Bougainville: To mine or not to mine?

Jubilee Australia | 12 September 2018

As Bougainville plans for its long-awaited inde­pendence referendum scheduled for the middle of next year, the Panguna mine – which was once one of the largest copper-gold mines in the world until the Bougainville civil war forced its closure in 1989 – remains at the forefront of debates about Bougainville’s economic future.  

Jubilee Australia’s report ‘Growing Bougainville’s Future’ examines the choice facing the people of Bougainville and asks the question of ‘to mine or not to mine’?  

The political consensus that large-scale mining offers the only feasible developmental path for Bougainville has led to a scenario in which there has been an insufficient analysis of potential alternative eco­nomic strategies. Jubilee Australia aims to redress this imbalance.  

The report reflects on the possibilities and realities of an extrac­tives-led development path for Bougainville and examines the availability and viability of an alternative path. In short, we conclude that alter­natives to large-scale mining do exist and that many Bougainvilleans are already participating in and developing these alternatives.  

Some of the conclusions in ‘Growing Bougainville’s future’ are:

• Land is of central importance to Bougain­villeans, and along with Bougainvillean’s history, knowledge, social institutions, cultural assets and traditional economy, can provide a vital foundation on which Bougainville’s future can be built.
• Land supports a way of life that most rural Bougainvilleans are already living. Land allows people to operate within a mixed economy that blends the non-cash contributions of the traditional economy with cash earned from small-scale income generating activities.
• Agriculture is the single most important source of livelihoods for Bougainvilleans, and an economy based on agriculture has the potential to benefit all Bougainvilleans – both women and men – and not just a small minority
• The Panguna mine is unlikely to be a significant source of government revenues, at least in the short to medium term.
• An over-reliance on the mining oil and gas sector is likely to distort Bougainville’s economymaking it harder for non-resource sector exports – particularly in agriculture – to bring in revenues, as is the case in Papua New Guinea.

This report is being published along with a short film, Bougainville: Long Han Blong Yumi (Bougainville: It’s In Our Hands). The film has been made for a Bougainvillean audience and explores many of the same issues explored in the report.

Dr Ruth Saovana-Spriggs, from the Bougainville People’s Research Centre said:

“Re-opening the Panguna mine is not the solution. The people of Bougainville are hungry for alternative and sustainable development paths, and an informed and balanced debate about Bougainville’s future.”

Christina Hill, Acting Executive Director of Jubilee Australia said:

“Properly supported, innovative approach­es that build on what is already done have the potential to support inclusive economic growth in Bougainville and with it increase government reve­nues.”

Community Organizations of Northern Haiti Reject Mining

‘YES TO LIFE, NO TO MINING’ 

Centre for Human Rights and Justice | May 17, 2018

Today, residents of Morne Pele in the North of Haiti and members of the Kolektif Jistis Min (Mining Justice Collective or KJM) held a press conference to share their message, Wi ak Lavi, NON ak eksplwatasyon min (yes to life, no to mining). Last month, thirteen community organizations from Morne Pele signed an open letter to local and national government authorities. The organizations represent a broad cross-section of society, including the local health center, religious groups, schools, government authorities, workers’ rights organizations, and farmers’ groups. Morne Pele, also called Morne Bossa, is the site of one of three gold mining exploitation permits in Haiti.

The letter, available below in English, Kreyòl, and Spanish, states that agriculture is fundamental to the livelihood of Haitian people, and that the proposed gold mining project in Morne Pele threatens agriculture and the environment as a whole. The letter states that mining for gold may violate Haiti’s Constitution, which provides special protections for the degraded environment and guarantees the right to access to information. To date, mining projects have been characterized by a total lack of transparency or, as Haitian leaders have often said, an “information blackout.”

The signatory organizations request agricultural reform, education, reforestation, and potable water. The letter concludes: “In order for us to win this struggle, we seek national and international solidarity, with people who believe that life is more meaningful than making money.”

Read the letter in English, Kreyòl, and Spanish.

Morne Pele is the site of the right to water study that the Clinic is conducting with KJM and scientists from Penn State University.  For more on the study, see our March 22, 2018 press release.

Vanilla beans now more expensive than silver

Sue Gleiter | PenLive | 7 May 2018

Bakers and ice cream makers are paying a hefty price for vanilla beans.

The key ingredient in sweet treats has soared to near record levels and is now hovering at about $600 a kilogram, making it more expensive than silver.

As a result, consumers may be paying more for that pint of ice cream or doughnut with their coffee.

Earlier this spring, Dunkin’ Donut’s chief executive officer Nigel Travis told Bloomberg that dairy and vanilla prices are weighing down returns at Baskin-Robbins, one of its brands.

“It puts pressure on both our margins internationally, and the costs to our franchisees, so we’ve taken this very seriously,” he said in the story.

Locally, Urban Churn ice cream’s founder Adam Brackbill said he stopped buying vanilla beans in exchange for vanilla bean paste to make his artisan ice cream, which is mostly sold at the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg.

The paste is less expensive than the actual vanilla beans, he said.

“With the prices they are now a days, it’s better to buy vanilla bean paste.  That is, if you want the beans for that visual appeal,” Brackbill added.

In the United Kingdom at least one ice cream maker stopped producing vanilla ice cream, while another ice cream business, Snugburys Ice Cream, says it is paying 30 times more for vanilla than it did last year, according to the BBC.

“It has really gone up, so last year we decided to buy it forward by a year’s-worth,” Cleo Sadler, who manages the production side of the business, told the BBC.

The high prices can be blamed on a cyclone which last year hit Madagascar, a tropical island off the south-east coast of Africa and the world’s top vanilla growing region.

About 75 percent of the world’s vanilla is grown in Madagascar. It is also grown in Papua New Guinea, India and Uganda.

Julian Gale, a commodities analyst for IEG Vu, told the BBC they had hoped prices would go down by now but they have remained high due to strong demand. 

‘PNG is on the cusp of a super cycle in mining investment’

Illustrator: Holly Wales

Dr Kishti Sen* | ANZ | 20 April 2018

Papua New Guinea’s real gross domestic product averaged around 2 per cent per annum in 2016 and 2017.

This is a significant step down from the previous two years when growth averaged over 10 per cent thanks mostly to the sizeable liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. These benefits have now largely faded.

Recently released ANZ research expects growth to remain subdued in 2018 and 2019 as the benefits of the LNG expansion diminishes and as non-mining sectors struggle owing to an overvalued currency and foreign exchange shortages. 

Infrastructure investment associated with the upcoming APEC meeting and higher agriculture output should be the main drivers of activity in the short term.

The national budget is in deficit with debt already at 32 per cent of gross domestic product (just 3 per cent below the self-imposed limit of 35 per cent) and the government is limited in its ability to support the economy.

However, PNG’s longer-term prospects are more encouraging as it would appear to be on the cusp of a ‘super cycle’ in resources investment, particularly in gas, gold and copper projects.

The challenge for the government and business is to manage the next upturn so that a boom-bust cycle is minimised.

Meanwhile, the Kina remains an overvalued currency and better macro balance could be achieved if faster depreciation occurred.

The currency’s fair value on our estimate is around $US0.23-0.25.

At this level, the Kina would likely remove uncertainty in the foreign exchange market, add liquidity and help clear the backlog of import orders, maximise import substitution and assist Kina-exposed industries including agriculture and mining.

*Dr Kishti Sen is an international economist at ANZ

Why redevelop Panguna’s mine now? It can be banked

Paul Flanagan | PNG Attitude | 12 January 2018

Are we sure, as Axel Sturm asserts in PNG Attitude, that “one thing is for sure: Without revenues from the Panguna mine under the leadership of BCL that is owned by the Autonomous Bougainville Government, the independence of  the island will remain a sweet dream.”

Separate to the BCL versus RTG issue there is a more fundamental assumption. Why is a mine essential for independence?

Bougainville’s agricultural prospects are reasonably strong. It has some of the best agriculture land in Papua New Guinea.

Its cocoa and copra plantations were extremely productive prior to ‘the troubles’. Tourist potential would appear significant if law and order issues are contained. Its waters would link into fishing revenues under the Nauru Agreement.

Bougainville’s estimated population of around 300,000 is larger than many other Pacific island nations – about half Solomon Islands, slightly larger than Vanuatu, New Caledonia and French Polynesia, and significantly larger than Samoa.

These countries get by with a form of independence without a mine.

Experience also is that mining can lead to ‘resource curse’ issues that may manifest greatly in Bougainville as Panguna could represent a major share of measured GDP.

I’m not saying there shouldn’t be a mine, just asking why it is “essential”?

This is an assumption that needs to be examined closely. Using the figures quoted by Mr Sturm, even if 320 of 367 customary heads are in favour of a particular course of development, that still leaves 47 with issues. And the issues may not come only from the customary heads.

The Panguna mine riches are not going to disappear. Is it better that they are left in the ground for another generation until there is an absolutely unambiguous consensus that they should be developed?

This would simply be banking the resource at this stage.

And it may allow the people of Bougainville to consider more inclusive forms of development and governance as it considers the June 2019 referendum on its political future.

PNG needs to wean off reliance on minerals, says Micah

Papua New Guinea’ s parliament facade. Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades

Radio New Zealand | 11 April, 2017

A Papua New Guinea MP says the country needs a transformative type of government in order to fulfil its potential.

Ben Micah, the leader of the People’s Progress Party, said that government had become too reliant on income from the non-renewable sector.

PNG’s Treasurer Patrick Pruaitch, this month, warned that the government had spent beyond its means and had incurred a massive debt in recent years.

While PNG’s revenues have collapsed partly due to the global commodity price slump, Mr Micah said government could no longer rely on collecting income from the extractives sector.

He said PNG government had not invested enough in agriculture; allowed the country’s fishing industry to be controlled by foreigners, and has failed to tap into the country’s tourism potential.

“We cannot compare to Fiji and Vanuatu and smaller countries like Samoa and Cook Islands because we have not properly developed realistic policies on how to develop our tourism industry,” said Mr Micah, adding that PNG had massive tourism potential.

“We are the last frontier here in terms of the natural beauty of our country, our diverse traditions and culture.”

He said, however, that in order for PNG to realise this potential, it could not persist with a business-as-usual approach.

Mr Micah added that PNG’s government has been living beyond its means, and that spending had to be curtailed.

He said that if his party formed the next government, it would slash some public departments which merely duplicated functions of others.

Bougainville i laikim agrikalsa winim mining

Cocoa pods displayed at Bougainville Chocolate festival (Laukai photo)

Caroline Tiriman | ABC Radio | 28 July 2016

Planti farmers long Autonomous Bougainville rijan long Papua New Guinea i tokim ABG gavman long lus tingting long ol wok mining na strongim agrikalsa.

Planti long ol despla pipal em ol save growim na lukautim ol Coacoa na Coconut farms em oli tok oli gat bikpla save long mekim.

Wanpla chief blong Suir long North Bougaiville Pais Silaves itokim midia long PNG olsem, klostu olgeta pipal long ples isave long wok agrikalsa na emi stap pinis long bulut blong ol.

Emi tok tu olsem ol wok mining isave helpim tasol liklik laen pipal taem cocoa na coconut farming isave helpim olgeta pipal.
Bougainville ibin stap olsem nambawan ples long PNG long saed blong cocoa na copra prodution, tasol bikpla trabal long wok politik ibin bagarapim despla wok.
Ursula Rakova, emi wanpla cocoa farmer long Bougainville na emi tokim  Radio Australia olsem emi sapotim tru despla tingting.

Farmers call on ABG to forget about mining

Bags of cocoa ready for export at Kieta Port.

Peterson Tsereha | Loop PNG | July 18, 2016

Farmers are calling on the Autonomous Bougainville Government to forget about mining and concentrate on agriculture.

Cocoa and copra farmers throughout the Region have put out a joint request to the ABG because cocoa and copra is for grassroots.

A cocoa farmer from North Bougainville in the Suir Constituency, Pais Silaves, told Loop PNG that more focus has to go into agriculture because everyone is qualified for agriculture.

“Mining is for a small portion of people only. What about the rest of the village people?” Silaves said.

“Cocoa and copra, even coffee, is the way to go. Everyone sees money from agriculture and also a good fish market for our coastal and island communities.

“More and more funds are being spent on negotiations for Panguna and other mining prospects; good money that the Government can spend on agriculture alone,” Silaves said.

Right now, majority of Bougainvilleans are enjoying the impact of the cash crop market. More and more people are acquiring blocks of land just to plant cocoa, the local explained.

“What the ABG should be doing right now is to improve feeder roads for us to access the market more easily and to help some of us acquire export license; to export our cocoa overseas.”

Bougainville No-Go-Zone Hardliners on the Mining Law and the alternatives

Introduction

Bougainville NO-GO-ZONE Hardliners was formed as Central Hardliners in August this year to put a stop on the Bel Kol with BCL. We changed it to Bougainville Hardliners to cover the whole Island. NO-GO-ZONE refers to the mountains from Deuro to the end of the ranges in Tinputz that are out of bound for any mining companies.

We are against the Bel Kol because it opens the door for BCL to return and set up its office in Arawa that will open the floodgate for other companies. Below you will read the reasons why we are against BCLs’ return.

The Mining Law

The Bougainville mining law is a wolf in a sheep-skin. It was written in favour of BCL and Multinational Corporations by Adams & Smith law firm in England and Mr. Tony Regan an Australian advisor to the ABG on Bougainville.

Momis/Nisira Government has sold Bougainville under this Law to the Multinational Corporations who will come and help themselves while we watch helplessly.

The Mining Act

• Limits landowner rights, makes it easier for mining companies to get tenements.
• Communities’ rights of ownership, access and consent are affected.
• FPIC of people under the UN rights of indigenous people has been violated.
• Mining companies can enter customary land not legally owned without any agreement.
• No landowner can protest against any mining company.
• No landowner is able to stop mining when land is allowed for a ‘public purpose’.
• Any complaint with a mining company will only be discussed with the company.
• Our National & Bougainville constitutional rights have been violated.

The penalties under the Act

1. Removal of boundary markers – K25,000 fine and 30 days in prison
2. Interfering mining operations – K250,000 and 5 years in prison
3. Interfering with bid process – K250,000 and 4 years in prison
4. Interfering with officers duties – K50,000 and 2 years in prison.
5. Giving false information to an authorized officer – K25,000 and 1 year in prison
6. An offender refuses to answer questions of authorized officer – K25,000 and 1 year in prison

How the Multinational Corporations take over nations (John Perkins USA EHM)

1. This is a work of the Economic Hit Men (EHM) who are highly paid  professionals who cheat nations through the Presidents and Prime Ministers to funnel money from the World Bank and Aid organisations into the coffers of huge Corporations and the pockets of a few wealthy families.
2. They encourage world leaders to become part of a network of world commercial interests. In the end they are trapped in the web of debt through loans they borrow for economic recovery. They give promises they will never fulfill.
3. It is based on a concept that “all economic growth benefits all mankind and that the greater growth, the more widespread the benefits,” to which the leaders fall and sell they nations to a few.
4. In PNG see Madang cannery owned by a Pilipino Family and in Hela LNG owned by USA.

• Promises fail, the people are now regretting and  asking how the BRA saved Bougainville from BCL.
• Madang is no more beautiful, pollution has destroyed the fishing grounds in the harbor. For women who go to the fishing boats for fish, it is now “one fish one fuck.”
• Hela are recalling the signing of the agreement done in hiding away from them in Rabaul with ExxonMobil an USA oil company. USA/Torokina?

5. Bougainville has a clean slate and must never allow BCL to return with “seven more evil devils.” Find who the EHM is with ABG who helped in writing the Mining Law to trap ABG through the web of debts in Mining.

Our Alternative of Economic Recovery

Our population is only about 370,000 and we don’t need billions of dollars to support such a small population. There is enough money from agriculture. Mining is for the coffers of huge Corporations and  a few wealthy families who are after our wealth.

Remember our basic guiding principles of war. To protect our;

1. Land and environment, survival.
2. Culture and tradition, identity.
3. Future generation, future.
4. Independence, nation.

Agriculture

Principle 1 is Agriculture. Anyone who talks about mining on Bougainville touches the sore that will take years to heal. The following commodities bring us more than enough money for our population;

1. Cocoa               2. Coconut
3. Rice                  4. Coffee
5. Vegetable        6. Spice
7. Water               8. Timber
9. Cattle              10. Marine
11. Fish                 12. Tourism
13.Biodiesel           14. Etc.

There are supporters around us who are ready to help us with Agriculture. But Momis/Nisira Government has been controlled by EHM to put Bougainville into Multinational Corporations slavery that is part of the New World Order system.

• Signed under the Chan’s Plan to put Bougainville into “Phoney war mode” under the cover of Peace Agreement.
• They are after our minerals to mine the Island right down to the sea level with plans to move us to Cairns according to intelligence documents we have.

Reasons for  Resurrection of Hardliners

1. Bougainville is now under foreign control using Hegel’s philosophy developed in the 1800s of benefiting oneself out of crisis. Hegel, a German called it“Ordo Ab Chao”in Latin which means “Order out of Chaos.” It operates according to a concept that “conflict brings change” and “controlled conflict brings controlled change.” With this philosophy the outcome will be in their favour not ours.
2. We are now being controlled under the Peace Agreement a continuation of war under a “phoney war mode” according to Chan’s plan. End of war has never been declared yet.
3. Ausaid money has been used through programs after programs under the Peace Process which has been commercialized to lull the minds of people to forget their past and surrender their future.
4. Divide-and-rule tactic has been used right from the start of crisis. Why BRA/Resistance, BIG/BRA,  Meekamui factions, killing of FO and TM and talking to groups in isolation to each other working on “soft” and “firm” elements?

5. Result;

• Autonomy burial ground for independence.
• BCL comes back and the mine to be forced open.
• Opposition to it becomes “law and order issue” for security to deal with.

Hardliners Alternatives of Action.

1. We want the Mining Law replaced or the sections that violates our rights amended in the present House.
2. We will allow discussions on Bel Kol only with PNG
3. Our alternative to mining is agriculture.
4. We want Mr. Tony Regan with other Australian advisers deported from Bougainville under the orders the PM gave recently.
5. We will allow discussions on Independence not mining.
6. We will talk to the Central MPs about our demands.
7. We will talk to ABG backbencher hardliners.
8. We will mobilize Bougainville hardliners.

Awareness

We are on awareness around Central now.

We will move North and South.

GOD WON’T ALLOW THE “DEVIL WE KNOW” TO RE-ENTER BOUGAINVILLE; THIS IS THE LAND OF OPHIR, KING’S FINE GOLD.

Kieta Chief wants talk on Panguna stopped

Aloysius Laukai | New Dawn

The Chairman of the Central Bougainville Council of Elders Chairmen’s John Dona today called on the ABG President to boycott all negotiations on Panguna and divert attention on other economic activity that can get Bougainville into the future.

Mr. Dona said from Arawa that the ABG has wasted millions of Kina on Panguna and nothing has materialized on the many meetings that has been going on both in Arawa, Buka and Port Moresby.

He said these should have been spent on economical activities like the Cocoa activities on Bougainville especially in Tinputz which has attracted Chocolate makers around to world to make their orders.

Mr. Dona said the giant Panguna mine pit can now be used as another tourism attraction.