Panguna visit

Mekamui News

On the 4th November 2014 at 6pm I rang Meekamui Commander Moses Pipiro in Panguna that we are planning to visit Panguna on the 5th, it was a short notice but he gave us green light.

Kyle, a reporter have to pay K200 at the check point the normal fee on foreigners passing through the check point, fortunately Colonel Alex Dakamari who is in charge at the check point knows that we are going to Panguna as we had an interviewed with him at the check point in the morning hours of the 4th of November.

We told Commander M Pipiro that we would arrive around 10am local time but we arrived there a little early. When I jumped out of the truck I saw Meekamui Government of Unity vice President Philip Takau walking towards the burnt down police station. I told him we are here so we went to see Moses Pipiro at his resident then went down to the Meekamui main assembly hall.

Meekamui Unity Governement meeting hall

President Philip Miriori was with his cabinet members when we walked in, he welcome us but told us he has an appointment and a truck is coming to pick him up so he will be with us for 15 minutes.

During the short 15 minutes interviewed his mobile rings every 10 seconds which is a bit annoying but as our arrangement was a short notice and he was a busy man we didn’t take note of it. We should not be entertained if they do not know me.

After 15 minutes of his time he left, with the question of on going hot topic by President Momis with ABG on mining he told us “NO Mining”.

Commander Moses Pipiro escorted us to the mine pit than down the tailings.

Moses Pipiro with Kyle at the mouth of the pit

We thank Moses Pipiro for his time and came back to Arawa.

No garden like this would happen if the mining continues

Down the Jaba river

Jaba, tailing pipe which was not use at all

Rio Tinto to dump toxic Panguna waste into Augusta Bay?

The first time Rio Tinto operated the Panguna mine on Bouganville they destroyed the Jaba river by dumping toxic mine waste straight into the river, and that led to a terrible conflict in which thousands lost their lives.

The poisoned Jaba river

Twenty years later local people are still suffering from the ongoing pollution of the river system.

Now, as Rio Tinto tries to maneuver to reopen the Panguna mine, it has persuaded PNG’s Constitutional and Law Reform Commission not to recommend a ban on the marine dumping of mine tailings.

Eric Kwa, the Commission Chairperson has revealed the Commission was considering a ban on marine dumping to go alongside its recommendation for a ban on river waste dumping, but Rio Tinto persuaded it otherwise. When asked on Radio Australia whether the Commission was recommending a ban on both riverine and deep sea disposal, Kwa replied:

Ah no, deep sea we did not propose the banning of it, basically because from the current technical advice that we have been given, deep sea tailings is moderately acceptable and given the current geographical and geological situation in Papua New Guinea, that particular option would be more acceptable. And in fact, one of the large mining companies suggested to us that we should ban river iron tailings, but deep sea we could approach it more cautiously and that’s the Rio Tinto. They came up with some very interesting suggestions on handling this particular issue

Now, given the Panguna mine on Bougainville is the ONLY mine in PNG that Rio Tinto currently has any interest in, what should we conclude from their intervention?

It certainly look as if Rio Tinto, if allowed to reopen the Panguna mine, will dump the toxic tailings straight into the beautiful Augusta Bay!

Way forward for Bougainville is not in the mine, but in its people

Dansi Oerupeu | ACT NOW!

The way forward for Bougainville is in its people and how resourceful they are in bringing Bougainville out of dependency to realizing its dream to be holistically independent. It is not in the mineral wealth that ABG claims so much to be the ‘way out’ for Bougainville. So much propaganda and lies have been fed to the people about the economic prosperity the mine will bring, however this does not relate well with the majority who are living with the physical and psychological trauma of the bloody ten year war, combined with a decimated environment that is continually affecting the livelihood of those living in it.

Jaba River is nothing but a testament of BCL’s destructive and poisonous waste disposal activity

The branding of economic prosperity by ABG and its AusAid consultants is very shallow. Bougainville does not a money consuming establishment like the west minister system, if ABG is serious about empowering its economy; it should look at ways it can create market for its commodities. Cocoa is a major earner for Bougainville, too many times mining advocates indicate that cocoa, let alone agriculture is ‘not enough’, even when people are directly benefiting from cocoa farming. Hence, this begs the question; ‘for who is it not enough?’

Bougainville has a domestic economy that is unregulated. There are no proper regulatory mechanisms in place to steer the economy that is domestically competitive. That is why the price of goods and services are relatively high in Bougainville. Bougainvilleans are highly industrious so to speak, although there is no mechanism in place to regulate the economy, the local people are the ones driving Bougainville’s domestic economy. Why not the ABG look into how it can source revenue through these means, capitalising on the fact that cocoa can be the number one earner for the autonomous government. At the moment, East New Britain is making so much money from Bougainvillean cocoa.

Economic prosperity can only be realized if the human resource is capacitated with the adequate skills and knowledge to bring about the change they want. It is not about the spinoffs, compensation, benefits and employment to be brought about by the proposed mine reopening.President Momis seem to be so desperate in rushing the reopening of the mine; something Francis Ona and the BRA eloquently indicated should never return.

It should also be taken into account that Bougainville is not in a state of poverty as it may be viewed by the outside world, and if there is; then why are there no beggars, or people dying of hunger in the streets Buka or Arawa or let alone famine in Bougainville?

Happy and healthy Bougainvillean children

Only the ruined remnants of what used to be a booming mining town of Arawa, coupled with no proper town infrastructure planning makes Arawa looks like a shanty town. However this does not truly translate to the kind of life most Bougainvilleans live, as most people are semi subsistent, and do not entirely depend on money, land is the most important asset because it provides basically everything people need.

Remnants of a former mining town on a Sunday afternoon, Arawa

Should there be a way out for Bougainville, the ABG need not to look anywhere else when the most important resource is in the people it governs. Education may be an overrated term used, but is an underrated priority at the moment. The ABG government must have lost its marbles looking into the sky without realizing it needs wings to fly. Again, its people are the determinants of Bougainville’s prosperity. The issue of mining should be left to the people of Bougainville to decide, not a corporation. When the human resource is at the capacity where they can be able to manage mining then the case of a potential reopening can be the people’s decision to make. Otherwise, Panguna should remain closed for good. ABG should be facilitative to the people’s needs and work with them to achieving Bougainville’s dream of a free and independent state of Bougainville.

Panguna landowners urged not to accept K13 million offer from Rio Tinto

LATEST LETTER CIRCULATING AROUND

Mekamui News

Dear Chairman Daveona,

The poisoned Jaba river

As I reflected on your e-mail regarding the leaseholders desire to
 accept a K13 million settlement from BCL, I think that it is important
that you realize that the decision to accept BCL’s fraudulent
 calculation does not put an end to the suffering that the communities 
have endured. Rather, it will conclude their lives with the last 
injury inflicted by BCL. Their suffering, which if we pursue the full
 benefit due the people and the country, could serve as the funding
source for a new economy and an Autonomous land will be given away for
 a “bowl of porridge” served by a corrupt organization. The 
leaseholder decision is to give away your birthright for an enemy who
 has contempt for you and is taking the emotions of the people as the 
last form of manipulation.

I am already aware that BCL and Rio Tinto’s accountants have been 
advised of the fact that a new paradigm is being considered. I have
 had conversations with them about becoming a part of the solution 
rather than the problem. Therefore, this is EXACTLY the wrong time to 
give in to the temptation being offered in the wilderness of years of 
sadness. This is a time to truly educate the people that the seeds of
 an entire future are right before them and a host of international
 witnesses are watching. For all the pain, suffering and misery that 
BCL has cost, do not let 40 pieces of silver blind the community to 
the treachery that it represents to this and all future generations.
 By accepting the offer of BCL, you would:

• limit the Independent State of Papua New Guinea’s ability to collect 
tax and penalty income of as much as K43 million;
• limit the landowner’s ability to receive benefit of over K100 million; and,
• set a precedent that KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers can continue to
mislead and conceal on behalf of their clients BCL and Rio Tinto
 without consequence.

If the future of Bougainville is to be sustainable, independent and 
free, this is the time to stand with renewed resolve – not to
 surrender to the forces of fear, mortality and greed.

Warmest regards,
Dr. Martin*

* http://www.m-cam.com/david-e-martin

Bana missed out from PM’s visit says Celine Meleng

Aloysius Laukai | New Dawn 

Pictured are Panguna women who welcomed the Prime Minister and his delegation to Panguna last week

A woman leader in the Bana district, South Bougainville is questioning why the Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill did not make any commitment to help the people of Bana who have and are still feeling the pain from the closed Panguna Copper mine.

In a letter sent to New Dawn FM at the weekend, Ms Mileng said that the Bana people continue to suffer silently from the huge deposits of wastes down the Jaba river system.

She said that Bana could have been considered for development as they are still been affected by the wastes even though the mine has been closed for more than twenty years.

New Dawn FM understands commitments made by the Prime Minister for road infrastruture and other developments will also include Bana and including all other areas who missed out on the first official visit by the Prime Minister to Bougainville.

Jaba River and the New Mining Law

mekamui | Mekamui News

Michael is from Pirurari village, one of the villages on the affected Jaba River. He mentioned that before the mine when upstream was pure jungle they drink from the water and the river runs way down but due to the waste been dumped it raised and the village had to move to where it is today.

Michael

Pirurari Village

According to the last BCL’s environmental report before the mine closed it was stated that the water is drinkable but Michael strongly believe that the water is poisonous to drink even when they swim on it their body turns blue.

From the colour itself it doesn’t look inviting to drink

Jaba river water

So the question on the new mining law is, will it clean this mess up or it will further worsen it from what it is now. Michael reckons it may takes up to 135 years before the river system is recover.

If the effects are minimum it may sounds good but when it comes to mining the effects is so large overweight the good side of it. Michael said that if there had been a development by BCL you can see it but instead they turn this river into blue and dangerous.

Jaba river

PNG MP says Bougainville people oppose mining

Radio New Zealand

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.