News 07.2014.2
31.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
NINETY ONE TO GO
By Aloysius Laukai
The Department of Administrative Service has released NINETY ONE names of Government Employees who will be retrenched to make way for new people.
This is contained in a service message from the Department and is being broadcasted by New Dawn FM and Radio Bougainville this week.
The Department of Administrative Service message states that these NINETY ONE people have met the retrenchment criteria and must come to Buka to get their notices.
The message states that if these people are unable to come, the District Executive Managers can pick these notices on their behalf.
Meanwhile, the representative of the Bougainville Public Servants UNION, PEA, PATRICK HEROMATE said that new recruits must be attached under these experienced officers for some time as such exercise will cripple the NEW Bougainville Public service.
He told NEW DAWN FM today that the new Public service will lack the experience and technical capability if recruitment is done for graduates who have never been on the field.
31.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SMALL SCALE MINING BECOMING A BIG INDUSTRY
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Small scale mining is becoming a big industry and we have come to a stage where we must look at the industry critically.
This statement was made by ABG acting mining secretary Steven Burain during the small scale mining workshop in Buka today.
He said whatever policy and legislation we can have whether it needs to have a specific division to deal only with matters of small scale mining then so be it.
He pointed out that this small scale mining is an industry in itself within the mining industry.
Mr. Burain then told the participants, especially miners that mining is not only about getting money but to ensure that social issues, economic and environmental aspects are sustained.
He added that laws, legislation, capacity building is important for us to ensure there is a good administrative mechanism to be effective to create this sustainability.
31.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
RESOURCE OWNERS ENCOURAGED TO ENGAGE EXCLUSIVELY
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Miners involved in the small scale gold mining industry were encouraged today to engage in the small scale mining workshop in an intelligent and exclusive way with all Bougainvilleans.
ABG president Chief Dr. John Momis made this encouraging remark when opening the workshop at the Kuri village resort in Buka Town.
He explained to the miners that in this way, the industry will not only benefit the miners from that area but all the people of Bougainville through the ABG.
He pointed out that the workshop is very important for ABG to get a good and accurate understanding of the small scale gold mining industry.
He said he is pleased to open the workshop because it is the first serious effort to get that knowledge and understanding.
Chief Momis then called on all miners who are directly involved in this home-grown industry to share their knowledge and experience with everyone present and to tell them of the good things and also the bad things in between.
31.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
TSORA EXPLAINS WHY PNGTA ALWAYS GO ON STRIKES
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Former Bougainville education secretary Tony Tsora said the Papua New Guinea Teachers’ Association always go on strikes when they find out that things are not right with the condition of teachers.
Speaking in explanation to an article published in the paper yesterday, he told New Dawn Fm that the strike action is always a threat that PNGTA carries out when it finds out that things are not right with teachers’ salaries, their employment conditions and housing conditions.
He said this issue occurs always and it usually happens after visitations to provinces by the PNGTA.
Mr. Tsora said the recent visit was made to Milne Bay by the PNGTA.
He added that the visit to Milne Bay must have caused the threat of a strike after PNGTA found out that teachers there are not being paid, are not paid on time and are under paid.
31.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ABG ADMINISTRATION READY TO SUPPORT PROJECT
BY JENNIFER NKUI
ABG’s acting chief secretary Chris Siriosi said his administration is ready to support the small scale mining project.
When he was given time to speak during the small scale mining workshop today, he said as head of the public service he has made a commitment to support whatever proposals the department of the minster for mining is bringing to them to create capacity.
He said the idea to establish a small scale mining policy for the government is very vital.
He added that it is very important because more people will be involved and more men and women will be involved in economic activity to put income into their pockets.
Mr. Siriosi however stressed that it is good for the government to make things a bit difficult saying if more people are getting involved in small scale mining, they will forget all about gardening.
He said they will look for gold and go hungry at the same time which is not good.
He pointed out that it is good to balance all our activities.
31.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SMALL SCALE MINING INDUSTRY MUST MEET BEST STANDARDS
BY JENNIFER NKUI
ABG Minister for natural resources Michael Oni said today that Bougainville’s small scale gold mining industry must meet best standards with its development.
Speaking at the opening of the two day small scale mining workshop at the Kuri village resort in Buka, he explained that standards include the standards of health, safety and environmental protection.
He pointed out that it also requires miners, landowners, gold buyers and processors to maintain good standards of behavior and not to use violence, threats or weapons.
He said we need our new industry to develop with good standards being established by the ABG and honoured by miners.
Minister Oni added that the training of miners must be looked at also so miners are able to use the most efficient, safe, healthy and environmentally friendly ways of mining and also ensuring the miners receive fair prices for their gold.
He said the miners must be aided to get finances that they need to be able to buy the kind of equipment they need that will enable them to mine safely and in an environmentally friendly manner.
He pointed out that the other thing would be to set legal standards for small scale mining by making laws or regulations which include realistic and effective standards on health, safety and environmental standards.
31.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ABG COMMITTED TO ENSURING HOME-GROWN INDUSTRY CONTINUES
BY JENNIFER NKUI
ABG president Chief Dr. John Momis said the Autonomous Bougainville Government is committed to ensuring that our new homegrown industry which is small scale gold mining continues to prosper and grow.
When opening the two day small scale gold mining workshop in Buka today, he told the small scale miners that small scale mining is an important industry with widespread benefits that we must ensure it grows.
He pointed out that the ABG’s support for the industry has so far been very limited.
However, chief Momis added that with the government’s determination to change that, our new mining law which will be debated in parliament says that most existing small scale mining will be legal.
He said unlike PNG mining laws, small scale mining is illegal but Bougainville will make small scale mining legal.
He explained further that the draft law also states that anyone will be able to mine, not just on their own land but also on the land of others with the landowners’ permission.
He said the miners on the other hand are also required to meet basic environmental, health and safety standards.
The workshop is held to get a better understanding of small scale mining in Bougainville to help the ABG get a better understanding of both the good things and problems of small scale mining.
31.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SMALL SCALE MINING WORKSHOP FOR BOUGAINVILLEANS
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Small scale mining for gold has become a big industry in Bougainville and is a source of income for thousands of people.
People are mining and washing gold in parts of Torokina in South west Bougainville, Tinputz in North Bougainville, Eivo in East coast Bougainville, Panguna, the Kawerong and Jaba rivers in Central Bougainville, Konnou in South Bougainville and other areas.
Small scale mining for gold is a new industry that only began in the late 1990’s.
A two day workshop on small scale mining for Bougainvilleans will be held in Buka starting tomorrow, Thursday July 31 to Friday, August 01 to look at Bougainville’s experiences and compare it with international developments.
The workshop will be attended by more than thirty people involved in small scale mining in different parts of Bougainville and it will be opened by ABG president chief Dr. John Momis together with the ABG minister for Natural resources Michael Oni.
The workshop is part of a research project funded by the Australian government and is organized by Ciaran O’Faircheallaigh form Griffith University and Anthony Regan from the Australian National University and is in partnership with the ABG and the University centre at Kubu.
The main aim of the workshop is to get a better understanding of this important new industry in Bougainville to help the ABG get a better understanding of both the good things and problems of small scale mining.
The organizers want to know how ABG, the miners and other Bougainvilleans can together make the industry work best for Bougainville.
They said the discussion at the workshop will help set the direction for the work of the whole research project.
31.07.2014
Source: Bougainville24
Tertiary educated young people return home to work
By Ishmael Palipal
University educated Bougainvilleans are acting on their desire return home, using their education to contribute to the regions development.
Ms Godina Bonai, from Nagovis in South Bougainville, graduated in 2013 and was almost immediately employed by World Vision to work with their programs in Bougainville.
“I’m having great experiences here with World Vision while helping my people here in the region,” Ms Bonai said.
“It’s was a week after my final academic year [and] I was interviewed by the World Vision human resource manager and Bougainville Area Programme Manager.”
“I succeed with my interview and was hired on 25 November [2013] to work as the Design, Monitoring and Evaluations officer for Bougainville Area Programme.”
Graduating with a degree in PNG and International Relations at the Divine Word University in Madang, Godina was well suited to the needs of World Vision.
“Currently, I’m the Design, Monitoring and Evaluations (DME) Officer under the Bougainville Area Program by the World Vision,” Ms Bonai explained.
“My responsibilities are to ensure planning, monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects, develop monitoring and evaluation systems for data tracking and reporting, guarantee monitoring visits and carry out training in community levels.”
“World Vision has six current projects in Bougainville; Water sanitation and hygiene, community economic mobilisation, ensuring North Bougainville Children are educated for Life, Bougainville education project, Gutpela Kaikai and Lukautim Famili Helt project.”
Tertiary educated young people are a valuable human resource for Bougainville, but Godina knows that learning didn’t end when she received her degree.
“The last six months of my career was very challenging and educational; because I have learned many new things and got to interact with fellow Bougainvilleans,” Ms Bonai continued.
“I’ve been travelling between Buka, Arawa and west coast, locations where World Vision Projects are located.”
“Arawa has three projects, two are in North Bougainville and Lukautim Famili Helt is located on the west coast.”
“In March I was involved in an evaluation with my colleagues from Madang office and attended training in Port Moresby in April.”
“My role is to ensure that World Vision’s current six projects are achieving their project indicators, reporting their activities to donors and make sure that the project officers are implementing quality projects from donor funds.”
Godina knows that as region strives for greater autonomy, the demand for educated Bougainvilleans will also increase.
“I strongly encourage the youths of Bougainville to strive for a better education in order for Bougainville to advance towards referendum.”
31.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Man stabbed to death
BY WINTERFORD TOREAS
A YOUNG man from the Peit constituency of Buka Island was stabbed to death by his drinking mate over the weekend.
According to the North Bougainville police commander Inspector Spencer Aili, the incident occurred at Kakabele hamlet in Telatu village on Saturday afternoon.
The deceased, identified as Martin Karous, aged 20, was consuming home-brewed alcohol with the suspect and another friend when the incident happened.
Insp Aili said the deceased and his friend started drinking home brew on Friday and tried to persuade the suspect, identified by police as Edwin Maneo, to join them but he refused.
The suspect later gave in to their demand and they continued on a drinking spree until an argument broke out between the deceased and his friend who was suspecting that the deceased was trying to have an affair with his wife.
The suspect then tried to stop them from arguing and fighting but the deceased became angry with him (suspect) and started terrorizing his family as well as destroying their properties.
The suspect quickly went over and tried to rescue his family and save their properties but was stabbed on his right chest by the deceased who was hiding in the darkness.
“The suspect picked up the same knife and stabbed the deceased on the back shoulder blade. The deceased was rushed to the hospital but died due to loss of blood,” said Insp Aili.
Insp Aili said the suspect aged 40 from Sia village in the Hagogohe constituency and married with four children has already been arrested and detained at the Buka police station with formal charges to be laid shortly.
The North Bougainville police boss said the situation in the area is quiet however he is appealing to the relatives of the deceased to let the law take its course.
31.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
ABG leader not happy with PNG Power’s attitude
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
THE PNG Power branch in Buka has come under attack from one of the cabinet ministers in the Autonomous Bougainville Government.
Minister for Lands, Physical Planning and Environment and Conservation, Newton Kauva, said he was very disappointed that PNG Power staff in Buka were not seriously concerned about the safety and wellbeing of the public and the electricity consumers.
“Apparently their careless attitude is obvious that at times when faulty and damaged power lines are reported to their management, no immediate urgent attention would be granted thus putting the properties owners and the public at risk,” Mr Kauva said in a press statement.
“This sort of attitude contradicts their media awareness that when you see live and faulty power lines lying in open area report it immediately to PNG Power.
“This is an ongoing problem with the Buka PNG Power and I am calling upon their head office to seriously look into this laziness attitude and do something about it before any loss of lives or properties.”
Mr Kauva, who was recently appointed as the new minister for physical planning, then issued a warning to business entities that are money-driven without having any regard for the wellbeing of people and properties in the urban centres.
“I want to remind them that at the course of loss of lives and damage of properties when reported cases are not attended to immediately they will be held liable and responsible.
“Whilst we appreciate the service rendered by these entities the ABG will not sit back and let it’s people’s wellbeing and properties be compromised by entities who show a don’t care attitude,” said Mr Kauva.
The PNG Power corporate relations office in Port Moresby was notified last week of Mr Kauva’s concern, however the Post-Courier is yet to receive any comments from the electricity supplier’s management.
31.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Police soon to make arrests
BY WINTERFORD TOREAS
POLICE in Buka are continuing their investigations into the armed robbery of a Chinese businessman in Buka early this month.
North Bougainville police commander Inspector Spencer Aili said the incident, which took place at around 10:30pm on July 13, saw a group of masked man armed with an SLR assault rifle, M16, a pistol and two shortguns and dressed in camouflaged military uniforms entering the gate of this Chinese-owned shop in town.
They held up the shop owners and walked away with a bag of money and goods worth more than K100,000.
Insp Aili said some of the suspects are known to police and arrests will be made soon.
“We also appeal to the general public to come forward and give us information on this incident.
“At the same time I would like to make an appeal to the youths and everyone in the region to respect the fire-arms disposal arrangements in place.
“Respect the peace agreement and assist police and our ABG Government to surrender any form of weapon under your possession for better Bougainville,” Insp Aili said.
This is not the first time that criminals had targeted Chinese-owned shops in Buka town.
Though police had been trying their best to investigate these armed robbery cases, arrests are yet to be made as the public are not feeding the police with information that may lead to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
The firearms disposal arrangements are in place yet people are still not respecting the arrangement.
People must work together with the ABG government and the police to surrender any forms of weapons that they are still in possession of so that the law and order issues may ease and peace will prevail, he said.
31.07.2014
Source: PNG Attitude
When Australia botched a chance to do the right thing in Bougainville
In 1966, kiap BILL BROWN (pictured) found himself posted to Bougainville as preparations to develop the Panguna copper and gold mine moved into top gear. He was far from impressed by what he found and by what he was called upon to do…
AFTER two weeks I needed a break. I wanted to see my family and I needed to report to Denehy, even though I had no good news.
The people were not interested in any promises of financial rewards, and their opposition to prospecting was intense.
I predicted there would be violence, and I thought there might even be suicides. Perhaps I surprised Denehy when I said that I intended to visit all the villages in the Guava Division on a formal patrol and that I would update the census in each village.
At the rollcall, when all the people were present, I would be able to explain the law about mining, and I would be certain that the people knew about the changes to the mining legislation that provided for financial rewards to landowners:
….an occupation fee of $1 per acre ($2.47 per hectare) per annum in respect of land actually occupied within Prospecting Authorities, and $2 per acre ($4.94 per hectare) per annum in respect of a Mining Lease.
At the time, I thought the changes to the legislation had been driven by altruism. In fact, CRA had been wooing the Department of Territories since October 1964 with the objective of changing the mining laws (which were designed for relatively small-scale operations) to permit the prospecting and mining of huge areas, and to guarantee a successful prospector the right to a mining title.
The Company’s efforts were successful. On 7 December 1964, Secretary for Territories, [George] Warwick Smith, wrote to the Administrator:
It is considered that experienced and sound financial companies such as CRA should be given every encouragement to carry out large scale prospecting. Once minerals have been found in sufficient quantities … The matter is considered to be of the utmost importance and every effort should be made to ensure that the Ordinances are amended at the next session of the House of Assembly.
In November 1966, after five months in and around Guava village, I needed some helping hands, I needed company and I needed to move into the area where the exploratory drilling was taking place.
Patrol Officer John Dagge at Ambunti and a Senior-Constable from Maprik were plucked out of the Sepik District to join me, and we moved to our new base, a disused, ramshackle house at Barapina in the Kawerong Valley.
Dagge and I were the forerunners of a long line of kiaps, thrown into a situation that we detested; trying to convince the people that, even though they owned the land, they did not own the mineral rights.
That we could live in Guava and move around the Guava Division, sometimes with a few police – sometimes with none, was a testament to the fortitude, forbearance and dignity of the Nasioi people. They maintained that discipline throughout, and they were respected by every kiap that worked with them.
Denehy departed on leave in December 1966, and I inherited the Kieta Sub-District and the CRA operation. Assistant Director [of District Administration] T G Aitchison arrived from Port Moresby on 27 December, disturbing our Christmas–New Year break.
At Canberra’s behest, he had come to find out the facts: what were the real attitudes of the local people in the mining area, and were some Marist priests playing a part in the dispute?
He talked to people in Kieta; I took him to Barapina to speak with Anthony Ampei (Guava), Damien Damen (Irang), Gregory Korpa (Moroni) and their supporters; and he travelled by helicopter around Bougainville, visiting some of the Catholic missions.
Aitchison told me that he thought the operation should be slowed down to allow the people to adjust.
His report to Assistant Administrator (Economic Affairs) - that he had told me to advise CRA that the [proposed] Kokorei operation should not proceed if physical resistance [was] offered - was not endorsed; the Assistant Administrator advising Canberra that:
- CRA to be encouraged to proceed to the next stage of prospecting, including the location of drills and roads to Kokorei land, and any other land to which native land owners wish to deny the Company access.
- The Administration to be prepared to protect Company personnel carrying out these operations, if necessary, with an adequate Police detachment.
An extract from ‘Australians in Papua New Guinea, 1960-1975’, University of Queensland Press, 2014, 352 pp,
30.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SPEAKER RECALLS PARLIAMENT TO MEET
BY JENNIFER NKUI
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Andrew Miriki today issued a notice calling the House to meet on August 6, 2014.
He said the reason for the House to convene this meeting is to consider the advice of the Bougainville Executive Council for the House to debate and pass the three important proposed laws on;
• A Bill for an Act entitled “Bougainville Mining (Transitional Arrangements) Bill 2014”
• A Bill for an Act entitled “Bougainville Senior Appointments Act 2014” and
• A Bill for an Act entitled “Principal Legal Advisor Act 2014”
Speaker Miriki said the copies of the Bills have been received by the Parliament and members of the House are urged to get a copy each from their respective mailbox at the parliament this week
He stressed that because the Bills are very important, members are encouraged to study them carefully before they are debated on the floor of parliament on August 6, 2014.
He calls on all honorable members to attend this important meeting of the House on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 which will commence at 10 am in the morning.
30.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
NORTH BOUGAINVILLE BOXERS IN TRAINING
BY JENNIFER NKUI
President for the referees in charge for the North Bougainville Amateurs’Boxing Association Ezekiel Lames has revealed to New Dawn Fm today that boxers selected to represent North Bougainville in the ABG games are currently under training at Tohatsi.
He said the boxers were selected during a boxing tournament that was held in Buka Town recently.
He explained that the selection was carried out by the North Bougainville Amateur Boxing association to prepare a team to take part in the Bougainville Regional selections.
Mr. Lames said the regional selections will take place in Arawa at the end of next month or beginning of September.
He said Team Bougainville for boxing will be selected in Arawa for the PNG games.
30.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BOUGAINVILLE WOMEN ORGANIZATIONS UPSKILLED
BY JENNIFER NKUI
The US counterpart based here in Bougainville is up skilling women organizations across the region to build up organizational capacity.
The organization representative Wilson Monori explained that the program comes under the “Women’s Peace Building Initiative” in Bougainville and under this program, there are certain objectives that support the main goal of the program.
He added that the program goal is to help the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to achieve sustainable peace, security and development by increasing women’s civil society organizations.
To support the project objective to build organizational capacity, the US counterpart sat with the Bougainville Women’s Federation yesterday.
Mr. Monori told New Dawn Fm that during the meeting, areas in the women’s organization were identified to help build up their skills so that so that they can have full resource people to help deliver services throughout Bougainville.
He added that after this meeting, they will meet up with five other women’s organizations to up skill their workers to build the organizations capacity.
30.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ROLE OF MEDIA AND ITS IMPORTANCE
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Without media we cannot bring education and without media, we cannot have people in the communities to appreciate what the government is doing as far as policy matters are concerned.
This statement was made by the national communications department secretary Paulus Kornie at the closing of the international media conference at the University of Goroka last week.
Speaking on behalf of communications minister Jimmy Miringtoro, he told the participants that without media, we cannot educate people in the societies about good health and the bad sides of health and the education aspects as well.
He said we all need the interaction between the mainstream media and the social media.
Mr. Kornie told the participants that the forum has allowed them to get together and formulate ideas so that they can work within a framework of governments in their countries.
He pointed out that we have a pillar that is guided by our constitutions that dictates the freedom of expressions in our respective countries and of course the freedom of information.
30.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SMALL SCALE MINING WORKSHOP FOR BOUGAINVILLEANS
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Small scale mining for gold has become a big industry in Bougainville and is a source of income for thousands of people.
People are mining and washing gold in parts of Torokina in South west Bougainville, Tinputz in North Bougainville, Eivo in East coast Bougainville, Panguna, the Kawerong and Jaba rivers in Central Bougainville, Konnou in South Bougainville and other areas.
Small scale mining for gold is a new industry that only began in the late 1990’s.
A two day workshop on small scale mining for Bougainvilleans will be held in Buka starting tomorrow, Thursday July 31 to Friday, August 01 to look at Bougainville’s experiences and compare it with international developments.
The workshop will be attended by more than thirty people involved in small scale mining in different parts of Bougainville and it will be opened by ABG president chief Dr. John Momis together with the ABG minister for Natural resources Michael Oni.
The workshop is part of a research project funded by the Australian government and is organized by Ciaran O’Faircheallaigh form Griffith University and Anthony Regan from the Australian National University and is in partnership with the ABG and the University centre at Kubu.
The main aim of the workshop is to get a better understanding of this important new industry in Bougainville to help the ABG get a better understanding of both the good things and problems of small scale mining.
The organizers want to know how ABG, the miners and other Bougainvilleans can together make the industry work best for Bougainville.
They said the discussion at the workshop will help set the direction for the work of the whole research project.
30.07.2014
Source: Bougainville24
Bougainvilleans represent PNG at Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (Scotland)
Boxers Jacqui Wangi and Henry Umings in Scotland
Several Bougainvillean athletes have been selected to represent Team Papua New Guinea at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The event, formerly known as the British Empire games and British Commonwealth Games, is the twentieth Commonwealth Games, which will see 4,947 athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations compete across 17 different sports.
Nathan Baseh Baramun, Hubert Tseraha, Jacqui Wangi and Henry Nockyer Umings made history as they represented their country and region at the Games.
The colosseum for Baramun and Tseraha was the hallowed ground of the Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, home of Rangers Football Club.
Tseraha, right, scored three tries for PNG at the XX Commonwealth Games.
The pair from Buka united with their Rugby Sevens teammates in three Pool C matches against Samoa, Malaysia and Wales on 26 July. Tseraha scored a try as PNG came back from two points down at half-time against Malaysia to win 36-7, their only win of the preliminary stages.
Though they failed to qualify for the knockout rounds to contend for medals, PNG still had a chance in the Sevens Bowl knockout tournament on 27 July, for teams that placed third in each pool at the preliminary stage.
Tseraha scored a crucial try in the quarter final of the Sevens Bowl as PNG defeated Sri Lanka 17-12.
Unfortunately they were unable to overcome the Cook Islands in the semi-final, though there was some consolation for Tseraha, who scored his third try of the tournament in the 12-24 defeat.
Umings and Wangi are both young, but experienced boxers in the Men’s Bantam (56kg) and Women’s Fly (48-51kg) divisions respectively.
Umings, a twenty year old from Buin, normally trains twice daily with the Sankamap Boxing Club in Port Moresby, which involves hard work to improve his speed and strength. His ultimate goal is to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Umings was unfortunate to lose his round of 16 fight after only 33 seconds, when his brow was cut and his opponent was awarded victory by technical knockout. The decision was controversial as the cut allegedly came as a result of a head-butt rather than a punch.
Wangi, 18, started boxing in Buka and cites Cathy Freeman as her hero and her mother as the most influential person on her career. Incredibly, in 2009 she won Gold in the Women’s Feather (57kg) at Papua New Guinea Games as a representative for Bougainville.
She will face Pinki Rani of India in a quarter-final matchup at 12:15am PGT on 31 July.
The XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow run from 23 July to 3 August.
29.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
THREE MILLION KINA CHEQUE MONEY PAID DIRECTLY TO CONTRACTOR
BY JENNIFER NKUI
A representative from the Buka Urban Town Council today revealed to New Dawn Fm that the council did not get the K3 million cheque payments that were made by the Prime Minister.
Speaking in response to Chief Henry Onsa’s query concerning the Buka town road sealing, Felix Brian explained that the payment was made directly to the contractor, Dekenai Constructions Limited by the Prime Minister.
He said the council did initiate the project and fought hard to ensure the funds are released for work to progress.
He added that the supervisory body on the ground now is the technical services and not the council.
Mr. Brian said the reasons for the delay are not known but the machines are already here and it seems the company is still mobilizing.
29.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MEDIA, IMPORTANT AVENUE TO WORK ALONGSIDE GOVERNMENTS
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Media is an important avenue that can work alongside governments because governments cannot work without the media, says the national communications department secretary Paulus Kornie.
Speaking on behalf of the communications Minister Jimmy Miringtoro at the closing of the international media conference at the University of Goroka last week, he explained that the media has the responsibility to inform the public and in that respect it has a very important role to play.
He added that at the same time we (media) cannot escape from the government’s view and therefore we must work with governments to maintain our freedom that is guaranteed by our constitution that no government can take away the right within our country.
He said that right is protected and treasured within PNG but at the same time there must be responsibility all around by all media practitioners.
Mr. Kornie stressed that media practitioners must have the responsibility to be fair and balanced in their reporting on TV, television and radio.
He pointed out that credibility is at stake when the story is not balanced and therefore reporting must be balanced at all times.
He said as far as the government is concerned, we want to ensure we pertain what happens because you (media) are operating in a sovereign environment.
The international media conference was attended by media organizations from all over the world and New Dawn Fm manager Aloysius Laukai, who was an invited presenter presented on New Dawn Fm’s operations in Bougainville during the conference.
29.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
CYBER CRIME POLICY BEFORE CABINET
BY JENNIFER NKUI
The communication and information technology department under the leadership of Minister Jimmy Miringtoro has come up with a cyber crime policy which will dictate how people interact with each other on social media.
This was revealed by the department’s secretary during the closing of the international media conference at the University of Goroka last Friday.
Speaking on behalf of minister Miringtoro, he informed the participants that the policy is now before cabinet for endorsement.
He said once the cabinet approves the cyber crime and cyber security policy, the communications department will come up with a legislation to ensure that there is a parameter for all media practitioners to practice responsibly.
He said that is the department’s desire because there is no desire for the department to pertain the freedom of information.
29.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ISRAELI TEAM IN BUKA FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
BY JENNIFER NKUI
An, Israeli team of three, from the Yachad Accelerated Learning Project arrived in Buka this morning to spearhead an educational program.
Dr. Judy Yaron, told New Dawn Fm that the program aims to help children improve their literacy and numeracy in order for them to get jobs, better training and to become better citizens in society.
She said they are here to bring to Bougainvilleans their knowledge and experience but at the same time learn from the people of Bougainville as well.
She explained that they will see what the people are doing and in doing so establish a growing and strong relationship between both parties.
Dr. Yaron said they will listen to people using their ears and eyes to see what people are doing and what the schools have so they can introduce their program and base it on available technology.
She explained that the program will be based on the Bougainville culture and environment.
Anthony Ross, an officer of the organization said the organization is based in Victoria, Australia.
He explained that in Victoria, two schools are using their program which is more of a one on one program that aims at accelerating the students in their learning.
He said the program pinpoints where students need extra help and extra help is given.
He added that they are working with students in grades two up to grades seven and eight which depends mainly on the school, the needs of the students and the school’s facilities.
29.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
WORK OF THE OFFICE OF THE CENSORSHIP BOARD CLARIFIED
BY JENNIFER NKUI
The Public Relations officer for the office of the Censorship Board Deli Morofa has clarified to New Dawn Fm that the agency is a government agency and that it does not work with census logistics.
She revealed to New Dawn Fm manager Aloysius Laukai during the international media conference at the University of Goroka last week that most people confuse the work of the office with census.
She said what the censorship office does is look at pictures, videos, films and publication literature such as books, newspapers and reports.
She added that the agency is also involved in confiscating illegal materials, especially multiple DVD’s, illegal magazines that produce sex-related materials which are not good for small children and the general public and sex enhancement products.
Ms. Morofa said sex enhancement products are illegal and they come across the borders to our ports and airports via ships and planes.
She explained that because of that, the agency works closely with the PNG Ports Services, Post PNG and Airlines PNG to collect such materials.
She went on further to say that the office of the censorship board has a lot of divisions and the enforcement division is the division that spearheads such investigations of illegal materials.
29.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
WORK ON BUIN POLICE HOUSES CONTINUES
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Police officers in Buin, South Bougainville will soon be moving into their new houses thanks to the Buin District administration.
Executive manager for Buin district John Itanu revealed to New Dawn Fm that the building of new police houses is continuing.
He said the houses are near completion and currently, electricians are connecting power to the police residences.
He added that two single quarters for single police officers, one for males and one for females is also under construction.
Mr. Itanu said other building infrastructures which are under construction includes the magistrate’s house, house for the court clerk, a meri safe house for mothers who face violence in their homes, a program for the law and justice sector and a house for the education inspector.
29.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
DEVELOPMENTS FOR BUIN DISTRICT
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Many developments are taking place in Buin, South Bougainville and the administration’s dream under the leadership of executive manager John Itanu is to build the place up.
Currently, work is going ahead with the K1 million projects at the Buin General Hospital which covers the maintenance of staff houses, building of new staff houses and the delivery of services.
Mr. Itanu revealed to New Dawn Fm that the project is near completion and as soon as everything is sorted out, leaders will be invited for the launching of the projects.
He said the Buin hospital has become a level four hospital and therefore the administration will continue to build the place up.
29.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BUKA PEOPLE WANT EXPLANATION ON ROAD SEALING DELAY
BY JENNIFER NKUI
People of Buka District want explanation on the delay in the sealing of Buka Town roads.
Speaking on behalf of the people of Buka, Chief Hendry Onsa told New Dawn Fm today that he wants to know as to when the sealing of the Buka Town roads will begin.
He said he is aware that the Prime Minister has presented the cheque to the council already but what are the main reasons for the delay.
He pointed out that with the cheque been presented to the works department, work should have started already.
Chief Onsa said the people of Buka want to see the Buka Town roads being sealed.
He said the provincial chief executive officer for works must come out clear and tell the people the cause of the delay.
He added that the equipments and contractor are present but what is the delay here.
Attempts made by New Dawn Fm to get a response from the Buka Town Urban Council have all been unsuccessful.
29.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ISSUE OF GOVERNMENT VEHICLES HIGHLIGHTED AGAIN
BY JENNIFER NKUI
The issue of government vehicles without stickers and plate numbers has once again been highlighted by a concerned citizen.
Francis Loio, who has come on air with this same concern last month has raised this concern again with New Dawn Fm saying the misuse of government vehicles by public servants after hours is corruption.
He said the ABG president Chief Dr. John Momis always talk about corruption and yet the public servants are practicing it in under our very noses.
He pointed out that the public servants are bringing bad name to our government by misusing government vehicles after hours.
Mr. Loio also stressed that government vehicles must not have tinted windows because they are public cars.
He added that government vehicles are not private vehicles and are public vehicles because they are bought with public money.
29.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BUIN RECOVERS FROM TWO WEEKS OF RAIN
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Executive Manager for Buin District Administration John Itanu has revealed that the people of Buin in South Bougainville and his administration are recovering from two weeks of rain that has destroyed so many things.
He told New Dawn Fm in an interview today that many food gardens were washed away and the road conditions have deteriorated from bad to worse.
He said lately the Buin administration is working on the main roads, especially the trunk roads from Buin to Arawa.
He added that they are doing massive road maintenance and the contractors are now at Mongai.
Mr. Itanu revealed that the feeder roads have deteriorated as well but they cannot do much because they do not have the money.
He said his administration will just wait and put forward the issue of feeder roads to the 2015 budget to get enough money to work on feeder roads in Buin District.
29.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Bad weather delays Nissan High students
By ALEX MUNME
Some of the mothers of the Nissan students (from right to left), Jacinta Tupp, Alice Butou and Francesca Tagasi waiting at the beach front opposite Rabanz Guest House in Buka yesterday.
STRONG winds and rough seas have forced boat owners not to operate between Buka and Nissan island for up to four weeks.
his has affected school students from Nissan High School. Some of the students who failed to make it back to school when classes resumed after the second term break had to wait up to four weeks.
Yesterday, some parents finally decided they should send their children despite the weather still to improve.
“We have been waiting to send our children to Nissan and it’s now week four since term three started, we shouldn’t be waiting,” they said. They added that some of them were working and having the children at home has affected their work.
Three worried mothers from Malasang in the Tsitalato Constituency said such issue will only be solved when the Vessel ABG is buying comes to reality.
29.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
We have no space for immorality
WE HAVE no place for drunks and immoral leadership in our communities and civil authorities today, says community leader and Bougainville God’s Kingdom Network Chairman Pastor Albert Magoi.
He said this at a large gathering of Network pastors and leaders at Kidron Ministries Centre at Siwai, South Bougainville which ended on Sunday.
“Any changes that we desire in ‘new’ Bougainville should and must start within our top leadership. Both the civil and the church leadership are the breeding grounds of wickedness and corruption and every imaginable greed today,” Ps Albert said.
More than 90 pastors, elders and their wives gathered together at the summit for the three-day summit hosted by founder and president of Kidron Ministries International Pastor Sammy Maurua.
Pr Albert said the main purpose of the summit was to revisit the embers of the past Pentecostal revival fire of our fathers who pioneered this mighty move of God.
Present at the gathering was 1960’s revival firebrand Pastor Joshua Montoru. The 1960s revival was very significant to the movement as, for them, it was the “latest outpouring of the Holy Spirit fire in the whole known world since Pentecost in Jerusalem, besides that of inland China”.
Ps Joshua was a Methodist pastor at that ttime and when he returned back from his ministry studies in the Solomon Islands in 1956, he started prayer meetings in the Siwai area.
This gave birth to the ’60s Pentecostal revival movement, giving rise to two streams of Pentecostal churches – the Bougainville Pentecostal Church and the Christian Life Churches International.
All pastors present at the service agreed that “the new paradigm shift which our ABG leadership had been calling for during the last three weeks will never be achieved through mental manipulations. We are simply fooling ourselves by covering up our past spiritual and moral decline”.
Ps Sammy challenged the three mainline churches to take the lead in responding to the President’s call for a new paradigm shift for the people of Bougainville and uphold kingdom values.
29.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Church meet ends with ordination
By ALEX MUNME
THE Seventh Day Adventist Church recently held a one week workers meeting which ended with an ordination at Rumba just outside Arawa town in Central Bougainville.
The two ordained church leaders are Pastor Peter Bebe who will now be responsible of Buka District and Pastor Donald Tarakoa who has been appointed as the youth director and will be based in Rumba, which is the headquarters of Bougainville Mission of the SDA Church.
Both had served the Church for 13 and 10 years respectively as ministers before their ordination to pastor status.
The two pastors can now conduct baptisms, offer dedication prayers, ordain other elders and ministers in the church.Papua New Guinea Union Mission General Secretary, Pastor Blasius Managos was the main facilitator of the ceremony and was assisted by other ordained pastors.
The ordination was the highlight of a week long workers meeting.
29.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Buka reports two knife attacks
By SEBASTIAN HAKALITS
TWO criminal attacks were reported to have taken place in the Halia constituency of Buka over the weekend.
In the first incident, a man from Nissan Island residing with family friends at Tohatsi village was slashed with a knife on Saturday evening by an unknown man.
The attacker walked into the house where the victim was living and punched him on the face in front of other members of the house.
A scuffle ensued in which the intruder pulled out a knife from the side of his short and slashed the victim above the left elbow of his hand before running away.
Other members of the family could not recognise the suspect as he wore a mask.
The victim was rushed to the Hanahan Health centre for medical attention the same night and is now recovering at home.
It is not clear yet as to the motive of the attack but village chiefs from the area have called for a meeting today to try and identify the person responsible as well as the motive behind the incident. The other incident took place at Banis village at Karoola which saw a youth being slashed with a bush knife on his forehead by another person from the area. The offender is alleged to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time.
The victim also had a part of his ear being sliced off.
The victim was returning from the garden with the attacker’s wife and children when they were met by the attacker who started punching his wife and the victim.
The victim had decided to run home after being punched but the attacker quickly followed and slashed him with the knife.
The victim was taken to the Hanahan Health Centre where he was treated and discharged.
Police in Buka have yet to receive reports on these incidents, however, the Post-Courier was told that parents of the victim of the Karoola incident will shortly be reporting the matter to the police.
28.07.2014
Source: EMTV
BOUGAINVILLE HYDRO POWER PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
BY TOKANA HASAVI - EM TV, PORT MORESBY
The autonomous region of Bougainville looks forward to implementing its high-impact projects with an increased capacity of electricity supply.
This follows the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Ramazon Hydro Power Project in Buka recently.
PNG Power Ltd, the autonomous Bougainville government and Ramazon landowners put pen to paper to pave way for construction which begins on the three megawatt hydro power project.
Construction of the lines will start in November this year, with the distribution line to cover 40 kilometers to Kokopau and 10 kilometers to Tinputz.
The total cost of the project is K49 million.
Chairman of the Ramazon landowners, Daison Kaetavara, gave his support for the project and encouraged PPL in its implementation.
General Manager Operating and Maintenance, Martin Bigiglen, said PPL is ready to complete the project for the Autonomous Region in December 2015.
President Chief Doctor Momis was thankful for the partnership and said this was all part of nation building.
28.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Housing issues plague cops
By ROMULUS MASIU
ACCOMODATION is a problem for police in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, according to a senior police officer in Arawa.
Central Bougainville Police Service (BPS) chief Inspector Januarius Vosivai said accommodation is a very big problem for police, which has become a hindrance to the recruitment exercise of police personnel into the region.
"We cannot get more police personnel into the region because of shortage of accommodation. Where will they sleep and conduct their duties," Insp Vosivai said.
He has challenged stakeholders especially government of Autonomous Bougainville Government and the National Government to look into the plight of the BPS.
BPS is under resourced with a lack of manpower because of lack of accommodation.
"If we talk about improving the law and order in the region, we must also vigorously address the problem of accommodation and welfare of our police officers too," Mr Vosivai said.
BPS Assistant Police Commissioner Supt. Paul Kamuai supported Mr Vosivai’s call, pointing out that less than 40 percent of BPS staff are housed throughout the region while majority of officers do not have proper accommodation.
"To tell you the truth, police on Bougainville are really struggling with no funding and support from ABG and relevant authorities on the ground. We are only getting support and funding from the Law & Justice Sector Program who are our developing partners. This is the body that is helping to restoring vital government services on Bougainville. On behalf of BPS, I’m fully committed to working with the LJSP, which so far we are seeing tangible outcome from the sector programs," Mr Kamuai said.
Through the LJSP, the police now have three new staff houses in Arawa and three more currently under construction in Buin. Another two dormitories – for male and female new police recruits are under construction in Arawa Police Barracks at Section 22.
28.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Landowners’ nod for jail
BY WINTERFORD TOREAS
Chief Piritam (right) presenting the resolutions to Mr Eminoni while Mr Dare, Regional MP Joe Lera and CS commander Kokiai look on. Picture: WINTERFORD TOREAS.
THE principal landowners of the area where the former Kuveria jail in the Eivo-Torau constituency in Central Bougainville was situated have have given their okay for the jail to be reopened.
Their undertakings were made known during a meeting they held with the special projects officer of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, Ephraim Eminoni and CS commander in Bougainville Senior Inspector Bruno Kokiai.
The meeting which was held at Bove village in the Torau area is the fifth to be held between the landowners and the government representatives and was witnessed by their ABG constituency member Melchior Dare and Bougainville Regional MP Joe Lera.
Chief Martin Mataleo of the Aurova clan was the first to express his clan’s support saying this was a state land therefore CS should be allowed to return and re-establish their facility.
Chief Jacob Betoba also added the same sentiments by expressing his clan’s support towards the re-opening of the facility. He however said a new agreement should be reached before any other concrete move concerning CS’s move to Kuveria can take place.
Chief David Davanue of the Kuiro clan also expressed his clan’s support; however he said a new agreement involving all stakeholders interests particularly the landowners’ needs to be in place before the re-opening exercise can take place. Chief Davanue and his clan had initially disagreed with this move however their recent undertaking is a clear indication that they are also in support of the CS’s move back to Kuveria.
The Kuiro clan’s main concern is that they currently have their cattle farm at the former CS facility area and are questioning the CS and government on the future of their cattle farm.
The chairman of Eivo council of elders, Chief Patrick Piritam later presented copies of the resolution recently reached by the landowners on the future of the Kuveria Jail to the government officers and leaders that were there. Mr Eminoni said the meeting was another milestone achievement towards the re-establishment of the jail.
28.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
School surprised by Lera’s visit
BY WINTERFORD TOREAS
STUDENTS and staff of Sipatako Primary School in the Panguna District of Central Bougainville had a surprise visit from the Bougainville Regional MP Joe Lera on Wednesday last week.
Though this short notice visit was set on the Remembrance Day public holiday, this did not deter them from coming to the school to listen to inspirational messages from Mr Lera.
The Regional MP was accompanied by the ABG Minister for Community Development and Eivo-Torau constituency member Melchior Dare. Mr Lera while delivering his speech called on the students to excel in their studies, emphasizing that they are the future leaders that will lead Bougainville in the near future.
He stressed on the four important basic human needs including spiritual, social, physical and mental that a person needs to fully develop in order to be successful.
“You need to develop these four basic human needs. If not you will not be successful. School is like a vehicle for you to develop these basic human needs,” said Mr Lera.
28.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Hydropower agreement signed
BY WINTERFORD TOREAS
WORK on the development of the Ramazon hydropower project in the Suir constituency of North Bougainville received another positive boost recently following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Bougainville administration, PNG Power and the landowners.
Those involved in the signing include the Acting Chief Secretary for Bougainville, Chris Siriosi representing the Bougainville administration and various clan leaders of the project site.
Chief executive officer for PNG Power Ltd (PPL) John Tangit was also supposed to sign the MOUs but was not able to make it to the event due to work commitment. However, PNG Power general manager operation and maintenance Martin Bibiglen, who represented Mr Tangit, relayed the apology of the non-attendance of his boss before adding that the three copies of the agreement will taken to Port Moresby for Mr Tangit to sign.
ABG president John Momis witnessed the event.
26.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BUKA BLACKOUT
By Aloysius Laukai
BUKA town which includes KOKOPAU,SOHANO,KUBU and HUTJENA will be without power tonight due to fuel shortage in the region.
And power went off just after 2 pm and it could be off for an indefinite period.
Reports from Buka says that the ship came with Fuel supply for the Central Bougainville.
25.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Union wants civil service cleaned out
THE Bougainville Public Employees Association (PEA) has called on the Bougainville Administration to start a clean-up at all levels of public governance structure in Bougainville.
Acting President of the PEA Patrick Heromate said a clean-up on public servants, national and ABG politicians and Council of Elders must be done to correct the problems of corruption within these structures.
He says the PEA has previously made statements in regards to corrupt practices being performed by officers of the Bougainville Public Service but no one has made an attempt to correct the problem.
He also stated that the new appointments of the top public service positions must be made in a proper and transparent manner.
"I challenge the Appointments Committee to conduct interviews for every position from grade one to the executive level that is advertised," Mr Heromate said.
"There are people recruited who are unqualified and inexperienced on the job they have applied for but were given the job, as a result the level of performance in the Bougainville Administration is very poor."
The union is also not happy with the recent approved administrative structure that is to be implemented by the ABG.
Mr Heromate said the PEA has to be a part of the re-structure committee because it is the union members that will be working under the structure.
He also pointed out that there has been no conduct of public tender by the Bougainville administration on the disposal of aged government assets such as vehicles, computers and accessories, dinghies, outboard motor engines and white goods.
He said there is a critical need to check on the whereabouts of these public assets and if they were sold, who received the payments.
He said the Bougainville Administration must act to alleviate or correct these problems so that it will not hinder the operations of the administration.
The clean up at all levels of the public servants, national and ABG politicians will be a way forward for positive development to take place.
25.07.2014
Source: The National
New Britain musical acts tour Bougainville
TEXAS Allen, a popular recording artist from Rabaul, and Junior Kanini of Choke Band, a popular band in Rabaul, are currently touring the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
The pair have been the region for just over a month, playing live on stage and promoting their newly released music albums.
Texas is promoting his latest volume 10 album titled “Memek Crafa” while Junior is promoting his volume 4 titled “Point Blank”.
They will be playing tonight at Arawa’s popular night spot, 3 Rocks Club.
The pair will then travel to the Solomon Islands on Sunday to tour the towns and centres around the Solomon Islands – Bougainville border.
Before going to Bougainville, Texas Allan had been touring Mamose and Highlands regions.
Allan said he was busy playing live in clubs, functions, schools and fundraising venues.
25.07.2014
Source: Bougainville24
Contemporary trade with the Solomons
By Leonard Fong Roka
To sell her produce Regina Puia travels 45 minutes by boat every Saturday from the Solomon Islands to Kangu and then onto Buin Market or further north to Evo, her matrilineal home.
The mother of four, who comes from mixed Evo (Central Bougainville) and Shortland (Solomon Islands) parentage, lives in Nila Catholic Mission on the east coast of Shortland Island where her husband is a fisherman.
“It takes us less than an hour from Nila Catholic Mission on a fine day to Kangu Beach,” Mrs Puia said.
“We catch vehicles here for a short lift to Buin Market where we sell our goods, do a little shopping, and return home.”
Access to a larger profitable market in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, is a problem for the family since it is hundreds of miles away while Bougainville is just a stone’s throw. For them Honiara is a strange place, but Bougainville is familiar ground that they frequent with their produce.
“My husband catches fish and we preserve the fish by smoking it. Then every Saturday we head north-east to Kangu, we sell and make big money,” Mrs Puia continued
“One fish goes for a K20 in Buin which means about $60 when I am back in Shortland, but we do not bother to convert [currency] since our shopping destination is always in Bougainville.”
“We only find need to convert only when paying for health and school fees here in the Solomons.”
Shortland is less than 20km directly south from Buin’s Moila Point and 32km south-west of Kangu Beach. Their route to Kangu is a run parallel with the Moila coast with the landmass of Bougainville within their sight.
Most of the island’s aged populace refer to the big island to the north occupied by their relatives as Monahe.
For Regina Puia her main source of income comes from Bougainville, where her eldest daughter is married in Askopan.
Apart from selling her fish at Buin Market, she also has more customers further north in Central Bougainville, who put in order for special events to get fish for special events like feasts. It is for these occasions that Regina travels north by road or by boat with a huge stock of fish to reach her clients.
“My relatives at Askopan in Evo love our fish since my husband is always energetic to respond to orders from Bougainville in time,” Regina said with a laugh.
“We do not like to make our Bougainville customers wait or disappointed.”
“They are our source of income when the Solomon economy is problematic and so we work hard to satisfy their needs for cheaper price fish”
“Within Bougainville people say that fish is too expensive and so Solomon fishermen provide competition.”
Regina and her husband are not the only people from the Solomon Islands that are taking advantage of growing demand for goods in Bougainville.
“Arawa town is getting more fresh and dried fish from Choiseul and Western Solomon.”
“Even goods like beer are infiltrating the Bougainville economy and we also have our people employed by Bougainville business firms so this is an opportunity for me.”
Regina Puia feels her fish trade is growing in profitability and is sustainable since she has more customers – individuals, vaillages and even guesthouses in Buin and Arawa.
25.07.2014
Source: Bougainville24
The long standing tradition of Bougainville-Solomon trade
By Zilpah Maurua
There have generally been good relations between Bougainville and the Solomon Islands; a particularly strong bond was forged between the people in the West of the Solomons and South of Bougainville because of trade.
Trade was traditionally conducted using a barter system, where Bougainvilleans would exchange garden products for fish and other seafood from the Solomon Islands.
The rise of the cash economy has altered the traditional barter system and today the Solomon fishermen, often from Shortland and Kamalia‘s, come every Saturday to sell fish at the Buin Market.
Every Saturday morning land cruisers boom in to Buin town to the fish market from Keita, Visai, Nagovis and Siwai to exchange money for fish.
The sellers from the Solomon Islands move freely in to Bougainville with the long standing mutual respect and positive relations between the people.
Solomon Islanders not come only to exchange fish, they also come with necklaces, shell money (Mimis) and with Solomon laplaps.
This exemplifies that Bougainville is open to international relationships with people from different parts of the world.
There is a legend about how and why our ancestors formed relationships with the outside world, especially for trade and business.
Siwai district was named after a secret site, located along the seashore of Mutupina. Siwai was, as the ancestors believed, a place where garden crops generated for the first time in history.
There lived a hardworking man named Mekotantanu who lived with his big brother, Paupiahe, in the bushes of Buin along the beach of Maisuru. The brothers lived and survived by hunting and gardening.
Mekotantanu shared his products from his garden with the villagers and also traded with the people of Western Solomons for fish.
The villagers intended that Mekotantanu become chief in the future chief and this made Paupiahe grow jealous of his little brother.
Paupiahe set about forcing his small brother to leave the village and early the next morning Mekotantanu got his belongings and walked away along the beach.
After a long walk he finally he saw a small village and upon arriving he saw only small children in that village. He asked the children where are your parents they answered him that they went in to the bushes to gather food.
Mekotantanu told the children to make fire and boil water in a very big clay pot. The children asked him why they should boil the water, when there was no food to cook.
When the water had boiled he told the children to dip him in the pot and cover him with leaves.
An hour after they cooked him Mekotantanu appeared on the other side of the village, very well dressed.
The children were surprised to see him and he told them to remove the leaves and wish for whatever you want to eat.
“My taro! My banana! My kaukau! My yam!” and many others the children called out.
Even today in that secret site food crops just grow wildly.
24.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Ramazon hydro power project MOU signed
The people of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville can now look forward to implementing its high impact projects with an increased capacity to its electricity supply. This follows the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Ramazon Hydro Power Project in Buka last Friday (July 18).
PNG Power Ltd, the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and the Ramazon Landowners put pen to paper to pave way for construction to begin on the three (3) megawatt (MW) hydro power project.
Following initial works by the ABG in 2008, the project is now coming to reality, thanks to PPL through funding assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under its Town Electrification Improvement Program (TEIP).
During the ceremony at the Kuri Village Resort, ABG President Chief Dr. John Momis acknowledged PPL, ADB and the Ramazon landowners for working together in ensuring that the MOU was finally signed.
He reiterated calls for PPL, ABG, ADB and the landowners to continue to work together in delivering the project for the people of Bougainville.
“We must recognise that no man is an island and without the committed collaboration of our partners, nothing will happen. We will continue to sit on our rich resources and be left behind,” Dr. Momis said.
Electricity services is very important in any form of development and with Ramazon, we can further look at other hydro facilities in Central and South Bougainville, said Dr, Momis.
He said that when power supply comes online to supply the northern tip of Bougainville, they will be able to see economic development in which they could participate in.
“Now that we have signed the MOU, we must allow the developer PNG Power to come in and commence work and we will assist them in whatever way we can so that we can deliver this major project,” the ABG President said.
Chairman of the Ramazon Landowners, Daison Kaetavara gave his support for the project and acknowledged PPL for the commitment in getting it off the ground. “A big thank you to PPL and ADB for including the Ramazon HPP in the first tranche of funding,” Mr Kaetavara said.
This is a high impact project and we the landowners are happy that the Ramazon HPP will pave the way forward and contribute towards the Bougainville’s development, said Mr. Kaetavara.
Delivering the speech on behalf of the PNG Power CEO, General Manager Operating and Maintenance, Martin Bigiglen said that PPL was ready to make the project a reality for Bougainville.
Mr Bigiglen said that when the Ramazon HPP is complete, it will enable PPL to have enough capacity on its power supply on the island region to cater for the increasing load demand in Buka and the northern tip of Bougainville.
“Coming here to Bougainville shows PPL’s commitment in ensuring that the Ramazon HPP comes to fruition. “The support of the ABG and the Ramazon Landowners has been very good and I am sure this project will be delivered effectively on the back of such cooperation,” said Mr. Bigiglen.
He highlighted that the TEIP project is designed to address accessibility to reliable, affordable and clean power.
Preliminary site survey, geotechnical investigations, hydrology and specifications started in 2012 and at the moment, Ramazon HPP is at the tendering stage with bids to close on September 22, 2014.
Site visit by construction bidders took place last week and tender evaluations and ADB approvals to proceed with the contract award expected in January 2015.
Mr. Bigiglen said that under the project, primary beneficiaries will be about 800 households in the distribution line corridor from Tinputz to Kokopau and existing customer will also enjoy reliable electricity supply.
Construction of the lines will start in November 2014 with the distribution line to cover 40 kilometres to Kokopau and 10 km to Tinputz. The total cost of the Ramazon HPP is K49 million (US$20 m) which covers the hydro power plant and the distribution lines.
Mr. Bigiglen told the Dr. Momis that PPL was here to work with the ABG in bringing electricity services into the region and believes that the people will appreciate the partnership to light up more households.
PNG Power Ltd looks forward to working with the ABG and the Ramazon Landowners to develop and complete the Ramazon HPP by end of December 2015.
24.07.2014
Source: The National
Mekamui pledge support
THE Mekamui has pledged its support to the Autonomous Bougainville Government to work together for Bougainville’s greater good.
President Philip Miriori made the pledge during a reconciliation ceremony between Mekamui members of North and Central Bougainville.
“Time is against us so our journey towards referendum and independence is in the hands of all to work hard to achieve what we fought and died for,” Miriori said.
“The next step of this reconciliation will begin immediately for the Mekamui to work with ABG and our President Chief, John Momis.”
He said the Mekamui’s stand now was for the leaders to take control of peace and unify all.
Momis expressed his satisfaction and joy at the initiative undertaken by the Mekamui in reconciling its members.
“I want to congratulate the leaders and all the people responsible for taking the steps to reconcile through our customs to say sorry.
“As Christians, it is our duty to reconcile and say sorry to one and other, so I am truly happy with your initiative,” he said.
“This is a foretaste of big things to come where Bougainville will finally unite and achieve its goal of self-determination.”
Momis said he was confident that Bougainville would achieve its goal and reassured the people that Bougainville’s progress in peace and unity would prevail.
He declared the ABG, through the Bougainville Peace Agreement, was the vehicle that would bring all towards the next frontier of their journey for self-determination, which is independence.
Miriori and the Mekamui hierarchy who were present supported Momis’ stance and pledged to work toward peace and Bougainville’s unity with the ABG.
24.07.2014
Source: The National
Bougainville factions make peace
Mekamui members in North and Central Bougainville came together last weekend to reconcile after nearly 10 years of friction between them.
The friction between the two factions stemmed from an incident in which Northern leader Willie Haga was barred from attending the funeral of secessionist leader, the late Francis Ona at the infamous Morgan Junction in 2005.
The Central Bougainville faction was represented by Mekamui tribal government President Philip Miriori along with his delegation and several family members of the late Ona.
The Northern faction was represented by Haga and several other Northern Mekamui leaders and witnessed by many others.
A representative of the Mekamui tribal government and the people of Panguna, Philip Takaung, formally apologised to Haga for the incident that saw him missing the funeral of his mentor, the late Ona.
Takaung asked for Haga’s forgiveness and to see past any misunderstanding between them so that they may work together for further peace and reconciliation throughout Bougainville.
Takaung extended an invitation to Haga to pay his respects at the grave of Ona at the latter’s Guava village, Panguna.
Haga said that this reconciliation signified the Mekamui’s intention to foster peace within Bougainville.
Haga and Takaung agreed that the Mekamui was ready to work with the Autonomous Bougainville Government to bring peace to Bougainville.
In attendance at the ceremony was ABG President Chief Dr John Momis.
24.07.2014
Source: EMTV
FIJI REPATRIATION CALL
Protected by Fiji soldiers: Notorious conmen Noah Musingku
The Fiji High Commission Office in Papua New Guinea will soon hold talks with the Autonomous Bougainville Government, the repatriation of one Fijian, still residing in Tonu District, South Bougainville, with self-proclaimed king, Noah Musingku.
High Commissioner, Romanu Tikotikoca, says it has been a long battle to communicate with Maloni Namoli and Mr Musingku.
The last remaining Fijian Maloni Namoli, decided to stay back with Noah Musingku, in his hideout in the disputed territory of the Kingdom of Papala, Tonu City.
Mr Namoli was one the nine Fiji personnel believed to be mercenaries who illegally entered Bougainville, arming and training private militia, in Tonu, South Bougainville, on Musingku’s invitation, who ran a failed pyramid scheme that scammed many islanders.
High Commissioner, Romanu Tikotikoca in an interview, told EMTV News, he plans to discuss with government authorities, strategies that can help to repatriate Mr Namoli.
The others were repatriated out of Bougainville in 2009, while Namoli remained, as he was lured to Bougainville on false promises by Mr Musingku.
The National and Autonomous Bougainville Government, including the Fiji Government, expressed serious concern about the men's activities, fearing that such moves by Musingku and his so called monarchy, would hinder the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
The Fiji High Commissioner appealed to all Fijians to abide by PNG laws.
Early this year, Bougainville Assistant Police Commissioner, Paul Kamuai commented on the similar matter.
Mr Kamuai said several times, he has written to Mr Musingku to make his way to Buka for an open discussion, but has failed. He will not give up.
24.07.2014
Source: Bougainville24
The scrap metal salvage business
By Leonard Fong Roka
Driving through the areas related to the old mining operations, such as Panguna and Loloho Port, there are hardly any structures left from the massive workshops, crushers, plants and old material storage areas.
All that now remains is a few brick walls, rusting irons, concrete drainage systems and the vast gravel and rock surface area of Panguna.
All these tons of Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) property went overseas as scrap metal to the benefit of the Panguna people and a few former BRA elites around Kieta.
Small scale scrap metal business came to Bougainville around 1995, but from 2005 it erupted in to a big industry.
The earlier small scale operations captured the attention of foreign opportunists and genuine agents and buyers thus catapulted the business up.
There were Korean, Indian, and Chinese groups and a few non-Asian brokers. The market destinations known to me were Korea, Vietnam, India, China, and Malaysia.
In Panguna companies and groups sprang up specialized in buying and collecting scrap metal.
A few of these might have had rights over areas within the mine site, even some former Bougainville Revolutionary Army and Meekamui had groups, but in terms Papua New Guinea law none had Investment Promotion Authority or BCL authorization to exploit property and export it.
For about two years, from 2008 to 2009, I worked as an on-site assistant administration officer with a local group called Doborubu Scrap Metal Group (DSMG) that was based only in Panguna. My role was to assist our operation boss and act as tallyman, keeping records of the scrap metal loads we made every day.
DSMG was owned by the Pirurari villagers who owned most lands in the Kusito area of the mine site. The group collected metal in this area and in others like the concentrator, the pit and the town.
DSMG operated in partnership with a Korean financier and market dealer. From Korea he provided trucks, forklifts, and other heavy metal cutting equipment. In return DSMG sent scrap metal containers in his name to markets he chose.
Then the scrap buyers paid him the money and he deducted what DSMG owed him in equipment and plants, his own cut of profits and sent what was left back to Bougainville.
DSMG had two trucks and was required to supply 15 tons of metal for the 25 ton truck and 12 tons for the 15 ton truck.
The operation also had packers at Kieta port and harvesters in Panguna and most employees were young and from a single clan extended family with only a handful of us from other clans.
Each shipment of scrap from the Kieta port in all cases had to meet the required quota of scrap in tonnage. If the Korean boss wanted 150 tons of scrap metal then DSMG had to produce that or above.
Working to these directives from Korea DSMG raked up every scrap in its own traditional land areas and began buying from others.
We group our boys to two groups. Some only did the cutting of buildings frames and plants; others waited for sellers who had stocked up their scrap and came to us to buy, and some had laid claim on plants or buildings and asked us to cut them down and buy them. We did just that all that for 6 days and rested only on Sundays.
In most cases we did not pay them on spot but, as tallyman, I recorded the mass of scrap collected by each person and trucked it to Kieta. In Kieta our packing boys packed the scrap in containers and they were required to be packed with 25.5 tons of scrap metal.
It was only one these containers had left Papua New Guinea that the money came into Bougainville from Korea and we paid our employees and the scrap owners.
The most painful characteristic of the Panguna scrap metal industry was that it was a liars’ and drunkards’ business.
With or without cash the weekends were all wild boozing and partying. This phenomenon raised the number of retail outlets serving goods and liquor.
Nearly all residents of Panguna were a scrap metalists and small retail businesses staggered as credit increased when workers used scrap as security to get goods.
DSMG promised staff houses for two Panguna District primary school but it ceased operations in 2011 because all stock of scrap has zeroed. Neither Dapera Primary School nor Darenai Primary School (Location 2) have that our company promised.
These promises were not kept even the the top bosses in DSMG were earning at the range of K600-K1000 per shipment and the irony is that today, with scrap metal gone, our level of financial happiness has shrunk far to a level lower than those that lived simple lives on their gardens, while we boozed and called them penniless.
24.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Aust continues help
BY ROMULUS MASIU
Bougainville Police Service chief Paul Kamuai receiving the dummy key and certificates of project completion from DFAT representative David at the handover of the four police three bedroom houses at the Arawa police barracks.
Picture: JACOB IENU
AUSTRALIA is supporting the Autonomous Bougainville Government to increase access to law and justice services in Arawa with the handover of six new three-bedroom houses to three agencies of the law and justice sector.
The purchase of the kit set houses and construction was funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) law and justice sector program at K1.5 million, including additional funding from ABG of K150,000.
On Monday this week, the Australian Government formally handed over the six newly constructed three-bedroom staff houses in Arawa.
Four houses will go to officers of the Bougainville Police Service and one each to community-based corrections (CBC) and Magisterial Service.
Present at the small but significant gathering was keynote speaker ABG Minister for Law and Justice Joseph Nopei, BPS acting ACP Paul Kamuai, Magisterial Services Bruce Tasikul, DFAT representative David Maliku, and New Zealand police and landowner representatives.
This investment in houses by the Australian Government will help all three agencies restore and extend the delivery of law and justice services significantly on mainland Bougainville. For the first time it will enable law and justice sector agencies to deliver parole, probation and juvenile justice services to the central and southern regions of AROB.
It is anticipated that this support will also enhance the work on the male rehabilitation centre currently being constructed at Arawa.
A clerk of the courts can now be based in Arawa for the first time to provide full-time support to the magistrate, already based in Arawa.
While police continue to face severe housing shortages throughout Bougainville, the support in providing police housing in Arawa will boost morale and also indicates the priority placed on support to police services. There will be more houses as part of this investment package in Buin.
24.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Unregistered drivers causing road accidents
BY ROMULUS MASIU
Bougainville has witnessed a number of nasty road accidents, mostly occurring because of the carelessness and reckless driving from drivers, most whom do not have licences to handle big vehicles (as pictured above). Picture: ROMULUS MASIU
IT has come to the attention of the Bougainville Police Service (BPS) that most drivers in the region get their licenses under unacceptable manners while others drive around without any formal driving licenses at all.
This was revealed by BPS acting Assistant Police Commissioner Superintendant Paul Kamuai after a nasty road accident in Buin which has claimed five lives and left more than seven seriously injured at the Buka General Hospital.
Among the dead was a three-year-old girl who was on the vehicle when it ran into the Loluru Bridge on the outskirts of Buin town a fortnight ago.
Supt. Kamuai said the driver is believed to be in his home but is wanted by police and will be taken in for formal questioning and charging.
Supt Kamuai said traffic rules, regulations and the general road safety is not just police business but for all the stakeholders to work together to address as an issue in the region.
“Drivers must be given proper licences after passing the formal driver’s tests by traffic officers,” he said.
“They must also get the proper licenses in stages, which means if a driver is supposed to get a class 1 license, he/she must be given that (class 1) and not given any other class above. This is happening and I am very concerned.
“If any police officers or MVIL or registrar of traffics are giving out licences without proper checks and tests, I would like to know to make sure we correct and stamp out this problem.
“This kind of selfish attitude from individuals is killing the innocent people of Bougainville.
“Officers involved will be summoned by the professional standard office in Buka for questioning, and if found guilty, they will be thoroughly dealt with. We must work together to stop this practice right now.
“If licenses are illegally given out, then we must sort out this problem.
24.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Youth writes way to win
THE Australian High Commission declared Hutjena Secondary School student Upa Vianney as the winner of an essay competition Bougainville students.
Upa’s essay, titled “role of youth in promoting economic activities in Bougainville”, looked at how youths can contribute to the economic development of Bougainville through positive participation in the peace building process, engaging in activities that promote economic growth and living healthy lifestyles.
The commission, in cooperation with the ABG, ran the essay competition as part of the recent Australia week activities supporting youth leadership, in which almost 30 students participated.
The commission’s counsellor for Bougainville, Jane Gresham, presented the first prize, a laptop computer, to Upa. The second and third place winners, Ida Dissing and Thelma Sae, each received dictionary sets.
Hutjena Secondary School principal Mr Takali thanked the commission for arranging the competition. He said it motivated the students to think about what roles young people can play in Bougainville’s future as well as helping to strengthen their writing skills.
23.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Bougainville essay competition winner announced
The Australian High Commission yesterday announced Hutjena Secondary school student Upa Vianney as the winner of an essay competition for Autonomous Region of Bougainville students.
Upa’s essay, ‘Role of youth in promoting economic activities in Bougainville’, looked at how youths can contribute to the economic development of AROB through positive participation in the peace building process, engaging in activities that promote economic growth and living a healthy lifestyle.
The Australian High Commission in cooperation with the Autonomous Bougainville Government ran the essay competition as part of the recent Australia Week activities supporting youth leadership.
“To help develop our economy, we, the young people need to first understand the economic development happening and participate in promoting and finding ways which will make our economy grow.
Young people need to participate in democratic and development processes and play active roles in peace building.” Upa said in his essay.
The Australian High Commission’s Counsellor, Bougainville, Jane Gresham, presented the first prize, a laptop computer, to Upa and thanked the Autonomous Bougainville Government for assisting with the delivery of the competition.
The second and third place winners, Ida Dissing of Bishop Wade technical secondary and Thelma Sae of Hutjena Secondary School receive dictionary sets.
Almost 30 students entered the competition, writing on the topic “What role can young people play in the economic development of AROB? How can the choices you make about your life make a difference in promoting economic and social development?”
Mr Takali, the Principal of Hutjena Secondary High School thanked the Australian High Commission for arranging the competition and said that it had motivated the students to think about what roles young people can play in Bougainville’s future, as well as helping to strengthen their writing skills”
23.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
CHANGES TAKING PLACE UNDER MOMIS LEADERSHIP
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Chief executive officer for Bougainville communications division Robert Anisia has stated that through the leadership of the ABG president Chief Dr. John Momis, we see a lot of changes taking place.
He made this statement during the opening of the Mobile Workshop at the Lemankoa conference room in Buka Town last week.
He pointed out that most people saying there is no development and this is because all of us are wearing different eye lenses.
Mr. Anisia said some people measure development in terms of infrastructure; some measure it in terms of policies while others measure it in terms of other perspectives.
He added that the workshop is one of the initiatives that his division under the leadership of the president is looking at to bring about development which involves audience research, multimedia and the traditional form of face to face outreach.
He said we use mobile phones but we have not yet explored the opportunities that lie beyond the use of this little gazette.
23.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BOUGAINVILLE POLICE SERVICE STILL APPEALING TO THE PUBLIC
BY JENNIFER NKUI
The Bougainville Police Service is still appealing to the general public on the dead body which was found in the outskirts of Buka Town.
Inspector Aili Spencer told New Dawn Fm that the body was discovered on Friday, July 18 and was brought to the Buka general Hospital Morgue.
He said since Friday, no information was gathered and received about the body or of missing persons.
He added that no one has come forward to say he or she has a relative missing and the police have no reports of missing persons either.
Insp. Spencer said the body is decomposed and it is very hard to identify it but they have seen that the deceased is a middle age women who was roughly around 30 and 35 years.
He is appealing to people throughout the region to make sure their relatives who have come to Buka are safe and not missing.
He said the body has not been claimed and his advice to the public is to let your families know where you are going when you leave the house, with whom, where you will be staying and for how long so your families will be able to track you down.
He added that at the moment the police are liaising with the Buka Town council for a burial site for the body.
23.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
PIONEER PROJECTS FOR THE RARA-RAREI FOUNDATION
BY JENNIFER NKUI
The Rara-Rarei Foundation Inc. a non-governmental organization which is made up of university graduates from Siwai has started two pioneer projects for schools in their district.
The two projects known as the “School Talk Program” and the “School Resource Kit Project” aim at giving schools resource materials such as books and in the future laptops and some other resource materials which will be useful in the students learning.
Co-founder and director of the foundation, Richard Rowaro explained that their vision and aim is to see a child sitting in front of a resource book.
He said since the literacy rate of Siwai is thirty per cent, which is very low compared to others, literacy is seen as a big problem in their area.
He pointed out that we cannot solve everything and every problem today but whatever we have, we want to work together and contribute as part our contributions towards building up our communities and the Autonomous Bougainville as well.
Mr. Rowaro said they will try their initiative in Siwai first and if the concept works, they will branch out to other districts like, Bana, Buin and Kieta.
He said there is a plan in place but that will depend on the foundation’s resources, their financial capacity and the work they are currently doing.
23.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
THREE PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO PILOT EDUCATIONAL PROJECT
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Three primary schools in Siwai district have been identified as pilot schools for the “School Resource Kit Project” which is a pioneer project of the Rara-Rarei Foundation Inc.
This was revealed during an interview with New Dawn Fm by co-founder and director of the foundation Richard Rowaro.
He explained that Siwai district has three constituencies, Ramu, Kopii and Motauhono.
He said the three schools are Siuru primary School in Ramu Constituency, Koroma primary School in Kopii constituency and Iiru Primary School in Motauhono constituency.
Mr. Rowaro said they chose these three schools because they lack resources materials and also by narrowing it down to three schools, it will be easy for them to measure the impacts of the project.
He said he will be donating ten cartons of books and some resource materials to Siuru primary School in the coming weeks because Siuru has a library in place.
He explained that for the other two schools, they will have to talk with the village chiefs and communities in order to work in partnership with them to build their libraries.
He said the books for the other two schools are available but there are no libraries to put them.
As director, he said he believes education is the only way forward for Bougainville.
23.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
HOPE THROUGH EDUCATION
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Rara-Rarei in the Siwai language means hope and that is what some university graduates are trying to bring across to the young school children in Siwai District through education.
Co-founder and director of the Rara-Rarei Foundation Inc. Richard Rowaro told New Dawn Fm in an interview that the foundation is a non-governmental organization and was established and legally registered with the Investment Promotion Authority in October 2012.
He explained that their vision in establishing the foundation is to give hope to the unprivileged children back in Siwai, especially students.
He said they have a big vision to build the young children of today who will then build a good future for Bougainville.
Mr. Rowaro said the foundation is based in Port Moresby with 26 financial members, all Siwai graduates and the membership fee is K50 that must be paid annually.
He explained further that their mission is to design and deliver educational based programs to rehabilitate, motivate and empower young school children to realize their full potential.
He pointed out that change makes us for tomorrow’s generation and that is the main aim and vision of the foundation.
22.07.2014
Source: Bougainville24
President seeks better development coordination
By Ishmael Palipal
President Dr John Momis has told a Development Forum in Buka that better coordination between development partners and the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) must be established to improve project delivery in Bougainville.
The forum was held to identify the important issues concerning the ABG, the development partners, the people of Bougainville and the region as a whole.
“[It is important] to avoid uncoordinated aid that it doesn’t create confusion or trouble from aid that comes in independently and outside of the ABG,” Dr Momis told the forum.
Dr Momis strongly argued that there must be better understanding between the development partners, the ABG and officials and the Bougainville MPs in federal parliament.
The Development Forum aimed to further strengthen coordination around important issues pertaining to aid assistance on Bougainville.
The President and the Chief Secretary, Chris Siriosi met with the government representatives from Australia, New Zealand, USA and Japan; the World Bank; and the United Nations.
During the forum the development partners decided that their cooperation should be driven by ABG priorities and will work to identify development partners’ comparative strengths in relation to ABG needs.
They also decided that there will be two meetings every year prior to the Joint Supervisory Body meeting (JSB) and additional ones if necessary, coordination meetings which will link with themed discussions and regular meetings will occur with the Chief Secretary.
The partners will cooperate to provide consolidated information in a form that is useful to planning and monitoring progress against ABG priorities. At the same time the ABG will identify gaps in development assistance and the highest priority needs within this which then will use this information to develop ways of monitoring and evaluating the progress towards defined outcomes.
In doing so the ABG’s contributions will be identified in the National Government budget and ABG will draw on the information, and recognition of the coordinating role of the ABG Project Management Unit (PMU) as the coordination point for all infrastructure projects.
President Momis said that he was generally happy with the donor partners and their engagement on Bougainville, and make clear that the ABG was looking seriously at addressing the dependency syndrome.
22.07.2014
Source: The National
Town launches water project
THE Arawa Supply and Sewerage Restoration Project for the township was launched last Friday.
Arawa town mayor Mathias Salas thanked the National Government and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, who during his visit to Bougainville made a commitment to fund impact projects in the region.
Salas said the commitment to restore the town’s water supply was a positive development at a time when the Arawa Urban Council faced challenges, including issues from the days when the town was used as a care centre during the Bougainville Crisis.
He touched on the illegal land usage in town areas where people were building shops and houses everywhere they liked inside the town. He called on the Lands Department to step in and deal with this problem.
The launching of the water supply project coincided with the groundbreaking ceremony for a site where the council was to establish its depot and which Water PNG was to use as temporary storage for its material and equipment for use in work on the water supply.
A traditional ceremony was conducted for leaders of landowning clans in which gifts of shell money was given to clan leaders by the council as a gesture for future good working relations with communities and stakeholders to the project.
In their speeches landowner representatives promised to support the council and Water PNG in restoring water to Arawa town.
Water PNG chief of operations Billy Imar said the company needed support and work with the leaders to restore these important services and systems. He said when water and sewerage systems were running properly, more investors were likely to put money into businesses.
Chairman of Central Bougainville Small to Medium Enterprises Association, Chris Damana, thanked the National Government for agreeing to have the town’s water and sewerage systems restored.
“The project is a major undertaking and will cost millions of kina to restore the town’s water supply and sewerage systems and we are grateful to the National Government of its commitment to fund this project,” he said.
Central Bougainville MP Jimmy Mringtoro thanked the landowners and community leaders for their cooperation and support for the project which will to provide a vital service to Arawa town.
22.07.2014
Source: Radio New Zealand International
Mekamui in Bougainville reconciliation
In Papua New Guinea's autonomous Bougainville region, the Mekamui faction has pledged its support to the autonomous provincial government to work together for Bougainville's greater good.
The Mekamui group's president, Philip Miriori, made the pledge during a reconciliation ceremony between Mekamui members of North and Central Bougainville.
The president of the Autonomous Government, John Momis, has expressed his satisfaction at the initiative.
He said the event was an indication of big things to come when Bougainville would finally unite and achieve its goal of self-determination.
22.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
HAKU YOUTHS TO BENEFIT FROM COCOA FOR HOMEBREW PROGRAM
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Six village assembly chiefs in the Haku constituency in Buka District are heavily engaged in carrying out an awareness program code named “Cocoa for Homebrew”.
This awareness is a lead up on a released document by the Bougainville executive council (BEC) in April this year to empower the community policing officials to start arresting and destroying equipments used for producing homebrew.
The chiefs are encouraging and telling their youths to turn away from their old habits and start planting cocoa and other cash crops for a for a better change in their lives.
Justin Samo, chief of Lemankoa Assembly said the message is being taken seriously by the youths and it is bringing about positive mental and social impacts to the lives of many young men and women.
He said once the arrangements to secure and distribute clown cocoa trees are finalized with the Haku Farmers Cooperative Society chairman Joe Elijah, the youths will be given 100 to 300 clown materials to plant.
Mr. Elijah confirmed that the society is working with the Lauta Atoi foundation and the World Bank to distribute 300, 000 clown materials to the Haku community before March 2015.
The Society’s project and general manager Joe Tsikula said the awareness program is very challenging because many youths do not want to leave their old habits.
He is recommending an educational and spiritual type of awareness to educate the youths on the importance of leaving behind their old habits and replacing them with sustainable means of income.
The chiefs on the other hand say they will not stop until every youth in their area is assisted through this program.
22.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
IMAKO EXPLAINS HOW CT SCAN WORKS
BY JENNIFER NKUI
Chief executive officer for Buka General Hospital Dr. Cyril Imako explained to New Dawn Fm that the CT scan machine is much bigger than the x-ray machine.
He said the x-ray machine gets pictures from one dimension only while the CT scan machine gets pictures from three dimensions.
He pointed out that things that are not clearly seen with the conventional x-ray will become much clearer with the CT scan.
Dr. Imako said this is because conventional x-ray depends on the density of things and bones are much denser than soft tissues.
He said bones are denser and the radiation picks it out clearly but soft tissues cannot come out clear because the radiation just passes through them.
He explained that with the CT scan, everything in our bodies from bones to soft tissues will be seen clearly because it will take pictures from three dimensions.
22.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION ORGANIZES MOBILE WORKSHOP
BY JENNIFER NKUI
The Bougainville Communications and Information Division have organized a Mobile Workshop in the hope that the shared knowledge amongst people in influential positions will help utilize and drive the development agenda.
Chief executive officer Robert Aneisia (pictured), in his opening speech last week said the workshop is important because the invasion of technology today is making its mark in its influence on our youths and communities whether it is for good or for worse.
He said despite the outcomes we still embrace these developments because we know that they play a vital role in the development of Bougainville.
He pointed out that there are many options available for Bougainville to bring about development and mobile phones are one of the areas that his office wants to explore.
Mr. Aneisia said he wants to see how mobile phones can be used to integrate the intentions and initiatives the government is talking about.
He said this technology must be utilized to restore and promote the agenda that Bougainville is currently pushing forward.
22.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
WOMEN ARE PART OF THE BOUGAINVILLE POPULATION
BY JENNIFER NKUI
PRESIDENT of the Bougainville Women’s’ Federation Horna Holan has stressed that women are part of the Bougainville population and they must help the government in information dissemination.
She said the government is now moving towards referendum and as women we must help disseminate information about referendum.
Mrs. Holan made these statements during the closing of the two day Mobile workshop at the Lemankoa Conference room in Buka Town last week.
She explained that the federation can get the information from the presidency seat through the communications division and the information can be passed on through their networks.
She added that for quality information to reach the people, the federation must work with the government because they cannot work alone.
She said by working together, information that is given out will be in uniform and will not cause confusion amongst the people.
22.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
NEW DAWN FM INTRODUCES NEW PARLIAMENTARY QUIZ PROGRAM
BY JENNIFER NKUI
New Dawn Fm has introduced a new parliamentary quiz program which will come on every Monday nights from 9 to 10 Pm.
The program which kicked off this week Monday aims to educate all Bougainvilleans about the work the Autonomous Bougainville Government is doing.
In order for listeners of New Dawn Fm to win a prize, listeners must get three consecutive questions right or must answer three questions right.
To partake in this program listeners are required to call phone number 72553439 and give your answers to questions asked.
The program is sponsored by the ABG parliamentary services.
22.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
GEOLOGICAL HAZARD AWARENESS
RVO’s Geological Hazards Awareness Team in Buin District Eleanor Maineke 22/07/14
The team from the Rabaul Volcano Observatory (RVO) has been conducting awareness on volcanic hazards in some parts of Bougainville. According to Tom Mausing, the volcano observer in Torokina for Mt. Bagana he said that, “this is the first time ever the team from the Rabaul Volcano Observatory has come to Bougainville to conduct this major awareness on the volcanic hazards.” The team spend the last two weeks in Torokina District as there is the active Mt. Bagana volcano (pictured). The awareness was mainly done to schools and the communities. However, PNG National Government is also concerned about the east coast, especially the Luloru area, because Luloru is a potentially active volcano. But unfortunately, the team will not reach the Luloru area due to insufficient funding. Thus, they only visited some areas along the main highway (Buin - Arawa) and the Buin town area. Schools like, Turiboiru Primary School, Buin Primary School, Buin Specialised Training Centre, the Buin Town Community and Buin Secondary School. Videos that explain and show the volcanic hazards and earthquakes were shown during their awareness. So, the team is initially in the region to conduct awareness because Bougainville is a small Island region that if a volcano erupts, there is high possibility that the whole population be affected. So this awareness is to make people aware of the measures to take during such disasters.
22.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Mekamui & ABG Unity
by Anthony Kaybing
The MekamuiFaction has pledged its support to the Autonomous Bougainville Government and to work together for Bougainville’s greater good.
Mekamui President Philip Miriori (pictured) made this pledge during a reconciliation ceremony between Mekamui members of North and Central Bougainville.
“Time is against us so our journey towards referendum and independence is in the hands of the common Bougainvillean to work hard to achieve what we fought and died for,” MrMiriori said.
“The next step of this reconciliation will begin immediately for the Mekamui faction to work with Autonomous Bougainville Government and our President Chief Dr John Momis,” MrMiriori added.
MrMiriori said Mekamui’s stand now is for the leaders to take control of peace and unify all Bougainvilleans.
President Momis expressed his satisfaction and joy at the initiative undertaken by the Mekamui in reconciling in its members.
“I want to congratulate the leaders and all the people responsible for taking the steps to reconcile through our Bougainvillean customs to say sorry,” President Momis said.
“As Christians it is also our duty to reconcile and say sorry to one and other so I am truly happy at your initiative,” President Momis added.
The President said that this is a foretaste of big things to come where Bougainville will finally unite and achieve its goal of self-determination.
The President also said that he is very confident that Bougainville will achieve its goal and reassured the people that Bougainville’s progress in peace and unity will prevail.
“The Mekamui Government is the government of all Bougainvilleans and through unity with the ABG we will prevail,” President Momis said.
“The ABG through the Bougainville Peace Agreement is the vehicle that will bring us toward the next frontier of our journey for self-determination which is independence,” declared President Momis.
“Despite the differences and reservations people may have, which is absolutely normal, the ABG in union with the other factions will be the independent government for Bougainville should the people wish it through our referendum,” the President said.
MrMiriori and the Mekamui hierarchy who were present supported President Momis’ stance and pledged to work toward peace and Bougainville’s unity with the ABG.
22.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
Mekamui Reconciliation
by Anthony Kaybing
The mainstream Mekamui faction in North and Central Bougainville came to together on Saturday last week in Buka Town to reconcile after nearly ten years of friction between them.
The friction between the two factions stemmed from an incident where Northern faction strongman Willie Haga was barred from attending the funeral of secessionist leader Francis Ona’s funeral at the infamous Morgan Junction in 2005.
The Central Bougainville faction was in attendence by Mekamui Tribal Government President Philip Miriori along with his delegation and several family members of the late Francis Ona while the Northern faction was represented by MrHaga and several other Northern Mekamui leaders and witnessed by many other Bougainvilleans.
A Representative of the Mekamui Tribal Government and the people of Panguna, Philip Takaung (pictured), formally apologized to MrHaga for incident which saw him missing the funeral of his mentor, Francis Ona.
MrTakaung asked for MrHaga’s forgiveness and to see past any misunderstanding between them so that they may now work together to further peace and reconciliation throughout Bougainville.
MrTakaung also extended an invitation to MrHaga to pay his respects to the grave of his mentor at the latter’s Guava village in Panguna.
A significance of the ceremony was that the Mekamui did not demand any help from the government to fund the reconciliation as most Bougainvillean reconciliations are accustomed to but took it upon themselves to fund it.
MrHaga said that despite his former feeling of distrust and being upset at being barred from attending Francis Ona’s funeral he accepted the apology and added that this reconciliation signifies the Mekamui’s intention to foster peace within Bougainville.
He said he bore no ill will towards his peers in Central Bougainville and Panguna and called for peace and unity amongst the people of Bougainville as he said this was the dream of the late secessionist leader, Francis Ona.
Both MrHaga and Takaung agreed that the Mekamui is now ready to work with the ABG in unity and bring peace to Bougainville.
“This reconciliation signifies Bougainville’s unity as it is the every intention of the Mekamui faction to work with the Autonomous Bougainville Government,” MrHaga.
Also in attendance of the ceremony was ABG President Chief Dr John Momis who was wholly impressed with the initiative taken by the Mekamui Tribal Government and its stride to unify Bougainville through peaceful means.
22.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BUKA POLICE APPEALS TO PUBLIC FOR ASSISTANCE
BY JENNIFER NKUI
The Bougainville Police Service is appealing to the general public, especially relatives of the deceased woman whose body was found in the mangroves to come forward and help police look into the cause of her death.
Inspector Aili Spencer told New Dawn Fm that the body was found by his officers last Friday morning after receiving a report from a man who went into the mangroves to look for firewood.
The police believed the body to be two to three weeks old because the body found have already been decomposed and it was hard to identify it.
Insp. Spencer said the body was later identified to be that of a female and is now at the Morgue awaiting burial.
He is appealing to the people in Buka to check within their own families and communities and ensure that no one is missing.
He said if someone is missing, the matter must be reported to the CID section at the Buka Police Station immediately.
He is asking the relatives of the deceased to come forward so the police will be assisted to investigate into the cause of her death.
22.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY ANNOUNCES PUBLIC HOLIDAY
BY JENNIFER NKUI
The office of the Chief Secretary to the ABG has announced today that there will be a public holiday on July 23 which is the National Remembrance Day.
The office is advising the general public and public servants that Wednesday, July 23 is to be observed as the National Remembrance Day and is a public holiday.
Acting Chief Secretary Chris Siriosi (pictured) said July 23 is a public holiday and all normal work will resume on July 24.
He said essential and emergency services staff who are required to work throughout that period should have their officers in charge prepare a roster for them.
On that note, Mr. Siriosi wants to take this opportunity to wish the people of Bougainville a peaceful and happy Remembrance Day celebrations.
22.07.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
COMMITTED RELATIONSHIP WITH CREATOR ONLY WAY OUT
BY JENNIFER NKUI
A youth from Hanahan in the Halia constituency told New Dawn Fm that the only way out for Bougainville youths is through commitment with the creator.
He said as a youth he had gone through so much and he has found out that the secret to fight against the evil powers is to go back to the source.
Monford Gary Magei, a refrigerator and air-conditioning engineer explained that the spiritual world is empowering people and people are blind.
He pointed out that the original source is the creator himself and God’s intention is for human beings to be happy and have good things.
He said the only way out for Bougainville youths now is through committed relationship with the creator, our source.
22.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Senior public servants pass on
BY WINTERFORD TOREAS
THE Bougainville Administration is in mourning following the death of one of its senior government officers over the weekend.
The late George Mosusu had been battling illness for a long time died on Sunday at the Buka General Hospital.
Mr Mosusu was recently appointed as the chief executive officer for the division of primary industry and has been performing his duties as the head of this government division for the past months until his death on Sunday.
Prior to his appointment into the Bougainville public service, he held senior positions within the Department of Agriculture and Livestock based in Port Moresby.
The Post-Courier was told yesterday that Mr Mosusu was retrenched from his position due to his ailing health condition, which the Bougainville Administration failed to consider before recruiting him as the CEO of DPI.
The administration is currently finalising the funeral program, with a requiem mass to be held at the United Church’s urban circuit in Buka town tomorrow before his body is taken to his home village in the Tinputz District of North Bougainville for burial.
Last week also saw another former senior government officer, James Koivo, succumbing to a short illness.
Mr Koivo is the former Regional Commissioner for Central Bougainville.
22.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Decomposed body found in mangroves
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
A DECOMPOSED body of a woman was found in mangroves at the outskirts of Buka town on Friday morning.
The discovery of the body, which was located in the mangroves about 500 metres from the houses located next to the United Church building in town, led to many people quickly rushing to the scene with the aim of trying to identify the victim. However this was not possible as the body had already decomposed beyond recognition.
The only remaining body parts was from the torso up to the skull, with the corpse lying face down.
Police could not confirm how she died and are still investigating the case, but the decomposed state of the body means that her body must have been there for the past weeks.
There has not been any reports of a missing person and people were dumbfounded as to who the victim was. The remains were collected and taken to the Buka hospital mortuary. The Post-Courier was told that a senior police officer at the Buka police station wanted to take the remains to her village for burial however she was only waiting for her father and relatives to give the nod.
Police are now calling on the general public to come forward with any information that may lead to the identification of the victim and the subsequent arrest of the person that may have been involved in the death of the woman.
21.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Buka hosts phone workshop
By ALEX MUNME
A MOBILE phone information workshop was held at the Lumankoa Guest House in Buka last week.
The two-day workshop, which was conducted last Thursday and Friday, enabled participants to acquire more information on the types of mobile phones, network coverage areas, type of network, knowing your neighbour’s mobile phone and how it is being used and other topics.
Day two of the workshop covered group reflection, what M4D was and its challenges, sessions, types of services and how to budget and sustain the use of mobile phones.
Those attending the workshop include stakeholders, NGO groups, Bougainville Women’s Federation, Leitana Nehan, division of information and communication and the media.
President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, John Momis was also at the workshop.
Mr Momis said the Office of Information and Communication now comes under the President’s office.
He spoke of the values and principles of life in general and how communication can enhance a person’s livelihood. The president also spent some time answering questions from participants.
21.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Arawa water supply, sewerage to cost K100m
BY ROMULUS MASIU
Restoring water and sewerage supply in the former BCL township of Arawa will cost about K100 million, says Central Bougainville MP Jimmy Miringtoro.
He said this amount will come from the K500 million conditional grants to the Autonomous Bougainville Government by the national Government.
Mr Miringtoro said this during the official launching of the Arawa water supply and sewerage restoration project for the township of Arawa last Friday.
The K100 million funding for each year will be rolled out in five years till the project is fully completed, Mr Miringtoro said in front of Water PNG chief of operations, Billy Imar and Mannen Kuluwah, senior engineer and coordinator of Arawa water supply and sewerage restoration projects and other invited guests, including ABG Member for South Nasioi John Ken, Lord Mayor of Arawa Mathias Salas and chairman of Central Bougainville Small to Medium Enterprises Association, Chris Damana and others.
All the leaders, including Mr Miringtoro, thanked the national Government through Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, who made a commitment to fund impact projects in the region during his recent visit to Bougainville.
The people of Bougainville and the leaders through Mr Miringtoro thanked Water PNG for coming onboard.
Mr Miringtoro said this is one of the long overdue major projects that will be undertaken and cost millions of kina.
He said they are so grateful to the national Government for its commitment to fund the project.
Mr Imar on the other hand said his company needed support and to work together with the leaders on the ground to restore these important services and systems.
He said when water and sewerage systems are running properly more and more investors were likely to come and do business in town. The water and sewerage in the Arawa township has not been attended to or maintained since the crisis ended, posing a great risk to the inhabitants of the town who use the water supply and sewerage for their daily living.
Before the crisis, the Arawa town water and sewerage systems were second to none in PNG.
The timing of this vital service is very crucial now as the as the town is experiencing a fresh influx of people.
21.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Commissioner passes on
BOUGAINVILLE President John Momis has passed his deepest condolences to the family of the late Central Bougainville Commissioner James Koivo.
In a dignified tribute to the late peace advocate, the President said “his passing signifies a great loss to the people of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville as well as the Autonomous Bougainville Government in which he served.
“The late James Koivo contributed immensely to Bougainville through his service to the North Solomons Provincial Government, through the hardships of the Bougainville Crisis and as an advocate of peace – and most recently as the Commissioner for Central Bougainville. Most notable was his service, prior to the Bougainville Crisis, as the District Commissioner of Bougainville which, I must add, he served with distinction,” he said.
Mr Momis paid tribute to “this exceptional man who rose to take up the challenges in life and strove to lead in all mannerism that upheld the integrity of Bougainville”.
“We have to build up our capacity to adequately serve Bougainville as we move towards referendum and independence,” said Mr Kamuai.
21.07.2014
Source: The National
Villager finds dead body in mangroves
A decomposed body, believed to be that of a woman, was retrieved by police at Manguru, near Buka town, Autonomous Region of Bougainville, last Friday.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Chief Supt Paul Kamuai said the matter was referred to Buka police after one of the villagers found the body in the swamp while collecting firewood.
“Police are still working on the case and would like those who may have lost one of their female relatives or friends to come forward so that the decomposed body can be identified,” he said.
Kamuai said people living about 900m away from the mangrove patch where the body was found had been getting a bad smell for sometime but they did not suspect anything.
“Over the weekend, police have been out asking relatives and friends of missing persons to come forward so that this body can be identified and further investigation will continue.”
Kamuai said the body was believed to be there for over a month.
21.07.2014
Source: Bougainville24
Travel Air begins Buka service
By Timothy Poroda
Passengers depart the plan after the maiden Travel Air voyage to Buka. Photo by Timothy Poroda
The Travel Air (TA) Fokker 50 aircraft made its first commercial flight to Buka Airport on Wednesday 25 of June.
TA is part of the third tier of Papua New Guinea airlines and its motto, mangi lo ples (a boy from PNG), reflects the attitude of its owner Mr Eremas Wartoto from East New Britain.
Buka will become one of the busiest ports in the coming months with TA, Air Niugini and Airline PNG all now active in Bougainville.
TA’s commercial service to Buka was delayed because of circumstances encountered during its maiden flight to Buka.
The National Airport Cooperation cancelled its flying services due to some aviation rules being violated.
Having resolved the issue TA is back in the air and will create competition for fares to Bougainville.
The airline will now fly in and out of Buka on Wednesday each week, whilst Air Niugini provide service six days a week and Airlines PNG every day.
According to Buka branch manager, Mr Taihu Pais, the company aim is to offer the comfortable service and cheapest passenger fares.
Mr Pais also added that if the talk on Aropa Airport in Central Bougainville turns good the company will extend services to that port and eventually connect to Taro, Solomon Islands via Aropa.
18.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Youths undergo training
By ROMULUS MASIU
THE youths of Arawa Urban have been given a chance to attend training on topics designed to help them understand their roles and and the Bougainville touth policy.
At the same time the youths got the chance to vote for their ward representatives and executive bearers.
More than 40 young people attended this first training at United Church youth hall last week Thursday.
The training was made possible through funding allocation from the Community Development Ministry office at Buka, which gave K20,000 each to all districts around the region.
Arawa urban, as a town, is also fortunate to be given such assistance.
Arawa youth president Alfred Piriri, secretary Ben Madaku and youth councillor Augustine Barkson conducted the training.
Guest speaker Mark Sivutare, who is Arawa town manager, was very happy to see that such trainings held and assured that his office will help in every way possible in the future.
Mr Sivutare urged the youths to respect the law and be aware of law and order issues associated with the development of the town.
He urged the youths to get involved in sports and refrain from abusing drugs, whichwill harm them in their young age.
18.07.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Police beef up manpower
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
TWENTY new police recruits are expected to arrive in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville by the end of this month.
This was confirmed by the acting Assistant Police Commissioner for the Bougainville Police Service (BPS), Chief Superintendent Paul Kamuai early this week.
Chief Supt Kamuai, while making the announcement, said their arrival is good news for Bougainville and its struggling police service which is currently experiencing manpower shortage to police law and order in the region.
The officers consist of both Bougainvilleans as well as those from the other provinces who were able to be selected into the Bomana Police Training College.
“We have to build up our capacity to adequately serve Bougainville as we move towards referendum and independence,” said Mr Kamuai.
18.07.2014
Source: Bougainville24
ABG research highlights importance of social media
Research commissioned by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) has highlighted the growing importance of social media to the region.
The study estimates that Digicel’s 2G and 3G networks bring mobile coverage to 80 to 90 per cent of Bougainvilleans.
The ABG are now looking to utilise this medium to communicate throughout the autonomous region.
The first step was the creation of official ABG Facebook and SoundCloud pages. The ABG will provide regular updates through the two social media formats, including a weekly podcast-style audio update from Chief Secretary, Chris Siriosi.
The research also showed that Bougainvilleans have limited access to the traditional mediums of mainstream media.
Since there is no significant terrestrial television signal, the only broadcast access is via satellite, which is expensive and not commonly found in households. The research showed that over half of Bougainvilleans have access to televisions, but these are used to watch DVDs rather than receive broadcasts.
A combined 1500 copies of the National and Post Courier newspapers reach Bougainville daily. Access to newspapers is greatest in Buka, with one copy for every four people. Outside of Buka there is only one newspaper for every ten Bougainvilleans.
Radio broadcasts are even more Buka-centric, with FM signal only accessible approximately 20 per cent of the population and scarcely reaching further south than the island at the northern tip of Bougainville.
Radio signal coverage will be improved in the near future with the implementation of a radio broadcast infrastructure upgrade, co-funded by the ABG and the Bougainville Copper Foundation.
17.07.2014
Source: Bougainville24
Accident costs lives in Buin
By Leonard Fong Roka
Tragedy struck in Buin on Sunday as an Isuzu freighter plugged into a 40-plus meter ravine below Loruru Bridge.
The freighter was returning from the Tabago Catholic Mission on Sunday 13 July after service carrying with it 40-plus churchgoers from Kanauro village and the surrounding area.
The pilgrims were from the Rosa Mistica prayer group based in Kanauro. Within the activities of the group there is a 13-day prayer calendar and on the final day they usually close the season with a Mass with other Rosa Mistica groups from all over Buin. The Kanauro group hired the freighter from Laitaro, a neighboring village, to travel over the weekend to Tabago in the Konnou Constituency, a one hour drive.
The celebration at Tabago went late and by nightfall the pilgrims began their return home.
“According to a few survivors the driver treated the freighter as a small vehicle, which would only require a slowdown very close to the bridge,” said Delpine Piruke, who lost three uncles in the accident.
The driver sped in a high gear along a flat-stretch of land parallel to the Turiboiru Airstrip then momentum took the truck fast downhill for the bridge, he went to change gear to slow the descent, but it was too late as by that time they were just metres from the bridge.
The vehicle hit the rigid metallic upper bridge fencing and the trailer ejected the passengers into the air and most ended in the rocky riverbed beneath the bridge.
Four Kanauro villagers, two male adults and an elderly woman and her grandchild, died on the spot. Numerous other injured persons were rushed to the Buin Town Health Centre and those considered under critical condition were transferred to Buka Hospital.
Of the dozens that were moved to Buka, one died on Monday and others remain under the intensive care of medical officers.
Buin town has developed a reputation across Bougainville for its reckless driving culture.
Travelers are warned to be alert when crossing its entangled streets, especially on Saturdays when people from all over Bougainville and the neighboring Western and Choiseul Provinces of the Solomons Islands crowd to its biggest public market.
16.07.2014
Source: PNG Attitude
Students call for amendments to the Bougainville constitution
by LEONARD FONG ROKA
BEFORE 1988 and Bougainville’s crisis era, politics was something belonging to the middle aged or older men.
But there is evidence in the post crisis period that youth is marching into their island’s politics as the 2015-2020 window to hold referendum to decide Bougainville’s political future moves closer.
The question: to secede from or integrate with Papua New Guinea.
Here at Divine Word University in Madang nearly all senior Bougainvillean students seem to have an accessible copy of the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the Bougainville Constitution in their laptops.
Out-of-school-hour debates on Bougainville’s future and its constitution are unceasing.
The most contested topic among these young Bougainvilleans, who mostly hail from Central and South Bougainville, is the Bougainville Constitution. As their years of study wind down, all intend to head home to secure their places in Bougainville’s public or private sectors.
But there are a few who are aiming their careers solely at the political sector.
And it is this lot who are attacking Section 91 of the Bougainville Constitution – relating to qualification for and disqualification from election as President - in their private war of words.
This is because Section 91, Subsection 1 reads: “Until a Bougainville law made by an absolute majority vote provides otherwise, a President must be not less than 40 years of age.”
One student from Buin in South Bougainville, weighing up election rivals for 2015, ranted to his laptop: “This is a bad law for it does not consider our life expectancy and health standards and so it must be changed.”
He had spotted a research paper, National Research Institute Bougainville Profile, which estimated the life expectancy of Bougainville males at 58 and females at 60.
“Our leaders love growing their bellies once in power,” one student argued. “They do not feel like even getting some physical fitness to keep healthy and so they die young.”
Another said: “Our health care is too poor to save the lives of our leaders so, some time back, we even saw President Dr John Momis going to Singapore for health treatment. Section 91 needs amendment.”
The young Bougainvilleans believe Joseph Kabui was too young to die in 2008. Francis Ona was also too young to die. And this was because Bougainville lacked the necessary health care to keep them alive.
Nearly all the students agreed with Section 56 which states that “a member of the House of Representatives must be not less than 25 years of age”.
They say that Section 91’s age cut-off must be reduced to 35 or 30 but with strict criteria on educational and work achievements, public contributions and public debate on issues affecting Bougainville to determine if a person is suitable for presidential nomination.
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