News 10.2013

31.10.2013

Source: Bougainville24

We need education not guns – Tanis

James Tanis graduates police as President in 2009

“We are often told that knowledge will make us free” James Tanis said.

The former Autonomous Bougainville Government president wants all Bougainvilleans to understand that knowledge can set people free from the past and enlighten the future.

“We can learn from books, we can learn from school and we can learn from our families and friends.

“But we must also learn from experience.

“I have made mistakes in the past, but I have learned from them, and I believe I am a better person.

“In the bitter years of the crisis, I believe that we all made mistakes, on all sides,” he said.

31.10.2013

Source: PNG Attitude

Robert fears for Bougainville’s home grown business

LEONARD FONG ROKA

HAILING FROM THE MOUNTAINOUS Orami cluster of villages in the Panguna District, Robert Keruta (pictured) rents a room in a flat in the Section 18 residential area of Arawa.

He was a student of the Saint Joseph High School at Rigu before the Bougainville conflict affected his education. With peace gaining ground, he decided to be a businessman helping Bougainvilleans.

In the 1990s, when the PNG government enforced its brutal Australia-backed blockade over Bougainville, Robert Keruta joined the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) to defend his island and people. 

He served in the BRA and at the same time got training to be a Health Extension Officer in the crisis-time learning institution at Paruparu. 

When the Bougainville peace process reached Panguna and the cash economy began to flourish throughout Bougainville, Robert Keruta actively worked as a gold miner in the Tumpusiong Valley to make money for his sustenance.

After a couple of years of intensive labouring, Robert left mining and became a gold buyer. Then he went on to retail business where he established a trade store. He 2010 he went further, buying a Landcruiser that operated as a transport for passengers and their cargo along the Arawa-Panguna route. 

In 2011 he ventured further into retailing in Arawa where he says there is a large population of customers. 

“Arawa is growing rapidly,” he says. “There are more people from the north and the south of Bougainville coming to live and make business here. It is now the centre of all activity for Bougainvilleans, thus there is money here.”

Robert says that in Panguna the cash flow is not stable so he has a hard time trying to make money from the majority of gold miners.

“Operating a trade store in Panguna and making a profit depends on the miners in the river banks of Kavarong,” he says. “If more people process their gold in one single day then we can hope to make profit. Beside most of the people have their gardens to live on and not money.”

Since moving into Arawa, Robert Keruta has being making K400-800 a day.

“People in Arawa live mostly on money so they need trade stores. This is why I make about K400 most weekdays and I go as high as K800 at weekends. 

“This trend is really exhausting. I have to restock goods on my selves nearly every day because my retail outlet is only a single room and there is no space to store spare stock.”

The only worry he has is the issue of the Bougainville government allowing in non-Bougainvilleans who will have the potential to suppress Bougainvilleans socially, politically and economically.

“I really hate the Chinese and so on coming to make business here,” he says. “We died for this island and the leaders must know that and protect us with laws that control non-Bougainvilleans. 

“Many of our leaders did not help us fight in the war and they are selling Bougainville to the non-Bougainvilleans.”

To him Bougainvilleans are an innovative people and they proved this during the Australian-backed PNG blockade on their island by surviving by making discoveries like new applications for coconut oil. 

In the economic sector, Bougainvilleans will perform only if the ABG closes the door to let innovation grow so Bougainville can be self reliant.

31.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

ANIS LAID TO REST

By Aloysius Laukai

The ABG President, DR. JOHN MOMIS has paid tribute to the late THOMAS ANIS who died at the Buka General Hospital last week.

DR.MOMIS in his condolence message to the family of the late THOMAS ANIS said that the people of Bougainville have lost yet another leader who wanted to see Bougainville become one of the few success countries in the world.

He said that the late THOMAS ANIS contributed his time and effort immensely for peace and stability throughout the region.

Funeral service for the late THOMAS ANIS was held at HAHELA yesterday afternoon before his body was taken to HAKU.

His body overnighted at his village and another funeral service at Lemaanmanu parish before he was finally put to rest in Haku this afternoon.

31.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

BISHOP PRAISES UN WOMEN

By Aloysius Laukai

The Bishop of the United Church on Bougainville, BISHOP TIM AUTHER today praised the United Church Women’s Fellowship for putting up a very successful three days show in Buka town this week.

Bishop Auther made these comments at the closing of the 2013 United Church Women’s show at the BEL ISI PARK today.

He said that the show was sponsored by the women themselves and this shows that when people are committed they can perform miracles.

Bishop Auther also commended the women for making improvements at the 2013 show from the 2009 show.

He said that the show is held every two years and only hoped that the 2015 show will be even better.

31.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Village burnt down over death of student

By WINTERFORD TOREAS

Last weekend’s killing of a grade 12 student in Bougainville has led to the burning down of the village where he was found dead.

The deceased, John Kikina, is a student of Bishop Wade Secondary School in the Selau constituency of North Bougainville and had just completed his grade 12 examination. 

Kikina, who hailed from Kanauro village in the Buin District of South Bougainville, is said to have been killed near Kavex village which is located a few metres from the school.

Early this week, chiefs from Kanauro assured that no retaliatory attacks would be made by the relatives of the deceased, before pledging their support to assist police with their investigations. Further assurance was given by the relatives of the deceased on Tuesday following a meeting they held with the chiefs and representatives of Kavex village.

According to those who were present during this meeting, the relatives had demanded K20,000 for the transportation of the body to his village as well as to meet other costs.

They further demanded another K20,000 as compensation demand.

Bishop Wade Secondary School had agreed to meet the K20,000 for the repatriation cost, while the Kavex people said they would be giving K5,000 first while the remaining K15, 000 would be paid shortly.

However, this assurance was short lived as some people believed to be from Buin returned to Kavex village that same night and burnt down the houses there.

The action taken by those responsible has already been strongly condemned by many people.

“This is very unacceptable. During that meeting they had agreed that no retaliatory attacks will take place. But this is not the case. Instead, they came back during the night and burnt down the village,” one of the frustrated men from the Selau area said yesterday.

At the moment it is still not known if the relatives of Kikina were responsible for this action. 

Early this week, Acting chief executive officer of the Bougainville Education Division, Michael Meten, said the school would operate as normal and that their next course of action would be taken if the situation deteriorates.

North Bougainville provincial police commander, Inspector Spencer Aili confirmed yesterday afternoon that the situation in the area was still tense. 

The Inspector and the Acting head of the Bougainville Police Service, Supt Paul Kamuai had gone to Kavex village yesterday morning to assess the situation. 

31.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Casey keeping busy with tyre repairs

CASEY Dickson is an employee of Arawa Tyre Service (ATS) specializing in tube or tyre repair and other job on hand regarding tyre services. Young Cassey from Koromira is one of the many students on practical at ATS. ATS is also giving opportunity to other youngsters who are doing nothing back at home by employing them and keeping them out of drug and home brew consumption. Cassey is pictured giving air to a bicycle tyre tube in yesterday. Words and Picture: ROMULUS MASIU

31.10.2013

Source: Radio New Zealand Intenational

Bougainville to take human rights film festival around the province

The Papua New Guinea Human Rights Film Festival begins in Bougainville on 1 November.

The festival is seek as an opportunity to draw links between what is going on around the world and what is happening in Bougainville.

The festival has run previously in Buka, but as organiser Barbara Tanne told Don Wiseman, because of demand they are taking it around the province for the first time.

BARBARA TANNE: [There are] five locations we’ve identified this year - one in Kokopau and Ieta village and Hutjena Secondary School and Gogohe and Arawa village.

DON WISEMAN: And in Arawa you’re going to be making use of the new Arawa library.

BARBARA TANNE: Yes, that’s right.

DON WISEMAN: The films you have come from the PNG Human Rights Film Festival. They’re all locally made, they’re all Papua New Guinean movies, are they?

BARBARA TANNE: We have two Papua New Guinean movies, one from Bougainville, and a third one from Africa.

DON WISEMAN: Bougainville, of course, as everyone knows, has experienced some horrific human rights issues over the last 20 years. And as part of this festival you hope that the films will initiate discussions, and you’re going to hold those immediately following the filming.

BARBARA TANNE: Yes.

DON WISEMAN: And what do you hope will come out of that?

BARBARA TANNE: What we hope to get here is the viewers and the people of Bougainville to try and understand human rights, the rights of everyone. And we’re trying to get the viewers to really see and understand the rights of individuals.

31.10.2013

Source: Radio New Zealand Intenational

PNG’s Bougainville due for five by-elections

Election officials in the autonomous Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville have issued the writs for five by-elections.

New MPs are to be chosen in Peit, Hagogohe, Rau, Kongara and Lule constituencies.

Polling is to last for eight days, starting from December the 4th

31.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

ABG HAND BACK BODY

By Aloysius Laukai

The ABG minister for Public service, JOEL BANAM yesterday afternoon officially handed over the body of the late THOMAS ANIS to the family at the Hahela church in Buka.

The late Thomas Anis died last weekend at the Buka Hospital.

And his requiem mass was held at Hahela yesterday before he was taken to Haku for his final rest.

ABG President,Dr.John Momis described him as a leader was always talking of a strong and united Bougainville.

Acting administrator Chris Siriosi called him a mentor and Joel Banam called on the people of Haku to follow his footsteps.

Pictured is Joel Banam handing the body to the family

31.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Chief questions sealing

By Aloysius Laukai

Buka ringroad still under construction

30.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Grade eight exam in progress

Pictured are some of the students of Hahela Primary School in Buka busy doing their examination. The other students that are wearing the blue uniforms are from Kamarau International School.

Words and Picture:

WINTERFORD TOREAS.

30.10.2013

Source: Bougainville24

More responsibility for ABG

House of Representatives in Buka – Courtesy of Peter John Tate

The drawdown of powers to the Autonomous Bougainville Government from the departments and agencies of the National Government is gathering pace.

Seven government divisions within the Bougainville Administration which have already had powers and functions transferred are currently implementing their work plans.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Division of Autonomy and Implementation, Paul Kebori, said the seven divisions have been acting in accordance with agreements signed with their counterparts in the National Government.

Mr Kebori said much progress has already been made but, because of the complexity of the interaction between Bougainville and National Governments, not everything can happen at the same time.

29.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

UNITED CHURCH WOMEN GATHER

By Aloysius Laukai

The Bougainville. united Church Women's fellowship are having a three days show at the BEL ISI PARK in Buka town this week.

The show started today and will end on Thursday.

There were various artifacts

Even stones were on sale

Artifacts Siwai stall

And the food was too much

29.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Disability is no obstacle

By SARAH LOA-DOU DWU Journalism Student

Nothing is impossible in life, even if you have disabilities.

This was what Henry Onsa (pictured), a person with disability from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, had to say about his experience as a person living with disability in the community.

In Bougainville, Mr Onsa is the advocate for PLWDs and his goal is to collect data on PLWDs in all the constituencies in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to establish an executive council for a PLWD association, and to ask the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the National Government to provide land and resources to establish a training centre for PLWDs in the region.

Mr Onsa said the Government could do better in allocating funds to PLWDs as part of its human development program in PNG.

He aims to complete the collection of data and establish the groundwork by December in time for PLWDs to celebrate the International Disability Day by showcasing their handiwork in arts and crafts.

“My disability does not hinder me from doing what I want to do in life. Rather, it has helped me achieve more. PLWDs have the brains and the ability to perform like able people. Their disability should not be considered an obstacle to achieving what they aim to do,” he said. 

Another issue addressed at the training was a strong recommendation on the establishment of a facility where PLWDs could have access to loans to start small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country.  

29.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Good governance key to future  

By LAWRENCIA PIRPIR

A greater level of good governance above Papua New Guinea’s national and provincial governments is what would ensure the Autonomous Bougainville Government is ready for the referendum for greater autonomy.

Autonomous Bougainville Government Acting Chief Administrator Chris Siriosi (pictured) said the ABG and the national Government were working closely in preparations for the referendum before the 10th anniversary of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

Speaking in Kokopo recently, Mr Siriosi said planning was underway to prepare for the people of Bougainville, those in the province, others living elsewhere in PNG and abroad to vote for whether they want to be independent or remain as part of Papua New Guinea. And the ongoing challenge is to create a greater standard of good governance that includes managing state owned institutions and how the government enables people to participate in government, he said.

“There are many ways to enable people to participate through an effective system of local level governments,” Mr Siriosi said. 

“In Bougainville we have Council of Elders and other parts of Papua New Guinea we have another system of Local Level Government.”

Mr Siriosi said the people’s participation in good governance is key to removing and disposing of weapons in Bougainville.

“We must also look at basic freedoms like freedom of the press, freedom of expression,” he said.

“Whether there is adequate opportunity for the people of Bougainville individually and communally also. 

“That they have freedom to express their opinions without fear of intimidation, similar requirements would be in place for the press.

“This would encourage the media to scrutinize the work of the government. And there is also room for civil society on Bougainville.

“All these issues that concern internationally accepted standards a relative to achieving greater autonomy through the people’s say. “To date, issues that need to be confirmed include who conducts the referendum whether it would be the ABG, the national Government, both in a joint effort or engage an independent body.”

Mr Siriosi said admitted it was not easy work given the short time frame left and assured that the ABG Administration is working around the clock in preparation for the referendum.  

29.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Kieta games get support     

29.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Police: Gr 12 student killed 

By WINTERFORD TOREAS

A GRADE 12 student in one of the secondary schools in Bougainville was killed over the weekend. The deceased, John Kikina, had just completed his grade 12 at Tarlena Secondary School in the Selau constituency in North Bougainville. The deceased was killed following a confrontation with an unknown person next to a village situated a few meters from the school.

Reports reaching the Post-Courier stated that the deceased was one of the bright students in the school and was certain to continue on with his tertiary studies. However, this will not be the case anymore following his death last Saturday. According to the North Bougainville provincial police commander, Inspector Spencer Aili, the deceased who hails from Kanauro village in the Buin District, South Bougainville, had gone with two other students to Kavex village on Saturday evening between 6pm and 7pm to see a friend and pick up a flash drive and K20. “On their way back, when they were approaching Kavex village, an unknown person confronted them and had an argument with them. “However, during that moment the deceased and the unknown person started exchanging fists,” Insp Aili said. “When the fight broke out, the other two students ran away into the darkness without assisting their friend. “The deceased was badly assaulted and police was called over to assist.” Insp Aili said police arrived at the scene and quickly rushed the victim to Buka General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by the doctors. He said police are classifying this as a willful murder case and are continuing with their investigations to identify the person responsible, adding that at the moment the suspect’s identity is still not known. Insp Aili said he had already met with two chiefs from Kanauro village, who gave their assurance not to take the law into their own hands but to work with the police to deal with the case. “They (chiefs) also asked the village chiefs from Kavex village and the leaders of Selau-Suir to come forward and assist the police by having the suspect surrendered to the police for the sake of  normalcy and peace to prevail in the community. Reports reaching the Post-Courier stated that the Kavex villagers have already deserted their homes after receiving rumours that relatives of Kikina were traveling towards their village. The acting chief executive officer of the Bougainville dducation division, Michael Meten, confirmed yesterday that parents of the grades 9 and 11 students of Tarlena had already taken their children out of the school for safety reasons. Mr Meten said the parents have the right to do this, adding that no temporary suspension notices will be issued. He however said if the situation deteriorates, then the education division will consider the next option available to it. Mr Meten said the Grade eight students of the primary school located within the Tarlena area, Tongono Primary School, will be going to Chabai to do their exams. Insp Aili has condemned this killing as barbaric and appealed to the families and relatives of the deceased not to take the law into their own hands. He urged the relatives to cooperate with the police to complet investigation and allow the law to take its course. 

29.10.2013

Source: ABC Radio Australia - Pacific Beat

PNG moves to limit foreign investment in local companies

In a development that's surprised many, the PNG Government has moved to limit the operations of foreign companies and people in its economy.

It has amended the Takeovers Code to include a 'national interest' test which the Securities Commission must apply when any shares are bought in PNG companies.

There's a view that this will discourage foreign investment and will impact on company's shareprice.

Professor Stephen Howes is director of the Development Policy Centre at the Australian National University spoke to Geraldine Coutts, who asked how this very important move has so far escaped further attention from the media. 

Presenter: Geraldine Coutts

Speaker: Professor Stephen Howes from the Australian National University

 LISTEN HERE !  

HOWES: It has been reported in PNG but I guess it just shows there's not that much reporting of what goes on in PNG here in Australia, and in the rest of the region. And so it was the article in The Australian yesterday I guess that's given it a much higher profile.

COUTTS: And can you explain the significance of the law changes that came about in August?

HOWES: I think the law change itself is not that controversial or surprising. Australia has a similar provision that if there's a takeover by a foreign company of a big Australian business then the government has to apply a national interest test to prove or reject the takeover, which is the change that PNG's introduced. So I think it's not the law change itself that's so surprising, but it's more the context in which it's occurred and the fact that it goes together with a number of other recent moves which do suggest policy in PNG is becoming more nationalistic and sort of less favourably disposed to foreign investment.

COUTTS: That's good for PNG?

HOWES: I'm not saying it's good for PNG, no, I think of course PNG needs foreign investment. So it needs to be very careful about discouraging foreign investment. I guess my point is that the change itself I think without knowing all the details, but simply introducing a national interest test on foreign takeovers, that it itself I think is not that controversial. A number of other countries have a similar provision. But what is worrying is the context in which it's occurred, which is that there was already a takeover offer on the table. It was by the Malaysian company Kulim for the New Britain Palm Oil corporation, which is PNG's biggest employer, and they already had 49 per cent of the shares, in the past they've actually had more than 50 per cent, in fact for quite a long time. So it's not clear why PNG government's decided that it doesn't want it again to go above 50 per cent. It was a controversial bid, it was one that actually the board had rejected, and it was one that had very few takers. So it would have been quite easy for the PNG government just to leave this to commercial means to resolve, but some for reason they decided they needed to intervene. And that seems to have been the motive for passing this act and then making this decision that it wasn't in the national interest.

COUTTS: Well how much does the Malaysian company Kulim own now in the palm oil?

HOWES: They own just under 50 per cent.

COUTTS: Will this impact on the mining that's coming up or that is current and that will develop in PNG?

HOWES: Quite possibly, they talked about agriculture and they said, so this is an additional sort of announcement that they don't want foreign companies owning more than half of an agricultural company. I mean that's quite different to saying we're going to apply a national interest test, that's much more like a policy position. And again it's a sort of an announcement that doesn't come with any rationale and is definitely going to be of concern to individuals. They focussed on the media, they've also had a similar announcement that media companies will have to be majority Papua New Guinean owned. They've talked about other sectors of economy they want to reserve for Papua New Guineans. They haven't specifically targeted mining, but of course at the same time you've got this massive dispute around Ok Tedi and sustainable development program, which is a Singapore registered company. But the government's attempt to sack the board and management of that company as part of its dispute. So there are a number of issues going on around the economy which as I said suggests the government's going in this nationalistic direction, and that's definitely going to concern foreign investors, and in that way certainly have an impact on the mining sector.

COUTTS: You mentioned media, we're already seeing that there will be some sell-offs, but I'm just wondering what'll happen to the Post Courier and papers like that that are foreign owned?

HOWES: Well that's right, that is just at the announcement stage. So that has not been implemented yet. There would have to be legislation, but of course the government has a big majority and it's shown that it can use that majority to get legislation through. So if it were to go from policy to legislation, it would have a huge effect, because the two big newspapers are owned, one by News Corporation and one by the big Malaysian logging company, Rimbunan Hijau. There's also foreign ownership of tv and radio stations. So if the government were to go forward with this it would have a huge, there'd be a big shake-out in the media sector.

COUTTS: And is this consistent with Prime Minister Peter O'Neill's broader vision and policies for the country?

HOWES: Well that's the odd thing because he has this reputation of being very business friendly and a sort of can-do Prime Minister. So to have this kind of approach doesn't seem at all consistent with that. I think there is a mood in PNG that there's been a resource boom and that Papua New Guineans aren't being left behind and foreigners are the ones really benefitting from that resource boom. So I think he's responding to that sentiment. But he has to be very careful with policies like this and actions that aren't well explained and are seemed targeted. With policies that seem to be targeted against particular companies he's very quickly going to lose his reputation of being business friendly, and will end up damaging the PNG economy.

29.10.2013

Source: PNG Attitude

Arawa’s facelift pains the few who remember the past

by LEONARD FONG ROKA 

AFTER THE DEVASTATING SETBACK of the 10-year Bougainville crisis from 1989, the provincial township of Arawa is getting back to its once booming economic and social status. 

Arawa is fast becoming a centre for all sorts of activity and a transit point for travellers.

With Bank South Pacific now established, most central and south Bougainville people do business here. 

This month Arawa hosted a Bougainville-wide football tournament where men and women’s soccer teams from across Bougainville came flocking for nine days of games. 

The non-Bougainvillean population is rising, and this is getting old Ambrose Taruko worried. 

Taruko says he and his family were kicked out of Arawa before the crisis. He says Bougainville Copper Limited, the PNG government and the provincial government paid no heed to them.

Far worse, to Taruko, were the erereng (Papua New Guineans) brought in by BCL and the PNG government. Taruko says he and his people were robbed of their life as it was. 

He says it was the Bougainville crisis that rescued them from extinction, so he has respect for Bougainville Revolutionary Army leader the late Francis Ona and former combatants.

He says that now the conflict is over, landowners like him are respected by the Autonomous Bougainville Government.

“Me and my family were saved by the war from losing all our land,” he says. 

“The little we had after the PNG government and BCL took everything was taken over by the reckless spread of erereng slums.”

Now Taruko is worried by the increasing erereng population in Arawa, even though they are just a handful. He fears this is the start of something big – “That is the trend me and my family suffered in the past.”

In the 1960s Taruko was a young man and watched the development of Arawa town. It brought in many companies and the contractors brought in erereng to work and not Bougainvilleans. 

The erereng then brought in their relatives and a few married into the local population. Arawa became not a town on Bougainville but a town in some part of PNG. To Taruko history is repeating itself.

“Erereng illegal settlers took over our gardening land. Every day they claimed a land area. I drew a line that they should not cross. But the next morning they unrooted the sticks I buried and slashed them to pieces.

“When I went to see their leader to settle the dispute, they terrorised me with knives. They stole our cocoa and coconut plantation and raped our women. They also looted our gardens and fruit trees, too.’

Taruko and a few other landowners of Arawa are worried that the Bougainville government is not concerned about the welfare of Bougainvilleans and that it is not creating an environment where Bougainvilleans can advance themselves without the infiltrating erereng people.

To them the Autonomous Bougainville Government has gone off track and they think the current leaders must be changed for the betterment of the Bougainville people.

28.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

AUTONOMOUS REGION OF BOUGANVILLE

BOUGAINVILLE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

BY- ELECTION SCHELDULE

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred on the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner by Section 4 of the Bougainville Elections Act 2007,1, GEORGE MANU, Acting Bougainville Electoral Commissioner, hereby set the following Election Schedule for the By Elections of PEIT,HAGOGOHE, RAU, KONGARA, AND LULE Constituencies in the Bougainville House of Representatives-

The purpose of the said election as follows:-

1. Issue of Writ (Opening of Nomination) Wednesday 30th October 2013

2. Close of Nomination Thursday 7th November 2013

3. Polling commences Wednesday 4th December 2013

4. Close of polling Thursday 12th December 2013

5. Return of Writ Thursday 19th December 2013

DATED this 18th day of September 2013

GEORGE MANU

Acting Bougainville Electoral Commissioner

28.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

AUTONOMOUS REGION OF BOUNGANVILLE

Bougainville Elections Act 2007

INSTRUMENT OF APPOINTMENT

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred on the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner, hereby appoint-

(a) JOHN ITANU as the Regional Returning Officer for the 2013 ABG by - Election;

(b) PETER WANGA as Assistant Returning Officer for Hagogohe Single Member Constituency;

(C) PETER KUTADIO as Assistant Returning Officer for Rau Single Member Constituency;

(d) CHARLES KOPANA as Assistant Returning Officer for Kongara Single Member Constituency;

(e) MATTHEW MAAU as Assistant Returning Officer for Lule Single Member Constituency;

(f) GARRY KENEHE as Assistant Returning Officer for Peit Single Member Constituency;

This appointment instrument takes effect on the 26th August 2013.

DATED this 18th day of September

GEORGE MANU

Acting Bougainville Electoral Commissioner

28.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

ANIS OBITS

By Tom Kathoa

The Autonomous Region of Bougainville has lost another leader, in the likes of late Thomas Anis from Lontis in the Haku Constitency.

The late Anis passed away at the Buka General Hospital at the weekend.

Thomas Anis is a graduate of the University of Papua New Guinea and in his political life he was the deputy premier under the late Joseph Kabui in the Transitional Government (BTG).

The late Anis made great contribution to Bougainville in the political arena.

Meanwhile, New Dawn Staff Members who were very close to the late Anis described him as a hard working and a friend to all.

The staff members in their condolence message to the immediate family, relatives and friends of the deceased described him as a great achiever and kind hearted.

The president of the ABG, Hon. Dr. John Momis also sends his condolence message to the family of Anis.

We all share with you in this time of great sorrow.

28.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

MORA MORA SCOUTS FOR BOUGAINVILLE STUDENTS

By Alex Munme

TWO Delegations from the Western New Britain Province will arrive in Buka next Monday to enroll students and recruit Tradesmen as teachers for their schools in 2014 academic year.

The delegations comprise of the Chairman and Principal of West New Britain Technical College formerly known as Mora Mora Technical School and Principal and a Teacher from the Hoskins Girls Technical School.

The two delegations brief engagement program in Bougainville will take them to visit Hutjena Secondary School on Monday. They will then meet and do presentations at the Bougainville Administration Conference room with interested students till Wednesday.

They will also visit Arawa and Tinputz Technical College on their way back on Friday.

Governing Council Member, Tony Tsora says at Tinputz they will talk with the Governing Council to establish an understanding to share knowledge, skill and exchange of technical expertise.

Mr. Tsora says that more than 50 intending students have submitted their names and more are coming.

He says intending students are to see him before Monday at the Sohe Haus in Kokopau.

28.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

CARE UPDATES PARTICIPANTS ON NURSERY BUILDINGS

By Alex Munme

STRUGGLING Participants engaged in the Care CBA Project will soon receive some funds to complete their Nursery Buildings.

Care will make available up to a maximum of K400 for each group to complete their Nursery.

This money can be used to cover the cost of chainsaw hire, extra building materials including nursery site and transport cost.

The money will not cover any labor as the Community will contribute freely.

Meanwhile trainings are delayed due to the Care boat being damaged. Care will be back with NARI in November to catch up on all the trainings however a date has not been set.

Care will notify all participants when a date for training is set.

28.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

URBAN TOWN MANAGERESS COMMENTS ON RUBBISH MANAGEMENT

By Alex Munme

Buka UrbanTown Manageress, Brenda Tohiana says she is happy and is commenting the general public especially youth for their cooperation in respecting public facility especially plants and flowers growing in Buka Town to promote the image of Buka town.

She says there have been great improvements and people are making an effort to dispose rubbish into drums provided around Buka town.

Mrs. Tohiana encourages everyone to continue the attitude and make use of drums provided.

Referring to Business Houses, she acknowledges the prompt payments of invoices how ever there need to be an improvement in their waste management.

She says Business Houses should provide enough drums to contain all their rubbish.

She says that there have been some requirements for mainly Kai Bars to meet in the business waste management act which encourages the use of plastic bags and the green waste bins and not drums. The Manageress says many are not complying with the Food and Sanitation Act.

She is calling on these restaurants and Kai Bars to properly manage their rubbish and do justice to the environment and provide a healthy environment that is pleasant.

28.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Bougainville MP gives computers to high school  

By WINTERFORD TOREAS

BOUGAINVILLE Regional MP Joe Lera (picture) rates education as one of his top priorites that he plans to adequately support during his term in Parliament.

He has decided to take this approach after realising that if the people were not equipped with any form of education, they will not be able to appreciate and look after the infrastructure projects funded by the Government and donor agencies.

Since his election victory last year, Mr Lera has already allocated substantial amounts of funding to different education programs both in Bougainville and other parts of the country as well as overseas.

Recently Mr Lera, through his budgetary allocation, presented a cheque of K230,850 for the purchase of new computers for Tonu High School in the Siwai District of South Bougainville. 

The funding was presented to a locally owned company, Global Consultants Ltd.

Apart from the purchase of computers, this company will also be responsible for the installation and networking of these computers. 

Upon receiving the cheque, manager of Global Consultants Ltd Gregory Singkai assured Mr Lera that his company will be using this funding for its intended purpose.

Mr Singkai added that they will also ensure that quality work is carried out in this project.

It is understood that Mr Singkai has already ordered the computers from overseas, and will begin with the installation and networking once the computers arrive at the school.  

28.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Alluvial gold mining can be successful

Alluvial gold mining can become a successful business venture if small scale miners learn how to manage their business.

Small Scale Mining Training (SSMT) Centre manager Al Comparativo said this during the graduation ceremony of 12 small scale miners in Wau, Bulolo District early this month.

The participants graduated with a level two certificate in SSMT. Ten of the 12 graduates were sponsored by the Morobe Mining Joint Venture.

Mr Comparativo said this was the last batch of Morobe Mining sponsored students for the year, adding that to date 260 students were sent to the school by the company.

“I congratulate Morobe Mining for this and I know that it’ll continue to support SSMT centre,” he said. 

He said the level two training will be introduced to selected areas which are considered alluvial mining hotspots in 2014. 

He said this year alone was a milestone because they delivered 28 outreach programs all over PNG and more than 1,600 small scale miners were certified. 

He urged participants to put the trainings into action.

Student representative, Enious Geyamuki thanked Morobe Mining for the sponsorship.

“We value our training as extension for our small scale mining industry. Going forward we see ourselves at the starting line to improve our mining techniques and this is where we need to start by applying what we’ve learnt,” said Mr Geyamuki.

He said they never realised that small scale mining could be run as a business until they attended the training and saw the potential through learning the economics of alluvial mining. Morobe Mining’s capacity building and planning superintendent, Abel Philemon, challenged the trainees to put into practice what they learnt. 

He said if they applied the skills they learnt, they would become successful business entrepreneurs.

“The only way to become successful is through commitment and hard work,” Mr Abel said.

27.10.2013

Source: Bougainville24

Panguna erosion could devastate

By Leonard Fong Roka

Clean section of the Kavarong River waterway

When the Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) began its mine in Panguna in the 1960s it created an open-pit mine that is about two kilometres wide and half a kilometer deep. Before this could be achieved it required the clearance of jungle which occupied the space and million tonnes of overburden was washed down the present day Tumpusiong Valley.

The company’s operation greatly affected the natural environmental activity of the area’s main river system, the Kavarong.

The progress of mining at Panguna led to a build-up of waste gravel and rock dumps, the Kavarong River left its original banks and soared into heights of where the jungle used to be.

The waste rocks that filled in the Kavarong valley buried villages such as Dokotonama, Unang and Dapera and required the re-settlement of others.

The course of the Kavarong River was altered to safeguard the mining operation and sits on an artificial river bed that is now severely affected by weather.

27.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

LAUTA ON AGRICULTURE

By Aloysius Laukai

The North Bougainville member, Lauta Atoi today thanked the four clans that own the Baneo Plantation for their interest to free their land for development.

He made these remarks at the official visit by World Bank Cocoa project in Baneo today.

MR.ATOI said without land no development will take place to support ABG's plan to move Bougainville into the future.

North Bougainville Member LAUTA ATOI talking with WORLD BANK consultants

Tsu tsu time at the plantation

Three leaders Acting ABG President, Patrick Nisira,MR. Kofinouve World Bank team leader and North Bougainville member, LAUTA ATOI walking to the stage at Baneo Plantation.

Leaders were escorted to the stage by this Singsing group.

Nursery ready at Baneo plantation

26.10.2013

Source: EMTV

Journalists Urged to Write Books 

Journalists in Papua New Guinea have been urged to write books, to keep a record of the unfolding events in their carreer.

This from a young Bougainvillean writer; a Divine Word University student venturing into writing. He says writing books are a way to preserve our history.

Leonard Fong Roka comes from Tumpusiong valley where the worlds giant copper mine Panguna is located, Central Bougainville.

He is 34 years old among four other siblings and currently a third year student, in PNG Studies and International Relations.

In 2003, he studied literature and politics at the University of Papua New Guinea after exploring the poem writing art in 1997.

Mr Roka so far has written three books, two already published by Pukpuk Publication in Brisbane Australia: the Pomong U’tau of DREAMS; a poetry collection and Moments in Bougainville containing 16 short stories.

Writing books was his dream, he said, it’s now his hobby.

He said he has ventured into writing books, joining other renowned writers like Professor Steven Winduo, Russell Soaba, Sir Paulias Matane, the late Dr Regis Stella and Aloysius Banono known as Matabuna Tahun, whom he wrote poems with.

And he proved it well being one of the Crocodile Prize recipients on his short story: ‘Farewell My Bougainville Prophetess’.

Roka said the writing art culture have been revived through the Crocodile Prize by Keith Jackson and Phil Fitzpatrick, to promote PNG through literature.

Roka urges young people to participate in crocodile prize writing competition to expose their art of writing.

25.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Ultimate thirst quencher

Words and Picture: WINTERFORD TOREAS

25.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Minister Lojaya Kouza welcomed to Buka

Minister Lojaya Kouza met by the Bougainville colleague, Melchior Dare

24.10.2013

Source: Bougainville24

Linus Tatamas – helping AROB with a smile

By Linus Tatamas

Linus Tatamas (right) – Courtesy of AusAID

I enrolled at the Australia-Pacific Technical College in Fiji because I wanted to help my community.

That might seem an unusual reason – most people return to study to upgrade their professional qualifications, and of course I am doing that as well – but my main motive is to do what I can for the people of Bougainville where I come from. To explain why, I need to add some background.

Bougainville is made up of several islands to the east of Papua New Guinea, and it has suffered terribly because of war. It suffered in the Second World War, along with many other places in the Pacific, but more recently it has been torn apart by civil war.

This broke out in 1989 and continued on and off for more than 15 years. Even today, when Bougainville has gained its autonomy as a province of Papua New Guinea, order is not totally restored.

Anyone who has experienced war knows that the human damage it causes goes far beyond the death and injury in the immediate fighting and continues to be felt long after the conflict is over, even by generations too young to fight.

Young people in Bougainville are in this category. Many have seen their families’ lives wrecked. And then there are the devastating economic consequences of war. Bougainville is a big copper producer, its economy depends mainly on copper, but with the copper production reduced or interrupted by fighting, and opportunities for young people to find work have also decreased.

The war – or ‘crisis’ as we call it – had various origins. It was partly caused by ethnic rivalries, but the effect was the same as in any war. I saw it on my home island of Buka where there was quite a lot of fighting.

Families were dispersed; children were orphaned and left to fend for themselves. The result is a big social problem. In addition to, and as a consequence of, not being able to find work, many young people are in need of total rehabilitation.

Here, I thought, is where I can do something positive. I had already begun my career as a youth worker when I attended a workshop run by visiting APTC staff in Bougainville. I was impressed. The APTC, I thought, can help me to do my job better.

I filled in an application straight away and was accepted for the Certificate IV course in Youth Work. I didn’t mind travelling to Fiji to do it. Incidentally, I am told that I am the first student from Bougainville to enrol in any course in the APTC’s School of Hospitality and Community Services.

In my opinion, employment is the essential starting point for helping young people rebuild their lives. To this end I have been working in Bougainville with local government and overseas agencies to help create job opportunities by seeking external funding, but there is more to it than just the job.

I take what my trainer, Gareth McGrath, calls a ‘holistic approach’ to my work. You might say that we aim at the rehabilitation of the whole person and the recovery of self-esteem. A sense of humour helps too.

Linus Tatamas was a student at the Australia-Pacific Technical College’s School of Hospitality and Community Services in Suva, Fiji. He lives in Bougainville

24.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

China to be main base metals consumer

CHINA is poised to become the world’s main consumer of base metals by 2017, according to the latest report by energy and metals analysis firm, Wood Mackenzie, the most comprehensive source of knowledge about the world’s energy and metals industries.

The Asian giant will account for 52 per cent of base metals demand in less than four years, compared with 46 per cent of the 96Mt global base metals market it currently demands.

Wood Mackenzie says the outlook for Chinese base metals demand is slower, not lower.

“While China’s lower GDP targets are reflected in lower demand growth for base metals on a percentage basis over the next five years, versus the last half decade, China will maintain its dominance,” the research firm says.

Head of Base Metals Markets for the firm, Helen Matthews, explained that its forecasts for the next five years showed that aluminium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc demand growth will come predominately from China.

“Demand growth has slowed from the double digits we saw from 2008 to 2013 to single digits – ranging from five to eight per cent – however, it’s important to note that in absolute tonnage terms we still see significant numbers,” she said.

“The world, excluding China, accounts for 54 per cent of the current global base metals market, however, as we’re seeing with many other commodities, China’s rampant appetite will overtake the rest of the world, growing to 52 per cent of demand in a 117Mt market,” Ms Matthews said.

Continued urbanisation and rising domestic wealth are the key drivers of the expected surge in demand from China, Wood Mackenzie’s report said.

24.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Man missing after visit by boss  

By WINTERFORD TOREAS

A YOUNG man from South Bougainville has reportedly gone missing in Buka since last Saturday after being released from custody at the Buka police station cell.

According to reports reaching the Post-Courier, Benjamin Kasirim from Tokaino in the Buin District had been locked up at the police station following an argument with his employer.

He had been employed as a boat operator by an employer who also hails from the Buin area and owns a number of stores in Buka town, Sohano Island, Hahela and Hutjena.

Kasirim was released from custody after police were assured by his employer that they would peacefully sort out the matter outside of the police station.

But he has been missing after being allowed out of police custody.

There was information that Kasirim was last seen at Kokopau after his release from custody, where he was badly allegedly beaten by his boss and some other men who were helping the businessman.

Many people are concluding that he was taken to some place before being killed and his body dumped in an undisclosed location.

Relatives of Kasirim numbering more than 30 arrived in Buka yesterday morning after learning of his disappearance and are now trying their best to locate him.

North Bougainville provincial police commander, Inspector Spencer Aili confirmed yesterday that Kasirim has been missing since Saturday.

He defended the decision by his men to release him from custody, saying this was done after having been assured that this matter will be peacefully addressed outside of police intervention and that no harm will be inflicted on Kasirim. 

Insp Aili also confirmed that the relatives are now staying at Sohano and have already questioned the wife of this businessman.  

24.10.2013

Source: PNG Attitude

UN gender violence survey without foundation

by JOHN MOMIS

“23% of men who raped in Bougainville were 14 years or younger when they first committed this crime… More than 65% of men in Bougainville reported experiencing emotional abuse or neglect as children” - Extract from UNDP media release of 10 September 2013, UN Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence in Asia and the Pacific

THE UNITED NATIONS REPORT on Gender Violence has not yet been formally presented to the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG). 

However, if what has been reported widely in the media is any indication of what is contained in the final draft report, then, as President of the ABG, I am forced to condemn the report as being a piece of flawed, imperfect research and without basis or foundation. 

The report cannot in any way be an accurate empirical study of certain social conditions in Bougainville and has served to engender stereotypical reporting that does not enhance the social indices of Bougainville.

I am not prepared to go into a point by point rebuttal of the findings which has not yet been formally released to the government, but on the basis of what has surfaced, the UN sponsoring body should immediately withdraw the report and apologise to the people of Bougainville and by extension to the people of Papua New Guinea.

When the provisional ABG Research Ethics Committee met last year with the representatives of the National Statistical Office and the UN, it expressed its concern about the methodology and the protocol that was to be used in the study.

It also expressly made as one of the conditions of the survey that the study would be first presented to the ABG and the National Statistical Office (the national government sponsoring agency) before any publication of the findings were made.

It is a serious disappointment that the report has been given to the media before any of these protocols were observed. The premature release of the report has done irreparable harm to communities across Bougainville. 

Again, without getting into specifics, none of the findings represent conditions on the ground in Bougainville, a largely matrilineal society, where women are respected, free to walk and live their normal lives unmolested as purported in the study. 

The findings, therefore, are not that of the natural disposition of the people of Bougainville and are out of character.

Admittedly, because of the fallout from the Bougainville Crisis some forms of deviancy such as alcoholism, drug use, and an unacceptable level of teenage pregnancies has exhibited itself into parts of the society. 

We are addressing these issues, through various ABG policies and programmes, donor funding to NGOs and churches and ironically, through the proposed UN Peace Building Fund

As President, I am concerned about the activities of certain groups, which I would term “stretcher bearers”, who are pushing an agenda on this most sensitive issue of gender violence that is self-serving. 

As a government we are not just dealing with the victims but we are addressing the root causes through public policy. We recognize that there is a sense of alienation among a segment of our population which will have to be addressed.

Our major towns and population centres, Buka, Arawa, Siwai and Buin and the villages across Bougainville are strangers to the type of findings in the survey. The report presents a tale of two cities: one conceived in the minds of the researchers and the other being actual conditions on the ground. 

Bougainville is a small community and if the situation described in the report is anyway true, then the question must be asked: why is it that these conditions did not come to the attention of our leaders? 

As one such leader, I can assert that there is strong public opinion against the findings. Any rational observer would readily agree that the findings in the UN study are nowhere approaching the levels purported in the report.

I have discussed this matter with the UN representative in Buka and he has made representation to the UN country representative in Port Moresby.

I have received a response from the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Representative to which I shall be replying officially. We do not want such a report to be in circulation that might provide the basis for other researchers to use this type of misinformation as the basis for future work on Bougainville, flawed as it is.

Hon Chief John Momis GCL MHR is President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government

23.10.2013

Source: Bougainville24

Tax can boost development

The Internal Revenue Commission was one of the first government agencies to open an office in Buka after the Bougainville Peace Agreement was signed.

The job of IRC is to collect taxes on behalf of the government of PNG. A substantial portion of these taxes is returned to the Autonomous Bougainville Government.

Taxation is an essential part of the process of good governance, providing government agencies with the means to offer services to the public.

The taxes collected in Bougainville are mainly the goods and services tax, individual income tax and corporate income tax.

Bougainville receives 30% of the gross GST collection, as specified in the Peace Agreement. This totalled K1.98 million in 2012.

The province also receives a share of personal income tax collections (K7 million in 2012).

A taxpayer awareness and education team from IRC recently visited Bougainville to bring tax information to the people.

23.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

PNG POWER UN RELIABLE

By Aloysius Laukai

PNG POWER service in Buka has dramatically dropped in Buka recently.

And their load shedding scheduled in Buka has not been followed resulting in some areas totally missing out on power for more than 24 hrs.

Power at the New Dawn Fm office sometimes takes up to 12 hours.

And today we are still without power since 3 pm yesterday.

According to reports gathered by New Dawn Fm in Buka many business houses are thinking of sueing PNGPOWER for damaged freezer goods and equipment s destroyed by fluctuating power current.

Last week New Dawn Fm office noticed that the voltage at their offices had exceeded the normal required of 240 volts to 258 volts resulting in we switching off out equipments.

It is not known when this problem will be resolved.

23.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

BSP reaches out to Arawa

By ROMILUS MASIU

BANK South Pacific (BSP) has touched down in Arawa targeting the “grassroots” business people of Bougainville with their latest small and medium enterprises (SME) product range to service and support the SME sector. 

The master mind and initiator of the BSP SME products and services Dennis Konu was on hand to conduct awareness and sell the product to his Bougainvillean wantoks at 3 Rocks Club. 

Mr Konu from Siwai, South Bougainville is the BSP Retail Manager. 

He wass accompanied by Dennis Lamus, BSP area manager – NGI region, Raymond Fordly (NGI eftos sales manager), Kilala Kindau (NGI BSP rural officer) and Patrick Buibui (BSP Arawa branch manager). 

The team made presentation to the Central Bougainville Indigenous SME Association led by chairman Chris Damana and vice chairman Dickson Siparu. 

The team will later travel to Buin to conduct the same awareness to the business people and public of South Bougainville. 

23.10.2013

Source: The National

Momis: Faith helped me cope with sorrow 

THE late Mary Catherine Momis, the only child of the Autonomous Bougainville government President John Momis and wife Elizabeth, was buried last Saturday.

She had died on the previous Monday at the Buka General Hospital following a severe asthma attack.

Paying tribute to his daughter, who had turned 20 last month, Momis said she was a loving child who was humble and well-liked by all who knew her.

He said he had experienced many things in his life but losing a child like her meant he had to bear difficulties like never before.

Momis said his family believed their daughter was in a better place.

“My trust in God has helped me to cope with this great loss and it has given me strength to move on,” he said.

Acting chief of staff at the office of the president, Willie Masiu, on behalf of the Momis family, thanked the people of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea for their support.

22.10.2013

Source: Bougainville24

Decisions to be made on Panguna

Many gathered for the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement – UNDP,org

Two important streams of information are flowing side by side across Bougainville at this time.

Both streams seem destined to merge in the near future, as the people of the Autonomous Region furnish themselves with facts and make practical decisions affecting their future.

The first information stream concerns the Bougainville Peace Agreement, first achieved many years ago but the details of which are now a little blurred in the memory of many Bougainvilleans.

Sharpening up the focus on the essential elements of the Agreement has become a priority task for both the Autonomous Government and NCOBA, the National Government’s co-ordinating agency for Bougainville Affairs.

Encouraging people to re-discuss  and better understand the historic agreement is necessary because the most vital of all its provisions is that a referendum be held, allowing all Bougainvilleans to vote on the choice to depart from Papua New Guinea and embark on a new life as an independent state, or remain as an autonomous entity.

22.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

ABG okay with fund acquittals

By LAWRENCIA PIRPIR

THERE is no written and clear agreement as to how to process the special infrastructure funds that were agreed at K500 million in 2011 (K100 million per year) as conditional grants.

And last week’s Joint Supervisory Body meeting in Kokopo has strongly endorsed the need for greater co-ordination of all the resources provided to the Autonomous Bougainville Government, including those from the Government of Papua New Guinea and development partners.

It also endorsed the joint program management unit (JPMU) within the ABG that would report to the project steering committee, chaired by ABG chief administrator with representatives from the Department of National Planning and Monitoring, Department of Works, Department of Education, Department of Health and the Co-ordinating Office for Bougainville Affairs.

The working committee here would also review the current project management unit (PMU) structure which was endorsed with a view to ensuring that the PMU is an effective mechanism for co-ordination of Bougainville’s restoration and development.

It was also endorsed that to perform its project management role, all funding sources that include the Restoration and Development Grant, Special Infrastructure Fund and donor partner project funds for Bougainville must include an allocation of a minimum of five per cent for project design, management and supervision.

To make this happen, the official statement on the conclusions and record of the JSB of the Government of PNG and ABG Technical officials, co-chaired by acting Prime Minister chief Leo Dion and vice President Patrick Nisiri of the ABG, stated that the nature as to how to draw down these funds lies in the hands of the above proposed joint working group that would be established by the GoPNG chief secretary and the acting chief administrator of the ABG.

They would co-ordinate an agreement that would set up a future process of administrative and acquittal arrangements for these funds that recommends the terms of a Conditional Grant Agreement on such matters.

The written agreement would define:

* Any special acquittal and reporting for the purpose for which the SIF is made, including a definition on ‘high impact project’;

* How decisions by PMU on the particular projects to be funded under each year of the SIF are to be made and may be periodically revised through the Joint Supervisory Body;

* How changes may be made to funding decisions during a particular year, due to unexpected circumstances, but always subject to the requirement that funds not be re-appropriated from one project to another without prior arrangement from the Government of Papua New Guinea;

The joint statement reiterated that Special Infrastructure Funds were agreed at K500 million in 2011 as conditional grants. 

22.10.2013

Source: The National

Region, govt sign pact 

THE national and Bougainville governments signed a joint supervisory body resolution last Friday in Kokopo, East New Britain, to endorse their commitment and understanding about progress in the autonomous region.

The governments committed to continue working together in a spirit of cooperation and commitment to ensure that progress on implementation of Bougainville’s autonomy arrangements were fully realised.

However, there were some blunt exchanges on a number of topics and sharing of information.

The resolution, signed by Acting Prime Minister Leo Dion and Acting President of ABG Patrick Nisira, included nine aspects such as the 2014 ABG budget, Special Intervention Fund, Restoration and Development grants, transfers of powers, memorandum of understanding between the national government and ABG on capacity building, referendum on committee work, national government nominee for the Bougainville’s senior appointment committee for constitutional office holders and the transfer of the association incorporation power without the requirement for 12 months notice and the ABG administration capital.

The 2014 ABG budget request that has been presented to the budget screening committee (BSC), specifically for support of the new public service, parliamentary service, and the community auxiliary police will be dealt with by the BSC in the usual budget process.

An agreement was reached regarding the special intervention fund, allowing it to be appropriated at K100 million in 2014.

Both governments recognised that payments of the Restoration and Development Grants are constitutionally guaranteed and agreed that the national government is legally obliged to pay all outstanding grants

It is understood that the ABG President John Momis will travel to Port Moresby this week to meet with Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to discuss the RDG.

A ministerial committee will later be established by ministers nominated by the PM and the President to address the calculation of the 2014 grants for inclusion in the 2014 national budget.

The first meeting of the ministerial committee is expected to be held this week after the meeting between O’Neill and Momis.

22.10.2013

Source: Islands Business

Bougainville leader dissatisfied with treatment, ABG okay with fund acquittals

BUKA, Bougainville--- People in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville still feel that they are not treated as an independent government, Vice-President Patrick Nisira says. 

Nisira said that last Friday in Kokopo, East New Britain, during a Joint Supervisory Body meeting between the national government and ABG. 

“We often feel that we are regarded as just another provincial government. Even when it comes to calculations of grants, national agencies seem to feel they can make arbitrary decisions about ABG without reference to what the Constitution provides,” he said. 

Nisira said the constitutional provisions on the JSB underlined the fact that the ABG was a constitutionally established and highly autonomous government. 

He said this meant that it was different to the provincial governments in terms of powers and resources, as well as intergovernmental relations. 

Nisira said there was a lack of understanding of the peace agreement. 

“There has been a growing problem, especially at the national level, mainly because of the high turnover of politicians and senior officials,” he said.

“There is almost no one in the national government structures who is involved in negotiating the agreement.

 “So perhaps it is not such a surprise that many do not understand the big difference between autonomy and a provincial government,” he said. 

Nisira said he feared sometimes that this failure to understand the ABG as a truly autonomous government was part of the reason why JSB was not working well. 

“For example; the constitution says JSB must meet twice a year, but it has only met twice in the last three years,” he said. 

Nisira said cooperation was essential if the Peace Agreement was to work as intended. 

Meanwhile, there is no written and clear agreement as to how to process the special infrastructure funds that were agreed at K500 million (US$192 million) in 2011 (K100 million (US$38 million) per year) as conditional grants. 

And last week’s Joint Supervisory Body meeting in Kokopo has strongly endorsed the need for greater co-ordination of all the resources provided to the Autonomous Bougainville Government, including those from the Government of Papua New Guinea and development partners. 

It also endorsed the joint program management unit (JPMU) within the ABG that would report to the project steering committee, chaired by ABG chief administrator with representatives from the Department of National Planning and Monitoring, Department of Works, Department of Education, Department of Health and the Co-ordinating Office for Bougainville Affairs. 

The working committee here would also review the current project management unit (PMU) structure which was endorsed with a view to ensuring that the PMU is an effective mechanism for co-ordination of Bougainville’s restoration and development. 

It was also endorsed that to perform its project management role, all funding sources that include the Restoration and Development Grant, Special Infrastructure Fund and donor partner project funds for Bougainville must include an allocation of a minimum of five per cent for project design, management and supervision. 

To make this happen, the official statement on the conclusions and record of the JSB of the Government of PNG and ABG Technical officials, co-chaired by acting Prime Minister chief Leo Dion and vice President Patrick Nisiri of the ABG, stated that the nature as to how to draw down these funds lies in the hands of the above proposed joint working group that would be established by the GoPNG chief secretary and the acting chief administrator of the ABG. 

They would co-ordinate an agreement that would set up a future process of administrative and acquittal arrangements for these funds that recommends the terms of a Conditional Grant Agreement on such matters. 

The written agreement would define: 

• Any special acquittal and reporting for the purpose for which the SIF is made, including a definition on ‘high impact project’; 
• How decisions by PMU on the particular projects to be funded under each year of the SIF are to be made and may be periodically revised through the Joint Supervisory Body; 
• How changes may be made to funding decisions during a particular year, due to unexpected circumstances, but always subject to the requirement that funds not be re-appropriated from one project to another without prior arrangement from the Government of Papua New Guinea; 

The joint statement reiterated that Special Infrastructure Funds were agreed at K500 million in 2011 as conditional grants. 

22.10.2013

Source: The National

Free twin sticker concept for Bougainville 

LESS than 300 of the 1,000-plus vehicles on Buka are registered, the Autonomous Bougainville Government reveals.

It, therefore, signed the one-stop-shop concept with Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited last Thursday in Kokopo, East New Britain, to ensure all registered vehicles have stickers.

It is estimated that more than 500 vehicles on Buka and mainland Bougainville were not registered.

The ABG estimates that more than 1,000 vehicles operate on the island. The MVIL’s statistics, however, shows that less than 300 are registered.

MVIL said the number of registered vehicles varied from year to year, depending on policy holders on Bougainville who did renewals annually.

MVIL executive manager operations Hellen Koka said they would work closely with the police traffic section in Bougainville to insure vehicles.

She said MVIL would be working closely with the Land Transport Division and Customs.

She said many clients had been importing vehicles directly from suppliers. This means that Customs, Land Transport divisions and police traffic officers cannot inspect the vehicles and collect fees.

“This is why we want to work closely with customs to address this, not only in Bougainville but throughout the country,” she said.

Koka said MVIL was giving the twin sticker concept to ABG for free. It will assist the province to increase its revenue.

Koka said MVIL was working closely with hospitals in PNG in relation to car accident statistics.

“We are trying our best to work closely with all stakeholders as much as possible,” she said.

21.10.2013

Source: EMTV

JSB Meeting: ABG and State Agree on Next Steps Forward 

The recent Joint Supervisory Body meeting conducted in Kokopo by the National Government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government reached several recommendations.

Top on the agenda was the Special Intervention Fund that has caused much debate by leaders in recent weeks.

Under the Peace Agreement, the National Government is expected to release One Hundred Million kina every year for the restoration and development grant.

Recent debate by members of parliament and ABG members have centered on the failure to submit acquittals for these funds not been submitted.

The recent meeting’s function was to oversee implementation of the Peace agreement.

Speaking at the meeting, ABG Vice President Patrick Nisira highlighted that there were outstanding grants to be settled by the national government.

The National government represented by Deputy Prime Minister Leo Dion admitted that there may have been a shortfall.

However, both governments agreed for a joint committee to work out the exact amount to be settled by the national government.

Both leaders have agreed to work more closely to implement key financial, infrastructure and public service transfer issues in relation to the JSB endorsed mechanisms.

21.10.2013

Source: Bougainville24

Women’s leadership with Agnes Nara

Agnes Nara – Courtesy of IWDA

The Bougainville Women’s Federation is a peak body for women’s representation across government, church, private sector, and civil society which aims to promote and coordinate women’s groups and maintain partnership between women and the community in peace building, reconciliation and weapons disposal in Bougainville.

Agnes Nara is the President of South Bougainville Women’s Federation and a banker, civil society peace-activist, political candidate, mother, and board member. She describes her path to political activism and civil leadership:

“In 1969 I began school and I carried on until Grade 10. I wanted to become a banker and was accepted into a training program for what was then the New South Wales Bank in Port Moresby.

“My mother wouldn’t let me go so far away. So I applied for teacher training college in Papua New Guinea. Again I was accepted but again my mother wouldn’t let me go out of the province. For a while I worked in the supermarket at the Panguna mine.

“I decided to go and speak to the local branch manager of the New South Wales Bank. I told him I had been accepted into the trainee program in Port Moresby. He offered me a position right away in the Kieta Branch. Later on I got married and started a family. I worked at the bank from 1979 until the troubles began in 1986.

21.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Business Meeting in Buka

Attending a SME meeting with Buka Business houses today

21.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Reconciliation gets underway

THE Siwai people of South Bougainville, represented by their paramount chiefs, came to Arawa to officially launch the reconciliation process of late Premier Theodore Miriung. They came and presented two mimis (traditional shell money) to the chiefs of the Baiang clan of North Nasioi – whom the late Miriung was a member of – signifying they were humbled and sought forgiveness from the Baiang clan to allow them to initiate the reconciliation of the late leader. The family of the late Miriung were also present. Mr Miriung was assassinated at his wife’s Kapana village on October 12, 1996 by unknown gunmen. Previous peace committees failed to negotiate the reconciliation of the leader. Pictured is paramount Chief of Siwai, Joseph Monoma, putting on the mimis on Moses Tauriko, chief of the Baiang of North Nasioi. Chris Eto and Chris Uma stand as witnesses to the launching of the reconciliation between the Siwais and the Baiang clan of Kieta. Words & Picture: ROMULUS MASIU

21.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Buin: President John Momis mourning his daughter

21.10.2013

Source: Radio New Zealand International

MP from Central Bougainville says the people don’t want mining

The Papua New Guinea MP representing Central Bougainville, Jimmy Miningtoro, says the people living near the Panguna mine do not want it re-opened.

The autonomous Bougainville government has been consulting around the province about a possible re-opening since the beginning of the year but talks planned last week in the Panguna region were derailed by former combatants.

Mr Miningtoro says this is an indication the people don’t want mining.

He told Don Wiseman he wants the ABG to instead emphasise agriculture, starting with copra and cocoa and also looking to new crops.

JIMMY MININGTORO: Coffee can come into the island. Coffee has been doing very well in the island during German days and there are remnants... People have been looking after coffee for many years here.

DON WISEMAN: Most of these products, though, the returns on them at the moment, particularly if you look at mainland PNG, the returns on them are meagre, aren’t they? They’re very poor.

JIMMY MININGTORO: Yeah, OK. These are just some examples, but we can find out more because there are crops able to meet the international market and we can work it out from there.

DON WISEMAN: You come from Central Bougainville, don’t you?

JIMMY MININGTORO: Absolutely.

DON WISEMAN: You’re absolutely convinced that there are people around there and along the river that took those tailings that are adamantly opposed to a return to mining?

JIMMY MININGTORO: Of course, of course. The people, they don’t want mining. Now, also if you look at the way things have been going on, especially re-examining the mining activity on the island, it has taken so long for ABG. What I see is this - at this point in time ABG must direct its attention to agriculture. Now, there are reasons. One, at the moment we don’t have the capacity to handle the mine on the island in terms of our workforce, so that is why I see mining at this time must stay out and the agriculture industry must come in, so that at least we can be able to sustain the island. Now, at the moment we are depending on the national governments funds, but the national governments funds are not filtering to Bougainville because the government on the ground is not meeting the compliance of how the money will be spent, so that’s the problem.

DON WISEMAN: I think a lot of the focus on mining by the ABG was because of this sense that coming up in a little over a year’s time is this period when they’ve got to seriously look at this vote on possible independence. And part of the requirement is they have a viable economy, isn’t it? Are they going to have a viable economy based on agricultural staples? Is that possible?

JIMMY MININGTORO: Well, New Zealand is run by agriculture, so it’s not a mistake. I don’t think New Zealand has a very big mining industry. You have an agriculture industry that is serving New Zealand. So it doesn’t hurt if we develop proper agricultural systems with crops that can meet international needs, then we can be able to sustain our economy. Now, I don’t see the future here for mining activity at this point in time. Because at the moment, as I have said, there is no capacity. And also if ABG cannot manage the government at the ground at the moment, how can ABG managing the extracting industry which they don’t even know.

DON WISEMAN: They don’t even know...?

JIMMY MININGTORO: The operation of the extracting industry.

ESBC comments: Laugh out loud! RNZI is taking the mickey of PNG MP Jimmy Miringtoro! The New Zealand Radio Network  calls him "Miningtoro" means "mining bull"! Mining bull! An excellent nickname for a politician who - unfortunately - spoke out a lot of "bullshit" during the past weeks!  "Miningtoro" is undermining Bougainville's independence!

21.10.2013

Source: Radio New Zealand International

Bougainville MP wants to scrap mining, focus on agriculture

The provincial government, and many other groups in Bougainville, want to re-start mining, but Mr Miningtoro, who comes from the area where the controversial Panguna mine is located, says mining is not the answer to the province’s economic woes.

He says the people do not want mining and the province lacks the capacity to deal with it.

Instead he wants a concentration on agriculture and says New Zealand is a country that has succeeded by following this route.

“I don’t think in New Zealand that you have a very big mining industry. You have an agriculture industry. So if we develop proper agriculture systems, bring cash crops that can meet international needs then we can be able to sustain our economy. Now I don’t see the future here for mining activity at this point in time.”

Jimmy Miningtoro

20.10.2013

Source: PNG Attitude

Bougainville Manifesto 9 - The Ona-Kabui power play

by LEONARD FONG ROKA

THE LATE FRANCIS ONA’s will to reign over Bougainville met with disaster early in 1990; and BRA strategist Sam Kauona’s smell of Bougainville’s political jeopardy was too late to rescue the island’s 100,000 people.

Amidst this chaos, two figures stood out as the key leaders of the Bougainville rebellion – Francis Ona and Joseph Kabui. But their views of the conflict were not harmonious and this greatly affected the Bougainville people. 

The late Joseph Kabui got into the wheelhouse of the provincial government in 1987. The following year brought challenges - militancy against the Panguna mine and the PNG government being the most outstanding. 

From late 1988 Kabui’s office was flooded with letters or proposals from ordinary people and leaders seeking help, compensation and ways to address the conflict on Bougainville. 

With these responsibilities for decision-making weighing on him, he received his first brutal bashing from the PNG police on the first day of July 1989 whilst returning from a church service in Arawa. 

PNG’s suspension of the North Solomons provincial government on 29 August 1990 might have relieved Kabui, but he was angered by the PNG Australia blockade of the province. 

Kabui and his elder brother, Martin Miriori, were also subject to harassment and looting by the Bougainville Revolutionary Army. This led to the formation of a BRA contingent to protect him in his home, the Tumpusiong Valley. 

Francis Ona, Kabui’s counterpart on the other side, was a hero. He received no flood of claims to his Guava village. People saw him as having a divine right to liberate and rule Bougainville. 

After the 17 May 1990 Unilateral Declaration of Independence, Kabui was in action as president of the Bougainville Interim Government (BIG). BIG soon established a Honiara office headed by Martin Miriori. At home, BIG was equipped with Radio Free Bougainville that was donated and set by some Australian sympathisers to spill its political discourse. 

Without the presence of Francis Ona, Joseph Kabui attempted to establish order on Bougainville. There were police and a military academy known as the Erama Barracks, where young men were trained by Bougainvillean former PNGDF soldiers. 

But all these developments were happening without Ona and other popular BRA greats like Ishmael Toroama, Glen Tovirika, and Chris Uma and others, who had already created their private armies which were executing their own rules in the name of Francis Ona. 

According to the Australian government’s Outline History of the Bougainville Conflict, in July and August 1990, Joseph Kabui led BIG in signing the Endeavour Accord with PNG to restore services on Bougainville.

Then in January 1991, Kabui led BIG in signing the Honiara Accord with PNG to bring a range of services into Bougainville. And in August 1991, he led BIG to the hearing of UN Committee on Rights of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples in Geneva, accusing the PNG of atrocities.

Upon his return, Kabui did an all-Bougainville speaking tour; in much of Central and South Bougainville he was being attacked by people for not delivering services. The North was not toured since the invading PNG army was there in most areas. 

All these BIG achievements were without Ona, who accused Kabui of trying to betray Bougainville; often leading to heated debates on the two-way radio networks that BRA and BIG had established. 

The PNGDF also snailed closer to the heartland of Bougainville politics in Kieta and the civil war got nastier and nastier. Ona kept silent. He never came public on Radio Free Bougainville. The little sessions he agreed to were recorded in his Guava village and brought to the broadcast station. 

In October 1992, when the PNG army landed on Tunuru and moved to the Morgan Junction, Kabui had a two-front political war to wage.

He was attracted more to peaceful means to address the conflict because there was disorder in the BIG/BRA and there was also the problem of getting the founding master of the conflict, Francis Ona, to get to the midst of the people and lead. 

Kabui travelled from village to village in central Bougainville encouraging people to stand firm in the face of PNG attacks and to overcome their fear. In all these tours he called in at Guava to brief Ona, the boulder that never moved and where often his entourage went hungry because no proper care was provided. 

Thus Kabui was lured to engage in peace with the Australia-backed PNG government. This led to the Honiara talks between Sir Julius Chan and Sam Kauona in September 1994, where an agreement on a ceasefire was reached and a foundation for further talks set.

This led later to the formation of the Bougainville Transitional Government (BTG) in April 1995. All of this, of course, with Francis Ona isolated.

The moment of shock for Ona came in September 1995 when the BRA/BIG and the BTG met in Cairns, Australia. He began to send his teams on speaking tours throughout BRA controlled areas of Bougainville, especially Central Bougainville.

He even began to engage in his own international deals and began paying visits to communities outside Guava village. In one of these tours he visited Oune village, where he attacked the peace lovers and Kabui as ‘betrayers’ of Bougainville. 

Ona’s men led by his commander, Moses Pipiro, terrorised people from the Panguna area who were seeking vital services like health and education or getting Red Cross supplies in Arawa.

Following this political nightmare of his vice president and most of his best BRA commanders isolating him, Ona formed his Meekamui Government and Meekamui Defence Force. He also got himself a radio station, known as Radio Meekamui, that aired from Guava. 

After the successful BRA defeat of the PNG’s military operation High Speed, in 1997 BIG/BRA established their base next to the former Aropa International Airport in a place known as Kangsinari. The spot was easier for negotiations with PNG controlled areas like Arawa and for travel to the Solomon Islands for negotiations and peace talks.

With Francis Ona’s anti-peace campaigns gaining momentum in Kieta, and leaders like BIG Premier Theodore Miriung and peace negotiator Thomas Batakai murdered by the PNG government, BRA/BIG called for a meeting with the Meekamui to reach common ground for a better Bougainville. 

The talk was held but, like in 1988 and 1989, Francis Ona, was not satisfied and walked off. Thus the break-up of the Bougainville leaders into Meekamui and the pro-peace Bougainville People’s Congress, locally referred to as the Kangsinari Coup that happened in 1997. 

Francis Ona influenced the likes of Chris Uma and Moses Pipiro to his side of the divide, which strengthened his Meekamui Government.

Joseph Kabui went his way, pursuing peace efforts on Bougainville.

18.10.2013

Source: PNG Attitude

Success story: Panguna kid falls in love with business

by LEONARD FONG ROKA

PAUL MONOUNG WAS NOT THERE before 1990 to witness his Panguna District so cursed with squatter settlements by non-Bougainvilleans from Papua New Guinea.

People who had sailed and flown to his island to exploit its wealth of opportunity and in doing so suppress the indigenous people of Panguna. 

Born in 1998, with the peace process underway, he did not see the pre-crisis reality that caused the rebellion that killed some 20,000 of his people, one of whom was his uncle killed by government troops in Torokina’s Papona village. 

If you drive from the village of Maingku on the port-mine-access road into Panguna and down Tumpusiong Valley to Jaba where Panguna District meets Nagovis and you might work out why young Paul Monoung is significant to Panguna.

Along this section of Arawa - South Bougainville highway you won’t go hungry or thirsty, for retail outlets are lined by the roadside from the Maingku area (Pakia) into the Panguna mine site and down to the Tumpusiong Valley. 

The roadside business activities within the Panguna District is accelerating: there are retail stores, tyre services, fuel stations, vehicle workshops, liquor outlets, traditional food and goods stores, cooked food bars, and markets for fresh garden produce for travellers to and from south Bougainville. 

This great change in the Panguna people is being driven by the money culture built on the back of alluvial gold mining. 

Paul Monoung completed elementary school in 2010 and should be in Grade 5 now but he spends most of his time panning gold in the Tumpusiong Valley. He is one of the many kids in Tumpusiong Valley known as ‘koro batauinanunaving’ which means ‘gold chaser’. 

These kids inherited the tag because of their practice, whenever a miner taps more gold in a particular spot along the Kavarong river (still polluted from the BCL copper mine), of migrating there with home-made equipment. They will stick around the spot until the gold infested block runs dry and then they move on. 

In 2012 Monoung made K5,000 and decided to compete with three other kids of his age who also had canteens nearby who were members of his gold chasing gang. 

He ordered his elder sister’s husband to hand-lumber timber and purchased a few old roofing iron sheets for K600 from his father’s kitchen hut. Then, with his brother-in-law, he began building his semi-permanent canteen.

He is now selling all except refrigerated goods since he has no mini-hydro of his own but he’s intending to buy a generator in Arawa which will be dismantled and used to operate a freezer he plans to buy. 

“Nephew, that store where you photographed me when you helped me to weave the bamboo wall is doing fine,” he told me over the phone.

“Stationery is doing well because of the students at Kavarongnau School. I just purchased a big stereo system to lure customers and it is happening. 

“My money is growing and I will build myself a permanent house soon after constructing the hydro electricity.”

Paul Monoung said he loves his business but says his mother and sisters irritate him by claiming a lot of credit in his canteen. 

18.10.2013

Source: Radio New Zealand International

PNG MP says Bougainville people oppose mining

The Papua New Guinea MP representing central Bougainville, Jimmy Miningtoro, says the people living near the controversial Panguna mine do not want it to be re-opened.

The Autonomous Bougainville Government has been consulting around the province about a possible re-opening since the beginning of the year but talks planned last week in the Panguna district were derailed by former combatants.

Mr Miningtoro says this is an indication the people don’t want mining.

“The way things are going now it seems that a lot of people on the ground, they don’t support mining. That is the truth that I am getting out from the people. And also especially people who live along the Jaba River where once when Bougainville Copper was operating the company has dumped all the waste down through the Jaba system.”

Jimmy Miningtoro says the Autonomous Bougainville Government should instead emphasize agriculture, starting with copra and cocoa, developing its small remnants of coffee and looking to new crops.

18.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

JSB COMMENCES IN KOKOPO

By Aloysius Laukai

The Joint Supervisory Body meeting at Kokopo in the East New Britain Province commenced after lunch today co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, LEO DION and the ABG Vice President, PATRICK NISIRA.

This meeting centred around the 2014 budget, special intervention fund acquittal of the first K100 Million kina, restoration and development grant, transfer of Bougainville public service bill, Bougainville Public finance management and Audit bill and update on referendum committee work.

Dialogue was between ABG Ministers for Public Service, Finance , Planning and Treasury and their Papua New Guinea Government counterparts.

The meeting will end with signing of a joint resolution on the way forward for the two parties in the months and years ahead.

New Dawn FM understands that this is the first JSB meeting for this year 2013.

18.10.2013

Source: The National

Bougainville to unveil new tourism website 

BOUGAINVILLE’S  new tourism website will be online from Nov 7.

The website, www.bougainville.travel is the official tourism hub for the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. 

It will feature the many unique tourism products, such as tours, experiences, and accommodation, that Bougainville has to offer. 

Bougainville.travel is a joint-project initiated by the Tourism Office of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, the Central Bougainville Tourism Association, and the New Zealand organisation, Volunteer Service Abroad organisation (VSA). 

VSA volunteer Tom Brosnan said the need for a new and improved Bougainville.travel website was recognised when the old Bougainville tourism website became outdated, and updates were not possible. 

A workshop was then held in Arawa, Central Bougainville, earlier this year and involved local stakeholders planning the new website. 

“The workshop helped identify the types of tourism activities currently available in Bougainville, the potential markets, and the importance of having an online presence to promote tourism,” Brosnan said.

He said Bougainville.travel was a vast improvement on the previous the website. 

It used a simple content management system, which meant nontechnical users could will be able to easily update and modify the content.

He said Bougainville had massive potential as a tourism destination and the website would be a good tool for harnessing that.

“It can take advantage  of particularly following the recent international release of the movie Mr Pip, which was shot in Pidia village and stars Bougainville teenager Xzannjah Matsi in one of the leading characters of the movie. 

“Bougainville looks stunning in the movie,” Brosnan said.

“It’s a beautiful and rugged island with huge potential for tourism and people who are keen to find out more will be able to check out Bougainville.travel to plan a trip here.”

17.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Police chief to improve discipline  

By WINTERFORD TOREAS

THE new provincial police commander for North Bougainville, Inspector Spencer Aili has warned all police personnel under his command that discipline will be the main priority area that his officers need to improve on.

Speaking after his appointment on Tuesday this week, Insp Aili said he wanted all his officers to polish up on their discipline.

Insp Aili pointed out that consumption of alcohol, chewing of betlenut and smoking while on duty will strictly not be entertained. 

He also wanted his officers to always dress according to standard and not to be absent from work without any good reason.

“We must at all times uphold the police code of ethics with regard to our Bougainville Constitution. 

“We have a duty to Bougainville and to our police service, to serve the community by protecting life and property, preserving the peace and detecting and apprehending offenders.

“We must carry out our duties with integrity and honesty at all times with respect for the rights of all people in the community.

“We must enforce the laws justly, without fear, favour, malice or ill will, and we must maintain self-discipline at all times.

Insp Aili added that during his term in office, he wants all officers to always adhere to their chain of command.

Meanwhile, many North Bougainvilleans are already praising Mr Aili on his stand on the improvement of discipline in the police service. Many said that before Insp Aili’s appointment, the men and women in blue have failed to polish up on their discipline.

17.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Final rest day set

By Aloysius Laukai in Buin

The daughter of the ABG President, the Late MARYCATH HAN MOMIS will be laid to rest at her father's home in Morou, Buin, South Bougainville this Saturday.

since her death on the early hours of Monday 14th October,the people of Bougainville and friends have sent in their condolences in person in letters in email Facebook and other networks.

Her coffin arrived on Tuesday, the requiem mass was held at Hahela parish on Wednesday and this morning she was brought to Buin, her final resting home, in a convoy of 30 vehicles.

The convoy first stopped at Aita in Wakunai for the people their to pay their last respect in a very moving ceremony.

the second stop was the Arawa women's centre where the people of Central Bougainville paid their respect, them they drove all the way to Muguai village the home of Madame Elizabeth Momis for the relatives their to see her for the last time..the casket finally arrived at the President's home at 5 pm.

The casket will remain at the house until Saturday when the late Marycath Momis will be laid to rest.

17.10.2013

Source: The National

Quake rocks Bougainville 

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck off the coast of Bougainville last night at a depth of 33km.

Geoscience Australia Seismologist David Jepsen said the quake could have been felt by people up to 1,523km away from the epicentre.

He said there was no tsunami warning for Australia or the wider region, but the earthquake could cause problems in PNG.

“For Australia there is nil threat, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there could possibly be a local tsunami for the Bougainville area.” – ABC

16.10.2013

Source: Papua New Guinea Mine Watch

Rio Tinto pays for hearts and minds on Bougainville as Panguna plans suffer setbacks

by ramunickel 

Rio Tinto has increased its efforts to buy hearts and minds on Bougainville with the launch of a new website called BCL 24. The site appears to be a direct response from Rio to a number of serious setbacks to its plans to reopen the huge Panguna mine: a mine which caused a bloody civil war on the island.

The new website, funded by Bougainville Copper Limited (majority owned by Rio Tinto) is being managed by Australian public relations company Keith Jackson and Associates. Rio Tinto is obviously figuring that its money can buy into the goodwill Jackson has built up over a number of years and exploit his connections and cultural capital to improve its own image.

The blog is also trying to piggyback on the legitimacy and prestige of its contributors by paying writers for articles (which rather reminds us of Rio Tinto's efforts to obscure their woeful human rights record by appointing Dame Carol Kidu to the Board of BCL).

This latest move from Rio Tinto comes after it has suffered a number of serious setbacks in its plans to reopen Panguna:

First, Bougainville President, and Rio Tinto supporter, John Momis was forced to backtrack on a new Mining law that would have put him in charge of deciding which mining companies operate on the island.

Then, influential leaders Jimmy Miringtoro and Lawrence Daveona signed a deal with Chinese company Beijing Aerospace Great Wall Mineral Investment for the company to assist in rehabilitating the Panguna mine site.

And now, ex-combatants have bared Bougainville Mining Department officials from reaching communities around the Panguna mine to discuss plans to bring Rio Tinto back into the Province to reopen the mine.

For Rio Tinto the costs of the new website must seem like a drop in the ocean compared to the costs of taking any of the courageous steps needed to actually earn a better image.

16.10.2013

Source: Papua New Guinea Mine Watch

AGB to bulldoze new Mining law without public consultation

by ramunickel 

Bougainville President John Momis is to bulldoze through his new Mining Law without publicly releasing the Bill or allowing for a period of public consultation. New Dawn radio is reporting the new Bill will be debated in the next sitting of the House of Representatives and will be passed before December [see below].

This discrete announcement is a far cry from the media fanfare that greeted the first draft Mining Law which was [falsely] claimed to be a revolutionary 'world first' for the rights it gave to customary landowners when it was announced by Momis back in March. [1]

In truth that draft Mining Law was not so revolutionary as it gave all decision making power to Momis and the politicians. A storm of controversy quickly built as it was revealed the law had been written by Australian mining consultants [2] and did not contain the promised rights for customary landowners. [3] In the face of overwhelming opposition Momis and the mining industry were forced to retreat. [4]

But now they are back with a new draft Mining law - one they are keeping firmly under wraps and away from the prying eyes of the public. Learning from their mistakes, this time there is no public fanfare, no grandiose claims and no opportunity for the public to read and comment on the draft law.

One can imagine the smiles on the faces of the Rio Tinto executives as they watch Momis ditch any pretense of transparency in the rush to get Panguna reopened.

16.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

16.10.2013

Source: The National

Police probe killing on island 

The National, Wednesday October 16th, 2013 

 POLICE on Buka are investigating the killing of a man on the island last weekend.

Police station commander Chief Sgt Alex Gunan said the man was killed after an argument with another man.

“The two are married to two sisters and they had an argument which got out of hand,” he said.

“One took out a bush knife and injured the other on the shoulder.The man died later.”

Gunan said the suspect surrendered to police. He will most likely be charged with murder.

Buka police have arrested a school teacher after a complaint that he had sexually assaulted a student.

“The victim’s parents lodged the complaint alleging that the teacher had sexually assaulted the student.

“Police have arrested the teacher and are investigating the complaint.”

Last Saturday, 25 people were rescued off the northern tip of Buka Island after the boat they were travelling in had engine failure.

“The people were returning from the Grade 10 graduation on Nissan Island when their boat engine failed and they eventually drifted out to sea,” he said.

“Luckily they had mobile phone coverage and managed to call police who were dispatched to them. They were rescued four hours later at 2.30 am at sea and brought back to Buka Island.”

15.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

ABG HOUSE INTRODUCES THREE BILLS FOR ENACTMENT

By Aloysius Laukai

The ABG House of representatives today introduced three bills for enactment into law in the next sitting.

The bills are for INWARD OUTWARD BILL 2013 or the Investment Policy for Bougainville, the Education bill 2013 and the Bougainville Mining Bill 2013.

This was revealed today by the ABG Vice President, PATRICK NISIRA to New Dawn FM in Buka.

MR. NISIRA said that these three bills were tabled to the ABG House and under the law will allow the ABG members at least Ten days to study these bills so that they can debate them in parliament at the next session.

He said that the ABG House will have to sit before the Budget session in December to deal with these bills.

The house also rose after they discussed these bills and after the members of parliament were allowed to send in their condolences to the ABG President, DR. JOHN MOMIS at this time of mourning the death of his daughter.

15.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

BEC SUSPENDS ABG PARLIAMENT CLERK

by  Aloysius Laukai

The Bougainville Executive Council this morning suspended the controversial Parliament clerk from duties and requested that an investigation be carried out on the reasons why he was terminated by the ABG speaker last month.

The ABG Vice President, PATRICK NISIRA told New Dawn FM news that when the BEC received a policy submission to uphold the decision by the Speaker, ANDREW MIRIKI to terminate him, they found out that the Speaker had no authority to sack or appoint the Clerk of Parliament but it was the job of the Bougainville Senior Appointment Committee which was not functioning to date.

MR. NISIRA said they allowed the deputy clerk, MR. RODNEY KENEHATA to perform the role of the clerk as it normally does when the clerk is sick of not available.

He also said that the Joint Supervisory Body meeting scheduled for this Thursday in Rabaul will still be held and he will lead the Bougainville team.

15.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

MARYCATH MOMIS DIES

By Aloysius Laukai

The only daughter of the ABG President, DR.JOHN MOMIS died at the early hours of yesterday morning at the Buka General Hospital.

MARYCATH Han Momis was brought to the Hospital at about 4.30 in the morning and died sometime later.

Meanwhile, New Dawn FM has been collecting more than one hundred condolences from friends and the people of Bougainville both in Bougainville and overseas.

From the Philippines, a family friend, PAUL A. FERNANDEZ requested New Dawn FM to personally extend his prayers and sympathies to President JOHN MOMIS and Madame Elizabeth on the passing away of Marycath Momis this morning.

Speaker of ABG House, ANDREW MIRIKI his Deputy ROBIN WILSON and their families, staff and all staff at the Parliamentary services and including all ABG members have also send in their condolences to President Momis and his wife and relatives on the passing of their beloved daughter, this morning.

We share with you the loss and pain you are going through at present and pray the Lord will grant you peace and comfort at this time.

The Regional member for Bougainville, JOE LERA also sent his deepest condolences to the President and his wife on the death of their only daughter.

MR. LERA said that the people of Bougainville and I are much grieved to learn about her sudden death in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The Chief Administrator, CHRIS SIRIOSI on behalf of the Bougainville administration staff and families also sent his condolences to the President.

The funeral program was also released to us last night as,

Monday 14th October Haus Krai at President Momis resident.

4pm Mass at Presidential Residence.

Body overnight at Presidential Residence

Tuesday 15th October,2013

1240 pm. casket arrives from Port Moresby

Body overnights at Presidential Residence

Wednesday 16th October,2013.

1pm Funeral Mass- Hahela Parish

Body overnight at presidential residence.

Thursday October 17th,2013.

6am Casket leaves Presidential Residence for Kokopau

7am Presidential entourage departs for Buin

A separate program will be made for her funeral and final resting place arrangements.

15.10.2013

Source: PNG Attitude

A new trend emerges: Avakori culture in Bougainville

by LEONARD FONG ROKA

Avakori culture - Leonard’s cousin Tabekau in his house in THE NASIOI SOCIETY of Bougainville there is a proverb for males that goes, ‘when you fuck a woman, you must know that you are fucking a garden, a house and everything that will sustain you both’.

This is associated with marriage. 

This wisdom really is a norm in central and south Bougainville; unlike the north where it is not that evident. 

In most Bougainville communities I am familiar with (Nasioi, Koromira, Eivo, Nagovis, Banoni, Siwai), the village concept is rapidly dying out. In post crisis Bougainville, there is hardly a village community in existence. 

The 10-year Bougainville civil conflict contributed to the rapid demise of the village system. The crisis scattered people into refugee camps away from the coast or into the PNG-held care centres thus disturbing the harmonious process of village living. 

But in Buin I discovered massive villages still, especially Oria, Laguai and Malabita, and the proverb is still prevalent. But generally in today’s Bougainville, homes are erected within the extended or nuclear family.

In Nasioi society, it is evident that boys as young as six tend to force parents or brothers to built them one-room houses. This is a culture referred to as avakori in Nasioi which means baby-works (both tiny boys’ houses and girls’ little gardens are referred to as avakori). 

Avakori, especially for younger girls’ gardens, when brothers or parents support it, contribute to the sustenance of the family. 

There is this spirit of independence or self reliance amongst those youngsters practising the old tradition of avakori. Males are equipped to build their own homes and females are able to make gardens that sustain their families when the time for marriage is reached. 

As for me, I began avakori in Kupe village at the peak of the Bougainville crisis in 1992.  Influenced by my peer group, I began making my own garden backed by my mother and, late in 1993, I began a house of my own supported by a relative.

In my Tumpusiong Valley with modern materials and money from gold at hand, male kids are well engaged with avakori of little houses (see the photograph of my cousin, Tabekau, in his own house that also has electricity) and females run parallel with their own interests.

This has led to change in these areas where the young are becoming the breadwinners since they are more financially independent and not fed by their parents. 

14.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

BUKA COMBANTANT NOT HAPPY

A former BRA strongman and former ABG member representing North Bougainville combatants, Marhellin Getsi today called on former combatants to respect the property and lives of investors operating on Bougainville. 

Mr. Getsi made this call in Buka today whilst responding to newspaper reports of the looting in Arawa last week.

He said that the daylight robbery in Arawa has painted a very bad image which is not in the best interest of Bougainville. 

MR.Getsi said that Bougainville will need investors to raise the much needed cash which it needs to meet one of the Bougainville Peace Agreement requirements that is Financialy self sufficient.

He said most Bougainville companies are not registered and tax complient and are not paying taxes to their ABG Government who needs these funds to deliver services to the people.

MR. GETSI said that no country in the world will survive without investment and the only way to address these issues is by the ABG Investment policy which the ABG parliament will enact a law on it this week at a special sitting.

14.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

MARYCATH MOMIS DIES

By Aloysius Laukai

The only daughter of the ABG President,DR.JOHN MOMIS died at the early hours of this morning at the Buka General Hospital.

MARYCATH Han Momis was brought to the Hospital at about 4.30 in the morning and died sometime later. We are yet to collect more information on what happened.

At this time we do not have details of funeral arrangements.

But the girl has been frequenting the Hospital from Asthma for sometime now.

We will keep you updated...

14.10.2013

Source: PNG Attitude

Bougainville ex fighters say keep outsiders out of business

by LEONARD FONG ROKA

Francis DuaungLAST SATURDAY ON THE hot and shimmering streets of Arawa, a jubilant bunch of former Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) fighters stood reading a PNG Post Courier article entitled, Asians warned to leave (9 October 2013, p 23).

Most joyous was Francis Duaung (pictured), the only fighter wounded in the January 1990 dawn raid on the former Kuviria Detention Centre 30 km north of Arawa, that saw the killing of six non-Bougainvillean warders.

Duaung was shot in the head in the action and recovered in a Honiara, Solomon Islands, hospital after an operation to remove shotgun pellets stuck in his skull.

He also lost his blood brother and three cousins to PNGDF bullets and says he is not satisfied with how Bougainville has being driven by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and Papua New Guinea.

In the newspaper story, the Bougainville Veterans Association, an umbrella body made up of ex-combatants from North, Central and South Bougainville who fought in the 10-year Bougainville civil war, called on Asians operating business singly or in partnership with locals to pack up and leave Bougainville.

“The foreigners, especially Chinese nationals, were involved in retail, wholesale, and fast food, which local businessmen were in,” the Post-Courier story said.

“The association said this posed a threat to the peace process because locals tended to take sides—some with foreigners while others opposed foreigners. This has brought instability to some parts of the region, especially in Central Bougainville.”

Veterans like Duaung have joined with local Bougainville businessmen who claim that, since taking office, the ABG had let Asian and other foreign businesses rob Bougainvilleans and give back nothing. They are comparing the situation to the old days of Bougainville Copper.

The Veterans Association is putting pressure on the ABG to make a decision to pass reserved business legislation at a meeting tomorrow.

It says that 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 merchandizing 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

The fighters have called on the ABG not to issue trading license to Asians and other foreigners in any of these activities and also said all Asian and foreign businesses must shut down and move out of Bougainville.

According to Duaung, the main concern is that the ABG is not protective of Bougainville.

“The ABG knows we fought and died,” he told me, “but it is not interested in upholding the reason our 15,000 people died.

“We died for independence and that means we must be self-reliant and not be like PNG that these Asians now control.

“This drive aims to protect Bougainvilleans and teach ourselves how to do business and be self-reliant to build our country.”

To many people like Duaung, the ABG is selling out Bougainville because it fears threats from a few foolish people and does not recognise the strength of the majority of Bougainville people it has behind it.

There is a feeling that political creativity is lacking in the ABG.

Since Bougainville combatant leaders like Ishmael Toroama, Chris Uma and others have recently reconciled, veterans say the ABG is now safe.

And according to Panguna man, Francis Duaung, the veterans have more plans to save Bougainville.

“We have presented the demands to our government and, once done, we will remove the Asian and other foreigners from Bougainville.

“The next lot to pack and leave will be redskins [other Papua New Guineans] who shamelessly come here for jobs as if they had compensated us for the killings on our island and blockading us for ten years.”

14.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Building Arawa     

ARAWA, the former capital of Bougainville before crisis, is coming back to life with building constructions all over the town. 

Businesses are expanding with buildings going up to cater for the increasing business activities and the people frequenting the town from North and South Bougainville. Pictured are workmen putting up frames in the busy Arawa shopping centre. Words & Picture: ROMULUS MASIU

14.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Husband kills wife

By ROMULUS MASIU

A FORMER amateur boxing champion from Kieta district in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville is in police custody in Arawa after he was arrested for the killing of his wife, police said. The boxer allegedly murdered his wife Angela Boran, a primary school teacher, at their Boira village, a police report revealed. The report said the boxer had gone home drunk on Friday night and had an argument with his wife. During the argument, he lured wife away from their home and killed her along the main highway. He then took the body the body back home and made up a story that his his wife was hit and run over by a passing vehicle, the police report said. People in the area denied knowledge of any hit and run accident in the area at that time. “This man murdered his wife. How could an accident have happened,” an eyewitness from the same village said. “They were having an argument just before he took her out to the road. This man is lying. Furthermore injuries sustained by the victim did not indicate any hit and run accident.” The boxer has been formally arrested and charged with wilful murder and is awaiting appearance in court, police said. Central Bougainville regional police commander Inspector Januarius Vosivai blamed the killing on alcohol. “This death have happened because of consumption of alcohol and home brew,” Insp Vosivai said. “This man got drunk in Arawa and then went home and murdered this innocent woman. How long are we going to continue to lose our loved ones to alcohol? How long?” Police have appealed to the relatives of the woman not to take the law into their own hands. This death adds to the tally on alcohol-related deaths in the region. Meanwhile, the police are appealing to liquor shops in Central Bougainville to start acting responsibly by operating in accordance with the laws. “The festive season is just around the corner so we need to work together to make peace, harmony and order prevail over our region during this festive,” Insp Vosivai said.

14.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Bougainville must look at other alternatives

CENTRAL Bougainville MP Jimmy Miringtoro wants the Autonomous Bougainville Government to seriously look at alternative ways of making money for the region.

And he has suggested the ABG hierarchy and bureaucracy seriously invest in the 14 abandoned plantations from the Bougainville crisis, one of them the Numanuma Plantation, to generate revenue because he believes the way things are going, mining will not kick start now or soon but after many years of negotiations.

“Mining will not come about soon,” Mr Miringtoro said.

“What transpired last week where ABG mining officials and leaders were chased away in Central Bougainville shows clearly or signifies that people are not ready to start the mine. 

“We have to respect the people and we have to respect the ex-combatants and we have to respect the small people who suffered and who are still suffering. 

“We must therefore start looking at alternatives, and one way is that the ABG should now seriously revisit the agreement on the plantations.” 

The MP, who is also the Minister for Communication, has also defended Lawrence Daveona, who has been blamed for the actions of the ex-combatants, claiming that it was a big mistake to point fingers.

“Whoever is blaming Daveona must apologise because he is being used as the scapegoat when there are bigger issues to point fingers at including the ABG mining division,’’ mr Miringtoro said.

“The ABG mining division were not honest enough to organise people but pushed them to lure others in order to discuss the issue of mining.

“That is not the way to go about it. Shoving money under the table is not the answer. This is a sensitive issue that we must all address with due respect.

“So with this, I urge all people of Bougainville to look into other means of generating revenue and I would recommend agriculture to improve the economy of Bougainville. 

“We should concentrate on cocoa and coconut and help our farmers.”

13.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

SOUTH BOUGAINVILLE EX COMBATANTS SAY FORGET PANGUNA

By Aloysius Laukai

The people of Bougainville need stability in the region as Bougainville heads towards referendum.

This is the message from the Secretary of the South Bougainville Ex combatants Association, PAUL SAMBAI.

He told New Dawn FM this morning that South Bougainville Ex combatants were monitoring the situation with caution and are not happy with the recent developments that could derail the Peace process which has come a long way.

MR. SAMBAI said that the people of Bougainville must unite as we look towards Referendum.

On the Panguna mine, the South Bougainville Ex-combatant secretary said that if the people of Panguna are so divided then forget Panguna and look at other economic activities to support the cash-strapped ABG.

13.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

CHURCHES CHALLENGED TO USE SKILLED PEOPLE TO OBTAIN FUNDS

By Alex Munme

BISHOP of the United Church and Chairman of the Bougainville Christian Churches Association, Tim Arthur while welcoming the Corporate Plan of the SDA Church in Bougainville, said United and SDA Churches must use their skilled and resource people to secure funding.

He challenged the two churches while comparing the last share of funding which the Roman Catholic received more than Thirty Thousand Kina and they received around 2 Thousand Kina each.

The Bishop said this is because Catholic Church was utilizing its resource people to draw proposal submission to secure funding while the two mainline churches fail to do so.

He also said out of the One Million Kina grant from the ABG for the three mainline churches including Roman Catholic Church, United Church and SDA, K100 thousand will go to the SDA Church.

Bishop Arthur while accepting and welcoming the Corporate Plan said the Bible says without a vision, the people perish. He was pleased the Church now has a vision, a pathway to walk in the next eight to ten years and beyond.

He said now that you have a plan, you must translate it into proposals and action adding that extra commitment is required to support the church apart from Tithes and Offering.

13.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

UNITED CHURCH WOMEN’S MEET

By Aloysius Laukai

The Bougainville United Church women are preparing for a three- day show at the BEL ISI PARK in Buka town.

President RUTH KATSIS TOLD New Dawn FM News that the UNITED CHURCH women intend to display their artwork and crafts including food and vegetables at this three days show.

She said that the show is to show to the public what the United Church women do as individuals and as groups in the area.

The three days are from the 29th, 30th and 31st of October, 2013.

Apart from displaying their work the women will also have a Choir competition during the three days show.

They are calling on the people of Bougainville and including leaders to make sure they have time to see and appreciate the work of the United Church women.

13.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

LERA EMBARKS TO RESCUE ATOLLS PLIGHT

By Alex Munme

THE Bougainville Regional Member in the National Government, Joe Lera is getting on board to set the Atolls free from the current transport difficulty.

Mr. Lera made his plan known to rescue the stranded Atolls population during their fundraising drive at the Kuri Village Resort last Friday in Buka.

He said he was sorry to see no other leaders at the fundraising drive to support, saying they do not understand the plea of such a marginalized group of people.

The fundraising drive was to raise funds to send the people of Atolls back home who were stranded in Buka due to non availability of a sea transport.

Mr. Lera while revealing his plan said he was already looking at ways to improve sea transport for the people.

He also told the Islanders that he is allocating K1million and is asking other National MPs to chip in to purchase a fast and efficient passenger ship for the people.

He added that sea transport needs to improve so that other areas like schools and health can improve.

Meanwhile the ABG last year allocated FIVE MILLION KINA to purchase a Ship for the Atolls and has been calling on the National members to chip in to make sure they get a new boat unlike past mistakes in which the former Member for Atolls purchased an OLD boat which did not last long.

The last time the Bougainville government had a brand new boat was the SANKAMAP ONE which was boat by the North Solomon’s Provincial Government before the Bougainville conflict.

This Sankamap One has been abandoned and slowly rusting away in Rabaul, East New Britain.

13.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Blessing of President's Office

By Aloysius Laukai

For the first time since the inception of the Autonomous Bougainville Government and after the third President, DR.JOHN MOMIS the ABG President will finally move to a President's new office at Kubu on Buka island.

Although the President will move this new office, this will remain temporary until a permanent location for the Headquarters has been approved by the ABG.

The blessing was led by FR.POLICAP from the Hahela Parish.

The new office will house the BEC conference Room, Office of the President, Vice President and their staff.

13.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

PIRIKA CALLED ON TO TOE THE LINE

By Aloysius Laukai

The Secretary for the South Bougainville Veterans Association, PAUL SAMBAI last week called on the Minister for Bougainville Affairs and member for South Bougainville in the National Parliament, STEVEN PIRIKA to serve and talk on behalf of the people of Bougainville whom he represents.

MR. SAMBAI said that the job of MR. PIRIKA is to fight for Bougainville and not to go against the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the ABG.

He told New Dawn FM that the recent outbursts by him in parliament and against the ABG was not in the best interest of the people of Bougainville and especially South Bougainville which he represents.

MR. SAMBAI said that the Bougainville Affairs Minister must always talk on behalf of the ABG and the people of Bougainville and not against them.

He said that people of South Bougainville are not happy with what he said in Parliament against his own people who voted him to this highest office.

13.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

ATOLLS SEAWEED ROLLOUT

By Aloysius Laukai

Seaweed farming will soon be rolled out to the other islands in the Atolls of Bougainville.

This was revealed to New Dawn FM by the Fisheries Officer, JINRO BOISEN last Friday.

MR. BOISEN said that seaweed was trialed in the Carterets Islands and the first export was done to China recently.

He said that the Fisheries division was now looking at some long term markets to make sure that the people of Atolls have some regular income.

MR. BOISEN said that the quality of seaweed is determined by the quality of the sea that they are planted stating that islands in the atolls were good as they are far away from contamination that comes from rivers on mainland Bougainville.

MR. BOISEN who has just returned from INDONESIA said that following their trip to establish some markets, they have already received requests for sample seaweed from Bougainville.

He said that the cost of transport to bring in sea weed from the Atolls would lower the price of seaweed.

The Fisheries officer said that after Carterets they are also looking at islands near Buka, Nissan, Mortlock, Fead and Tasman islands.

11.10.2013

Source: PNG Attitude

BCL introduces information-based Bougainville blog Bougainville 24

  CLICK ABOVE TO VISIT THE BCL BLOG !  

BOUGAINVILLE COPPER LIMITED (BCL) has today launched a blog that features articles about Bougainville, news of company activities and writing by Bougainvilleans.

The blog – Bougainville 24 – is an important step in BCL’s intent to provide more information about its own activities and about Bougainville itself.

The blog will cover a broad range of topics including the arts, Bougainvillean culture, current affairs, the environment, literature, education, history, transport and more. 

Bougainville 24 will publish articles and other contributions from Bougainvillean writers who are being invited to provide material.

Comments and views from readers will also have an important role in the blog’s offerings.

The blog is edited by Ben Jackson on behalf of the publisher, BCL, and it will provide fresh Bougainville-related information each day.

You can visit Bougainville 24 here www.bougainville24.com

11.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

ABG unveils next batch of projects  

By WINTERFORD TOREAS

THE Autonomous Bougainville Government has announced the next batch of high impact projects to be funded under this year’s K100 million budget.

While making the announcement recently, the ABG Minister for Finance and Treasury, Albert Punghau said they decided to allocate funding to these projects because once fully realised they will raise the government’s revenue. 

Mr Punghau said work on the 14 projects will start once funding is drawn down from the national government to the ABG coffers.

“The national government wants us to concentrate on big things. At the same time we need to raise the revenue of the ABG,” Mr Punghau said. 

“Unfortunately, we are still to get the money but we’ll sort this out during the next JSB meeting.” 

These projects were chosen from the 70 plus projects initially identified to be funded under this second K100m allocation. 

Mr Punghau said some of the projects were also allocated funds from the first K100 million, before clarifying that the first funding allocations are still in the ABG coffers and have not been misused.

These fourteen projects include K3 million for ABG information and technology, K5 million for a cocoa development project, K2 million for commercial fishing, K4 million for law and justice, K3 million for weapons disposal, K20 million for the Buka ring road upgrade, K10 million for feeder road construction, K5 million for the Siara-Korepovi road, K10 million for the provincial trunk road, K5 million for atolls shipping, K18 million for sealing the Kokopau-Buin road, K5 million for upgrading the power supply in Arawa and Buka and K5 million each for water supply and sewerage in Arawa and Buka. 

11.10.2013

Source: Radio New Zealand International

Call for plebiscite to decide on opening of Bougainville’s Panguna mine

There’s a renewed call for the people of the autonomous Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville to have a say in any re-opening of the controversial Panguna copper and gold mine.

This comes as the final of a series of regional meetings on a possible re-opening, being held near the mine site in central Bougainville, has been held up by disputes between several of the parties involved.

A Panguna landowner and former candidate for president of Bougainville, Martin Miriori, says a plebiscite, run by the election office, is the only way to get full buy-in from the people.

MARTIN MIRIORI: If the people decide that we open with a mandate from the people, if something goes wrong then we are all to blame ourselves, unlike when the Panguna mine was opened in the ’70s, early ’70s, [there were] only a few leaders, chiefs. And, of course, in those days a lot of our people were uneducated and the white men exploited the ignorance of the people to bull-doze them. Now we’ve got educated people, the majority, so that is why I think a plebiscite will be a way forward. So if anything goes wrong with the reopening of the mine then we bear the have responsibility jointly.

DON WISEMAN: You’re suggesting that the the ABG go around to all the villages and effectively, I guess, talk to everyone. But you’re talking there about what would be an enormously expensive and time-consuming activity, aren’t you?

MARTIN MIRIORI: Well, it’s an expensive exercise, but if we need to address it properly, to do it properly, that’s the way. We’ve done it during election times - campaigning. Candidates go around visiting almost all villages, not every village, but most of the areas, they go and visit and campaign. So it’s not impossible. The only thing that we need to do is find the resources, find the money, and I’m sure if people value the reopening of the mines it’s a worthwhile exercise spending money, that kind of money.

DON WISEMAN: As a Panguna landowner yourself, what’s your feeling about a possible reopening of the Panguna mine?

MARTIN MIRIORI: When I am asked that question I always say ’Leave it to the people’. And by that I mean a plebiscite needs to be conducted, a referendum - yes or no - needs to be conducted. If the majority of the people say that we keep the mine closed, so be it. If the majority of the people say yes to the reopening of the mine, so be it. So the decision belongs to the people. That’s the position that I’m taking.

DON WISEMAN: In debate that’s been going on in the lead-up to these planned meetings this week, there’s been a suggestion that the ABG should buy Panguna off Bougainville Copper Limited. Are they in a position to do something like that?

MARTIN MIRIORI: I don’t think so. They can borrow money to buy it, but at the moment they’re in dire need for money, they’re looking around for money. So I don’t think that is going to be possible at this stage. But what I think, the strong view that some people maintain, is to give that mine back to the people. And I suppose with that view in mind, that perception - ABG buying it and owning it on behalf of the people - maybe that’s what [Indistinct]. But in terms of having the money, the resources, I think it may not be possible unless that money is borrowed.

10.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Call to fund safe houses  

By WINTERFORD TOREAS 

THE operator of a safe house in Bougainville is calling on the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) to allocate funds towards addressing the issue of family and sexual violence.

Sr Loraine Garasu from the Nazarene Rehabilitation Centre in North Bougainville said there has been an increase in the amount of family related violence. 

However, the Government has failed to allocate funds towards addressing this, showing that they were not serious about eradicating the problems, she said.

“The ABG must give financial support to the work of addressing family and sexual violence,” she said. 

“There is no social welfare budget in PNG, including Bougainville.” 

The Autonmous Bougainville Government needs to come up with a social welfare budget, Sr Garasu said. 

“At the moment the safe house that she runs at Chabai in the Selau area has been operating with assistance from Australian and New Zealand aid agencies.

“I run a safe house and don’t get Government support.” 

“I get support from AusAID & NZAID but are they going to be there tomorrow?

“The ABG will be here. So, ABG we need support.

She called on the ABG to include social welfare fuding in their annual budget.

Sr Lorraine said family and sexual violence problems have been on the rise therefore funding should be allocated towards addressing this issue.

“Many say that these problems are happening as a result of the crisis. 

“This may be true, but it may also not be true because family violence has been around and will always be around for years to come.

Sr Lorraine later thanked the police, the magisterial service and other stakeholders in Bougainville who are involved in addressing this issue. 

09.10.2013

Source: Radio New Zealand International

Referendum call to decide Panguna future

There’s a renewed call for the people of the autonomous Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville to have a say in any re-opening of the controversial Panguna copper and gold mine.

This comes as the final of a series of regional meetings on a possible re-opening, being held near the mine site in central Bougainville, has been held up by disputes between several of the parties involved.

A Panguna landowner and former candidate for president of Bougainville, Martin Miriori, says a plebiscite, run by the election office, is the only way to get full buy in from the people.

He says when Panguna was first opened 40 years ago few had a say.

“The white man exploited the ignorance of the people to bulldoze certain things. Now we have got educated people, the majority, so that is why I say a plebiscite will be a way forward, so that if anything goes wrong if we say yes to the re-opening of the mine then we have the responsibility jointly.”

A Panguna landowner, Martin Miriori

09.10.2013

Source: ABC Radio Australia - Pacific Beat

PNG award

The winners of Papua New Guinea's national literary awards for this year have been announced.

Bougainville writers wins top PNG award

 . 

The Crocodile prize has had some funding issues over the last year which lead to one of the categories being dropped, but the judges of the prize said that didn't result in any drop in the quality of the entries.

Leonard Fong Roka won the short story category with his piece, "Farewell My Bougainville Prophetess" and told Richard Ewart it was an unexpected win.

  LISTEN HERE ! 

Presenter: Richard Ewart

Speaker: Leonard Fong Roka, winner of the short story category in PNG's national literary award, the Crocodile Prize

09.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Bougainville women attain drapery skills  

By WINTERFORD TOREAS

TWENTY-seven Bougainvilleans are now equipped with skills and knowledge on how to professionally decorate their houses, workplace or other venues.

The Bougainvilleans successfully completed a three-day workshop in the art of backdrop, table skirting and napkin folding.

The training, which was conducted by Monica Kaiah from the Jacks Investment Ltd, was held at the United Church building in Buka town last week.

Out of these participants, 26 were female while the youngest was a nine year old girl who is currently in her fourth grade. 

The participants completed their workshop by practically decorating their training venue using the knowledge and skills gained. 

This created a spectacular impression on those that attended their graduation ceremony. 

There to witness the occasion was the Regional MP Joe Lera, ABG Minister for Community Development Melchior Dare, South Nasioi constituency member John Ken and two chief executive officers from the Bougainville administration. 

While delivering his speech, Mr Lera commended the participants for attending this training, saying the knowledge and skills gained will now empower them to earn an income.

“You are now empowered to diversify economically. You can make money. When copra prices drop, you have another means to make money to sustain your family,” said Mr Lera. 

Mr Lera than challenged the participants to impart what they have learnt to others, saying they can use what they have learnt in trying to decrease the illiteracy rate in Bougainville.

“Out of the total population of Bougainville, 60 per cent are youths. And out of this 40 per cent are illiterate due to the crisis. I ask you to reach out to this illiterate population.” 

Mr Lera said the illiterate Bougainvilleans are like a time bomb and can destroy Bougainville’s political destiny. He however said this can be avoided if all stakeholders including those that are equipped with different skills trainings work together towards educating those affected. 

Mr Lera also thanked Mrs Kaiah for imparting the skills to the participants. 

He said such training was in-line with one of his development pillars which identifies the creation of middle income earning opportunities.

“I have seven pillars on how we can to develop Bougainville. One of these pillars is about the creation of a middle income nation,” he said.

“People must develop small means to earn their income before we can talk about big things.” 

Mr Dare also commended the participants, saying the skills gained can boost the tourism industry in Bougainville. 

Workshop participant Judith Rabanz thanked Mrs Kaiah for equipping them with the new skills and called on the ABG leaders and other stakeholders in Bougainville to utilise them in decorating their venues whenever they have their planned activities.

09.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Solomon Islanders reach out     

By ROMULUS MASIU

Church elders representing churches in the Solomon Islands who preached the Word of God in Bougainville. Picture: ROMULUS MASIU

CHURCH elders representing all churches in the neighboring Solomon Islands crossed over to conduct prayers and outreach to the people of Bougainville. The main aim of the church representatives who make up the delegation to visit Bougainville is to lift or raise churches and to help life of Christians to grow. The elders represented the United Church, South Sea Evangelical Church, Catholic Church, Seventh Day Adventists, and Evangelical Mission Church, among others. Team leader Pastor Ivan Maike said they came upon request from CMF senior pastor Isikiel Opeti. The elders represented churches in Malaita, Choiseul, Mono, Raronga and Gizo. During their one month stay on Bougainville they’ve traveled the length and breadth of the island from Tahetahe Village on Buka Island, Buka Town, Petats Island, Tinputz, and Airo in Wakunai then to Arawa and onto Buin. Their visits to these places, they’ve preached the Word of God, pray for curses in families and homes, and pray for spiritual and physical healing among other church oriented activities. Pastor Maike further elaborated that this trip is very important to them as many are first timers to Bougainville. “This trip has changed the perception we have for Bougainville and the people here. In Solomon, we have a very different perception that Bougainville is not a safe place. When we came, we see that Bougainville is very peaceful place and the people here are very friendly who welcome us into their villages.” The message the Solomon Islanders want to leave with the people of Bougainville is that, ‘while we are enjoying the great things God has provided for us, we should not forget Him. Also Christians must go into character building of their Christian values because many are just calling themselves Christians but are not matured and they don’t reflect the life of Jesus Christ.’ On behalf of the 18 member delegation, Pastor Maike thanked the people of Bougainville for the hospitality namely Sirovai Church and those who contributed in one way or the other. He thanked CMF Pastor Andrew Avuopiri and United Church Pastor Mark Niden with their congregation for their prayers.

09.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

SDA CHURCH LAUNCHES CORPORATE PLAN

By Alex Munme

Caption: Bougainville Regional Member, Joe Lera (left) giving his approval and blessing while Pr. Kove Tau, Union Genera Secretary, Pr. Blasius Managos, Pr. Charles Kakapetai and David Rutan wait attentively before the final prayer to release the plan to be implemented in the region to benefit the people spiritually and physically.

THE Seventh Day Adventist Church after 105 years of operating in isolation has now taken a new approach in fulfilling its mission in Papua New Guinea.

It will now work with the Government to fulfill the Gospel Commission by making disciples and preparing people for Gods Kingdom now and for eternity.

To make this happen, a Corporate Plan has been launched today at the Lumankoa Guest House in Buka.

The plan was prepared and well documented by the Papua New Guinea Union Mission of the Seventh Day Adventist Church to be implemented by the Nine Local Missions including Bougainville.

The launching today was facilitated by Union Mission General Secretary, Pastor Blasius Managos and witnessed by SDA church Pastors, Bougainville Regional Member, Joe Lera, ABG Minister for LLG, Joseph Nopei, ABG Commerce Minister, WILFRED KOMBA,Speaker of the House of Representatives, Andrew Miriki, ABG Members, Business Partners and SDA Church Members.

09.10.2013

Source: PNG Attitude

Bougainville Manifesto 8 - The 1990-91 Crisis

A study by LEONARD FONG ROKA

TO THE STATE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Rio Tinto and Bougainville Copper Limited, Bougainvilleans were nobodies of the Solomons who had to be stripped of their resources to finance PNG and its citizens, people neither geographically nor ethnically related to Bougainvilleans.

The three entities did not seem to realise that Bougainvilleans were humans who were adaptive to negative or positive changes and needed to be given the opportunity to absorb the externally driven changes to their land and society.

The late Francis Ona, Bougainville militant leader, with all the pressures of change on his shoulders rushed his numerous goals. History will agree that his ambition for a better Bougainville was not strategically sound.

In an article, A civil war of resources (Post-Courier, 23 August 2013, p 10), Bougainvillean teacher Lance Itta implied an organised manoeuvre by Ona when he tasked Philip Takaung to recruit militants. But one has to ask did he mean to turn the Panguna crisis into a civil war?

The answer is simple: the players were incapable of politically leading Bougainville out of the vacuum created by the departure of PNG state institutions and the demise of the provincial administration.

Let me turn to my PNG Attitude article of February last year, We don’t want Bougainville as a land of warlords:

All these great military men of Bougainville - although at first fighting to get rid of Bougainville Copper Limited, Papua New Guinea and its Redskins - went off-track in mid-1990.

This divide was created by the late Francis Ona’s inability to administer and control his men and therefore to control Bougainville.

Fighters forgot our cause of freedom and went for war-gains. Think about Ishmael Toroama’s words in the video documentary Coconut Revolution: ‘When I fought everything got into hands….

Did we fight for personal property or peoples’ freedom? Often, at gun point personal property was removed from owners or guardians; Bougainvillean women were raped, innocent persons were killed….

In May 1989 the Panguna mine was closed and PNG declared a state of emergency on Bougainville, sending its undisciplined Defence Force to fight Bougainville rebels. In March 1990, a ceasefire was reached and international representatives observed the withdrawal of the PNG security forces.

If Philip Takaung was recruiting BRA militants at that time, what structure was he placing them into? What was his power of influence over these men? Bougainville did not have determined leadership from the late Francis Ona.

So in March 1990, as PNG government care centre occupants began to head home to their PNGDF burned villagers, the militants headed into urban areas to experience a lifestyle they had never had known before as liberators of Bougainville.

On one of these days, my parents were in an Arawa clothing shop known as Haus Bilas when a band of BRA men entered. My parents watched as the militants began helping themselves to new shoes, saying: “Wear shoes boys, we have frozen in the bush fighting for this land.”

But in Panguna, Francis Ona, returning from his hideout and turning his Guava village into the seat of Bougainville power, created a power structure for his militants amidst the tension he had catalysed.

Ona, now the supreme commander of the BRA, was stationed with his followers in Panguna and they lived and ate in the company facilities like the former BCL employees.

In Panguna, entire BRA companies were given sections of the township to reside in. There was law enforcement on the ground and BRA unit leaders were provided with the BCL vehicles to perform their duties. But this was a military job defined by the leaders; absent was a functional political structure.

Ona was not prepared to give away his hard-earned glory to leading political personalities like the late Joseph Kabui, who was now doing nothing in the capital Arawa.

Ona’s prestige was to be protected outright. He was guarded 24/7 by armed men and women at his village. He also had a unit of witch doctors guarding him from sorcerers and who kept evaluating his health. With that his home was being maintained.

Some BCL plants were brought in to beautify his hideout and he also took ownership of a number of expensive BCL cars and other equipment.

All this happened as the BRA watched in disbelief.

So Francis Ona opened the door for trouble. BRA men and opportunist fought each other for abandoned BCL property in Panguna, especially vehicles. After the BCL goods were done with, reckless BRA elements and other rascals looted private property. Francis Ona kept silent.

The BRA big men created their own spheres of influence in the fight for personal gain. Vehicle after vehicle and other property appeared in the backyards of BRA commanders and a few dangerous BRA men. The opportunists of had gained something for themselves.

The Guava villagers used guns to control Panguna and scare away people had begun dismantling BCL houses and other buildings to replace their village homes that the PNG government had burned.

Seeing this chaos, former PNGDF soldier and BRA leader Sam Kauona, who had left Panguna for his home in Tororei, decided to involve the Panguna brothers, Joseph Kabui and Martin Miriori, who were doing nothing in Arawa as the result of the August 1990 suspension of the North Solomons (Bougainville) Provincial Government by PNG.

Kauona also got the brothers connected with Francis Ona and, on 17 May 1990, the second unilateral declaration of independence in Bougainville history happened in Arawa with the creation of the Bougainville Interim Government (BIG).

But the BRA-engineered chaos was already out of control and beyond the capacity of BIG to manage.

Whilst UDI celebrations went on in Kieta, BRA, opportunists and their followers in other parts of Bougainville were disturbing the peace and administering their own justice on Buka Island and in much of north and a few areas in South and central Bougainville.

On 13 September 1990, the Buka people (as recorded in Outline History of the Bougainville Conflict) invited the PNG army to establish rule only on Buka and let go of Bougainville.

Francis Ona now had some myopic reason to accuse fellow Bougainvilleans of ‘Salim Bogenvil go bek lo PNG na BCL’.

The BRA then went reckless as ‘secret police’ tracked down alleged moles inside Bougainville on the orders of Francis Ona. Many innocent Bougainvilleans thus met their fate or lost their property that was confiscated as punishment by BRA elements.

This led to the birth of anti-BRA groups, the first of which was the Buka Liberation Force (BLF) created on Buka Island.

Under the nose of Francis Ona and his BRA, Bougainvilleans turned against each other.

Bougainvilleans hunted and killed each other throughout the island as Francis Ona and Joseph Kabui played their own politics in Kieta, with no control over the whole island of Bougainville.

08.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Strong winds in Buka tonight!

It could damage houses if it does not stop!

Pictured are road workers near Wakunai

08.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

EX COMBATANTS CALL FOR FAIRNESS BY THE ABG

By Aloysius Laukai

The CENTRAL Bougainville Ex-combatants yesterday called on the Autonomous Bougainville Government to work on Projects that will benefit Bougainville and not just PANGUNA LANDOWNERS.

In a signed document signed by five former combatants, MOSES PIPIRO,CHRIS UMA,ISHMAEL TOROAMA,JAMES ONATO and director of Ex-combatants, NOAH DOKO, the ex-combatants said that the ABG was perceived to be using divide and rule tactic with the Panguna issue.

They said that they were not happy that the ABG was only interested in the Panguna landowners.

The EX-COMBATANTS said that PANGUNA mine belongs to all Bougainvilleans therefore it cannot be talked about with only the Panguna Landowners, SML OR Associations.

They also questioned why the Mining Policy was taking too long to enact.

New Dawn FM understands that the ABG completed all consultations in North, Central and South Bougainville and was about to have the final one in Panguna when the Landowners themselves disturbed the process by signing another MOU with a China based company.

AND the Division opted on the community based consultations which has been postponed indefinitely.

08.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

SMALL DEED TURNS SOUR

By Aloysius Laukai

The decision by the Chairman of the Panguna Landowners Chairman, LAWRENCE DAVEONA to temporarily stop the conduct of the ten-days consultative meetings in and around the mine affected areas has turned sour resulting in a complete withdrawal of personals engaged in the exercise to retreat and allow a negotiation team to quickly negotiate the next course of action.

The consultative meetings were to gauge the views of landowners in their individual communities on what they want the ABG government to do for them.

This was after many people requested that previous meetings did not get the views of communities and were talking to leaders who were not raising the issues being felt by the people affected.

The Panguna Landowners leaders wanted all funds to be channeled through them as they had being mandated by the ABG.

But when the Landowners engaged the people looking after the Morgan Junction with stories that the team was dishing out Millions of cash to the landowners, Ex combatants called on the team to immediately stop the consultations and meet with them.

They also wanted to know why the ABG had not informed them of such funds being used and why they were only funding the landowners.

The committee will have to deal with these rumors before they can continue with the further consultations.

08.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

KIETA DOING GOOD IN EDUCATION

By Aloysius Laukai

Kieta District has done well in education standards by its more than 50 schools in three Inspectorates of Kieta, Panguna and Wisai.

This was revealed to New Dawn FM in Arawa this morning by LILLIAN SAREA Standards Officer Primary Schools in the area.

She said that despite problems in the district the Schools have done well coming second with Grade eight results.

MRS. SAREA said that she makes sure the standards are maintained throughout all schools by having monthly meetings with the Schools Principals and she also has time to visit schools whenever transport is available.

She said that the Kieta district has finally purchased a vehicle but would still need funds to pay for fuel for the vehicle.

She appealed to the Schools in the Kieta district to make sure they maintain the high standard they have reached so far and become the first district with high standards.

08.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

ABG speaker returns from CPA meet  

SPEAKER of the Bougainville House of Representatives, Andrew Miriki (pictured) says his recent trip to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) meeting in South Africa was both an emotional and educational one.

Speaking recently following his return to Bougainville, Mr Miriki, who was accompanied by the North Bougainville women’s representative Elizabeth Burain, said he had learnt many good things during the trip.

“Good conference where internationally we are involved in making sure that the parliaments that we have in the world are united, under the commonwealth parliamentary association,” he said. 

“This meeting also strengthens our relations with other countries in the world. It was also an emotional meet because South Africa also went through the same struggle as us. 

Mr Miriki said it was also important for places like Bougainville and other smaller countries to attend such meetings.

“Sometimes when bigger countries don’t want to listen to the voice of smaller countries, this body is where we can bring our concerns to,” he said. 

Mr Miriki said he has not yet presented any report about the relationship between ABG and PNG governments because he respects the peace agreement that was reached between the two governments that paved way for peace and normalcy to return to the island. 

He however said, if the national Government faild to listen to political calls by ABG then he will raise this at the next meeting. 

Mrs Burain who is also chairperson for women parliamentarians in Pacific member countries, also presented a report on the progress of the organisation she heads.

08.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

LOCAL LEVEL GOVERNMENT WORKING SAYS RANGEI

By Aloysius Laukai in Arawa

LLG and Village Courts officer, Steven Rangei says that the work of village courts and LLG is working to serve the people of Central Bougainville, Kieta District to be specific despite funding constraints from the Bougainville Autonomous Government.

He told New Dawn Fm in Arawa that the Kieta district has eight Coes with 14 Village courts.

MR. RANGEI said that the village courts system is working to control law and order and other issues which is normally the traditional ways of handling issues, mainly the wanbel way that makes both side win.

On question of many sorcery cases in Kieta, he said the village court system addresses these cases and solves problems before it can explode into big problems by mediating with both sides.

He said that in normal courts these cases do not have prove and sometimes creates problems back home.

On funding he said that lucky he gets funding support through the LLG division which enables him to carry out his job that is mainly visiting the Coes.

08.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

ARAWA LODGE

By Aloysius Laukai in Arawa.

When thinking if traveling to Arawa,this Bovo Transit Lodge has ten fully air conditioned and Self contained rooms.

They are located at the back of the Arawa Youth Centre.

They can be contacted on Wireless Phone 675 77483411 or Mobile phones 675 724 32673, 675 723 68697

07.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

ABG to debate new bill 

By Winterford Toreas

BOUGAINVILLEANS can now look forward to the passing of a new law that will govern the operations of businesses in the region.

The Bill, titled Bougainville Inward Investment Act 2013, will be debated during the special Parliamentary sitting scheduled for October 15.

This investment Bill and the other titled Autonomous Bougainville Government Education Act 2013, were first brought before the House during last month’s sitting, but were later withdrawn by the two ministers who sponsored them.

Many Bougainvilleans were frustrated when they learnt that the government had decided to withdraw this investment bill.

This is because they were not happy with Asians, especially those of Chinese origin, opening and operating retail businesses in Bougainville. However, they can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that this will again be re-debated in a week’s time. 

According to the ABG Minister for Commerce, Trade and Industry Wilfred Komba, this Bill has already been finalised and is ready for debating in parliament.

Mr Komba said following the adoption of this investment law, the government will then hold consultations with the people before adopting the regulation outlining the list of businesses reserved for Bougainvilleans. 

He added that there will also be a bureau established to monitor and police business operations in Bougainville.

07.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

Consultative Meetings Stopped

By Aloysius Laukai in Arawa

The ten-days consultative meetings in and around the Panguna area organized by the ABG Mining Division and should have started today was stopped because of misunderstandings with the Panguna Mine Affected landowners Association Chairman Lawrence Daveona and his members.

The team should have started with the people of Ioro one, which is in the Bolave constituency.

An urgent meeting was quickly organized to iron out these differences at the Bovo Transit Lodge and all agreed to proceed with the consultations.

But because the Panguna Landowners chairman had already engaged the Morgan Junction Road block team to stop the delegation, All vehicles were turned back from there to return to Arawa.

The advance team led by the CEO for mining and the Minister for mining met the people today whilst the other parties had to return to Arawa.

All other engagement will depend on the negotiations taking place between the two Parties at the moment.

Meanwhile, The central Bougainville Ex combatants have called for a meeting with the Officers from the Mining Department and government officers already in Arawa.

The meeting will be held tonight at 7 pm in Arawa.

07.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

RISING SUN LODGE ARAWA

By Aloysius Laukai

When planning to visit Arawa town, Rising Sun Lodge is one place not to be missed.

They have 12 Air-conditioned and Spaces Rooms.Hot water system and Conference facility with full Air Conditioned and a 60 inch Color TV and a Surround Musical sound system.

Not to mention the Kitchen and dinning facility.

The Lodge is managed by owner Betha Lorenz (pictured below) who tells me she has big plans to improve the place.

When I met Betha some four years ago she had only two rooms..

The fees per night is also reasonable. They can be contacted on Telephone numbers +675 72619719 or +675 73628506 or email at risingsun.lodge@gmail.com

05.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

TSUANA IS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

By Aloysius Laukai

ABG Minister for Culture and Tourism, Rose PIHEI says the promotion and opening of the Sorom Tsuana or Chiefs House in Sorom village is the beginning of creating unity throughout Bougainville.

She made these remarks at the Grand opening of the Sorom Tsuana which is owned by four clans around Sorom village on the Northern tip of mainland Bougainville island today.

Mrs Pihei today's celebration is a sign of unity with cultural groups attending this opening.

She said that the Council of chief system is the government closer to the people of Bougainville.

MRS. PIHEI acknowledged the groups that performed at the ceremony stating that the group were not invited to perform and this only shows the willingness of our people are willing to participate at this unique celebration.

New Dawn Fm acknowledges that this is the first Tsuana to be opened in North Bougainville.

05.10.2013

Source: PNG Attitude

A Bougainville writer of true worth in the literary canon

by KEITH JACKSON

BUY THIS BOOK HERE: 

http://www.amazon.com/Moments-Bougainville-Collection-Short-Stories/dp/0987132156

LEONARD FONG ROKA (‘Captain Bougainville’ as author Phil Fitzpatrick jocularly refers to him) yields to no one in his desire to tell the story his way and sometimes the going is not for the faint-hearted.

The PNG Attitude blog, where much of the author’s writing appears, has managed a number of important milestones in its seven-year history, and identifying Roka as a latent literary talent has been amongst the most significant of them.

Here, in his second book, Moments in Bougainville (short stories this time following his successful volume of poetry, The Pomong U’tau of Dreams), Roka offers 16 stories of war and love that derive in the main from the Bougainville civil war that raged for most of the 1990s.

Roka (pictured) lost his father in this war: a catechist from West New Britain who had married and integrated within the community murdered by the Bougainville Revolutionary Army simply because he was an outsider. There is a poignant dedication to John Roka of Bali Island – “sadly you are not here to read what I write”.

If death and destruction were not Roka’s constant companions, then certainly they became too regular events that had to be coped with and somehow accommodated within his worldview.

These traumatic experiences provide motivation, passion, backdrop and theme for short stories which are always gritty and uncompromising, providing insights for the reader even as Roka works to exorcise some of his own demons through his writing.

Each of these short stories is a gem. The characterisations are strong, the narrative is fresh, the twists and turns are gripping.

And, at the end of it all, the reader is left with a different view of Bougainville and the Bougainvillean people. It is as near to an insider’s view as an outsider is ever likely to secure.

Roka, back at university as a mature age student, a decision which has given him the opportunity to write as well as learn, is developing as something of a polymath.

In addition to poetry, stories and essays, he is also working on an autobiography, Brokenville, and is well advanced on a massive Bougainville Manifesto project which blends history, anthropology, politics, economics and other disciplines to offer a vision for a stable and prosperous future for this once-troubled island that, even today, struggles to recuperate from its period of turmoil and destruction.

Now concluding his studies, engaged to be married and on the verge of a permanent return to Bougainville, it must surely be that the rest of Leonard Fong Roka’s life will be as peaceful and productive as the first 20 years were tumultuous and vicious.

Bougainville has found in Roka a voice that transcends politics and violence and goes to the heart of the people themselves – who they are, what they’ve experienced and what they aspire to.

And I must not conclude this review without mentioning Pukpuk Publications, Phil Fitzpatrick’s publishing house for the showcasing of Papua New Guinea’s writing talent in book form.

Like PNG Attitude, Pukpuk Publications demonstrates just how much can be achieved even on the mere sniff of an oily rag.

05.10.2013

Source: PNG Attitude

Mr Pip in Bougainville makes for a splendid movie

by KATE MEAD | Fairfax NZ News

Xzannjah, who plays Matilda, and Hugh Laurie as Mr WattsRAWIRI PARATENE SPENT HIS FIRST NIGHT in Papua New Guinea in police headquarters with Andrew Adamson.

The pair were not there as law breakers, mind, but for the rather frightening reason that the 2011 Japanese tsunami had just struck and the Pacific island was vulnerable.

Paratene and Adamson were safer in this police house, located high on a hill, than if they had stayed in their previous dwelling.

"If the tsunami went wider we were going to be the first hit, so it was an amazing time," says Paratene. "My first night on the job with Andrew Adamson was spent with us sleeping on the floor in police digs hoping that a tsunami wouldn't wipe the islands out."

Fortunately Papua New Guinea remained safe and Paratene could continue working there as acting coach for the film Mr Pip, directed by Adamson.

The film was largely shot on Bougainville and Paratene, who spent a total of four months on the island, worked with many locals - untrained actors who had roles as villagers - and lead actress, newcomer Xzannjah.

In fact, the only person on Bougainville to appear on screen that Paratene didn't coach was the experienced Hugh Laurie.

Now 17, Xzannjah was just 14 when she began working on Mr Pip. While living on Bougainville, Paratene stayed with Xzannjah and her family in their home in Arawa, and he says he felt like part of the family. He can't speak more highly of the young actress.

"Xzannjah is bright, the camera adores her. She works really hard - we would be doing a full day's work and then she would be filming all day and she would come home from filming and do study," he says. "She must have got tired but she never showed it as a 14-year-old girl would be entitled to."

For the unacquainted, Mr Pip tells the story of a young girl, Matilda (Xzannjah) stuck in the ruinous clutches of war on Bougainville, all the while being inspired by her teacher, Mr Watts (Laurie), who reads Great Expectations to his class.

Published in 2006, the critically-acclaimed novel earned its author, Lloyd Jones, a place on the shortlist of the Man Booker Prize. The film adaptation is a magnificent work, cinematically beautiful, and with marvellous acting.

It is, in turn, funny and harrowing. The depiction of conflict during the civil war, which lasted from 1988 to 1998, is raw and affecting.

"In Arawa you can still see the scars of war are still there and it still hasn't recovered," says Paratene. "I loved that [the people] made a stand. It was costly but I love that they stood up to the giant money powers that be and said ‘we don't want to play your game anymore', and as far as I can see they won. They're very admirable people but there's a lot of hurt still there."

Xzannjah believes the film, and indeed the book itself, fulfils an important function of bringing Bougainville's dark history to people's attention.

"I thought it was a very, very good story. I mean, the story itself helps people to realise the humanitarian version of conflict that took place in Bougainville, because most of the time [when] you hear about the conflict that took place, people just see the political part of it, like ‘oh, there was a war about the mine'.

“But they don't actually see all the pain and suffering that people had to go through, that people had to experience, and how it scarred them for life, and how people had to find it within themselves to actually move on from the experience."

Paratene agrees the story is powerful: "I read the script before I read the novel, and the way that Andrew had written the script, he clearly wanted to make a film that ‘went there' - went into the hideous, ugly, unnecessariness of war, and this spoke to me loud and clear."

Xzannjah, who admits she is quite shy, is still getting used to all the attention brought about by the film. "I don't put myself in the spotlight. People don't take notice of me, so it's all been very different and very new."

She mostly grew up in Bougainville but moved around the place according to the work her mother, Healesville Joel, got in her profession as a gynaecologist. Last month, Xzannjah moved to Gladstone, near Brisbane, after her mother got a job there.

Joel also plays Matilda's mother in Mr Pip, a role that unveiled a new dynamic between the two. "They actually had to teach me how to talk back and shout at my mum," Xzannjah laughs. "When I play Matilda onscreen, people get to see a side of me that they don't usually see. I get to get angry, I get to be disobedient."

In reality Xzannjah is very humble and has a warm disposition, and this newfound fame seems surprising to her. "Back in my normal life I don't make such a huge deal of it. But the thing is I'm walking down the street and then someone says ‘Hey, you were great!' and they come and shake my hand and say ‘thanks a lot,' and I say, ‘For what!? Do I know you?', ‘oh, no, I just watched your trailer', ‘oh, thank you'."

She prefers to take in the world around her, rather than be the focus of it. "I like thinking - I don't know how to put it, but I find people - how they live their lives - quite fascinating. I like to sit down and watch how they live their lives and think about it then I write down stuff, just take notes and ideas, and write down short stories."

Acting has been a passion of Xzannjah's since she was in primary school and performed in musicals including Bedside Manner, Ratbags, A Christmas Carol, and she played the role of Jesus in The Passion of the Christ.

But Xzannjah had to put her stage talents on hold after her mother wanted her to concentrate more on school. "Back home I was like, oh I have a dream to act but here [Papua New Guinea] actors only get so far - I didn't imagine this. And then when [Mr Pip] came up I was like, ah OK, why don't I just try, and then here I am!"

Xzannjah originally wanted to become a petroleum engineer, and she's still planning on attending university and studying science to perhaps follow through with this career. Though it's clear film is where her heart is.

"A dream of mine is to become like Andrew: write the screenplay and direct the movie, and become a producer also," she says. "If there's a future for me in the film industry, I would definitely like to carry on. I'm loving it."

Mr Pip opened at the Paradise Cinema in Port Moresby this week and will be released in Australia on 7 November

04.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

MOU Signing Ceremony

pictured are from left Chris Siriosi, Mr Eiso, James Hasung, Joe Lera mp and Joel Banam, Minister for Public Service.

04.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

FIRST TIMER MAKES IMPACT SAYS BANAM

By Aloysius Laukai

Lack of capacity has been the main factor in slowing the delivery of services on Bougainville since the inception of ABG in 2005.

These were the sentiments echoed by the ABG Minister for Public Services, JOEL BANAM at the signing of the MOU between the ABG, Bougainville Regional Member, JOE LERA and the consultant for the Bougainville Polytech College in Buka today.

MR. BANAM said MR. LERA although a new comer to politics is breaking new grounds by delivering services to the people of Bougainville.

He said that MR. LERA was the only National member who is trying to work with the ABG and chipping-in wherever he can to make sure our people receive some basic services.

MR. BANAM said if all other three members can assist Bougainville can move mountains.

He said the Regional member is helping the ABG to make sure the capacity of Bougainville is strengthened by educating the people of Bougainville who can be utilized by both the ABG and the private sector in future.

The Agreement was signed by the Chief Administrator, CHRIS SIRIOSI on behalf of the ABG, JOE LERA and MR. DOMINIC EISO on behalf of the Consultants.

04.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Atolls face food crisis

By WINTERFORD TOREAS

THE lack of regular shipping services to the atolls of Bougainville has led to Tasman Islanders facing a severe shortage of food. 

While relaying the situation report to the Post-Courier yesterday, Tasman Island chief Taehu Pais said he was notified by the islanders through VHF radio early yesterday morning that all the canteens on the island have run out of basic goods like rice and biscuits.

Chief Pais said the islanders are also no longer harvesting enough garden food to sustain themselves. 

“The report I got this morning (yesterday) is that there is no more goods being sold at the canteens on the island,” Mr Pais said.

“Also there are no more foods in the gardens…at the moment the situation is far worse than the expectations they had.” 

The Tasman Islanders, including those from Carterets, Mortlock and Nuguria rely heavily on ships to transport relief supplies and store goods to their islands from Buka.

But according to Mr Pais, this is now over nine months since the last ship had made its voyage to the atolls to drop off the much-needed food supplies, adding that these supplies only lasted for a few weeks. 

“The last time a ship was chartered to go drop off food supplies was in January this year. After that, there were no more ships being chartered to go there. 

“But these supplies only lasted for three weeks. This is because the supply was not enough to last the islanders for a longer period of time.” 

Chief Pais, who was once the member for Atolls constituency in the Autonomous Bougainville Government, said during his term in parliament, he always ensured that food that was supplied was enough to last them for about three months.

This supply was enough to feed the atolls population before the arrival of the next lot of supplies on another chartered vessel.

“During my time, I usually give about 450 bales of rice to Tasman, about 800 to Mortlock, 1500 to Carterets because they have a bigger population while Nuguria is given the same supply as Tasman. This was my supply ratio.

“But the ratio of supplies that were sent there in January did not even match. About 280 bales of rice went to Tasman, about 300 to Mortlock, about 700 to Carterets and about 250 to Nuguria. This is not enough to sustain the islanders…These food had run out within three weeks, and that’s the worst. The islanders have been waiting for about nine months now for the next shipment of supplies.” 

Mr Pais is now calling on the relevant authorities in Bougainville including the disaster coordination office to ensure that relief supplies are sent to the islanders immediately.

He said they should always ensure that enough food supplies are bought to feed the atolls population.

He is organising a fundraising drive tomorrow at the Kuri Village Resort on Buka island. Funds raised will go towards chartering a vessel to go drop off much needed food supplies and store goods in the atolls. 

04.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Film making a revenue spinner

LAST night hundreds of Papua New Guineans watched the premiere of the New Zealand movie Mr Pip. A 17-year-old Bougainvillean lass, Xzannjah Matsi, was the centre of attention for the captivated audience as she starred alongside

English actor Hugh Laurie. Other PNG casts also played leading roles in the fi lm shot in Bougainville and New Zealand. Mr Pip was based on a book with the same name by award-winning New Zealander author

Lloyd Jones and brought to the big screen by award winning director Andrew Adams. It was shot on the island of Bougainville and New Zealand and set against the backdrop of the Bougainville civil war. An intimate drama set

against the backdrop of Bougainville’s civil war in the early 1990s, the fi lm charts the friendship between teenager Matilda (played by Xzannjah) and Hugh who reads Charles Dickens’ Great

Expectations to her and the rest of his village children. The premiere of the movie last night at Port Moresby’s Paradise Cinema was probably the fi rst time for a PNG cast including the

lead actress to feature in international film production that also premieres in the country. Seeing Xzannjah taking on a leading role alongside Hugh Laurie is a major milestone in the PNG’s (and sadly now non-existent) fi lm

industry. Xzannjah’s meteoric rise to movie star status is incredible, with no past movie-making experience in her resume and getting picked from an audition on Bougainville, her success confirms that Bougainvilleans and Papua New

Guineans are naturally talented in the arts. However, institutions that would coach, mentor,  nurture and expose talented members of our population locally and globally are generally in decline and in urgent need of funding

and support. The University of Papua New Guinea’s famous National Arts School is now a shadow of its former self despite a burgeoning art population in Port Moresby and other main centres. In Goroka, the Raun Raun Theatre and its troupe of dancers brought shouts of joy and tears to an enthralled audience in the 1970s and 80s in their many national tours. On the screens during that era were budding stars such as the late William Takaku (who later starred in a 1997 Robinson Crusoe remake alongside Hollywood heartthrob Pierce Brosnan), Albert Toro and Francisca Semoso (who is part of the local cast in Mr Pip) that were entertaining Papua New Guineans through various Government-funded films, some of them produced by the School Bilong Wokim Piksa based in Goroka. The push for more Government recognition of the arts and its practitioners is echoed today by Calextus Simeon, one of the local casts

on Mr Pip. Mr Simeon, who also starred in a German drama fi lm Jungle Child (2011) that was directed by world-renowned producer Rolland Suso Richter, has appealed to the Government

to consider movie production as a potential investment. The success of America’s film industry through Hollywood, India’s Bollywood and even Nigeria’s Nollywood confi rms that movie making is potentially a revenue spinner.

However, the Government will need to start small by re-investing in institutions that were established in the pre-independence era to guide talented Papua New Guineans.

04.10.2013

Source: The National

Actor: Fun, thrilling to star in movie 

By FIDELIS SUKINA

THREE Papua New Guinea actors are featured in the film Mr Pip which has begun showing at the Paradise Cinemas in Port Moresby.

The film comes from the director of Shrek One and Two, and Narnia Andrew Adamson. It was shot in Bougainville and New Zealand.

The National caught up yesterday with the actors, including lead actress Xzannjah Matsiat, at Paradise Cinema. The other two are Calextus Simeon and Tidman Ikosi, who acted as soldiers.

Shot in the backdrop of the civil war in Bougainville, the film  showcases the friendship of teenager Matilda (played by Xzannjah Matsi) and Englishman and television series star Hugh Laurie.

Matsi said it was thrilling for her to star in the movie.

“It was fun. I went through auditions in Buka and later had voice and actor training in New Zealand. I was thrilled that I got selected for the movie,” she said.

She said the film was a good way to see first-hand what happened during the crisis.

“Some of the young people now do not know how it was back then but it is an eye opener,” Matsi said.

She said it was an emotional ride with pressure on herself to perform to the expectations of her character.

“I had emotions, a huge responsibility to reflect what happened. I really wanted to play the part well,” Matsi said.

Simeon said it was part of their script but was an emotional journey for them acting in some scenes that depicted church burning and a rape scene. 

04.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Islanders at work to defend island  

By ROMULUS MASIU

POKPOK Islanders are bracing for the biggest waves from oncoming high tides, set to hit them over the next few months.

They have been working around the clock, building man-made stone walls to at least lessen the impact as the water batters their sea-side homes. They were using coral from the sea to put up make-shift barricades that will withstand the might of the high sea current.

Through experience, the islanders knew the high tides will batter their shores between November and February.

“We’ve been working for a month now building the stone walls at the eastern side of the island. Gradually, we’ll work towards the southern end completing off the island with stone walls,” paramount chief Peter Garuai said yesterday.

Chief Garuai is extending his appeal for help to the Office of Climate Change – if there is any – to help the people of Pokpok build strong and permanent stone walls because these temporary sea walls would be gone by February next year.

The man spearheading the construction is Nicholas Aveni, who has acquired skills and knowledge from the neighbouring Solomon Islands. Mr Aveni was studying at Kieta Vocational in the 1970s when the crisis erupted. He went over to the Solomon Islands and completed his vocational education there graduating with skills in carpentry and plumbing. He is now spearheading the whole operation on sea-wall building and is ably assisted by the youths and community of Pokpok. The community is digging up coral in the sea and piling them for Nicholas to make a perfect layout for a strong sea-wall.

03.10.2013

Source: The National

Council names assembly after late leader 

THE Bannoni Council of Elders in South Bougainville have honoured the late Sir Paul Lapun by naming a village assembly after him.

The Sir Paul Lapun Village Assembly is in Bannoni, in the Bana district, South Bougainville. 

Vice-chairman of the Baba Council of Elders Thomas Purema said Sir Paul was a humble and respected leader.

“During his term in Parliament in the early 1970s, he fought for 5% mining royalties for landowners of the Panguna Mine,” he said. 

“He was an example of a model leader who always stood by his people.”

Purema said the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) should learn from him as it set its own system of chiefs.

Minister for Local Level Government, Traditional Authority – Media and Communication, Rev Joseph Nopei said ABG would help the Tsitalato Council of Elders on Buka Island in terms of infrastructure development.

He said that was to boost operations of the chiefly government.

ABG selected the Tsitalato council because it was closer to their headquarters in Buka, he said.

Nopei said it would be easier to closely monitor them.

He said the ABG was looking at allocating funds to the councils by next year.

“The authority of the chiefs must be reinstated as it is the rural-based government where the bulk of the people are,” he said.

The terms of the council members will expire in 2015.

03.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

PNG to expand minerals base

PAPUA New Guinea’s efforts to diversify its mineral base into other mineral resources, was further highlighted when a delegation from the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) attended a mining and exploration convention in Bangalore, India, last week.

Participants and visitors to the PNG stand were told that PNG was traditionally a gold, copper and silver producer however, in recent years, the country has been making efforts to diversify its base into other minerals resources like cobalt, nickel, chromite, molybdenum, coal and rare earth.

The convention was told that the reason is to fully optimise PNG’s mineral endowment, as well as sustain and maintain economic sustainability. This is given the fact that mineral commodities are cyclical and it was not prudent to base the country’s economic aspirations on only one or two mineral commodities. 

PNG’s fiscal policy and regime were promoted as being competitive by world standards. The country’s current institutional reforms and the fiscal regime for mining exploration and development were also highlighted. Discussions were held with the India Geological Survey with the aim of entering into a joint corporation in training and exchange of geological data for the purpose of promoting mineral investment in both countries.

The conference covered a broad spectrum of issues, including India’s overseas investments in mining, demand outlooks, challenges and opportunities for India in doing business in overseas jurisdictions.Given India’s on-going economic expansion, the importance of entering into strategic partnerships with foreign counterparts remains of the essence.

MRA was given the opportunity to promote its corporate image and the opportunities offered by PNG’s minerals industry. 

03.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Teacher proud of Mr Pip star  

By SEBASTIAN HAKALITS

THE principal of Kamarau International School in Buka, Yaking Haii is one of the proud teachers who had taught the Bougainville teenager who plays ‘Matilda’ in the film titled Mr Pip.

While relaying his happiness to the Post-Courier yesterday, Mrs Haii said this will be a big thing to her when she sees one of her students acting in the movie.

The actress, Xzannjah Matsi, is of mixed Siwai in South Bougainville and Selau in North Bougainville.

As a teacher would always do for every student by giving them the best, this is what Mrs Haii did, and she groomed the shy little Xzannjah when she was doing her fourth grade at the Korobosea International School in the nation’s capital in 2006.

In 2008, Mrs Haii was transferred to Buka to head the Kamarau International School and one of her students there was again Xzannjah, who enrolled to do her grades 6-8.

According to Mrs Haii, Xzannjah has been a model student over the years.

She had continued to excel in her studies, resulting in her scoring the second highest mark throughout Bougainville during the 2010 national examination.

“I was more than happy for Xzannjah when she was chosen to be Matilda, and I will surely miss her and may her future be a bright and successful one,” said Mrs Haii.

02.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Bougainville leaders not united

CENTRAL Bougainville MP and Communication Minister Jimmy Miringtoro revealed that the referendum for Bougainville is still in question because things are not in order.

Mr Mirintoro said there was no one particular person to blame except the Autonomous Bougainville Government leaders and Bougainville’s National MPs for not working together.

Mr Miringtoro has appealed to the leaders of the ABG and the National MPs to come together, be united for the sake of the 200,000 plus population of Bougainville and for the sake of moving Bougainville forward towards referendum.

He said it was disheartening to see leaders argue among themselves in the media, especially over the issue of money and specifically the National Government allocated K100 million out of the K500 million.

“Bougainville’s future will only grow when and if leaders of Bougainville work together both in the regional and on the national level,” Mr Miringtoro said.

“The government itself cannot deliver so how can we run the big government when our leaders cannot deliver.”

“It is high time ABG leaders begin to work with us.”

Mr Miringtoro denied that ABG had tangible high impact projects to show for all the monies received and especially the K100 million that was released early last year. 

He singled out the people suffering at the hands of leaders and said this must come to a stop if ABG was serious about the referendum and gaining independence.

“(Mr) Momis as a leader shouldn’t come into newspapers.

“In fact I shouldn’t too, but I have to now because of these reasons,” he said.

“As a national leader I must say there is nothing much happening on the ground in Bougainville,” Mr Miringtoro said.

“We have not seen any major project on infrastructure that was funded by the monies given by the National Government in 2012.”

“I have not seen any projects in Central Bougainville and I believe nothing has happened in the South and North of Bougainville”.

01.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

G-G strengthens ties in Tinputz

By WINTERFORD TOREAS

A SMALL but significant traditional ceremony was held last week in the Tinputz District of North Bougainville.

The event saw Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio leading his clan members to strengthen ties with another clan in the district.

The ceremony, which took place at the vice-regal’s Suangu village, saw Sir Michael leading his Naboin clan and exchanging the traditional shell money known as mimis with the Motaha clan as a sign of strengthening the relationship between the two clans.

Sir Michael had organised this ceremony to cement the ties following a traditional initiation event which was accorded to him by the paramount chief of Motaha clan, the late Paul Saram, a few years ago when he was the deputy prime minister.

During that ceremony, Sir Michael who was then the North Bougainville MP was accorded the title of paramount chief of the Motaha clan.

The late chief Saram had organised this as a way of according and honouring Sir Michael on his appointment to the second top position in the government.

Speaking during the ceremony, Sir Michael said this ceremony would further strengthen the ties and relationship between the two clans.

“We are renewing and strengthening this relationship,’’ he said. 

“We are now brothers and sisters. This relationship must not end. We must keep it alive and make it work in practical ways in recognising the relationship in our families.’’

Sir Michael added that this ceremony was not a coincident as he was also related to the Motaha clan.

The Governor-General also acknowledged the late chief Saram, saying though he was dead, his spirit was also present to witness the ceremony. 

Sir Michael said that relationship, love and peace would only grow if the family ties were strengthened. 

“This recognition and relationship must start in our families in order for us to have a good Bougainville,’’ he said.

“The basis must start from family to family, then from district to district, then from province to province. 

“This is what I want to see as Governor-General of PNG. 

“I want to see family ties in each of our communities being strengthened as this is the only way for us to have a good country.” 

Sir Michael said the ceremony was similar to what other countries willing to establish relationship with PNG normally do when they present their letter of credentials to him as the head of State. 

Sir Michael concluded his speech by thanking all those who had contributed in making this ceremony a success. The ceremony went well.

01.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Punghau wants his name cleared in media

By ROMULUS MASIU

BOUGAINVILLE Veteran Affairs Minister David Sisito, who has been firing a broadside against the Autonomous Bougainville Government in recent weeks for financial mismanagement, says the attacks were not meant to demean the Finance Minister of ABG Albert Punghau. 

Mr Sisito clarified that the K1 million allocation to the Konnou case was actually made by the Momis-Nisira Government to ease tensions in the troubled Konnou Constituency and Minister Punghau had no personal involvement in either approving the funds or in directing its use. 

However, although Mr Sisito said he wpi;d reconcile with Mr Punghau shortly, he made no apology for attacking the ABG’s lackluster performance over the last three years which he said had been marked by a total lack of any tangible development projects. 

However, Minister Punghau last week told this reporter in Baba Constituency in Bana District that he declined Mr Sisito’s offer for a customary reconciliation between him (Sisito), Punghau and ABG President Chief Dr John Momis.

“Sisito said he will come with two pigs – one for me and the other for Chief Momis. I declined the offer. I told Sisito straight that you’ve tarnished my name in the media.’’ 

He says he wants his name cleared in the media.

01.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

ABG House Clerk pledges cooperation

THE recently appointed acting clerk of the Bougainville House of Representatives Edwin Kenehata has pledged to work members of the parliament. 

Mr Kenehata was appointed recently. 

He thanked the Speaker of the House Andrew Miriki for the confidence and trust he had on him (Kenehata), resulting in his appointment and pledged to work with the members of the parliament.

Speaking soon after the announcement of his appointment last week, Mr Kenehata said that he would be executing his duties in providing advice to the speaker and members of the parliament. 

“I pledge to execute my roles and responsibilities of providing the advice to the speaker and members of the House and all the powers and functions vested on me as the acting clerk in order to manage and administer the affairs of the parliamentary services through consultation processes with the office of the speaker, deputy speaker and other stakeholders,” Mr Kenehata said.

Mr Kenehata added that he had an enormous task ahead to ensure that the mechanisms and procedures were put in place in preparation for the 2015 ABG elections and the referendum period to determine the political future of Bougainville.

“With the mandate entrusted on me as acting clerk within the period of three months will be an opportune time to continue from where Mr Tapi has left and to display the leadership that will bring the parliamentary services to the next level.

“The parliamentary services will continue to prosper if a cohesive working relationship is maintained with the office of the clerk, office of the speaker and office of the deputy speaker.” 

He added that total support and cooperation was needed from all sectional heads of the parliamentary services in order for him to effectively perform his duties.

Mr Kenehata also acknowledged the former clerk Robert Tapi, saying he (Mr Tapi) “was a great man, a builder and also a mentor not only to me but to other staff of the parliament including those who needed assistance from him”. 

He added that Mr Tapi should be commended for his great effort in laying the foundation and making history in developing the Bougainville parliament into what is now today.

01.10.2013

Source: Post-Courier

Arawa police arrest gold robbery suspect

A suspect who was involved in an arm robbery at Manetai, Kieta District last month is now behind bars .

He was locked up at at Arawa Police Station after he was picked up by Arawa police.

The suspect, identified as Emmanuel Paku, was arrested last week after he and two others held up a gold buyer from East New Britain and stole K15,000 cash from him. 

During last week’s police operation, the police recovered only K4327 of the K11, 673 that was stolen.

According to police reports, the two gold buyers were set up on by one of the suspects who had accompanied them from Buka. 

When they reached Manetai, they were led straight into the ambush where the criminals came out and held them up. A total of K15, 000 cash was stolen.

The police are now calling on the other two suspects to voluntarily give themselves in.

“Bougainville is a small island and there was nowhere such criminals could hide forever. If we do not get you today, we will get you tomorrow or next year or even 10 years time. There is nowhere to hide,” Central Regional Commander Inspector Januarius Vosivai warned.

Meanwhile, police in Arawa are appealing to people dealing with gold buying to take extra precaution and be wary of risks that were involved in such businesses.

“There were already similar cases in the past so people must be very careful when dealing with gold business,” officer in charge of Arawa Criminal Investigation Division section Sgt Patrick Kasilim warned.

He made particular mention of gold dealers coming from overseas and Papua New Guinea to buy or exchange gold for money. Sgt Kasilim also took the opportunity to appeal to the youths of Bougainville not to get themselves involved in illegal activities that could jeopardize their future lives. 

Meanwhile, the suspect has been charged with arm robbery and will be appearing at the Arawa District Court.

01.10.2013

Source: PNG Attitude

Alluvial gold mining in Panguna’s Tumpusiong Valley

by LEONARD FONG ROKA

Gold miner at work in the Tumpusiong ValleyAFTER 1997, WHEN THE Bougainville Peace Process slowly gained momentum, the people on the coastal plains of Nasioi, especially around Arawa, slowly began to rehabilitate their old cocoa and coconut plantations.

At the higher altitudes like Panguna, where cocoa does not yield, people sought means to earn the cash the coastal people were enjoying; so most young men began to labour for the coastal people.

For those in the villages, there was a search for a resource that would counter the cash economy the coastal people were enjoying. Panguna people attempted butterfly, coffee, vanilla and spice farming but it did not work well.

By chance in 1998, the Moroni and Dapera villagers began sharing tales of the world‘s oldest precious mineral, gold. They knew through oral history had it that it was first mined in the mountains of Kupe in 1929-30 and later in the Barapinang (now the Panguna area).

They also knew the tales of the heyday of Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) when gold was processed in the Panguna mine’s concentrator. With curiosity, they began to sample the area using old methods of panning.

They then discovered that the most valuable mineral since the Biblical times was there waiting for them.

A gold rush dawned. People as far as Siwai in South Bougainville and Arawa on the east coast flocked to Panguna to tap in. The BCL tailings affected Tumpusiong Valley and people there also joined the rush for gold.

By the middle of 1999, the entire concentrator zone of the Panguna site was controlled by landowners and a few Bougainville Revolutionary Army leaders. Tumpusiong miners were pushed to the periphery and their numbers slowly declined.

The Tumpusiong people developed the notion that the vast sedimentation from Panguna that BCL had left in their valley should yield traces of gold.

So, without the entire valley being told, in late 2000 Boniface Arunara began sampling for the mineral. He had previously been an avid Panguna panner but, after being wounded in the left leg by the Papua New Guinea military, could not walk the long trails.

Arunara identified gold at a spot known as Sinari-tave in the Tumpusiong Valley. He secretly mined for a few weeks but was discovered and excitement diffused the entire valley and the search for gold was on.

Gold panning greatly improved  the Tumpusiong living standard. Small businesses mushroomed and everybody has money earned with hard clean labour.

01.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

BANAM SAYS ADMINISTRATOR MUST KNOW THE BOUGAINVILLE PEACE AGREEMENT.

By Aloysius Laukai

The Minister for Public service,Joel Banam says that the ABG needs people who know the Bougainville Peace Greement back to front.

Speaking at the installation of Chief Chris Siriosi at Sipai, MR BANAM said that the process of implementing the Peace Agreement has been stagnant because people in high positions knew nothing of the Peace Agreements and were working against the principles of these agreements.

MR. BANAM said that MR SIRIOSI was appointed so that he can fully implement the Bougainville Peace Agreement as he was heavily involved in the Peace Negotiations.

He also complaint that he was not happy that some senior Administration officers were not following ABG's instructions stating they were answerable to Waigani and not the ABG.

The public service Minister said that officers must not question political instructions but implement without questions.

MR.BANAM represented the ABG Vice President, PATRICK NISIRA who did not make it to Sipai last Sunday due to other commitments.

01.10.2013

Source: Radio New Dawn on Bougainville

POLICE BAN NIGHT MARKET

By Aloysius Laukai

The North Bougainville Police Commander, Inspector Cletus Tsien wants total ban on any night market at the BUAI market in Buka town.

Speaking on New Dawn FM at the weekend, MR. TSIEN said that the night market was creating a haven for criminal activities and Police wants this to stop immediately.

He said in the past people have been caught selling Home brew and other illegal trades which the Police is closing monitoring.

MR. TSIEN called on mothers to leave the market place after daily close of Business and return to sell again the next day.

He also warned that market on the side of the road was not allowed as they are disturbing traffic from moving freely on the roads.

MR. TSIEN said police will be closely monitoring these activities and anyone caught still continueing with these activities will be arrested.