140213 PANGUNA PEACE
By Aloysius Laukai
The remaining faction that continued to be outside of the Bougainville Peace process yesterday joined the other two parties to continue with reconciliation and peace building in PANGUNA where the Panguna conflict started in November 1988 when the first Power Pylon was dynamited by the first disgruntled landowners of PANGUNA.
The Mekamui original group led by another hardcore CHRIS UMA yesterday joined the process under the PANGUNA PEACE BUILDING PROCESS to be funded by AusAID through the STRONGIM PIPOL STRONGIM NATION (SPSN)
Aus AID will pay a total of ONE POINT TWO MILLION KINA whilst the Autonomous Bougainville Government would counter-fund with another ONE MILLION KINA.
This projects take the PANGUNA PEACE PROCESS to another level since the ABG and the Mekamui unity Government signed the PANGUNA COMMUNIQUE four years ago which led to the establishment of the PANGUNA DISTRICT as separate from the KIETA District.
The Australian High Commissioner IAN KEMISH told yesterday’s gathering that Australia has a long history with Bougainville and the occasion opened another chapter in the relationship between Australia and Bougainville.
The High Commissioner said that Australia will continue to assist where ever it can to see Bougainville come out off its current problems.
He said Bougainvilleans need to unite to see Bougainville move forward.
On the future of the Panguna Gold and Copper Mine he said that Australia had no say in it and it was up to the people to decide how they would like to address it.
He also questioned the people if they were ready to open the mine.
Meanwhile the President of the Mekamui Unity Government, PHILIP MIRIORI called on the people of Panguna to forget their differences and work together to change Panguna for the better.
He said the time was right for the people to unite and work as one people of Panguna.
The chairman of the Panguna Landowners Association, CHRIS DAMANA called on the people of Panguna to realize that the only way for BOUGAINVILLE to attain REFERENDUM and Independence was through ECONOMIC SELF RELIANCE therefore PANGUNA MINE must be opened quickly.
He said that the people of BOUGAINVILLE needed Panguna to raise the much needed funds for the people and their government.
MR. DAMANA said that if Panguna is not opened Bougainville will not be able to raise the funds needed to fulfill one of the three pillars of the Peace Process.
MR DAMANA said that Panguna must be opened in his lifetime.
The instruments for funding of the PANGUNA PEACE BUILDING Strategy was also signed yesterday.
Ends
The train left the station 2013