mekamui | Mekamui News
Mekamui news caught up with Lyneth Ona in Arawa when she came from Buka to attend a meeting at the Arawa Women’s centre. Lyneth Ona is one of the outspoken women in Bougainville against BCL coming back and reopens the Panguna mine.
Mekamui news asked her what are their stand now as from the forums held so far they are saying that majority wants the mine reopen and will start negotiation with BCL?
Lyneth responded by saying that the women must be given the time to talk about or be in the negotiating team because the men had did it in the past were we all suffered terribly.
She says that she is not seeing many women as mothers of the land in the decision making body on Bougainville.
She told Mekamui news that she attended two forums, in Buka and the one in Arawa and she stated that not everyone agreed only those educated ones and those who use money going around wants the mine reopen. Asked if there were good number of women who attended the forum she says yes but they were quite however, they have strong opposition to mining.
Lyneth maintain that mining can come later after Referendum or Independence. She says the Government should step in to help people who are panning for gold or the small alluvial gold mining in a small scale. If the mine reopens, where will they relocated the people or Moroni, Guava, Kokore and Dapera the population is 4-5 times higher than during those days.
Papua New Guinea Mine Watch 