News 03.2014.2
31.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SPECIAL ABG SITTING TOMORROW
By Aloysius Laukai
The ABG House of Representatives will be having a special sitting tomorrow.
The sitting will address two important legislations that is the Bougainville Public Service Management bill 2014 and the Public Financial Management Bill 2014.
In making the announcement, SPEAKER ANDREW MIRIKI said that he was calling for this special sitting to make sure some important bills are passed to continue to progress the work of implementing the Bougainville Peace Agreement and eventual draw down of these powers to the ABG.
New Dawn will as always carry live this special sitting.
31.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
CARE TO HANDOVER VILLAGE ASSEMBLY PROJECT
By Aloysius Laukai
Care International will handover Tinputz District Village Assembly Strengthening Project to the ABG at the KEKESU Mission tomorrow.
According to the brief from the Care International Office, the project with the Tinputz District started in March 2012 and was completed on time and will be handed to the ABG.
The pilot project involved four village assemblies in Tinputz, RAOSARA, Tinputz coastal, Namatoa and Kosinamohina.
Apart from governance programs, youth projects implemented were brick making, fish farming, fresh food farming and marketing.
The handover tomorrow will acknowledge the achievements of each of these participating village Assemblies.
31.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
FAMILY UNIT THE WAY TO GO SAYS MINISTER TOMSCOLL
By Aloysius Laukai
The National Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, TOMMY TOMSCOLL says family unit is the way forward for growing the Agriculture sector in Papua New Guinea.
Speaking in several locations throughout his visit to North Bougainville, Minister said that he does not support Cooperate societies because they have not prospered in the last 40 years.
Minister Tomscoll said that family unit can manage small projects with much lesser problems to handle.
He said that farmers must now intercrop their gardens to make maximum benefit from their activities.
The Minister also called on the Bougainville farmers to put more time and effort on their small cocoa plots so that they can benefit for their hard work.
He said that he would like to recommend one hectare for a family and later they can increase depending on the capacity to increase production.
The Minister also called on farmers to show their sweat equity before the government can assist.
31.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
MINISTER RETURNS AFTER EXCITING BOUGAINVILLE FARMERS
By Aloysius Laukai
The National Minister for Agriculture, TOMMY TOMSCOLL returned to Port Moresby today after inspiring Bougainville farmers to return to the land for much needed cash.
Since he arrived in Buka last Friday, he launched Member Lauta Atoi’s five year cocoa clonal program at the Bel Isi Park then later visited small project sites throughout North Bougainville.
MR. TOMSCOLL told the people of Bougainville that the first Millionaires of Papua New Guinea were Coffee, Cocoa and Coconut growers.
He said that Agriculture employs EIGHTY FIVE PERCENT of Papua New Guinea’s SEVEN POINT FIVE MILLION people and is the only sector that gives direct benefit to the village people.
In his farewell remarks last night, the Minister for LLG and Communications, JOSEPH NOPE thanked the Minister for Agriculture for inspiring the farmers of Bougainville to go back to their land because that is where the money is.
Minister NOPE also thanked the North Bougainville member, LAUTA ATOI for initiating the project that the National Minister has further strengthened by committing the Cocoa Board to partner with his team with funding of FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINA.
The Minister was able to see Nursery sites in Kekesu, Suir, Baneo, Bonus, Gogohe and Haku before returning this morning.
Minister checking the Nursery at Suir yesterday
31.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ABG MEMBER RECONCILES
By Alex Munme
THE ABG Member for Evo/Torau Constituency and Minister for Community Development, Melchior Dare has led by example as a true leader at the Manetai Reconciliation ceremony last Friday in Central Bougainville Region.
Minister Dare as a Political leader and member of the landowners, reconciled with the leader of the disputing clan members over the Manetai Limestone Project.
The reconciliation will now pave way for further negotiations with development partners, the government and all other landowner groups on benefit sharing once the project is back in operation.
The project was close for about 25 years and attempts to reopen it were not possible due to landowner disputes.
The project has contributed much to developments in Bougainville as well as Papua New Guinea during the time of Panguna Mine operation.
At the reconciliation ceremony last Friday at Atamo village, Mr. Dare and disputing clan leader, Joseph Bairua publicly forgave each other, shook hands and hugged each other for the first time in almost five years.
Mr. Bairua and the Minister both declared to work hand in hand to lead the landowner groups into other negotiations and to sign a MOU before work begins on the limestone project.
Minister Dare was accompanied by Director for Mining Programs, Joe Pangkau and ABG House of Representatives Protocol Officer, Cornelius Pesia to the occasion.
31.03.2014
Source: Papua New Guinea Mine Watch
ESBC comments: Me'ekamui outlaw Clive Porabou supports Papua New Guinea Mone Watch in its ridiculous propaganda work against Bougainville Copper Limited.
Enjoy here the latest episode of their amazing smear campaign:
Panguna Mothers Reject BCL and Mine
Clive Porabou via Facebook
The Meekamui Women of Panguna find it ridiculous to hear that the Bougainville Women in Mining are supporting the reopening of Panguna Mine when they themselves are ignorant of the facts why the mine was closed.
Stella Placid one of the principal female landowner in the mine pit said that BCL [Rio Tinto] is not welcome in Panguna.
“They are responsible for the 20,000 lives who perished during the uprising.
They also used dangerous chemicals to destroy the eco-system on the land and we cannot grow taro or do any fishing in the rivers.
As you can see today; the Jaba river is polluted, our people relocated with a complete disregard for their needs and the needs of future generations and we lost our land”, said Stella Placid.
“Therefore, our concern not to open the mine must be respected by ABG and stop their political rehetorics and develop the agriculture and fishing sector.
The truth is that we the landowners in the mine pit areas are united in our opposition to the reopening of the mine”; said Stella Placid.
30.03.2014
Source: PNG Attitude
Pabaa-bere – the house warming ritual of the Nasioi people
by Leonard Fong Roka
THE dancers gather at the fringes of the hamlet where the new house is located. They’re not far from the new and still unoccupied home.
The suddenly charge at the house hysterically singing the Nasioi songs known as the uuva and the whole world comes to life as everyone around cheers, laughs, sings and dances around the new house to officially declare it open for use by the owner.
All of these practices of the Nasioi people are is connected to the spiritual realm of a life that has existed since time immemorial. And pabaa-bere (sometimes referred to as pabaa-kenaa ) is the ceremony that declares a newly completed home open for use by its owner.
A Nasioi individual or family building its house anywhere in the Kietaarea bears in mind that a pabaa-bere must be held at the end of the project and they must be prepared for this small but epistemologically significant occasion involving the surrounding community awaiting to celebrate the new addition to their communal life.
The Nasioi term pabaa means ‘house’ and bere means ‘to open’; the added version, pabaa-kenaa, means ‘to sing songs to the house.’
The pabaa-bere ceremony is led by an appointed female or male elder who has the respect of the area. Mostly the elder comes from the new house owner’s extended family. For the Oune people of the Panguna District, it is always a grandmother or great grandmother of the house owner who ministers the ceremony.
Once the building of the house is complete, the family cleans up and prepares some small foodstuffs that they will eat as a community together with the dancers who come for the opening ceremony.
That done, the person responsible for administering the pabaa-bere ritual goes out to collect special fine smelling herbs - laru , sisika , oneaa and sirivi . These herbs in Nasioi society have healing and protective powers against harmful spirits.
After the herbs are gathered (most Nasioi people have them planted around their homes or in their gardens), the elder has to get a tuking (young coconut fruit) and cuts a tiny opening at its base into which the herbs are pushed into the coconut juice inside.
Having done that, the elder gets a piece of piiko , a dry clay reddish soil traded to most parts of Kieta from areas around Torokina and Wakunai. Piiko is always available in dry bamboo tubes on the mantelpiece of every Nasioi household as a protection and aid to rituals.
The piiko is the centre of gravity for rituals that have significant outcomes for people and their connections to the spiritual realm. A ritual without the application of the piiko is deemed powerless; and bad administration of the piiko brings disaster.
With the piiko placed in the coconut juice with the herbs, the hole sealed by placing a banana leaf. The elder, with a karamani (traditional mat) locked under the armpit, joins the singers and dancers of the uuva . The uuva are composed songs connected to the owner of the house. As the dancers sing. they also dramatize the lyrics. There is laughter and joy.
In the modern age, the Nasioi people have adapted their uuva songs and dances. If the owner of the new house is a teacher, the uuva singers and dancers will dress like a teacher and dance acting as teachers teaching in a classroom; getting paid and building a house. They will dance the whole process from the classroom to the completed house.
There will be dancers dressed and acting as a teacher, a banker, a carpenter and so on making sure that every person or individual involved in the house is included.
The uuva singers and dancers enter the house singing and dancing inside every corner. Once satisfied, the elder calls on all the immediate relatives to gather in front of the house and the uuva dancers and singers are called to halt as a karamani is thrown over the gathered family.
From the verandah a speech is made to the gods, spirits and the gathered people of the land thanking them for all the good things the land has offered to make the people happy.
After the speech, the elder pours the spiritually protective and sacred coconut juice on the karamani and the uuva now picks up new songs to declare the house open and dances and sings around the family.
Laughter and jubilation ensure until nightfall as people share food and sing and dance around the house until the pabaa-bere is complete and the family moves their belongings into the house.
28.03.2014
Source: EMTV
BUKA POLICE ARREST MAN WITH ILLEGAL CURRENCY
ESBC comments: It is high time to arrest Noah Musingku and his criminal gang !
A MAN was arrested on his arrival at the Buka Airport, this morning, for being in possession of the fake Bougainville kina.
Bougainville’s Acting Commissioner for Police, Paul Kamuai arrested the suspect, as he was in the same flight to Buka.
The suspect is believed to be from Noah Musingku’s hideout in the Tonu area of South Bougainville.
ACP Kamuai told EMTV news that following a three-hour enquiry conducted at the Buka police station, resulted in the man being released, after he had cooperated fully with police.
Police in the region say investigations will continue.
This is the second public case of individuals being held for being in possession of the illegal currency, that is generally accepted in the Panguna area of Bougainville.
For years now, self-styled monarch, Noah Musingku, has been establishing what he refers to as a currency for use in his local area in Panguna.
However, this currency is not accepted, or regarded as legal tender by PNG authorities.
28.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BOUGAINVILLE WOMEN WANT PANGUNA RE-OPENED
By Aloysius Laukai
The two-days Special Bougainville Women’s Forum on Mining that ended in Buka yesterday fully recommended that the closed PANGUNA COPPER AND GOLD MINE must be opened to help ABG meet the number three pillar of the Bougainville Peace Agreement that is ECONOMIC SELF RELIANCE.
In the final recommendations made in Districts by Districts, the women also recommended that outstanding issues must be addressed before the mine is re-opened.
From recommendations made by the women of South Bougainville, they recommended that the mine must support the overall goal by the people to gain independence and said that Independence with no Economy would be only a dream.
The women of Central Bougainville divided in two, the women of Panguna/Torau and Panguna called for the grievances for the landowners must be met first and that included allocation of land for their resettlement before the mine is opened.
And the women of Wakunai agreed to resettle the PANGUNA landowners at KURWINA Plantation and supported the re-opening to create employment for Bougainvilleans as priority.
The women of Atolls, and Tinputz fully supported the re-opening questioning who will compensate for the death of the people of North Bougainville who fell depending Panguna.
And the women of Kunua/Kereaka wanted the re-opening of Panguna but wanted the ABG to own the company one hundred percent so that the people of Bougainville can truly benefit from the operation.
Nearly all women did not want the moratorium to be lifted and recommended only one mine should be allowed to operate and quickly invest in Tourism and Agriculture.
The two-days Special Bougainville Women’s Forum on Mining was broadcasted live on New Dawn FM.
28.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ABG PRESIDENT THANKS BOUGAINVILLE WOMEN
By Aloysius Laukai
The ABG President, Chief DR. JOHN MOMIS last night thanked the Bougainville women for freely speaking their minds.
Speaking at the close of the two-days Special Bougainville Women’s Forum, President MOMIS said that he believed in consultations and such forums have gauged the views of the people of Bougainville on issues that can affect them now and in the future.
President MOMIS said that the ABG wants all Bougainvilleans to give in their views on mining that is if they want it re-opened what other issues must be addressed with the re-opening.
And if they donot want it re-opened they must also give in their alternatives.
He said that now that the women have made their views known, the government will continue to seek more views from the people of Bougainville.
New Dawn FM understands that the ABG Mining Department has organized similar forums for Ex- Combatants, and other leaders in North Bougainville, Central Bougainville and South Bougainville which included the BANA district who are a special as their lives have been destroyed by the tailings from the mine and a final for the people of Panguna people is still outstanding.
New Dawn FM will run a special program on the Group presentations on Monday.
28.03.2014
Source: Bougainville Copper Limited
Just published:
BCL 2013 Annual Report !
28.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Women’s forum discusses mine
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
WOMEN representatives from various organisations in Bougainville attended a two-day special mining forum in Buka.
The forum, which started on Wednesday and ended yesterday, was opened by President John Momis.
The special forum for women was held in response to requests by Bougainville women last year for a separate forum for them to attend and gauge their views regarding the future of the Panguna mine in Central Bougainville.
The forum was also organised as part of the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s ongoing consultative process on the reopening of the mine.
Speaking at the opening of the forum, Mr Momis said he was happy to share important views that ABG has in relation to mining in Bougainville. He said ABG wants to come up with a decision favoured by many people and stakeholders in Bougainville in relation to addressing pressing issues like mining.
"We believe that people’s participation, participation by all sectors, all stakeholders is very important," Mr Momis said.
"People’s participation from bottom up is important so whatever decision that government makes must come through this consultative, concentual form of decision making."
He said Bougainvilleans can achieve results if they all have the same vision and dream, adding that if there are important issues that need to be addressed then this should be addressed collectively.
"If there are some important things that need to be addressed, then we must let the people voice out. Inevitably we must reach a decision. We cannot go on and on and on, talk and talk and talk, and waste time," Mr Momis said.
"Vision is important but pragmatism is just as important.
"Once we know what we want, once we what the what, we must know how to achieve our dream."
Mr Momis said the staging of such forums was important in relation to transparency, adding it was for people from both sides of the debate regarding the status of the mine.
28.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Aust Defence conducts awareness on Bougainville
By DAVID LORNIE
AUSTRALIAN High Commissioner Deborah Stokes travelled to Bougainville yesterday with head of the Australian Defence Staff in Port Moresby Colonel Dick Parker to provide awareness on a current operation
Present at the briefing about Operation Render Safe were Members of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, ex-combatants and other community members.
In a detailed presentation, Colonel Parker assured the people of Bougainville that the operation was to be performed purely for their benefit and safety. The exercise will remove potential dangerous unexploded ordnance left over from WWII in Torokina on the West Coast.
He explained that the operation is "the Australian Defence Force’s contribution to the disposal of explosive remnants of war…the focus is on the bombs and grenades and the things that explode."
Many present at the meeting pointed out that there needed to be more awareness in Bougainville as a whole about the operation as currently many people were scared and suspicious of the Australian military presence. The point was well taken by Colonel Parker who said his people were prepared and willing to go to the communities to provide awareness.
Colonel Parker said that "what Render Safe does is that it allows the communities to live without the fear of unexploded ordnance that impacts on their way of life. It will contribute to the weapons disposal."
He added that the operation would also provide the benefit of opening up more areas of land for use as gardens and other economic opportunities.
Those present expressed their gratitude to the Australian Government for the initiative and to Colonel Parker for clearing the air on Operation Render Safe.
The Colonel also assured the gathering that Australia had no intention of removing war relics such as plane wrecks, tanks and other such items from Bougainville.
"We won’t be touching any of those," he said.
At the meeting, the High Commissioner also confirmed her Government’s commitment to Bougainville and its ongoing peace process.
28.03.2014
Source: Bougainville24
Bel Kol – A tradition with contemporary applications
By Leonard Fong Roka
Charles Kororo – Paramount chief of Piavora.
In the Nasioi society of Bougainville, just like many societies on the Solomon archipelago, conflict was an inevitable aspect of the people’s way of life.
Conflict was intrinsic to the interaction of people and from time to time this led to the disruption of peace within society with war, destruction and death.
Before colonisation the Nasioi society was governed by clan leadership and power. The laws that existed over the land were held supreme and observed by all and thus our society was generally peaceful with minimal reckless violence.
In moments of conflict the Nasioi civilization had developed customary procedures to heal the wounds and divisions in our midst.
“When my clan’s enemy killed one of us we did an analysis to see who is in the wrong,” explained Charles Kororo, the paramount chief of Piavora.
“If we had enough warriors and our clan was innocent, we would attack back or carry out a punitive raid and kill.”
“But if our clan is weak we gesture for peace to save ourselves and rebuild with intention to wage war in the future—ourselves or in an alliance.”
“The enemy knows that its power is not eternal and also have to make peace with us.”
“And the beginning of the peace process is the domang tamiri or bel kol as you educated youths are calling it.”
“This is the tiny gesture of promise that you, as the culprit, will work towards healing the wounds and division so that we can coexist peacefully back again.”
To Karoro the concept is the same as the process that now must take place between the Nasioi people, other mine-affected landowners and Bougainville Copper Limited.
“We fought, died and won the war and now we want development on our island to start our journey.”
“So it is now BCL, PNG and ABG has to give Bougainville the domang tamiri.”
Domang tamiri, or bel kol as the people now refer to it, will be a little promise in the form a feast and local projects to the people of Bougainville.
Bel kol between PNG and the people of Bougainville was completed with the visit of the Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill.
“Only the domang tamiri will pave the way for BCL and PNG to set their feet on Bougainville,” Kavoro said.
“BCL can start physical presence on Bougainville with that simple promise.”
It is the first step of apology and remorse from BCL for the wounds of the Bougainville people from Buin to Buka Island and a promise that the future will not be what was seen between 1962 and 1997.
28.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ABG SIGNS MOUs WITH IPA
By Alex Munme
TWO MEMORANDUM of Understanding between the Autonomous Bougainville Government and Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) were signed today in Buka.
They are the Extension of the existing MOU and the Work of Implementing the Inward Investment Act by IPA.
At the signing today ABG Acting Chief Administrator, Chris Siriosi welcomed and congratulated IPA through Managing Director, Ivan Pomaleu for his leadership in the process leading up to the signing of the MOUs.
The MOUs contain mainly screening mechanism for Business Investment in Bougainville.
He said although the MOUs are signed today there are issues that need to be looked into so that the ABG framework is truly autonomous.
He also thanked IPA Managing Director, Ivan Pomaleu for the good discussions leading to the signing of the legal documents today.
IPA Managing Director, Ivan Pomaleu said he was very delighted and will work in partnership and corporate with ABG as they have an office that will deal with registration and other processes and procedures of business in Buka.
Pictures of the signing ceremony in Buka yesterday:
28.03.2014
Source: PNG Attitude
Bougainville Manifesto 12: Protectionism for Bougainville
by LEONARD FONG ROKA
THE lack of a powerful leadership that exerts influence over all Bougainvilleans is an issue that time has offered the island and its people, and that has resulted solely from the half-heartedness in the history of struggling for self determination since the 1960s.
Furthermore, post-crisis Bougainville should produce Bougainvilleans who are well aware of the long struggles of the island but adults and leaders tend to ignore the past as a tool to design the future. It is here that Bougainville should invest.
In history most Bougainvillean pro-self-determination organisations and independence movements, like the 1969 Napidakoe Navitu formed to foster unity across the island, failed because they did not strategically built themselves.
The people within did not invest time to built a concrete foundation for Bougainville’s cause for the long term but, unprepared, attempted to act in the short term; starting and running a government with an unsustainable amount of resources.
This paved the way for external forces to negate Bougainville Island, its people and their values. And Bougainville was affected at individual, family and community level and beyond. As Bougainville Manifesto 3 (2013) gives light:
So the landing of colonization on the Solomon archipelago was the pollution and interruption of the peoples’ harmony and freedom in a land that was theirs through unrealistic value enforcement, indoctrination, deprivation, suppression and so on.
Westernization, after arriving in 1868, systematically enforced a breakdown in the ecology of life that sustained Bougainville and Bougainvilleans for nearly thirty thousand years.
This has made Bougainvilleans lacked the capacity to function within their own island as a people who know and respect themselves. But this had made Bougainvilleans, a people full to the brim and thus made weak with alien ideas and concepts and trying to practice them in an environment that repels foreign intervention naturally.
Bougainvilleans, today, deny that they were a nation-state for over thirty thousand years. This is because modernization had made them erode their ethnic embodiment thus also losing their sense of direction.
One of Africa’s writers, Francis M. Deng, in his 1997 article, Ethnicity: An African Predicament, summed this crisis as: ‘Ethnicity is more than the skin color or physical characteristics, more than language, song, and dance. It is the embodiment of values, institutions and patterns of behavior, a composite whole representing a people’s historical experience, aspirations, and world view. Deprive a people of their ethnicity, their culture, and you deprive them of their sense of direction and purpose’.
Having built a multilateral peace process since 1997, Bougainville is seen to drift off track from the values that were suppressed and led to the 10 year Bougainville crisis since 1988 with the sole reason to please donors since it is financially not equipped and also to please the very culprit, PNG, that inherited all the game rules and concepts from colonial masters to abuse the Bougainville people of Solomon Islands.
With Bougainville Manifesto 7 identifying exploitation, indoctrination and genocide as the tools of killing the Bougainville nation out of the Pacific by PNG and its cronies, Bougainvilleans should now focus on creating a democratically accepted protectionist regime within the autonomy arrangements and even into its future political journey after the referendum constitutionally scheduled to be held between 2015 and 2020.
Protectionism—defined by the Oxford Dictionary as the ‘theory or practice of shielding a country’s domestic industries from foreign competition by taxing imports’—should be aligned to economic, political and social aspects of running Bougainville government by Bougainvilleans—in whatever form it is.
Bougainville needs to protect and defend itself from the three lethal injections: exploitation, indoctrination and genocide that PNG was endowed by colonisation to deprive Bougainville of its identity and dignity; and denied the attainment of the maximum benefit from all its resources.
How can Bougainville shield its land and people from PNG backed exploitation? Under the autonomy status of Bougainville the very people and organisations that Bougainville had long resisted causing the loss of some 15,000 of its people since 1988, are now rushing back to the unprotected and vulnerable island in the name of developing Bougainville.
Most of these parasites, backed by short-minded and lazy Bougainvilleans, are not interested in a self-reliant Bougainville.
Under autonomy, the Bougainville Constitution in Section 24 (1) states that: ‘In order to facilitate development, private initiative and self-reliance shall be encouraged’. But to this day, the ABG and all Bougainvilleans have failed.
ABG solely looks at multinational companies to start up impact projects that are the basis of exploitation across all Third World states; individual Bougainville citizen allow foreigners like those few Asian businesses protected by police on Buka town to exploit them.
Bougainville Constitution’s Section 23 and 24 seeks to make good use of the island’s vast natural resources. For example, cocoa can boost the internal revenue of the Bougainville economy if we get all non-Bougainville cocoa buyers such as Agmark and Monpi out and formulate our own company that is 100% Bougainvillean.
Such demands were placed to ABG by the ex-combatants of Central Bougainville in the PNG Post Courier of 9 October 2013 (pg 23). They said businesses the ABG must protect for Bougainvilleans include:
Retail trading, including trade stores, canteens and takeaway food bars or eateries, supermarkets, liquor supply and import including brewery and distillation of liquor, guest houses and hotels up to three star status, wholesaling and merchandising in any white goods, consumables and building hardware materials, Fuel supplies and fuel stations, including import of oil products, alluvial mining and gold trading, commodity exports of cocoa and copra primary and secondary products, cocoa and coconut plantations and other cash crop development, dealings in handicrafts and artifacts including the export of such items, timber production and exports, PMV and freight transport including trucking and earth moving, marine products extraction and exports, fisheries and fish exports, tourism and tour operators; any manufacturing, including cottage industries with cash capital value of K100 million or less is also prohibited and exclusively reserved for Bougainvilleans, partnerships and joint ventures in any of the above activities are prohibited.
Upholding such a call from concerned fighters is a key step forward to minimise exploitation on Bougainville and rise the internal revenue generation high as Bougainville learns the basic of running business in a conducive environment protected by a responsible government.
This also is the strategy for Bougainville to fight indoctrination and genocide and key here is to create an independent education curriculum for Bougainville.
Under PNG rule of Bougainville, Bougainvilleans have lost their identity as Solomon Island people over the years of domination since the known Anglo-German Declaration 1886 and Anglo-German Convention 1899 pointed by a Raspal Khosa 1992 thesis, The Bougainville Secession Crisis, 1964-1992: Melanesians, Missionaries, and Mining, that separated their island from the British Solomon Islands which was their rightful place.
Thus the Bougainville government as it staggers towards referendum has the enormous tasks in partnership to design a education curricula suitable for the post-war Bougainville population to learn why and how their island faced a long history of struggle for self determination; through such learning Bougainville needs to know it political, cultural, geographical, economic and social history.
From this knowledge then a link to anti-genocide move to preserve the identity of Bougainville people can be reached to avoid Bougainvilleans to engage on paths of self-destruction.
The Bougainville music identity is fast becoming Tolai rock in sharp contradiction to our root Solomon Island; Bougainville’s God-given skin colour is being diluted by PNG people through marriage in the name of democracy and human rights.
Insane Bougainvilleans falsely accept their classification under New Guinea Islands Region of PNG as rightful when it is not. It’s a way of negating a unique Bougainville people.
Such illicit acts are not crimes in the eyes of the world but we want to save Bougainville identity and dignity and stand firm against exploitation, indoctrination and genocide, Bougainville has to inflict pain in a short period of time to live a long happiness future.
Only protectionism in politics, culture and economy could pave the way for Bougainvilleans to see and re-possess the lost values of Bougainville identity and dignity and to build a better and prosperous Bougainville.
After all Bougainville is a tiny island and people in the midst of the Pacific Ocean and in need of protection to enjoy and promote its own uniqueness and place in the world in the face of globalization and other known dangers and challenges.
27.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
FINAL SUBMISSIONS COMPLETES TWO DAYS WOMEN'S FORUM
By Aloysius Laukai
The two-days Bougainville Women's forum has received final submissions from all women groups district by district.
Majority have supported the re- opening with the Government to comnplete the outstanding issues before the mine re-opens.
Attached is the final submission by the Atolls women after a very emotional presentations.
27.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
WOMEN MAKE PRESENTATIONS
By Aloysius Laukai in Hutjena
The two-days Bougainville women's forum this afternoon started getting recommendations on the future if the Panguna mine.
The women started presentations starting with South Bougainville, Central and North Bougainville.
On the Presentations, the Buin district women fully supported the ABG by recommending the immediate reopening of the mine but with conditions and for a certain period of time.
The women of Buin wanted funds from the mine and re-invested into Agriculture,Fisheries and Tourism.
The presentation by the Siwai women also supported the reopening but demanded other social issues that goes with the mine re opening.
Bana women also wanted the mine reopening but gave conditions.
27.03.2014
Source: ABC Radio Australia - Pacific Beat
Bougainville building wins top New Zealand design awards
A library and cultural centre in Arawa, Bougainville has won two awards at the 2014 New Zealand Wood Timber Design Awards.
The Bougainville Haus Stori and & Culture Centre was recognised for the the best use of indigenous timber, and it also won the award for best Outdoor Infrastructure
The building was designed by Paul Kerr-Hislop at the request of the Bougainville Library Trust - an organisation established by Lloyd Jones, who wrote the best-selling novel, and now film, Mister Pip.
Presenter: Heather Jarvis
Paul Kerr-Hislop, winning architect
LISTEN HERE !
27.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Bougainvillean man gets 18 months for firearm possession
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
THE Buka District Court sentenced a man from South Bougainville to 18 months in jail early this week for being possession an illegal high powered firearm and 13 live ammunitions.
Joe Pospoi, 29, of Morou village in Buin, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession and was charged by the senior magistrate Bruce Tasikul under the Firearm Act.
Pospoi’s lawyer Joyce Miringka, from the Public Solicitors office had earlier pleaded for leniency, stating that this was not the worst type of offence involving firearms, and asked for a non-custodial sentence, saying a fine would be appropriate.
Ms Miringka cited a similar case in Tabubil in the Western Province where the district court magistrate there fined a defendant K1000.
Pospoi also told the court that he was not the owner of the firearm; that it was only given to him by its owner before both were apprehended by police.
But Mr Tasikul, before making the ruling, said being in possession of a firearm was a breach of the Bougainville weapons disposal agreement.
Mr Tasikul said he was not bound to adopt the Tabubil case ruling as it was irrelevant and that both district courts have the same jurisdiction.
He said the defendant at Tabubil was charged under section 28 (3) (a) (ii) of the Summary Offence Act, which is different from the charges being laid against Pospoi.
He said possession of firearms was a very serious case which warrants a heavier penalty in Bougainville.
"In my assessment of your case, it appears to be very serious and does warrant a heavier penalty.
Bougainville has come through a lot of pain and its citizens and the governments both the national and ABG, have worked very hard all these years to achieve peace," said Mr Tasikul.
"One of the pillars of the Peace Agreement is weapons disposal. People like you should have disposed of your weapons. There is no evidence that your life has been threatened which might warrant you to carry around such weapon. We are not at war," said Mr Tasikul.
"You are well aware that the time of guns is over. The rule of law must be respected. Citizens of Bougainville must start respecting the rule of law if Bougainville is to achieve whatever dream is ahead of her."
Mr Tasikul said such action shown by people like Pospoi was a clear indication that they do not respect the rule of law.
"Having said that, I take into account your admission of the charges. You have saved the court time and you show remorse for what you have done.
"However, the law is very clear. The courts hands are tied. I have no discretion to impose any other penalty apart from a custodial sentence. I think this must be a warning to others who think that they are above the law and do not respect it. You may run or hide but one day the law will catch up with you."
"I therefore fine you K500 and at the same time, sentence you to one year and six months imprisonment for the first charge and a further one year for the second charge.
27.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Teenager dies in fatal Arawa traffic accident
By ROMULUS MASIU
ARAWA police have reported two fatal traffic accidents and a willful murder since last week.
Central Bougainville Police Chief Inspector Januarius Vosivai yesterday confirmed a suspect was arrested and is in police custody after he hit his grandmother on the head with a sledge hammer at Laita village, North Nasioi Constituency of Central Bougainville. The suspect has already been charged for willful murder.
Earlier this month a teenage boy was run over by a truck along the Panguna – Arawa Highway. The boy died instantly. At the weekend, last Saturday at around 6pm another victim was involved in a hit and run fatal traffic incident at Kaperia River Bridge while on his way to Bairima.
Insp Vosivai said police is treating the death as a ‘hit and run’ incident through the injuries sustained by the deceased. However, police is not ruling out murder also. The investigation is still continuing with ‘very good leads’ already established by the police to make arrests and close the case.
According to Inspector Vosivai all the deaths are alcohol related and he is appealing to the citizens of Bougainville especially those in Central Bougainville to always abide by the police awareness on alcohol consumption.
"All the deaths we are investigating are alcohol related, alcohol is involved and alcohol is becoming a big problem in Arawa and elsewhere. All our awareness on liquor shops is falling on deaf ears," Insp Vosivai said adding that police will still try their best to continue to talk to the liquor shop owners and the general public especially the youths.
Insp Vosivai has taken this opportunity to appeal to youths, liquor shop owners and alcohol consumers to abide by the regulations of Liquor Licensing Commission and police awareness and act responsibly when under the influence of alcohol.
He said the safest place to drink is at the homes and also the liquor shops must respect the trading hours. Police will do their awareness on Friday this week, this time targeting liquor shops in Arawa town to be strict on their trading hour’s time.
27.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
NBC office to rev up service with vehicles
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
JOSEPH Nopei presenting the vehicle keys to Ms Talei witnessed by Mr Tseraha (left) Ela Motors Buka dealership manager Neleck Jamunu and other ABG ministers.
LOGISTICAL problems previously faced by the management and staff of the National Broadcasting Corporation in Bougainville will now be a thing of the past after the delivery of two new vehicles yesterday.
The Toyota Landcruiser and Toyota Hilux ute were presented to the officers of NBC Bougainville by the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s Minister for Media and Communication Joseph Nopei.
The handover was witnessed by other ABG leaders and chief executive officers of the Divisions of Planning and Technical Services and their staff. The vehicles which costed K233,996 were bought using funds from the K5 million allocations under the Special Intervention Funding Component earmarked for the improvement of the operations of NBC Bougainville.
Mr Nopei said the delivery of the vehicles signifies the re-birth of NBC Bougainville, while adding that the event also marks the increasing capacity and commitment of the government of Bougainville to support projects that directly benefit the people.
“Today’s handing of two vehicles to NBC Bougainville is the first part of a large five million kina package of government support to improve information flow throughout Bougainville,” Mr Nopei said.
He said the package will include rebuilding the studio, restoring radio transmission signals to all areas, and increasing the number of radio programs to inform the population on the different types of changes taking place.
Mr Nopei also gave a brief update on the government’s plans towards boosting the operations of the radio station, before reminding the NBC Bougainville management and staff on the user guidelines associated with the usage of the vehicles.
The chief executive officer for the Planning Division, Leslie Tseraha, earlier highlighted that the delivery of the vehicles marks the start of more development programs targeting the improvement of NBC Bougainville.
Mr Tseraha, who spoke on behalf of the acting chief administrator, Chris Siriosi, later echoed the same sentiments as Mr Nopei by calling on the management and staff of the radio station to utilise the vehicles according to their intended purpose to serve the people.
Director of Provincial Radio — NBC Bougainville, Christine Talei, said: “The logistics support NBC is receiving today is an opening for many good things to come that will enable NBC Bougainville to effectively carry out its daily radio services to the people of Bougainville and PNG.”
27.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Forum aims to provide women representatives
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
WOMEN representatives from various organisations in Bougainville are currently undergoing a two-day special mining forum in Buka.
The forum, which was opened yesterday byAutonomous Bougainville President John Momis, is being held at the Hutjena Secondary School hall.
The director of the Office of Panguna Negotiations, Raymond Masono, said this special mining forum is being held in response to last year’s requests by Bougainville women for a separate forum for them to attend and gauge their views regarding the future of the Panguna mine in Central Bougainville.
This forum is also organised as part of the ABG’s ongoing consultative process on re-opening the now defunct mine. “The aim of the forum is to provide women representatives from all sectors in Bougainville an opportunity to receive information, express their views on the ABG’s intention to negotiate the possible re-opening of the mine, and discuss other mining related issues,” said Mr Masono.
“The overall goal is to gauge the views of Bougainville women on re-opening Panguna mine and on mining generally,” added Mr Masono.
Topics that will be covered today include the ABG’s approach to preparations for and conduct of negotiations, update on landowner preparations, implementing autonomy in relation to mining and the Bougainville Mining (transitional arrangements) Bill.
Tomorrow will see the women leaders having in-depth discussions on topics covered before voicing their stand on the issue of the re-opening of the mine as well as other mining activities in general.
27.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Women leader gives to school
HUTJENA Secondary School in Buka received K4000 worth of equipment on Sunday to be used by home economics students and staff.
This equipment was bought and delivered by the North Bougainville women’s representative in the Bougainville House of Representatives, Elizabeth Burain. She called on students to strive to become better citizens. she urged the students to commit their life to the Lord.
The equipment includes an electric sewing machine, frying pans and a rice cooker.
She also gave K4000 to be shared among the home economics and practical skills departments to purchase materials for students and staff.
27.03.2014
Source: Bougainville24
Haus Stori wins NZ design awards
Bougainville has won two categories at the 2014 NZ Wood Timber Design Awards, held in Wellington last week.
Bougainville Haus Stori & Culture Centre, the library in Arawa, won both the Indigenous Timber Showcase and Outdoor Infrastructure categories.
The indigenous timber showcase was awarded to Haus Stori for the best use of indigenous timber, in a manner that best highlights its unique characteristics.
For the outdoor infrastructure category the library was judged to have made the most outstanding contribution to outdoor environment, with for the innovative use of timber resulting in a distinctive visual, technical and structural impact in a public, tourist or recreational environment. A commitment to sustainability was also a requirement.
Paul Kerr-Hislop, from the firm Art + Architcecture, designed the haus stori at the request of the Bougainville Library Trust, set up by Lloyd Jones, author of best-selling novel (and now a major motion film) Mister Pip.
Kerr-Hislop has stated on his blog that he designed the library with the constraints of Arawa in mind.
“The electricity supply in Arawa is at best unreliable, so an air-conditioned building was out of the question”, Mr Kerr-Hislop said.
“Instead the principles of shade, ventilation and orientation had to be applied vigorously to achieve the desired environment.”
“There are no ‘windows’ in the building. Everything from the floor right up to the roof is gapped and slatted to allow as much air movement as possible.”
As well as making use of locally sourced timber, the haus stori was also constructed by local carpenters.
“All the timber for the construction was sourced from local supplies and is predominantly ‘Vitex’ a strong durable hardwood ideal for this situation,” Mr Kerr-Hislop continued.
“The construction was undertaken by the local carpentry school set up and supervised by Barry Binding, a Wellington builder working for VSA in Arawa.”
“One of the highlights of the building for me is the use of ‘sac sac’ screens on the exterior walls.”
“These are woven from bamboo into various repetitive patterns and reflect local places and stories, they lend a wonderful richness and interest to the outside of the building.”
This success in timber design is another international accolade for Bougainville. Late last year the film adaptation of Mr Pip won three Moas at the New Zealand Film Awards, including one to Bougainvillean starlet, Xzannjah, for Best Actress.
27.03.2014
Source: PNG Attitude
Leonard Roka’s ‘Brokenville’ latest entry in PNG Book of the Year
by KEITH JACKSON
Brokenville by Leonard Fong Roka, Pacifica Sene 2014, 248 pages. Available from Amazon in paperback, $9.50 here; Kindle edition, $3.00 here. ISBN-10: 0987132199. ISBN-13: 978-0987132192
An entry in The Crocodile Prize
Ok Tedi Mining Book of the Year
LEONARD Fong Roka, who is emerging as Papua New Guinea’s most prolific author, has submitted his Bougainville civil war memoir, Brokenville, for the recently-established Ok Tedi Mining Book of the Year award.
It is the sixth book entered in this inaugural award and joins Michael Dom’s poetry collection At Another Crossroads, Sil Bolkin’s history The Flight of Galkope, Francis Nii’s novel Fitman, Raitman & Cooks, and two other collections – one of poetry, one of short stories – by Leonard Roka.
Judges Dame Carol Kidu, Trevor Freestone and Phil Fitzpatrick certainly have their hand full with three months still remaining before the closing date for entries.
“It was my long dream to tell of my experiences during the crisis,” Roka told me, “and finally it is here.
“I can touch the book and my children and all Bougainvilleans coming behind will see and read it.”
In Brokenville Roka documents his own story, which as Dr Kristian Lasslett has pointed out, “is also the story of the conflict, its complex fault lines, its barbarity, and the courage of everyday people who survived a decade of fighting.”
“For us Bougainvilleans,” said Roka, “we still have to tell our stories of the crisis from 1988-1997 so future generations know who we really are and make proper decisions that will positively affect our island.”
Lasslett writes in a Foreword: “In the book’s most heart wrenching chapter, Leonard recounts how his father died at the hands of the rebels. Only a writer of Leonard’s calibre could have relayed a personal story of such profound loss, with unflinching realism.
“Brokenville is a window into a boy (now a man), a family, a conflict, a people, and a struggle.”
26.03.2014
Source: Solomon Star
Minister urges ABG to address foreign-owned businesses in Bougainville
Communications and Information Technology Minister and Central Bougainville MP Jimmy Miringtoro has raised concerns regarding the recent trouble in Buin, south Bougainville where a shop belonging to Chinese nationals was ransacked.
The incident in Buin is similar to the one last year in Arawa Central Bougainville where ex-combatants led local people into a newly opened Chinese shop there and emptied it of all goods.
“I am saddened to see that the local people have again taken the matter into their own hands because they are tired of waiting on the ABG to deal with problems it created by bringing in these Chinese who are now running “rice, noodles and tinned fish” stores that should be reserved for nationals,” the Minister said.
It is believed that the Chinese were initially invited several years ago by the ABG to establish a “special economic zone” (SEZ) comprising of a mega city that would have been built at Bonus on the northern tip of the main island of Bougainville.
A computer-generated impression of the city was circulated throughout Bougainville and in the media. In return the Chinese pushed for tax exemptions and other conditions that didn’t go down well with majority of the people there.
Many people dreaded the invasion by Chinese, and due to so much opposition the whole venture never eventuated.
The Chinese were then relocated to Buin where they started to sell wholesale goods at ridiculously low prices in the effort to attract a customer base.
However, in doing so they were taking over business that they only were allowed to operate. The generally held view on Bougainville is that foreigners should only go into business that locals lack the capacity to establish and operate such as manufacturing and other heavy industries.
“The lack of action by the government on the ground shows that it is weak, indecisive, and therefore unable to protect the people from exploitation by foreigners who come in to take over the sort of business restricted and reserved for nationals,” Miringtoro said.
“The end result is that people are resorting to other unlawful means to deal with the issue giving Bougainville a bad name.”
“We cannot continue to deal with investment and other important issues in a haphazard manner and the latest incident is tells that we need to get our act together.
“This explains why many people believe resumption of mining in the region is not a good idea at this point in time when ABG cannot control such a large industry.”
The Minister also said that ABG is making the same mistake made by previous governments where in the process of protecting foreign interest in it neglected the interests and welfare of the very people who gave it the mandate to rule.
He said Bougainville would not have faced this problem had the ABG complied with laws governing investment in the region.
Meanwhile, the Bougainville administration now has a system in place to monitor the performance and attendance records of all public servants.
And those who fail to perform or come to work on time can now expect to see changes on their fortnightly salaries.
This follows the launching of the Bougainville public service Alesco payroll unit in Buka last Friday by the ABG Minister for Public Service Joel Banam and the secretary for the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) John Kali.
The ceremony was witnessed by the acting Bougainville Chief Administrator Chris Siriosi, senior officers from the Bougainville administration, DPM and other ABG ministers.
This unit is housed at the same building with the division of human resource in Buka and will be managed by recommended staff from the HR division.
The payroll system, which costed K95,000 to install, was funded by Australia and New Zealand governments through their aid agency programs.
Speaking during the launching ceremony, Siriosi said the new management tool will assist the government and its administration in enabling good governance and greater accountability in the performance of public servants in Bougainville.
“This tool will determine the correct pay that you will get in accordance with your work performance and attendance records,” Siriosi said.
“This tool is a very important tool that will help with the developments on Bougainville.”
Siriosi said those who fail to perform their duties will now see pay cuts in their salaries, before reminding the public servants on their duty and responsibility to deliver service to the people.
He also acknowledged all those that had made it possible for the successful completion of the project.
Kali said this new system will ensure that there will now be “one person, one position and one pay on your establishment”
26.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
ABG PRESIDENT WELCOMES WOMEN
By Aloysius Laukai in Hutjena
ABG President Chief DR.JOHN MOMIS says that the people of Bougainville will have to make the decision to re-open the Closed Panguna mine or not.
This is not the decision of his government.
He made these remarks at the Official Opening of the Bougainville Women's Forum on mining at the the Hutjena Secondary School hall in Buka this morning.
President MOMIS said that the women have the power to decide for themselves and can not be pushed around by the ABG or anybody on this issue.
The two days Womens Forum on mining is the last of the several forums organized throughout the region by the Mining Division to get views from all sectors of the Bougainville Community on the future of the Panguna mine.
President Momis said that claims by some leaders as the ABG is getting all the supporters to re-open the mine is not true as these forums are avenues where the government can get opinions from the people.
The meeting is been attended by more than 200 women from over Bougainville.
The forum will end tomorrow.
26.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BOUGAINVILLE WOMEN HOLD MINING FORUM
By Alex Munme
Bougainville women are currently holding a two days mining forum at the Hutjena Secondary School Hall in Buka, Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
The forum is a great opportunity for the women to express their views on issues related to the possible reopening of Panguan and all mining on Bougainville.
Among the issues of discussions are the ABGs Approach to Preparations for and Conduct of Negotiations, Update on Landowner Preparations, Implementing Autonomy in relation to Mining, Bougainville Mining (Transitional Arrangements) Bill and Issues related to possible reopening of Panguna.
Those at the forum today include ABG President, Chief John Momis, Acting Chief Administrator, Chris Siriosi, ABG Minister for Mining, Michael Oni, Communications and LLG Minister, Joseph Nopei, Minister for Primary Industry, Nicholas Daku, other ABG Ministers and Members Senior Administration Staff and Women of South, Central and North Bougainville.
Speaking on behalf of all Women of Bougainville, President of Bougainville Women’s Federation, Hona Holan said the vision of Bougainville Women is bound by all including Cultural and Christian values.
She said Women must be considered as equal partners with men and are free to express concerns relating to environmental and other related issues on Bougainville.
The forum continues tomorrow with mainly open discussions and feedback from all parties involved to help ABG to properly prepare negotiations leading to reopening of the Mine.
26.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
PNG miners in Hong Kong meet
In recent years, Papua New Guinea’s mining regulator Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) has been taking a shift in its promotional focus from that of promoting traditional minerals like gold and copper to new minerals such as zink and coal.
As such the Mining Minister Byron Chan and a delegation from the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) and the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s (ABG’s) Mining Department are in Hong Kong to attend the Hong Kong Mines & Money Conference and exhibition 2014. This conference begun on Monday (24/03/14) and will end on Friday (28.03.14) Acting Managing Director of the MRA Philip Samar said it was very important for the MRA to take this shift so as to cushion the effects of mineral price drop when it occurs.
He said for instance the recent drop in the price of gold affected mining and exploration programs of existing companies and the economy as a whole to some extent. Mining and exploration companies scaled down their programs and laid off employees because they could not sustain their operations given the drop in price of gold and associated financial implications. He said having other minerals would sustain the economy and the mining sector as we could depend on them. Organisors of the event said Mines and Money Hong Kong is Asia-Pacific’s premier event for mining and exploration investment deal-making and capital raising. The event showcases hundreds of mining companies in a 270-booth exhibition, connecting them with 1,000 investors from the world’s largest mining funds, private equity firms, alternative financiers and private wealth.
During five days of learning and networking, 3,000 attendees from across the globe will hear insights and analysis from the event’s largest ever speaker line-up of world-leading investors and mining entrepreneurs.
26.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BOUGAINVILLE NEEDS TO MAKE UP THE DECISION QUICK
By Aloysius Laukai in Hutjena
The ABG Chief Administrator, CHRIS SIRIOSI says Bougainvilleans need to make up their mind on the future of Bougainville now or never.
He made these remarks at the Opening of the Bougainville Women’s Forum on mining at the Hutjena Secondary School hall this morning.
MR. SIRIOSI said that Bougainville cannot go on and on without deciding the future of Bougainville and spend monies that can be better utilized in other areas that are needed most.
He said the women of Bougainville are the most powerful people who can either decide for the progress of Bougainville.
The two days meeting will end tomorrow.
Chief Administrator, CHRIS SIRIOSI talking at the Opening session
26.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BOUGAINVILLE WOMEN'S FORUM OPENS
The Bougainville Mining Forum for women of Bougainville opened this morning at the Hutjena Secondary School this morning.
President of Bougainville Women's Federation Hona Holan speaking at the Opening session
26.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
AUSTRALIA WILL REMOVE EXPLOSIVE ORDINANCES IN TOROKINA
By Alex Munme
AUSTRALIA will use its Defense Force to remove possibly all World War 2 remnants for the safety of the people of Torokina in Bougainville.
The Australian Defense Force Personnel, Colonel Dick Parker (pictured) and High Commissioner to PNG Deborah Stokes arrived from Port Moresby and facilitated a briefing today at the Kuri Village Resort in Buka, Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Speaking at the briefing today, Colonel Parker explained what the Australian Defense Force Expertise will do in the operation and what they won’t be doing.
The operation code named Operation Render Safe is mainly to remove the threat so that the community is safe to prosper, Colonel Parker said.
He said during the operation they will among other things will locate, identify and prioritize what has to be removed and detonated for the safety of the people.
Meanwhile ABG leaders are so concerned on the operation and will do all possible to inform the people of the benefits of the operation.
The briefing was attended by ABG Ministers and Cabinet Members headed by ABG Speaker, Andrew Miriki.
26.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
SEA WEED TO COVER THE ATOLLS
By Aloysius Laukai
The planting of Seaweed will now cover other Atolls islands after the Carterets Seaweeds program has become very successful.
This was also announced by the Fisheries Officer, JINRO BOISEN.
MR. BOISEN told New Dawn FM that the Caterets Seaweed project has proved to be very successful resulting in the Fisheries division moving the project into other Atolls islands.
He said that the market for Bougainville seaweed has now given the people of Atolls other commodity for making money apart from Fish and other marine resources.
MR. BOISEN said that since the project was trialed in the Carterets Islands the people have exported twice and with the purchase of the Atolls boat by the ABG, the people will have transport acess to Buka and other parts of Bougainville from the Atolls.
26.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
COMMUNITY HOLD WORLD TB DAY
By Alex Munme
TINPUTZ joined the rest of the World this week to celebrate World TB Day at Tearuki Health Centre in the Taonita/Tinputz Constituency, Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Ruby Miringka was an invited guest at the celebrations representing the Bougainville Healthy Community.
While delivering her speech, Mrs. Miringka said TB is a very serious disease.
She said it is a number one killer in Bougainville but is curable.
Mrs. Miringka delivered some very key messages to TB Patients, Guidance and the Community as a whole on how to prevent and cure the disease.
She said these include patients having the determination to be cured from the disease, able to speak out freely and get treated, able to complete full dosage and, never give up while on TB treatment.
She added that when a family member is tested TB positive, the whole family should go for medical checks to avoid the disease being transferred.
The celebration was attended by the health professionals, other Government officers and the Community of Tinputz.
26.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
KERIRI WANTS SUPPORT
By Aloysius Laukai
The ABG member for RAO THOMAS KERIRI is calling on the people of Bougainville to forget their differences and unite to move Bougainville forward.
He told New Dawn FM in Buka last week that he was very concerned that the referendum date was getting closer and the people were still divided over so many issues.
MR. KERIRI said that Bougainville must move with the ABG President, DR. JOHN MOMIS to make sure the people are fully informed on what the future holds for them.
He said as one of the leaders that was involved in the Peace Negotiations he wants all ABG members to carry out awareness on the Peace Agreement and the upcoming referendum in their constituencies.
MR. KERIRI also called on the ABG to make sure the awareness framework is speeded up as the Government officers were very slow with the work.
26.03.2014
Source: Bougainville24
BCL sponsor Panguna soccer team
Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) has announced its support for the Panguna Metals Football Club.
The sponsorship will provide up to K20,000 to the team to go towards the costs of sporting equipment, transportation and accommodation as the team pushes for success in regional and national tournaments.
Founded in 1998, Panguna Metals FC consists of locals from the Panguna tailings area and Arawa.
Many of players are part of Bougainville’s ‘lost generation’ that missed out an education because of the crisis.
The team trains on the sands of the tailings and has developed a reputation for having committed, winning mentality.
Panguna Metals has seen a lot of on-field success in its short history. Their first major honour came in 2005 when they won the ABG Peace & Reconciliation Games in Arawa.
In 2011 the Panguna Metals was selected to represent Bougainville at the Besta FA Cup, Papua New Guinea’s most prestigious cup competition.
Panguna won the PNG Islands regional qualifier and progressed to the final stages held in Lae.
After winning their quarterfinal matchup Panguna suffered a narrow 2-1 to defeat to the home team, Lae, in the semi-final and finished the tournament ranked third.
Their success has cemented their place in the upper echelon of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea football.
26.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Royal Aust Navy’s presence in Bougainville irks Me’ekamui
A ME’EKAMUI commander from Torokina on the West Coast of Bougainville says his people are unhappy with the Royal Australian Navy’s presence in the Autonomous Region. Two Navy vessels HMAS Benalla and HMAS Shepparton arrived in Bougainville at the end of February to conduct a hydrographical survey of the waters between Buka Island and Torokina in South-west Bougainville.
The survey is part of a major exercise by the Australian Government to dispose of unexploded bombs and ammunition left over from World War II. Whilst consultations for the exercise were held between the governments of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea and Australia, Torokina locals – particularly ex-combatants – are angry they were not part of the discussions. The ex-combatant said questions were being raised and pressure applied on local leaders to explain the Australian boats in their waters. “I tell them that I don’t know about this arrangement,” he said in Tok Pisin, adding that when the Americans conducted an earlier bomb disposal exercise the local people “were consulted about the operation and also benefitted by being given work by the Americans.
“But this operation now, the people have got big questions because it’s not the same as the other operation. The agreement we worked on before (with the US) was a good one,” said the commander. “But this time, we don’t know what kind of agreement was made. All the landowners, all us ex-combatants we don’t know what has been arranged here by the Government.” The lack of public information available about the ships’ mission has made the locals suspicious. “The (sailors) are just staying on the ship and going to and fro. They don’t come onto the land, they dive and come back up,” said the commander.
“We’re not happy that these war ships have come. We don’t know what kinds of things are being carried on these warships. We are a bit scared of nuclear (weapons). We were told that they would be only coming to Torokina but now they have been going to Buka, Buin (South Bougainville) and Awara (Central Bougainville). Why? This is a very big question we are asking. “They said there is to be an awareness meeting held next month and my thoughts are that at this meeting I’m going to tell them there will be no more operation in this place,” he stated. “I will stop it. The way I see it is the people haven’t got a share or a part in this thing.”
26.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Aust High Commissioner visits Bougainville
Australian High Commissioner Deborah Stokes travelled to Bougainville yesterday with head of the Australian Defence Staff in Port Moresby Colonel Dick Parker to provide awareness on a current operation. Present at the briefing about Operation Render Safe were Members of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, ex-combatants and other community members.
In a detailed presentation, Colonel Parker assured the people of Bougainville that the operation was to be performed purely for their benefit and safety. The exercise will remove potential dangerous unexploded ordnance left over from WWII in Torokina on the West Coast. He explained that the operation is “the Australian Defence Force’s contribution to the disposal of explosive remnants of war…the focus is on the bombs and grenades and the things that explode.” Many present at the meeting pointed out that there needed to be more awareness in Bougainville as a whole about the operation as currently many people were scared and suspicious of the Australian military presence.
The point was well taken by Colonel Parker who said his people were prepared and willing to go to the communities to provide awareness. Colonol Parker said that “what Render Safe does is that it allows the communities to live without the fear of unexploded ordnance that impacts on their way of life. It will contribute to the weapons disposal.” He added that the operation would also provide the benefit of opening up more areas of land for use as gardens and other economic opportunities. Those present expressed their gratitude to the Australian Government for the initiative and to Colonel Parker for clearing the air on Operation Render Safe. The Colonel also assured the gathering that Australia had no intention of removing war relics such as plane wrecks, tanks and other such items from Bougainville. “We won’t be touching any of those,” he said. At the meeting, the High Commissioner also confirmed her Government’s commitment to Bougainville and its ongoing peace process.“Our co-operation with the ABG in support of the Peace Agreement is a very high priority for the Australian Government and also for me personally,” said the High Commissioner.
26.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Aropa airport to benefit everyone
By ROMULUS MASIU
THE short and the long term benefits of Aropa airport (pictured below) are significant, not only to the Aropa communities but also for the region in terms of travelling convenience and business related travels.
Newly-sworn Autonomous Bougainville Government Minister for Civil Aviation and Works Luke Karaston said this during his first public engagement as Minister.
Mr Karaston told people gathered at Aropa that a memorandum of agreement (MoA) sets out the framework to engage the National Airports Corporation as the preferred project management contractor of the Autonomous Bougainville Government to oversee the restoration of the Aropa Airport and associated facilities, the improvements to the Buka airport runway and terminal building, and the feasibility study for a new location for an international standard airport for Bougainville.
“As a Minister of Autonomous Bougainville Government, I wish to advise the national Government that we welcome and respect the mandate and the role that the state owned enterprises are playing in the restoration of vital services to Bougainville,” Mr Karaston said.
He outlined important work going on in the province, including PNG Power Limited and Telikom PNG already on the ground.
In the very near future the national and Bougainville governments will sign similar agreements with the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) to restore a Bougainville-wide broadcast signal, while Water PNG will commence the rehabilitation of the Arawa water and sanitation project.
He said the Autonomous Boug-ainville Government will do all it can to ensure that the state owned enterprises transition back to Bougainville goes smoothly .
He said the relevant divisions of the Bougainville administration must support to ensure the immediate return of services.
“The Autonomous Bougainville Government expects in return, the State-owned enterprises will build capacity and train Bougainvilleans, so that our people will be qualified and experienced to manage and provide these services at the appropriate time,” Mr Karaston said.
Mr Karaston is the Member for Suir in the Autonomous Bougainville Government.
26.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Village leaders get training under health initiative
By SEBASTIAN HAKALITS
THE Bougainville healthy communities program (BHCP) is a health initiative being implemented by Autonomous Bougainville Government’s health division.
The program started in 2005 to improve living standards and and create healthy communities to minimise sickness or diseases which is affecting and killing people.
It enables the people of Bougainville to identify and take action on health issues in their families and village in order to develop healthier communities.
BHCP is funded by the New Zealand Government through the leprosy mission and the ABG division of health, and implemented under the constitutional framework of ABG stipulated under the mission statement, “together help village people improve their well-being through a sustainable local level approach” and its goals.
It is working with the ABG division of health to fulfil its mission goals, and is now integrating to become a full part of the division. The program provides community empowerment through health development trainings for leaders and village health volunteers in villages.
This follows 30 village assembly (VA) leaders from the six villages in the Selau constituency of North Bougainville, who graduated with certificates in leadership and governance after undergoing a one week workshop.
ABG Member for Selau constituency Terry Mose, who was a participant of the workshop, said we must now implement the trainings to our villages. “We as leaders must maintain integrity and move forward with our communities for good governance,” said Mr Mose.
“A traditional chief is the government of the people and as we are the ones in the communities who have the authority, we must sacrifice and work with the 15,000 population of Selau,” he said.
The health program is ongoing and has so far covered, Buin, Siwai, Bana, Kieta, Wakunai, Tinputz, Selau and the next will be Keriaka/Kunua, Torokina and the Atoll islands.
26.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Miringtoro: Aropa to take in smaller aeroplanes
By ROMULUS MASIU
AROPA Airport, when opened, will commence services with Q400 airplanes as it would not take in larger airplanes such as F100s, Central Bougainville MP Jimmy Miringtoro told his people last week.
“One thing that I must make it clear to you here today is that, Aropa Airport is limited in its capacity to take larger aircraft like the F100 which calls in at Buka. We will be commencing service with Q400, which is a smaller aircraft which takes 100 passengers,” Mr Miringtoro said while officiating at the ground breaking ceremony.
Mr Miringtoro, who is also the Minister for Communication and Information Technology, pinpointed the problem that there are two hills on both approaches to the airport. “That is why we cannot risk the safety of aircraft and passengers by trying to land larger aircraft.
“I would like the traveling public to bear with us. We are looking at options to relocate the airport or upgrade Aropa. However, we have a service and it’s a start because you have been deprived of it for a long time.”
He said the re-opening of the airport creates an impetus for further economic, social and political development in the region.
“There will be tourists, investors and our people who are working in Papua New Guinea and overseas will be coming home for holidays,” he said. “It is convenient for students to travel to institutions outside Bougainville by flying in and out of here.”
Mr Miringtoro urged all stakeholders to take ownership of the vital important government service to look after it and ensure safety of the aircraft and passengers.
Before its closure in December 1989, Aropa airport was an international airport, whereby people traveling overseas could fly direct to Cairns in Australia and the neighbouring Solomon Islands.
With the establishment of Aropa Airport the people of South and Central Bougainville will now be able to catch a flight out of Bougainville closer to home.
“It has taken us a along time to achieve what we have here today. The going has been painfully slow, and our traveling public is frustrated with going to Buka to access this service.
“When they arrive in Buka they have to travel again usually long hours before they reach home. I have been criticised for not having this airport re-opened quickly,” Mr Miringtoro said.
26.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Former combatants condemn looting
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
Executives of a former combatants association in South Bougainville are condemning last week’s incident which took place in the Buin District of South Bougainville where a Chinese shop was looted by people.
The looting took place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings while the owners of the shop were away in Port Moresby seeking medical attention. Those responsible also destroyed the building which houses the Chinese business.
Apart from looting the shop, some of those involved went down to Kangu Wharf and threatened the locals guarding the warehouse full of cargoes for the Chinese shop and removed all the cargoes.
Speaking by phone from Buin yesterday, the secretary of the veterans association Paul Sampai condemned the incident and wants all those responsible to be charged for the illegal activities.
“We totally condemn this incident and want those responsible, including those that had planned this looting, to be arrested and charged for their illegal activities,” Mr Sampai said. He said this incident was totally uncalled for as this shop has greatly helped the people of South Bougainville.
Mr Sampai said those involved come from the four constituencies of Buin, including Baubake, Makis, Lule and Konnou constituencies. He said their identities are known to police but police were not able to stop them from removing the goods as they were outnumbered. Mr Sampai said a meeting was organised by the Buin executive manager in Buin town yesterday to find ways to address this issue.
The meeting was attended by more than 200 people including President John Momis, former combatants, police, public servants and teachers of surrounding schools in Buin town. All those who attended including Mr Momis condemned the looting and called on police to arrest those responsible.
25.03.2014
Source: EMTV
BOUGAINVILLE ADMINISTRATION PROJECTS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaSxZK4L0lk
Ethical practice and conduct will be a standard and requirement, within the Bougainville Administration. Public servants will be the role models and implementers, to ensure services are professionally delivered.
This was the key message, at the launching of several projects of the Bougainville Administration. Public servants in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville have been warned to perform their duties.
Last week at the launching, Bougainville Acting Chief Administrator Chris Siriosi, sounded this warning, stating that those who fail to comply, will be dealt with accordingly.
The serious moves are part of the Momis/Nisira led Government, to improve the public service, as a key player to goods and service delivery.
Public Service Minister, Joel Banam, says “with the referendum sign post call, it is serious and public servants must wake up from their sleep, to ensure Bougainville is on the right pathway on its destiny to autonomy.”
Personal Management Department Secretary John Kali says human resource is the best asset.
The proposed Bougainville Public Service Act is an achievement for ABG and its administration, in alignment with the ABG’s quest and aspiration.
The three projects launched include, the Alesco Payroll Unit, Human Resource Office Extension, and Records and Achieves Compactor.
It was built at the cost of K 401, 000, with the support of the Australian and New Zealand Governments.
25.03.2014
Source: EMTV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY7oEx9jkKI
TOROAMA ON GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE
Meanwhile Bougainville Revolutionary Army leader, Ismael Toroama, has heavily criticized the Government, for failing to involve landowners in many negotiations.
The sentiment was echoed by Mr. Toroama at the recent Aropa Airport ground breaking ceremony in Kieta, Central Bougainville.
Most times, landowners were left out in negotiations that involved international developers.
A vocal Mr. Toroama reminded the Government that, the majority of the land in Papua New Guinea is customary owned, and landowners must not become spectators.
He said the selfish technique of using the back door, to obtain benefits must stop, as this has resulted in more trouble.
A related case is the Panguna Mine that gave birth to the blood of war and destruction - Bougainville Crisis.
Lack of proper dialogue and consultation between the Government, developers and landowners, are some key causes identified, with the legitimate owners.
ABG’s South Nasioi Member John Ken supported this stance.
The Government must work together with its stakeholders, to ensure the signed legal documents are fully implemented, for services to be delivered accordingly to the people.
25.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Minister urges ABG to address foreign-owned businesses in Bougainville
By CHRIS BARIA
Communications and Information Technology Minister and Central Bougainville MP Jimmy Miringtoro has raised concerns regarding the recent trouble in Buin, south Bougainville where a shop belonging to Chinese nationals was ransacked.
The incident in Buin is similar to the one last year in Arawa Central Bougainville where ex-combatants led local people into a newly opened Chinese shop there and emptied it of all goods.
"I am saddened to see that the local people have again taken the matter into their own hands because they are tired of waiting on the ABG to deal with problems it created by bringing in these Chinese who are now running "rice, noodles and tinned fish" stores that should be reserved for nationals," the Minister said.
It is believed that the Chinese were initially invited several years ago by the ABG to establish a "special economic zone" (SEZ) comprising of a mega city that would have been built at Bonus on the northern tip of the main island of Bougainville.
A computer-generated impression of the city was circulated throughout Bougainville and in the media. In return the Chinese pushed for tax exemptions and other conditions that didn’t go down well with majority of the people there.
Many people dreaded the invasion by Chinese, and due to so much opposition the whole venture never eventuated.
The Chinese were then relocated to Buin where they started to sell wholesale goods at ridiculously low prices in the effort to attract a customer base.
However, in doing so they were taking over business that they only were allowed to operate. The generally held view on Bougainville is that foreigners should only go into business that locals lack the capacity to establish and operate such as manufacturing and other heavy industries.
"The lack of action by the government on the ground shows that it is weak, indecisive, and therefore unable to protect the people from exploitation by foreigners who come in to take over the sort of business restricted and reserved for nationals," Mr Miringtoro said.
"The end result is that people are resorting to other unlawful means to deal with the issue giving Bougainville a bad name."
"We cannot continue to deal with investment and other important issues in a haphazard manner and the latest incident is tells that we need to get our act together.
"This explains why many people believe resumption of mining in the region is not a good idea at this point in time when ABG cannot control such a large industry."
The Minister also said that ABG is making the same mistake made by previous governments where in the process of protecting foreign interest in it neglected the interests and welfare of the very people who gave it the mandate to rule.
He said Bougainville would not have faced this problem had the ABG complied with laws governing investment in the region.
25.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Aropa airport to take in bigger planes
Aropa airport when opened will accommodate Q400 and F100 planes and other big planes. Central Bougainville Member of Parliament Jimmy Miringtoro (pictured) clarified to his people last week. “One thing that I must make it clear to you here is that, Aropa Airport is limited in its capacity to take larger aircraft like the F100 which calls at Buka. “We will be commencing service with Q400 which is a smaller aircraft and takes 100 passengers,” Miringtoro said while officiating at the ground breaking ceremony of the Aropa Airport
Mr Miringtoro who is also the Minister for Communication and Information Technology says the problem is that there are two hills on both approaches to the airport. “That is why we cannot risk the safety of aircraft and passengers by trying to land larger aircraft. “I would like the traveling public to bear with us. We are looking at options to relocate the airport or upgrade Aropa,” he said. The two-term MP says the re-opening of this airport create an impetus for further economic, social and political development in the region. “There will be tourists, investors and our people who are working in PNG and overseas will be coming home for holidays.
“It is convenient for students to travel to institutions outside Bougainville by flying in and out of here,” he said. Minister Miringtoro urged all stakeholders to take ownership of this vital important government services to look after it and ensure safety of the aircraft and passengers. Before its closure in December 1989, Aropa airport was an international airport with direct flights to Cairns in Australia and the neighboring Solomon Islands as well. With the re-establishment of Aropa airport the people of South and Central Bougainville will now be able to catch a flight out of Bougainville much closer to home. “It has taken us along time to achieve what we have here today. The going has been painfully slow, and our traveling public is frustrated with going to Buka to access this service. When they arrive in Buka they have to travel again usually long hours before they reach home. I have been criticized for not having this airport re-opened quickly,” Minister Miringtoro said.
25.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
ABG to work with SOEs to improve Bougainville services
The short term and the long term benefits of Aropa airport are significant, not only to the Aropa communities but also for the region in terms of traveling and business related travels. Autonomous Bougainville Government Minister for Civil Aviation and Works Luke Karaston says this. In his first engagement as the Minister responsible for Works and Civil Aviation in the region, Minister Karaston the Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) sets out the framework to engage the National Airports Corporation as the preferred project management contractor of the ABG to oversight the restoration of the Aropa Airport and associated facilities, the improvements to the Buka airport runway and terminal building and the feasibility study for a new location for an international standard airport for Bougainville.
“As a Minister of ABG, I wish to advice the National Government that we welcome and respect the mandate and the role that the state owned enterprises are playing in the restoration of vital services to Bougainville,” he says Minister Karaston says some important work going on including PNG Power Limited and Telikom PNG already on the ground. He says in the near future the governments will sign similar MoU’s with the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) to restore Bougainville’s signal and Water PNG Ltd to start the rehabilitation of the Arawa Water and Sanitation.
He says the ABG will do all it can to ensure that the state owned enterprises work on Bougainville goes smoothly and that the relevant divisions of the Bougainville administration give the appropriate support to ensure the immediate return of services. “The ABG expects in return, the SOEs will build capacity and train Bougainvilleans, so that our people will be qualified and experienced to manage and provide these services at the appropriate time,” Mr Karaston, says
25.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
MP delivers rice mills to Kongara farmers
Mr Itta presenting the K80,000 cheque to Kongara cattle farmer Luke Aramei. Picture: ROMULUS MASIU
Member for Kongora in the Autonomous Bougainville Government Dominic Itta has donated two rice mills to his people of Kongara Constituency.
Mr Itta delivered the two mills last Friday to local farmers in his constituency. He also gave K80,000 to the cattle farmers for the construction of a new cattle farm in his constituency.
The occasion also saw 30 trainees graduate from Kongara One following a week-long course on integrated organic upland rice farming workshop under the watchful eyes of OISCA master trainer Gabriel Kiraa and assistant Gwendalyn Devana.
Mr Itta told his people of Kongara that the two rice mills were purchased from ABG’s internal revenue purse while the K80,000 is from the national Government’s restoration development grant (RDG).
The Kongara MP said he is giving agriculture as one of his priorities along with education for this people of Kongara. The member budgeted for the rice mill in 2011 and after three years he has finally purchased the two rice mills questioning the slowness of concerned authorities in releasing the funding for his priority projects.
“All the projects have been budgeted for in 2011 but did not eventuate. Why is that, why are my people held to ransom? My Kongara constituency is the most disadvantaged in terms of government services. Services are not reaching my people,” Mr Itta added that this year will be the same whereby Kongara will again miss out on the budgetted funding from ABG and the National Government.
Mr Itta is pushing for ABG to accommodate through its supplementary budget for the construction of and new road network which will link Aropa to Basikuna. The new road is estimated to be 17 kilometres and will benefit the people of Kongara who have been walking on bush tracks for decades.
25.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Aust Govt: Navy there to remove war explosives
THE Australian Government has responded to complaints by people from Torokina in Bougainville that there has been no community consultation on the presence of its two navy vessels in the region.
The two ships are in Bougainville waters on a scoping mission for Operation Render Safe 2014.
The Australian Government, in a statement provided at the request of this newspaper, said the operation is being conducted at the request of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) to make Torokina a safer place for its inhabitants by removing explosive remnants from WWII.
"Along with building public safety, Operation Render Safe in Torokina will contribute to weapons disposal on Bougainville," the statement said.
"The Australian Defence Force’s Operation Render Safe occurs regularly in the South West Pacific, and was recently held in Solomon Islands October-December 2013. "The Australian Government and the ABG have undertaken extensive awareness activities regarding Operation Render Safe 2014, to be held in Torokina later this year."
The Australian Government said they held an initial stakeholder briefing in Buka in August last year to explain Render Safe 2014 to Torokina community members including ex-combatants with the participation of Vice President Patrick Nisira, Torokina Member Steven Suako and ABG officials.
They said they also held a stakeholder briefing in Piva, Torokina District last October at which ex-combatants were present. There were also, according to the statement, a number of visits to Torokina by Australian Government community engagement specialist Rebecca Worner, including an awareness visit to remote locations of Torokina District in November 2013
There was also a visit by an Australian Defense Force scoping team during which community consultations occurred, including with ex-combatants. "Rebecca Worner will return to Buka in April to conduct more community consultations.
25.03.2014
Source: Bougainville24
Youth Foundation complete awareness campaign
By Ancitha Semoso
BYF South team pose after the completion of the awareness campaign.
Late last year several groups of Bougainvillean students from Divine Word University (DWU) took part in a successful awareness and education campaign for rural primary and secondary schools in the autonomous region.
This was the annual program of the Bougainville Youth Foundation (BYF) which is a non-government organisation initiated by DWU students in 2006 and was launched in 2007 at Arawa, Bougainville.
The mission statement of the BYF is ‘the promotion of unity, equity and solidarity of Bougainville youth in search of their interests, needs and development in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville’.
Its objective is to unite the young people of Bougainville under a common body including youths from all backgrounds and religious denominations in the region, looking to enhance common aspirations and welfare.
The most important of the organisational aims is to create a greater awareness and appreciation of issues affecting the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
With these aims in mind, the students carried out the awareness campaign within the districts to educate our people on the issues that need to be addressed.
The program tackled many social issues such as the consumption of drugs and alcohol, prostitution and teenage pregnancy.
The other major topics looked at politics and the future of Bougainville, including discussions on the process towards the referendum, importance of participation in elections, principles of governance and qualities of a good leader, which the people should take into consideration at election time.
The volunteer Bougainville students from DWU gave their holiday period to make the awareness campaign a successful and memorable event.
As a volunteer organisation BYF depends on sponsors and fundraising events. The 2013 awareness campaign was able to go ahead with support of PNG Ports and Bougainville Copper Limited, which sponsored BYF for the first time.
Funds were also raised through a dance that was hosted by the students in Buka’s Rendevous night club and Blaqueville Nite, the BYF’s iconic annual fundraiser that is held in Madang.
As young educated Bougainvilleans, we have the responsibility to give back for the educational opportunities we receive and by carrying out educational programs and trying to make people aware of the issues that are affecting the region we contribute to regional development.
As the current president of the Bougainville Youth Foundation, I urge the other chapters where the BYF is located to do the same and in partnership we work hand in hand for the good of our region Bougainville.
24.03.2014
Source: EMTV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpSh7-oJuE
AROPA LANDOWNERS AGREE FOR AIRPORT REOPENING
The landowners of Aropa, in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, have reconciled; agreeing for the airport’s reopening.
The ‘quick yes’ was a response to the National Government’s call, and serious commitment to restore services in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Part of the initial stages was the ground breaking ceremony, and signing of legal documents that seal the cooperation, between the legitimate parties.
After 25 years of closure, landowners have finally given the green light, for the once international airport, be reopened.
The airport was closed in 1989 during the Bougainville Crisis.
A customary reconciliation was held between parties representing landowners; Peter Karatapi and John Pokana that ended the ongoing disagreement.
ABG’s Works and Civil Aviation Minister, Luke Karaston, said many lives were lost during the Aropa Operation. The reconciliation was a transitional period, for a new beginning.
Central Bougainville MP and National Civil Aviation Minister Davis Steven officiated at the ground breaking ceremony, to begin the construction work phase.
Mr Miringtoro explained the push for Aropa to be reopened, started in 2008, and took time to build trust and confidence with the National Government. He challenged the people to take ownership.
Aropa is the missing airport; now completing the inventory list of 22, says National Civil Aviation Minister Steven Davies. Dash 8 aircraft will service the destination.
With the airport, it will make travelling easier and accessible for the Central and South Bougainvilleans, opening doors to many business opportunities.
The National Airports Corporation was thanked for their interest and immediate response to making sure, the National Government’s request was fulfilled.
24.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BUIN LEADERS MEET
By Aloysius Laukai
Buin leaders met in Buin with the ABG President Chief DR. JOHN MOMIS this morning and condemned the action by youths from Buin who mobilized and looted a Chinese shop and its warehouse at the weekend.
Reports from the Buin Executive Manager, JOHN ITANU says that the meeting attended by Buin Chiefs, leaders and Police and Ex-combatants agreed to cooperate and investigate the incident.
The Buin leaders said that they were not happy at the looting by a minority which has painted a bad image for Buin and Bougainville as a whole.
The leaders said that those involved a known to the leaders and it will be now up to the Buin Ex-combatants and the Buin Police to investigate and charge those who were involved in the incident.
Meanwhile, information gathered by New Dawn FM said that the people were not happy with this operation, that started as a wholesale and later moved into retail and also started selling Beer.
Attempts by New Dawn FM to talk with the Bougainville Police Commissioner on this incident were unsuccessful.
24.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
BUKA TOWN FIRE SCARE
By Aloysius Laukai
The growing and unplanned town of Buka could be burnt in minutes if a major fire starts up from the Fuel storages all over the residential areas of the Town.
And this afternoon a fire scare made people running up and down to see what the huge smoke coming from the back of one of the Service Stations in Buka town.
This takes us to a call made last year by a Buka Businessman,HENRY ONSA who called on the Government Authorities to make sure a Fire Truck is stationed at the Buka airport.
And with the continiuos sun in the last few weeks the need for setting up of the Fire Brigade Office in Buka is becoming a necessity.
Pictured is the thick smoke which was later found as somneone has burnt old Tyres
24.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Bougainville businessman flaunts illegal tender
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
(Left): The picture of Kuri Village Resort on the illegal 100 kina note. Picture: WINTERFORD TOREAS. (Right): Pius Uwang from Siwai showing the illegal 100 Bougainville kina note.
A YOUNG businessman from Siwai District in South Bougainville was seen carrying large bundles of illegal Bougainville kina in Buka town on Wednesday last week. According to an eyewitness, the businessman, who owns a small service station in the Tonu area where failed money scam operator Noah Musingku is based, was drunk and was boasting about how he was a millionaire before flashing around the bundles of the illegal currency.
The eye witness said the money was used to buy fuel from the service station owned by the businessman who also happens to be a staunch follower of Musingku. “He was carrying bundles of 5s, 10s, 20s, 50s and 100 Bougainville kina notes. Interestingly, all the 50 toeas and one kinas were also in notes and not coins,” the eye witness, who wished not to be named, said.
“He said that he would go and buy cargo from the Chinese businessmen in town using this money but I told him that this is illegal currency and that they are not acceptable. I also told him that he could be arrested for carrying around this illegal money,” the eyewitness said. Meanwhile, the owner of the Kuri Village Resort in Buka town has expressed disgust over the printing of a picture of his resort on the 100 Bougainville kina note.
Mr Chris Beasu said the decision by Musingku to have a picture of thee resort on the illegal currency would send out a bad picture that his company was a supporter of the failed money scam operator. Mr Beasu said that he was very frustrated because Musingku failed to get his approval before printing the picture on his currency. Apart from Mr Beasu, a man from Torokina District in South Bougainville also denounced the picture of Mt Bagana on this 100 kina note. “Why didn’t he use a picture of a mountain from his area,” he said.
24.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Ex BRA: Give Aropa land back to us
Ex BRA: Give Aropa land back to us
THE National Government has been told take back the land at Aropa airport and give back to the people of Bougainville. Former combatants’ representative Ishmael Toroama made the call at Aropa airport’s ground breaking ceremony last week stating that at the moment the Aropa airport land is a “no man’s land” and doesn’t belong to anyone even the so-called landowners. Mr Toroama bluntly told the so-called landowners that the land at Aropa airport is not theirs but belonged to the Crown (Queen of England) who has colonized Papua New Guinea including Bougainville.
Mr Toroama is now tasking this government under the leadership of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to take back the land (Aropa airport) from the colonial masters and give back to the people of Bougainville. “You landowners of Aropa are not recognized as this is a no man’s land which means nobody owns this land (at Aropa airport). "Therefore, Iam appealing to the National Government to give this land back to the people so the people will own this land, right now our people does not own this land,” Mr Toroama says. Mr Toroama who has led the onslaught against the PNG Defence Force at the Aropa airport during the Bougainville crisis under the code-name “High Speed 2” says he along with 69 of his members are watching closely as the development is unfolding at the former international airport. During the operation High Speed 2, 10 of his fighters were killed and many more injured.
“We have shed blood on this no-man’s land and we are watching closely,” Mr Toroama said. Minister for Civil Aviation in the national parliament Steven Davies supported the call by Mr Toroama saying this is a big worry in many parts of the country where locals have been deprived of their customary land by the colonial masters and not taken back yet by the national government. Minister Davies says the O’Neill –Dion government has taken note and will make it their priority to tackle the issue once and for all throughout the country.
24.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
Know your Constitution
Today we feature section 220 of Part XXIII of the Bougainville Constitution on the Review of the constitution.
220. REVIEW OF THIS CONSTITUTION, ETC.,
(1) There shall be a review of the provisions and working of this Constitution –
(a) immediately preceding a review held under Section 337(1) (a) (reviews) of the National Constitution; and
(b) at such other times as the House of Representatives may direct.
(2) A review of the provisions and working of this Constitution may make recommendations as to amendment of this Constitution or of Bougainville laws or of administrative practices.
(3) A Bougainville law made by an absolute majority vote shall make provision for the manner in which a review of the provisions and working of this Constitution shall be conducted, for the appointment of a person or body to undertake the review and for all matters relevant to the conduct of the review.
(4) A report on the findings of each review shall be sent by the person or body responsible for conducting the review to the Speaker for presentation to the House of Representatives.
(5) A Bougainville law may make provision for a Bougainville Law Reform Commission and for its composition, functions, powers and operation.
23.03.2014
Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville
HOT SUNNY DAY
By Aloysius Laukai
The last three days has been really hot with the sun coming in a clear blue sky.
And the highest degrees is 32 degrees Celsius.
With no running water in Buka town this is very hot and this is much worse as most people rely on somebody's water tank that catches rain water.
The lawns are also in dire need for water.
Pictured is the sun shinning out of the Blue sky.
23.03.2014
Source: Mekamui News
THE PEOPLE’S POWER MOVEMENT IN SOUTH BOUGAINVILLE
By Peter Nerau
The people of South Bougainville said that in the absence of a strong and decisive government with no clear cut policies to protect them from what they called “restricted business activity for nationals” they won’t hestitate to force those foreigners to leave their locality by using People’s Power as in the case of the Chinese who were told to leave Buin Town recently.
The People’s Power Movement in South Bougainville said that they are not against the Chinese but they should invest in high impact projects that the local people do not have the capacity to perform these type of businesses.
They said that they do welcome foreigners to come to Bougainville and establish Joint Venture high impact projects with the locals but they warn that the restricted business activity will be protected by the People’s Power if ABG is turning a blind eye and not taking any action to protect them. They believe that the current government is very weak and not protecting them as citizens.
22.03.2014
Source: Mekamui News
CHINESE SHOP IN BUIN LOOTED
by Peter Nerau from Panguna,
Some Chinese Businessman who were involved in wholesale and retail business were told to leave Buin Town last week. These activities are restricted business only reserved for Bougainvilleans. When Momis advocated his much publicise China Policy after signing 6 MOAs with Chinese Businesses and Companies the idea was to engage these
companies in manufacturing and other businesses the locals did not have the capacity to perform. But this was a misconception because when the Chinese came to Bougainville they started running retail and wholesale businesses that agitated the locals. The ransacking of wholesale and retail stores in Buin Town is a result of the frustrations of the community in Buin Town and the whole of South Bougainville in what they see as double standard and lies perpetrated by the Political Head of the ABG. Because of his Chinese blood the people were led to believe that Momis has a stake in these reserved businesses only for Bougainvilleans.
21.03.2014
Source: Post-Courier
ABG has new acting treasurer
By WINTERFORD TOREAS
A HANDOVER takeover ceremony was held in Buka yesterday between the outgoing Bougainville Treasurer Paul Amera and his successor Mallinson Kipau.
The event, which was held at the division of education conference room, was witnessed by the deputy secretary for Finance Stephen Nukuitu, assistant secretary for finance in charge of the New Guinea Islands region, Joseph Kunda, acting Bougainville Chief Administrator Chris Siriosi and other senior officials from the Finance and Treasury department and Bougainville administration.
While welcoming Mr Kipau into his new acting position, Mr Siriosi reminded the acting Treasurer on the challenges and tasks associated with the position.
“…the challenges are going to be immense. You are a Bougainvillean and I expect you to make decisions,” said Mr Siriosi.
“I expect you to make the hard decisions. I expect you to discipline your staff and I expect you to make the decisions that you have to make.
“I will not tolerate indecisiveness. So as a Bougainvillean, I expect you to perform your responsibilities without fear or favor. I’m expecting a lot from you,” said Mr Siriosi.
He said the government will also be “expecting a lot from you”, before adding that he wants the Treasury to be the best accountable system for the management of finance throughout the country.
“We want you to set some benchmarks. We encourage you to take up the challenge and excel in your role as the new acting Treasurer,” he said.
Mr Siriosi also thanked outgoing Treasurer Mr Amera for his achievements and wished him well on his new appointment.
Mr Kunda supported this appointment saying Mr Kipau, who was the District Treasurer for South Bougainville before being appointment for this new position on March 6, had gone through a lot of up-skilling programs and is a very competent person to assume this new responsibility.
He then gave a brief update on the capacity building program that will be undertaken in Bougainville, in relation to finance and management to make Bougainville become a model for the region and PNG.
21.03.2014
Source: The Australian
Australian PM to sign treaty with his Papua New Guinea counterpart
PORT MORESBY, PNG ---- Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott is preparing to extend Australia's agreement with Papua New Guinea on processing asylum-seekers by launching talks on how to resettle some of the 1300 people in detention on Manus Island.
The Prime Minister signalled the plans last night as he arrived in Port Moresby for a state visit to sign an economic treaty alongside the talks on people-smuggling.
Amid a judicial inquiry into the Manus Island detention centre, PNG is yet to decide whether to resettle any of the asylum-seekers in its own country as suggested in its formal agreement with Kevin Rudd last August.
That will be on the agenda today when Mr Abbott meets his PNG counterpart, Peter O'Neill, and most of the nation's cabinet ministers.
“Papua New Guinea is our closest neighbour, it's a very good friend,” Abbott said.
“And I'm very pleased and proud of the assistance that PNG has given to Australia in this whole issue of people-smuggling and its prevention. Now we're working very closely with PNG. We've got the Manus processing facility, as you know, but we'll be talking to PNG over the next couple of days.
“I'll certainly be talking to Prime Minister O'Neill about what we can do to swiftly get people out of the Manus camp and at least some resettled here in PNG, as was agreed with Prime Minister Rudd about nine months ago.”
Clause 13 of the agreement signed on August 5 states that PNG will undertake to enable transferees "who it determines are refugees to settle in PNG" but none has been processed in this way so far. Some believe that more funding from Australia will be needed to set up the facilities and services to help refugees settle in PNG if they are processed on Manus Island.
Abbott will today also sign an economic treaty with PNG. He is seeking to focus on trade and investment during the three-day visit against the backdrop of the judicial inquiry into last month's riot at the Manus Island detention centre. Media coverage of the Manus Island centre may overshadow some of Mr Abbott's meetings in Port Moresby, after the head of the PNG judicial inquiry into last month's riot, judge David Cannings, ruled that journalists would be allowed to inspect the centre today.
The economic treaty is seen as a way to widen the bilateral relationship beyond last year's agreement on asylum-seeker processing and long-term aid commitments that cost about $500m a year. Abbott will sign the deal with O'Neill in Port Moresby today after a visit to parliament house and ministerial talks.
As Exxon Mobil builds a $19 billion terminal near Port Moresby to ship liquefied natural gas to Asia, the PNG resources boom promises to lift growth and lure more Australian investment.
Business leaders joining Abbott over the next few days include Oil Search chief Peter Botten, Rio Tinto executive Peter Taylor, ANZ Bank executive Graham Hodges and Clough chief executive Kevin Gallagher.
21.03.2014
Source: Bougainville24
Carteret Islanders commoditise seaweed
By Nigel Matte
Seaweed farming is a new and unusual activity to many Bougainvilleans, but not to the Carteret Islanders.
The Carteret Islands come under the atolls region, North Bougainville, and it is one of the many islands that shows the eclectic beauty of Bougainville.
The atolls don’t have the same natural resources that exist on mainland Bougainville and Buka Island, where people benefit from cash crops such as cocoa, coconut and vanilla, as well as minerals such as gold and copper.
With great ingenuity the Carteret Islanders get by with the few resources they have. They say that if David succeeded killing Goliath, anything under the sun is achievable.
Seaweed Farming came about as a creative solution to financial difficulties. The Islanders, lacking land to plant cash crops and the resources to mine, saw seaweed farming as an agricultural solution.
The seaweed is sun dried on large set ups of tanning racks and beds.
Bed constructed for drying seaweed.
Though still a fledgling industry, seaweed farming has the potential to boost economic activities Bougainville, especially once it is established a reputation as an export commodity.
It is well publicised that Carteret Islanders might, in time, become the first climate change refugees in the South Pacific Ocean, but they still face the daily survival challenge of limited land resources.
Carterets Islanders get food supply assistance from the Autonomous Bougainville Government but they want to be independent and self-reliant.
Land fertility is very low compared to other islands in the atolls region, for instance on the Mortlok Islands taro grows much better than in the Carteret Islands, where only certain crops and food bearing plants grow.
The sandy soils of the Carterets lack fertility.
Above all the plants on the Carterets the coconut is considered to be a magic tree that provides everything nature offers.
If you’re thirsty, the magic tree gives you water; if you’re hungry, the magic tree provides its nice juicy meat; if you need building materials, almost everything is provided.
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