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Bougainville's president holds talks about re-opening Panguna mine
The President of Bougainville John Momis says there a consensus in favour of large scale mining. [ABC]
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The President of Bougainville John Momis says there a consensus in favour of large scale mining. [ABC]
Jemima Garrett, Sydney
Last Updated: 10 hours 58 minutes ago
Bougainville's President, John Momis, has held talks with the Rio Tinto-owned mining company, Bougainville Copper, about the possibility of re-opening the Panguna Mine.
The mine was closed in 1988 after it became the spark which ignited a decade long civil war on Bougainville.
President Momis says there is now a consensus on Bougainville in favour of large scale mining.
He emerged from talks with Bougainville Copper (BCL) Chairman Peter Taylor, saying he had had a good exchange of ideas.
"We did not discuss issues in detail but I am satisfied that we have established a process, a form of dialogue that we can maintain as we both consult our constituents," he said.
President Momis told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program, a new mine agreement would look very different from the old colonial era agreement that was the cause of so many problems.
"If we want to reopen the mine we have to have a total commitment to resolve the differences we had and we have to do it commercially," he said.
"On our side we have to recognise BCL's legal rights, the (Papua New Guinea) government's legal rights and on the part of BCL, they have to recognise that landowners and the people of Bougainville."
President Momis said any new mine agreement would have to provide a much more equitable distribution of benefits.
He says there has been a sea-change in public opinion on Bougainville but he knows negotiating a new mining agreement will still be a difficult task.
"There are some armed individuals in south Bougainville but it's a minute proportion of the total population."
"Everybody wants development, stability, peace and I am saying now that the slogan should be changed from 'peace through peaceful means' to 'peace through socio-economic means'...that means empowering people by involving them in socio-economic programs."
Mr Momis says landowners will also take part in negotiations with the national government and BCL, under an umbrella organisation.
He says he wants to see formal negotiations begin this year.