie Bishop said.

She said in Buka on her three-day visit there that Australia would continue to help Bougainville through AusAID.

Her trip to Bougainville yesterday was to see how AusAID had been received and areas that needed to be looked at.

Bishop is on a short official visit to the country.

She also said Australia was committed to working with the Autonomous Bougainville Government on how best to address the disposal of weapons.

She returns to Port Moresby tomorrow.

Her delegation, which included two other members of parliament, was welcomed by students from the Kamarau International School and a bamboo band from Malasang village on Buka Island.

ABG Minister for Community Development Rose Pihei thanked the people of Australia for their continued support for the peace process on Bougainville.

Bishop and her delegation paid a courtesy call on ABG chief administrator Lawrence Disin and Bougainville Business Association president Robert Astir before travelling to the Nazareth Rehabilitation Centre at Chabai.

The team will have meetings with groups in Arawa today.

It is believed ABG President John Momis, who is in Port Moresby, will meet the team on its return from Arawa.

05.04.2012

Source: Solomon Star

Man claimed to sell fake gold bar failed to turn up

By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN

A man who allegedly sold a fake gold bar for $30,000* has failed to turn up for his case at the Honiara Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Jack Ure, 28, of Malaita province faces one count of false pretence.

It was alleged that on September 26, 2011 he sold a fake gold bar for $30,000 to his former employer who was also his neighbour at Feraladoa, behind East Kola Ridge, Central Honiara.

The fake gold bar was believed to have been produced out from battery Lead melted into a gold bar form and painted.

He allegedly told the complainant that he has a friend named David from Guadalcanal who sells gold bars and a buyer, Brian from Bougainville.

It was further alleged that he took the complainant to see his Guadalcanal friend and Bougainville man claimed to be the buyer.

The claimed buyer from Bougainville calculated the price of the gold bar and estimated it would cost $80 million in the world market.

The accused then told the claimed buyer (Bougainville man) that he would only be selling the gold bar for only $40 million to him.

Upon hearing this, the complainant and his wife bought the fake gold bar for only $30,000.

Jack had earlier told the complainant that he will help pay another $20,000 to reach cost ($50,000) cost of the gold bar.

The next day, after the complainant discovered the fake gold bar has tried contacting the accused but was unsuccessful.

Ure was arrested and released on a principal bail of $1,000.

Chief Magistrate Leonard Maina yesterday adjourned the matter to May 2 and a warrant of arrest lay on his file.

Ure was represented by the Public Solicitor’s Office and his case was prosecuted by the Police Prosecution Service.

* 1 Solomon Dollar  =  0,10 Euro  =  AUD 0.13

05.04.2012

Source: PNG Attitude

Bougainville: outlaws must be brought to justice

BY AXEL G. STURM

In 2004 I started to invest in Bougainville Copper because an old friend of mine told me about this investment opportunity.

A couple of years later we founded the European Shareholders of Bougainville Copper (ESBC), a group of independent investors who intend to be some kind of catalysts in the complicated situation on the ground.

Since the beginning I’ve been the ESBC’s president. To be honest: I did not expect the huge challenge that became over the years. In so far it was some kind of “unexpected”!

I created our homepage www.bougainville-copper.eu that has grown to nearly 700 pages. Our homepage is supposed to be the best in-depth source on Bougainville, a way to promote the island and a platform to create better understanding amongst people.

Sometimes it is also a warning to dubious people who feel attracted by the island’s rich resources.

Although we want to earn money with our investment on the international stockmarkets in Sydney and Frankfurt, most of us are highly motivated to support Bougainville’s resurrection from the ashes after the crises. That sounds easier than it is in reality. The wounds seem to be healed today, but unfortunately there are still competing groups who are terrorising people.

Bougainvilleans who I met in Port Moresby told me that there were 1,200 left dead due to violence. Other figures as yours of 20,000 result from people who died from insufficient medical care because of the blockade and normal death. It is not easy for me to analyse what is the truth. That does not matter because even a single death related to our mine operations is one victim too much.

My today’s concern is the security on the island that is still threatened by some criminal gangs who pretend to be “honourable” former combatants. Believe me: I spent plenty of hours to find out what they are fighting for. The answer was always the same: personal greed.

I found documents such as reports on voluntary killings committed by former combatants … killings that were absolutely not linked to our company at all.

There were also rumours that representatives of the US American Pritzker Group were in Bougainville in the late 1980s and that they influenced and paid Francis Ona to create unrest on the island.

The Pritzker Group at that time was strongly interested in taking over BCL. If all this should be true, it was not BCL that caused the Bougainville crisis. Unfortunately we cannot prove this suspicion. Perhaps somebody knows more.

Today we see re-appear dubious businessmen in Bougainville who interfere – together with criminals. This is some kind of déjà-vu.

My personal view is that Bougainville will not be a peaceful place until peace is imposed by a strong and respected police squad. Quite obviously former rebels turned to become some kind of Mafia today. All these outlaws have to be brought to justice. If not it might happen that there will be growing criminal groups one day who act like in Central Africa…with all consequences!

Bougainville Copper is ready to resume mining on Bougainville under fair conditions. I can assure to you that the ESBC will keep an eye on this. We want Bougainville to become a pearl of the Pacific region.

We would appreciate if PNG Attitude will support our struggle for a better Bougainville.

First Comment on PNG Attitude:

Sturm - Thanks for this. Your positive views on my people will be realised. Only time and patience is needed.

As a Bougainvillean, I assure you our current problems should be viewed in a positive light. Many whom we had fought against are turning to see their mistakes. Thus Bougainville's future is brilliant.

To this slow process, I condemn the unrealistic and biassed terms of the referendum. It does not recognise the situation on the ground.

Anything to do with Panguna must have the locals having the upper hand, not aliens.

Thus, as I see it, PNG must be out of the equation and subjected to pay reparation that ought to come out of a backdating process since the mine came into operation.

Any settlement of conflicts must be approached through customary laws. That is, Bougainville must limit using western laws that are real nightmare for us since they lack the Melanesian world view and its norms that existed since time immemorial.

Besides, we believe in BCL, for it is worth 'dealing with a devil we know rather then a devil we don't know'.

Posted by: Leonard Roka | 05 April 2012 at 06:42 AM

04.04.2012

Source: ABC Radio Australia News

Opposition to assess Australia's aid program in Bougainville

The Australian Opposition's foreign affairs spokesperson, Julie Bishop, is visiting the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

Ms Bishop (picture)  told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat that part of her trip will be assessing if the levels of financial aid to the region from Australia are adequate.

"I want to understand far better the challenges facing the people of Bougainville and that's why we're spending nearly three days here," she said.

"So that we can meet people here that are recipients of aid, understand whether it's having the desired impact."

04.04.2012

Source: ABC Radio Australia - Pacific Beat

 Re-opening of the Panguna mine on Ms Bishop's agenda ! 

Bishop says F.M. Carr must focus on Australia's near neigbours

The Australian Opposition's deputy leader and foreign affairs spokesperson, Julie Bishop is visiting the Autonomous region of Bougainville.

Bishop says F.M. Carr must focus on Australia's near neigbours (Credit: ABC) It's part of the third trip to the region in the past few months by Ms Bishop.

It's not just a lightning visit as she'll stay overnight and hopes to meet Bougainville president, John Momis in the morning.

Presenter:Helene Hofman

Speaker:Julie Bishop, Australian Opposition Foreign Affairs spokeswoman

   Listen here !  

JULIE BISHOP    It is my first visit to Bougainville but it is part of a trip to Papua New Guinea and Bougainville, and I have brought a number of my parliamentary colleagues with me. And we arrived in Buka in Bougainville this morning. We have met with the Vice President and with the Chief Administrator and a number of senior officials. We will be staying overnight this evening and then going to Arawa tomorrow, we will spend another night in Bougainville on Thursday and then return to Papua New Guinea on Friday.

HELENE HOFMAN    Did anything arise from the meetings that you had this morning?

JULIE BISHOP    They have been very significant meetings because I have been given an update about the post conflict challenges in Bougainville. One issue that keeps being raised with me is the weapons disposal programs and the challenges ahead for the autonomous government to try and get the weapons containment under control.

Your listeners will be aware that there is a proposed referendum on independence to be held as part of the Bougainville peace process sometime before 2020, between 2015 and 2020, and one of the issues that must be confronted before the referendum can be held is the weapons disposal. And that is an issue that is really exercised in the minds of those in leadership positions here.

HELENE HOFMAN    And you’re due to meet with President Momis tomorrow, is that something you’ll bring up with him or do you have other issues that are on the agenda?

JULIE BISHOP    I will be meeting with President Momis in the morning. As well as the issue of weapons disposal we will be talking about peace and reconciliation post conflict. I also want to discuss the effectiveness of Australia’s aid program into PNG and Bougainville. I propose discussing with him some of the challenges that Bougainville faces in terms of its budget and the revenues that Bougainville is able to derive, and also some opportunities for opening the Panguna mine again and other mining and resource projects that are being considered here. And we will also talk about other ways to expand the economy and ways that Australia can assist through AusAID and other means.

HELENE HOFMAN    President Momis has repeatedly said he would like to see more Australian aid for Bougainville, what is your stance on that?

JULIE BISHOP    Well that is one of the reasons that I have come here in my capacity as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I want to understand far better the challenges facing the people of Bougainville. And that is why we are spending two and a half, nearly three days here so that we can meet people who are recipients of aid, understand whether it is having the desired impact.

We have met with the Catholic Bishop today, we are now meeting with one of the Sisters, Sister Lorraine’s organisation out here in Chabai, and trying to understand from them what more is needed in terms of support for health, education, as well as infrastructure.

HELENE HOFMAN    Have you had to field any questions about why the Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr hasn’t yet visited the region?

JULIE BISHOP    I have certainly had to field questions in Port Moresby about Senator Carr’s recent comments concerning sanctions on PNG should an election not be held and I have been reassured on many occasions by every level of government in PNG that the national elections will go ahead as constitutionally required.

And so it is unfortunate that Senator Carr made those comments but he has admitted that they were wrong and I would encourage him to visit PNG and Bougainville as soon as he is able.

There is no substitute for actually spending time here. In the last eight months I have spent a week in PNG, I have spent time on the Solomon Islands and now another week in Papua New Guinea and Bougainville.

And so I believe that this region should be Australia’s highest foreign policy priority and that is why I am spending as much time as I am able to do making contact, engaging with people, listening to them and talking about issues of concern.

04.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Julie Bishop: Warm welcome on flooded Buka airport

Australian Deputy Opposition Leader JULIE BISHOP and her delegation arrived in Buka this morning for a three-day visit to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

Picture of her being welcomed at the Buka airport this morning by a student from the Kamarau International School

04.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Police calling for lawfulness

By Tapo Tovilu

The Bougainville police service is calling for the people of Bougainville uphold the law during the election period in the region.

They have called for the people to respect the rule of law and to respect law enforcers in whatever duties they will be caring out.

A spokesman says that the Bougainville police service is ready for the upcoming elections and will be covering the elections throughout the region.

They have assured the public that this year’s elections will run smoothly without any hiccups and have assured the safe running of the elections.

04.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Heavy rains causing damage to roads

By Tapo Tovilu

Continues heavy rains which are being felt all around the region at the moment are affecting many road systems in Buka.

The recently upgraded roads in the Buka town area are deteriorating due to the constant heavy rains.

This wet spell which was predicted in the beginning of the year by the national weather service is still expected in the coming months.

A public figure in Buka town says that many of the roads in the town area are starting to have holes again because of the rains.

He says there is no proper drainage and the water sitting on the roads are damaging the surface of the roads.

He has called for the authorities to look into the matter and address it before the conditions worsen.

This is the eight day since the rain started and Buka Town roads are at their worst conditions in years

04.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Ombudsman winds up awareness

By Tapo Tovilu

The ombudsmen commission of Papua New Guinea today completed a awareness on the corrupt practices currently occurring in the country.

The awareness took place at the bel Isi Park today and was witnessed by the commuting public.

The awareness which mainly emphasized on the corrupt practises and the laws which govern the conduct of leader was welcomed by many who were present.

A member of the awareness team says that it was very important that the public know what their responsibilities are and what they could do to fight corruption.

He says that at the moment there is a major black spot in the leadership of this nation and corruption was fuelling this spot.

He says that any member of the public who wishes to report any corrupt practise should contact the anti-corruption hot line or report the matter to the police.

The team will continue their awareness campaign throughout the New Guinea Islands region before the upcoming elections.

04.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

NISIRA CALLS FOR ALL TO PARTICIPATE

By Aloysius Laukai

The ABG Vice President, PATRICK NISIRA (picture) today called on all Bougainville women between the age of 15 and 45 and all children aged up to 3 years to go to the nearest Health facility to be vaccinated under the Supplementary Immunization Activity launched throughout Papua New Guinea and Bougainville between April second and May 15 2012.

MR. NISIRA said that before vaccination was introduced in this country many people were dying of preventable diseases like, Polio, Measles, Whooping Cough and Tetanus.

The ABG Vice President who is also the ABG minister for Health said that all we need to do is to take our children to the nearest clinic throughout the region.

He said that the ABG was committed to support initiatives undertaken to improve access as well as the quality of Health Services in Bougainville.

The Health Minister also announced that the Health sector on Bougainville was in a process towards restricting in line with the draw-down of Health powers to Bougainville.

He said a master plan which will accommodate a number of major developments in the Heath sector.

MR. NISIRA also acknowledged development partners, AUSAID , UNICEF and the World Health Organization for their meaningful contributions to improve the status of Health in Bougainville.

The Minister also commended the commitment of Health Workers throughout the region for their continued support and wished them a successful Supplementary Immunization Activity throughout Bougainville.

04.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Voters urged to choose carefully

By PORENI UMAU

WITH roughly about a month left before the election fever hits PNG, a woman leader has urged PNG voters to choose their leaders carefully.

Bougainville woman leader Francesca Semoso last night said that if PNG voters wanted to change the tide for a better government, they would have to choose carefully.

She said that voters had the power in their hands and must vote a leadership that was honest, accountable, loving, caring and had the people at heart.

Ms Semoso said that people should not vote leaders who were proud of themselves.

She said that if voters wanted to see change at the national level then the people themselves had to change.

“It’s your vote, your 1, your 2, your 3 that will decide the type of leader you want. Do not vote them if they are your friends, or if they give you K100,” she said.

She said that the amount of money given just to win votes would not last you for the rest of the five years that the leader was in office.

Ms Semoso said that people should really think carefully before voting a leader, citing that it was not the wealth they had, or the quality of education or how much money they dished out or cargo during elections.

She said that people should really know someone who would think of them as a leader and would serve them as his or her people.

04.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Semoso urges women to contest 2012 polls

By PORENI UMAU

BOUGAINVILLE’S outspoken woman leader Francesca Semoso (picture) has urged intending women candidates in the upcoming elections to stand up and be counted.

“Reserve seats or no reserve seats, go and stand and be counted,” Ms Semoso said.

She said that parliament’s failure to pass the 22 Reserve Seats Bill should not be seen as a hindrance and instead women should go out and campaign just like their male colleges in the elections.

She also said that women candidates should not fear or worry about anything, instead take up the challenge.

She urged woman not to fear anything and instead believe in themselves, citing that fear was their number one enemy.

Ms Semoso also said that women candidates had two obstacles which were financial difficulties and political parties not endorsing them.

For this cause, she also called on political parties who know women candidates to endorse them and help them financially especially logistical support for them to campaign in the elections.

She urged women citing that they do not have to be highly educated to be politicians.

“Politics is all about common sense. What is right and what is wrong. Women do not fight among each other,” she said.

04.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Operations normal in Buka

By PORENI UMAU

THE burning of the three Rabaul Shipping vessels in Buka does not affect business and hospital operations on the island.

However, the traveling public out and into Bougainville, in search of a cheaper means of transport will feel the pinch of it. Airfares have skyrocketed and the MV Bougainville Atolls does not have a proper schedule to serve Bougainville and the outlying islands of Fead, Tasman and Motlock.

Director of Medical Services at the Buka General Hospital Dr Barnabas Matanu said last night that transportation of hospital supplies to the island has not been hampered.

He said that are fortunate that their supplies are shipped through the Consort Shipping Lines and also ships belonging to Agmark Shipping.

He said that about 20 per cent of the availability of medicines is affected but they do get their supplies from Rabaul or Lae and have them airlifted to Buka.

Many businesses including supermarkets said that they have not been affected at all citing similar transportation means.

They said that they do not load their cargoes on the Rabaul Shipping vessels. Meanwhile, Tropicana, a major wholesale in Rabaul and Kokopo that supplies Bougainvillean, Lae, Madang, Kundiawa, Tabubil and Mendi businesses said that the number of clients that it receives after the demise of the three ships in Buka has decreased.

The wholesaler refused to give how much it has decreased in client number but stated that it was sympathetic towards the little businesses on the island that cannot even afford a plane ticket to Kokopo to do business.

Owner of the Tropicana Sandra Lau said that those who can afford a plane ticket were now flying into Kokopo to order their goods and fly back to Buka.

Meanwhile, Bougainville’s outspoken leader Francesca Semoso said that it was true that the businesses will not fill the pinch of it. However, she said that Rabaul Shipping provided a weekly service to the people of Buka and the unfortunate event would now affect the general public.

She said that there is the Bougainville Atolls managed by the Border Development Authority but it does not operate on a constant schedule, citing that currently it was in Port Moresby, leaving Buka two weeks before the incident.

Ms Semoso said that there was word that one of the vessels burnt carries fuel for local businesses in Bougainville but this is yet to be confirmed. 

She said that it was not the onus of the Autonomous Bougainville Government to find a cheaper means of transport to serve the people on a regular basis.

She said that what was done was already done, saying that she was not against anyone but she said that the little people will be tremendously affected. 

“We cannot deny the fact that this was our cheapest means of travel,” she said. 

She said that it was time to move on and the authorities must provide a transport for the public.

“We will definitely feel the pinch of lack of a cheaper means of travel,” Ms Semoso said.

04.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Population of PNG is more than 7 million

By GORETHY KENNETH

PAPUA New Guinea has now 7,059,653 people in the country, the Government announced yesterday.

This is an increase of 1,868,867 persons compared with the 2000 figures of 5,190, 786 people recorded 10 years ago. This represents an increase of 36 per cent in PNG’s population count since 2000. But the National Statistical Office yesterday advised these were only preliminary figures and the 2011 final figures may encounter slight changes in which a further increase is expected.

The National Planning Minister Sam Basil yesterday officially announced this in Port Moresby. Prime Minister Peter O’Neill could not officially announce the figures to the nation as he was scheduled to do the honours, because he had other commitments. 

But a proud Minister Basil said yesterday that the Government was now at ease to know the population of the country because the figures would be used to plan the 2013 National Budget and in the coming weeks the National Executive Council would be tasked to re-activate the K20 per head tax using these figures. Mr Basil also announced that in the coming weeks Papua New Guinea will know the population of persons 18 years and above – they will release the figures upon comparison with the PNG Electoral Commission office.

“There were lots of criticisms on the conduct of the 2011 National Population and Housing Census, however, I am now happy and convinced that the National Statistical Office has delivered this project successfully,” Mr Basil said. 

“On behalf of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, I am delighted to formally announce to the nation that the preliminary figures for the population of Papua New Guinea now stands at 366,324 males and 339,6404 females with the grand total of 7, 059, 653 persons,” Mr Basil read out.

“This official data is very important to any country around the world. Poor delivery of public service is a good demonstration of lack of data in key statistical areas that can help authorities to measure and understand the risk as well as navigate the delivery of basic services to its people.’’

National Statistician Joe Aka proudly announced yesterday that the report also presented the 2011 housing census, apart from the population and that the figures in this report showed where people were counted at the time of the census adding that the visitors were also included. 

Mr Aka said that the information was presented at the provincial, district and LLG levels and that the final figures and other reports were expected to be released by 2013.

“The preliminary results are the first set of figures of the 2011 Population and Housing Census. The next sets of results will be the Final Figures Report that will include a complete narrative analysis of the country’s population, demography, economic and social conditions of the country,” he said. “I also wish to inform the users that the information contained in this preliminary result will only be applicable until the final figures are released.”

Meanwhile, the breakup of the total population of PNG stands at -PNG male population was recorded at 3,663,249 (million) and female 3,396,404 (million). The Highlands Region recorded the highest record population of 3,001,598 (million), Momase 1,795,474 (million), Southern Region recorded 1,302,887 (million) and NGI 959,694 persons. 

The top five provinces that have the highest record of population stands as: Morobe - 646,876, Eastern highlands - 582,159, Southern Highlands - 515,511, Madang - 487,460, Enga - 452,596 and NCD is at the 11th position with 318,128 while Manus has the lowest population of 50,321 and Gulf the second lowest of 121,128 population. 

Bougainville had the first full census conducted in 20 years after the Bougainville Crisis and it now records 234,280 persons with 120,187 males and 114,093 females. 

The rest of the country has Western with 180,455, Central -237,016, Milne Bay- 269,954, Northern -176,206, Hela-352, 698, Western Highlands-352,934, Jiwaka-341,928, Chimbu-403,772, East Sepik - 433, 481, West Sepik -227, 657, New Ireland-161, 165, East New Britain - 271, 250 and West New Britain - 242,676 persons.

04.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Water level at the New Dawn FM studios in Buka

This is the eight day since the rains began.

The water from the road is all coming to us...nobody cares what is happening....

04.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Students visit Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Picture of Students from Bishop Wade Secondary School.

They are pictured at the New Dawn FM studio with Manager, Aloysius Laukai.

They were doing some lessons concerning New Dawn FM and its activities on Bougainville

04.04.2012

Source: The National

PM urges Sir Salamo, Kirriwom to step down 

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has urged Chief Justice Sir Sala­mo Injia and Justice Nicholas Kirriwom to step down in the interest of stability in the country.

He said the two judges had declared “war on the executive government”.

O’Neill said government lawyers were preparing advice to parliament to remove the judges through a motion if they failed to step down from office.

He said parliament was the last resort as government lawyers would exhaust the court system first, including appealing against the decision in the higher courts.

“And to stop all this madness, the elections will go ahead on schedule whether or not the electoral commission is prepared,” he said.

 O’Neill said judges were not above the law.

“In the best interest of the country, judges need to make decisions to provide stability. There are decisions in the past that have split the disciplinary forces, the citizens and the communities.

“We are seeking legal advice from our lawyers whether we address that through parliament or through the higher courts in appeal. That court process is still there.”

O’Neill said the judicial conduct law was to clarify for them to step aside in a conflict of interest situation.

He said the only way to end all this madness was for the country to go into the election in June.

“We are going to elections to put all this madness behind us. The madness of judiciary, the madness of power-hungry politicians and madness of a few people who want to rip this country apart,” he said.

He said the electoral commission was still updating the common roll but it would be ready to conduct the election.

04.04.2012

Source: The National

PNG fractured by corruption, says Kidu 

By SHIRLYN BELDEN

PAPUA New Guinea is being fractured by corruption and everyone must fight the scourge, Opposition leader Dame Carol Kidu  (picture) said.

She yesterday launched the sixth annual Sir Anthony Siaguru “walk against corruption” scheduled for May 27. She is its patron.

She emphasised the importance of choosing a good and responsible leader – one who has vision and strong principles to lead.

Dame Carol said good leadership was about having a vision and leading with good standards and transparent governance.

“I believe there is an opportunity for change. When we choose our leaders we must look at leadership qualities of the candidate and not money,” she said.  

Dame Carol said the country was fractured by corruption in many ways and needed all communities, organisations and people to stand up and fight against this scourge of society by joining the walk and blowing the whistle on corrupt practices.

The walk is facilitated by Transparency International (PNG) and is themed “It’s time to wake up PNG”. 

At the launching were coalition partners, Chief Ombudsman Chronox Manek, civil society organisations plus students from Badihagwa Secondary, St Joseph International and Paradise High School. 

The walk commemorates the work of the late Sir Anthony Siaguru who was instrumental in opposing corrupt practices.

Dame Carol will lead the walk in Port Moresby as simultaneous walks are held in Lae, Alotau, Kimbe, Madang, Kokopo and Kavieng, which is the latest centre to join the event.

Transparency International said Goroka had been showing interest and could be the first Highlands province to join the campaign.

The walk provides citizens an opportunity to peacefully express their opposition to corruption.

 “Reducing and stopping corruption depends on greater and sustained progress in widespread public engagement and pressure,” the watchdog group said in a statement.

It encouraged teams from corporate houses, civil society organisations and schools to register for the walk.

So far 25 organisations and 10 schools have registered, with nine businesses showing support through pledges.  

Money raised from the walk will support the operations of Transparency International locally through the Siaguru Endowment Fund.

04.04.2012

Source: Solomon Star

Boat missing

A SEARCH is still on for the missing boat at the country’s border in the Western Solomons.

The boat went missing since last Wednesday after leaving Gizo township to Kieta, Bougainville.

Unconfirmed reports claimed the passengers were from Bougainville.

A Search and Rescue officer in Honiara, Mark Wauo said there was still no response from Gizo police and Buka on whether the boat has been located.

“We are still waiting to get clear instruction before going out to carry out search and rescue for the boat,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Wauo said there were no casualties or deaths during the bad weather that hit the country in recent days.

He said only one boat got lost between Gela and Honiara after it ran out of petrol.

However he said strong current managed to take it safely to Foxwood point in North Guadalcanal.

04.04.2012

Source: PNG Attitude

An introduction to the power of broadcasting

BY KEITH JACKSON

Keith Jackson

Yesterday I gave a talk to the Rotary Club of Mosman in Sydney. It was about public relations, but I began with this anecdote from my Papua New Guinea years….

I WANT TO TAKE YOU far north of Mosman, over the sparkling, turbulent Coral Sea and then further west through Milne Bay and across the Solomon Sea, and its atolls of love.

I want to take you to the magnificent island of Bougainville, a once peaceful place except for occasional rumblings from Bagana volcano. Bougainville - whose jet-black people find themselves - very reluctantly – citizens of Papua New Guinea.

The year was 1970, I was 25 and had just been assigned to manage my first radio station: Radio Bougainville – Voice of the sunrise or, in Pidgin, Maus bilong sanikamap.

In Bougainville, a massive copper and gold project was getting underway and a lot of Bougainvilleans were not happy about it. Their land had been seized and they believed their culture and lives had been compromised.

Later this angst would translate into a shocking civil war which, in the 1990s, cost the lives of 20% of Bougainville’s population of 100,000.

But as I arrived in the main town of Kieta -- where the radio station was situated beside a tranquil harbour -- politics was the last thing on my mind. Full of the excitement of running my own show, I organised a quick tour around my new domain.

The transmitters, the huge radio masts, the bunker-like studios, the record library, the offices - and the storeroom.

As I opened the storeroom door, I baulked. The room was full, floor to ceiling, with mouldering boxes of transistor radios. Perhaps 300 in all.

In those days, when radio listening was relatively new to the villages of PNG, we broadcasters would go on patrol: gathering news, recording music and stories, securing interviews - and handing out free radios, the only sure way to gather an audience.

In the storeroom I asked a staff member why the radios had not been handed out, and I was told this could be a very dangerous pursuit.

The village people were so unhappy with the radio station broadcasting what was seen as pro-mining propaganda, that they set the radios on fire, broke them with axes and even attacked the people trying to give them away.

And so it was, on my first day as manager of Radio Bougainville, I realised that the only radio station on the island was hated by its audience.

03.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

2000 resign to contest polls

ABOUT 2000 public servants throughout the country have resigned in the last five years and six months to contest the elections.

Department of Personnel Management office advised the Post Courier yesterday that the figures will have to be finalized but preliminary records detailed that close to 2000 public servants throughout the nation had handed in their resignation five years ago, four years ago, three years and even two years ago including six months ago to contest the upcoming elections.

Some of the top public servants like former Foreign Affairs Secretary Gabriel Pepson, former Ambassador to Japan and later Foreign Affairs Secretary Ambassador Michael Mawe had resigned to contest this year’s elections in their respective provinces. 

Other prominent leaders like former Education secretary for Bougainville who was later promoted to the New Guinea Islands Regional head of the Public Service Commission Tony Tsora also resigned to contest in Bougainville.

DPM office announced that many teachers, provincial executives, office workers and some instrumental leaders also resigned several years ago to prepare themselves from the upcoming general elections.

The PNGEC will release before the issue of writs the number of candidates contesting throughout the country.

03.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Health program launched 

By ALEX MUNME

THE Health Department in Bougainville has officially launched and began one of its very vital programs in Buka for the whole region yesterday.

The Supplementary Immunization Activity or SIA was officially launched by Minister for Women’s Affairs and Community Development in the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Rose Pihei on behalf of Vice President and Minister for Health Patrick Nisira.

The program which has started yesterday and aims at 100 percent coverage will be carried out till May 15, 2012, and targets children three years and less, pregnant mothers and women between the ages of 15 and 45.

Speaking on behalf of the Health Minister and vice president, Mrs Pihei challenged everyone to take responsibility to make sure they are immunized. 

Mrs Pihei, while conveying the Health Ministers keynote address, urged everyone at the launching to work as a team to successfully implement the immunization activity which will help to achieve 100 percent coverage.

She said while there are committed partners to support the program, which will benefit our mothers and children, it will only be fair if we also compliment our partners’ efforts by demonstrating the same level of commitment. The minister encouraged all persons in the target group to get vaccinated.

She also stressed that prior to the introduction of vaccines to vaccinate mothers and children, many children were dying from vaccine preventable diseases including measles, whooping cough and tetanus. 

She said all we need to do is take our children to the clinics, and health centres and let them be vaccinated.

Mrs Pihei said at the political level ABG remains committed and will support a number of initiatives to improve access to as well as the quality of Health services in Bougainville.

The launching yesterday was witnessed by representatives from the Education Division, who will also be a major partner in carrying out awareness, hospital staff who immediately after the launching vaccinated a few mothers and babies, NGO representatives, stakeholders and the general public.

02.04.2012

Source: ABC Radio Australia - Pacific Beat

Australia's deputy opposition leader visits PNG and Bougainville

The deputy leader of Australia's federal opposition Julie Bishop (picture) is spending several days in Papua New Guinea and the autonomous region of Bougainville.

Ms Bishop has recently visited PNG, but this time she's taking in Bougainville as well.
While there she will also hear from PNG sporting officials pushing for a rugby league team to play in the Australian competition.

Ms Bishop who is the conservative opposition's spokeswoman on Foreign Affairs, has been critical of the Australian Labor government's handling of the Pacific, including PNG.

Presenter: Michael Cavanagh

Speaker: Julie Bishop, deputy leader of Australia's federal opposition 

  Listen here !  

02.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

MA leader lashes out

By GORETHY KENNETH

THE O’Neill-Namah Government should not preach about the failure by the Somare Government to implement and effectively deliver services to rural areas over the last nine years when they were in power.

And the current Government should not blame the leaders on the Somare faction for the alleged misappropriation of millions of kina in projects and funds.

Most of the Ministers now in the O’Neill Namah Government were part and partial of the Somare led Government, he said.

Melanesian Alliance party leader Sam Akoitai lashed out at the O’Neill Namah Government for putting blame on the Somare led Government.

Akoitai, who is adamant he will come back in June to form the Government with its coalition said that the Melanesian Alliance with a host of potential new MPs will form Government for a better PNG.

He is adamant they will come home to form the Government with a totally new team so that they would effectively look into all the matters now being raised by the current government. 

With a major policy of decentralisation, Akoitai said his Party is ready to transform PNG.

In an interview, Akoitai last Friday said that the O’neill-Namah Government was no different to the Somare Government because almost all of the Cabinet Ministers on his regime were also part of the Somare-led Government 

“They were ministers in the Somare-led Government so they must not make accusations and point fingers to one side only.

Somare did what he did because of the Ministers that are now in the O’Neill Namah Government. So they should stop talking, pointing fingers and do what is required of a Government of the day,” Akoitai said.

Akoitai is contesting his former seat – the Central Bougainville Open Seat – under the New Melanesian Alliance Party banner. Announcement of all the party candidates would be done sometimes this month.

02.04.2012

Source. Radio New Dawn of Bougainville

SIA ON

By Aloysous Laukai

The Health Division on Bougainville is this morning launching its immunization program in Buka.

Pictured is part of the float this morning. Its called Supplementary Immunization Activity.

Pictured is a mother being immunized as part of the SIA launching on Buka today.

02.04.2012

Source: Post-Courier

Telco rollout in Bougainville

St Joseph’s Bairima Primary School, one of the oldest schools in the province, has become the first school in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to benefit from the Digicel PNG Foundation’s rollout of double classroom structures throughout the country. 

The all steel kit structure primary double classroom which includes 40 desks, a water tank, kit showers and VIP Kit toilets was constructed at a total cost of K90,000 and officially launched last week Friday (March 23).

The school was established in the 1940s. After the Bougainville Crisis, the school was moved in 1996 from its original location and rebuilt by the community at the current site. The school serves the five main villages of Donsiro, Pomaua, Siroai, Arawa, and Bairima of North Nasioi LLG, a total population of around 3000. 

Aside from the Department of Education’s annual school subsidies; and a donation of roofing iron from Caritas in 2004, St Joseph’s Bairima’s biggest contributor has been their own community.

Marina van der Vlies, CEO of the Digicel Foundation said; “When communities come together to invest in the education of their children, such efforts must be applauded and supported. Our investment in the St Joseph’s Bairima Primary School is in recognition of this amazing community’s will and commitment to rebuild after the Bougainville crisis.” 

The CEO added; “This is Digicel Foundation’s first project in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and we look forward to working with marginalized communities in the region to invest in their children’s education.”

“This is the first partnership between Digicel Foundation and the Education Division in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, and it is one which we are very proud of and grateful for,” said the board chairman of St Joseph’s Bairima Primary School, Mr Kevin Buruau. Mr Buruau said such partnerships are hard to come by and he encouraged the students and the community to look after Digicel Foundations investment with care for future generations to come.

To date the Digicel Foundation has funded 138 community based projects covering 22 provinces in PNG and put K11 million back into marginalized PNG communities which has directly impacted more than 100,000 people. The Digicel Foundation plans to continue the funding of community projects in the area of basic education and health aiming to support communities as they become more self-reliant in the future. 

01.04.2012

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

THERESA ON WOMEN

By Aloysius Laukai

A woman leader from Bougainville and secretary of the National Women’s Council, THERESA JAINGTON has praised the women of Wakunai for celebrating the National Women’s Day this week.

She was speaking at the Wakunai celebration this week.

MRS. JAINTONG said that the women of Bougainville should be happy their position in politics is guaranteed by the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s Constitution unlike the National Parliament which is still to approve the Women’s seats in Parliament.

She said that Bougainville during the Provincial Government days also had nominated seats for women which was lower then the elected representatives today.

MRS. JANTONG said that the women of Wakunai had reasons to celebrate and called on them to continue to support their newly established Wakunai Women’s Federation.

She said that the Bougainville Women’s Federation would eventually cover all women throughout the region.

New Dawn FM understands Bougainville still operates under two women’s organizations, the Bougainville Women’s Council from the Provincial Government days and the Bougainville Women’s Federation under the Autonomous Bougainville Government.

Women in Arawa are still with the Bougainville Council of Women whilst other areas have already established branches of the Bougainville Women’s Federation.