Bougainville on the Brink
by ramunickel
Bougainville is on the brink of reopening the controversial mining operation that sparked its civil war. With a heavily armed population and a generation of unemployed youth, conditions are ripe for violence.
Fifteen years after the end of the war, Bougainville has barely recovered."There are hundreds and hundreds with no formal employment", says development worker, Agnes Titus. Yet the government is pushing a radical solution to reopen the mining operation that is alleged by some to have funded and orchestrated the conflict. "Nobody's talking about the human rights violations", says Philip Miriori, one of many locals demanding compensation from mining giant Rio Tinto. Despite strong opposition, many islanders are
Video Transcript
Sound-up: ocean waves
Narrator: The island of Bougainville is running out of time. Fifteen years after war ended, the place has barely recovered. So today, the island's government is pushing for a radical solution. It's a controversial move, that could start the war all over again... The people are worried, but also desperate for change...Like these two teens we meet on a Tuesday morning, drunk on jungle-juice, the island's potent moonshine.
Teen 1: BOUGAINVILLE IS THE WORST PROVINCE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA WORST ONE (CLAPS HAND). AFTER CRISIS EVERYTHING JUST GO...UNCONSCIOUS. YOU'LL SEE LITTLE KIDS LIKE THIS FIVE-YEAR OLDS, SIX-YEAR OLDS DRINKING.
Maggie Zelaya (off-camera) 00:00:51 THAT'S NOT GOOD.
Teen 2: YEAH THAT'S NOT GOOD...THAT'S TERRIBLE.
Teen 1: IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, BUT IN BOUGAINVILLE IT'S POSSIBLE.
Teen 2: BECAUSE... IT'S HARD TO COPE WITH THE LIVING STANDARDS. EVERYBODY GOING OUT DRINKING. FATHER, MOTHER, GRANDPAPA, GRANDMAMA GOING OUT DRINING. IT'S HARD TO COPE. WE NEED SOME GOOD PEOPLE TO COME IN ... SPEAK FOR OUR RIGHTS. LEARN US HOW TO COPE WITH THE LIVING STANDARDS. YOU KNOW MATCHING THE WORLD.
Maggie Zelaya (off-camera): WHAT DO YOU ... WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR BOUGAINVILLE?
Teen 2: WE WANT SOME BETTER AND GOOD AND PROPER LIVING STANDARDS.
Sound-up: music from liquor store
Narrator: It didn't used to be like this. In the 1970s and "80s Bougainville was the most advanced province in Papua New Guinea, thanks to a massive copper-mine called Panguna.
Archive on-screen credit: BCL ORIENTATION VIDEO)
Voice of archive narrator: "THE MINING AND INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX AT PANGUNA OPERATES 24 HOURS A DAY, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR."
Sound up: explosion
Narrator: The mine was owned by a company called BCL, a subsidiary of global mining giant Rio Tinto.
Archive on-screen credit: AN EVERGREEN ISLAND)
Narrator: But from the start there was opposition to the mine - because of the steep environmental cost, and because many felt they weren't benefitting. In 1989, after their calls for change were ignored, angry locals rose up and shut down the mine. Papua New Guinea sent in the troops and civil war broke out ... By the time it ended in 1998 some 15 thousand Bougainvilleans had died - a tenth of the population.
(over slow pan of mine today)
Today the mine sits untouched. Rio Tinto has not been allowed back; many here blame the company for causing the war. There are even allegations Rio ordered and funded the conflict...But now, the island's government is convinced that reopening this mine is the only way to move forward.
Patrick Nisira -Vice-President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government: WITHOUT MINING, A MINING PROJECT LIKE PANGUNA, WITHOUT A BIG ECONOMIC PROJECT I THINK WE WILL NOT PROGRESS.
Narrator: So the government now wants to do the once unthinkable: welcome back - Rio Tinto's BCL.
Patrick Nisira: IT'S MAYBE BETTER TO WORK WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW THAN THE DEVIL YOU DON'T. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE TALKING TO BCL, TELLING BCL: YOU WANT TO COME OPERATE ON BOUGAINVILLE, YOU COME AND OPERATE MINING ON BOUGAINVILLE ON BOUGAINVILLEAN'S TERMS.
Sound-up: pumping gas
Narrator: But on the ground things aren't so cut and dry. There's strong opposition to the government's plan and anger is brewing...
Lawrence Matao agrees to take us to meet some of the people opposed to the mine. Lawrence is a former rebel. He started off as an employee at the mine, but then fought against it.
Lawrence Matau - Former Bougainville Revolutionary: I WAS IN CHARGE OF THE BRA INTELLIGENCE UNIT... IT WAS MY JOB TO MONITOR THE ENEMY MOVEMENT.
Narrator: Laurence takes us to a remote village near Panguna, where the people have been fighting to keep Rio Tinto out for half a century.
Sound-up: blade cutting through grass
Narrator: They built this monument in the 1960s to mark the time they chased away an early Rio Tinto exploration team using bows and arrows. Today they still want nothing to do with Rio or it's subsidiary BCL.
Lawrence Matau: HE DOES NOT WANT BCL TO COME BACK.
Sound-up: village elder speaks in pidgin
Lawrence Matau (translating for chief): BCL IS HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE...FOR CAUSING THE CONFLICT, THE CRISIS, AND THE DEATH OF THE PEOPLE HERE.
Village Chief: THERE IS A CEMETERY HERE.
Narrator: The village lost many men in the conflict.
Village Chief: DURING THE CRISIS WE BURIED THEM HERE.
Narrator: And the suffering of war is still fresh in their minds.
Village Woman: WE HAD TO ABANDON OUR GARDENS BEHIND. SO WE HAD TO GO FAR AND LEAVE THE BABIES WITH NO FOOD. SO WE HAD TO COME BACK, SO THERE WE HAD TO FACE THE ENEMIES.
Narrator: We're about to leave when the people tell us BCL's return could cause another war.
Sound-up chief speaks in pidgin: "second heavy might come up."
Lawrence Matau (translating for chief): ESPECIALLY WITH BCL THE PEOPLE THINK THAT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CONFLICT AGAIN.
Patrick Nisira: I DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING WILL HAPPEN IF WE REOPEN THE PANGUNA.
Narrator: Vice-president Nisira says there is nothing to worry about.
Patrick Nisira: IF THERE ARE ISSUES, IF THERE ARE DISAGREEMENTS THROUGH THE BOUGAINVILLE WAY WE ARE TALKING TO THEM AND WE WILL BE ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES. AND WE BELIEVE THAT IF WE DO REOPEN PANGUNA, WE WILL REOPEN IT WHEN PEOPLE AGREE.
Sound-up government official: "Whether or not Panguna should reopen."
Narrator: The government has been informing the people about its mining plan through a series of public consultations. One of the government's key selling points for its plan is the promise of independence from Papua New Guinea, a long-standing dream of the people.
Sound up government official: "There is no autonomy without economy."
Narrator: Bougainvilleans go to the polls to vote on independence from Papua New Guinea sometime between 2015 and 2020 - but only if the island can first develop an economy to support itself. The government thinks mining is the only way to do that in time.
Sound-up: applause
Narrator: Many here are already convinced.
Michael Pariu - Landowner: (Translated from pidgin) PANGUNA MINE GAVE INDEPENDENCE TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA. SO WHY NOT, CAN IT NOT NOW GIVE INDEPENDENCE TO BOUGAINVILLE?
Narrator: But, there are some issues that consultations alone can't fix.
Philip Miriori - Class Action Plaintiff: I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF CHILDREN DYING, YOU KNOW, WOMEN, I WITNESSED THAT...
EVEN IN MY FAMILY, IN MY FAMILY ALONE I LOST 10, 10, 10 MEMBERS IN MY FAMILY.
Narrator: Philip Miriori is one of many demanding compensation from Rio Tinto. He's even sued the company in the U.S. as part of a class-action lawsuit.
Philip Miriori: NOBODY'S TALKING ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS ON BOUGAINVILLE. EVEN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, THEY ARE CLOSING THEIR EYES ON THAT ISSUE.
Sound-up: Steve Berman talking quietly
Narrator: On the other side of the world, Seattle lawyer Steve Berman filed the class action lawsuit against Rio in 2000 accusing the company of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. Berman is convinced the company orchestrated and funded the war.
Steve Berman - Class Action Lawyer: THE GOVERNMENT GOT TOGETHER WITH RIO AND RIO SAID, 'YOU DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO OPEN THAT MINE, EVEN IF IT MEANS DEADLY FORCE'. WE HAD ALLEGATIONS THAT RIO HAD SUPPLIED HELICOPETERS, ARMS, BULLETS, RADIOS, TRANSPORT...WE HAVE PICTURES, SO WE HAVE THE EVIDENCE.
(Archive on-screen credit: AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORP.)
Narrator: Berman's evidence also includes an affidavit from the former prime minister of Papua New Guinea who said: "Because of Rio Tinto's financial influence in PNG, the company controlled the government."
(Graphic 1: on-screen text)
Sound-up Berman: "He said..."
Narrator: Berman also got an affidavit from a former general who said: "The Papua New Guinea military functioned as the corporation's personal security force..."
(Graphic 2: on-screen text)
(Graphic 3: on-screen text)
Narrator (continued): "...and were ordered by BCL to take action to reopen the mine by any means necessary."
Steve Berman: WE WOULD HAVE WON. ABSOLUTELY. WE WOULD HAVE KILLED THESE GUYS AT TRIAL. I DON'T NORMALLY SAY THAT, BUT IF WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN THE GENERAL'S EVIDENCE ON...NO JURY IS GOING TO HAVE ANY SYMPATHY FOR THAT KIND OF CONDUCT.
Sound up: "The genocide and the war crimes."
Narrator: But Berman's team never got to face Rio Tinto in court. This past June the case was dismissed after the US Supreme Court restricted the law that Berman had sued under, called the Alien Tort Statute. For decades it had allowed foreigners to sue violators of international law in the US... but not anymore.
Sound up: "In their own territory."
Steve Berman: THE RULINGS BY THE SUPREME COURT AND THE 9TH CIRCUIT ARE GOING TO MAKE IT VERY HARD FOR PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS THAT ARE HURT BY MINING COMPANIES TO GET JUSTICE. BECAUSE IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES USUALLY THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IS NOT DEVELOPED ENOUGH, AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE LAWYERS WHO CAN HANDLE CASES LIKE THIS. SO IF THEY CAN'T COME HERE, THEN PROBABLY NOWHERE.
Narrator: Rio Tinto's BCL did not respond to our multiple requests for comment, but the company has always maintained its innocence.
Sound-up: driving in car
Narrator: Back on the island, tension over the mine is steadily climbing. Lawrence Matau agrees to take us to see the now infamous pit. We can't go alone because access is still controlled by rebels - there to prevent Rio Tinto from coming back.
Lawrence Matau: THIS IS WHERE ALL THE PROBLEMS STARTED. ISSUES ABOUT UNFAIR DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH, ISSUES ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE.
Maggie (off-camera): WHERE DID YOU WORK?
Lawrence Matau: I WAS INVOLVED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION CREW SO I WORKED WITHIN THE PIT AREA.
Lawrence Matau (continued): WE CALL THIS THE CATALYST. IT STARTED THE WHOLE THING.
Lawrence Matau (continued): I KNOW IT TOOK A LOT OF HEARTACHES, HEADACHES, HEARTBREAKS, LIVES LOST. BUT WHAT ELSE IS THERE WHEN WE ARE FIGHTING AGAINST THE SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE? THE WHOLE ISSUE IS ABOUT FIGHTING AGAINST THE SYSTEM THAT DOESNT UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE, THAT DOESNT RESPECT THE PEOPLES RESOURCES, THAT DOESN'T HELP TO CREATE LAWS THAT ARE BENEFICIAL FOR EVERYONE CONCERNED.
Narrator: Lawrence is interrupted by the arrival of a school field trip. The kids have come to get their first look at the mine that has shaped their lives. Lawrence steps in to give them a better understanding.
Sound-up Lawrence: "Copper, copper colour, copper colour."
It is this generation that will be most affected by the decisions facing Bougainville today. A point not lost on Lawrence.
Lawrence Matau: IT IS OUR RESPONISBILITY AS ELDERS TO ALSO EDUCATE THEM TO UNDERSTAND ISSUES ABOUT MINING YOU KNOW, GOOD SIDE, BAD SIDE. SOME OF THESE ILL FEELINGS THAT WE HAVE WILL TAKE QUITE A LONG TIME TO... MAYBE THE NEXT GENERATION WHO HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS WILL ... WILL AGREE TO REOPEN THIS PLACE.
Agnes Titus: I AM IN FACT IN FAVOR OF BCL COMING TO REOPEN THE MINE.
Narrator: Agnes Titus used to work at Panguna. Today she is a development worker. She believes the mine will help more than it will hurt.
Agnes Titus - Development Worker: IF PANGUNA MINE WAS TO BE REOPENED THAT WILL ANSWER A LOT OF THE SOCIAL ISSUES WE HAVE TODAY. I KNOW IT WILL CREATE SOME MORE NEW SOCIAL ISSUES, BUT THE FACT THAT THERE'S HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN JUST STAYING IN THEIR VILLAGES WITH NO FORMAL EMPLOYMENT.
Sound-up: drumming on guitar
Allan Gioni: BLACK MAN, PRIME LAND WAS YOURS. NOW WHITE MAN, HE OWNS YOUR LAND.
Sound-up: guitar strumming
Narrator: For most Bougainvilleans, like Allan Gioni, the island's unresolved past makes the decision on mining a painful one. Allan is an artist and father of five who spent his childhood dodging bullets from the PNG army.
Allan Gioni - Artist and Father: ITS NOT EASY BECAUSE WE ARE STILL STANDING ON THE BLOOD OF THOSE WHO DIED. SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH A DECISION TO OPEN THE MINE
Sound-up: rain
Narrator: Despite the history Allan is open to mining - as long as things are done differently. For him that means everyone should benefit. So that families like his might get electricity, plumbing, and a real roof on their homes. He worries about the consequences if things aren't done right.
Allan Gioni: I THINK WE MIGHT FACE ANOTHER CRISIS IF WE OPEN A MINING WITHOUT SETTING A GOOD STRUCTURE FOR THE PEOPLE. FOR BOUGAINVILLE.
Sound-up: dancers singing
Narrator: The people of Bougainville are facing an uncertain future. In November 2013 an Australian think tank warned that conditions here are ripe for violence - the population is still heavily armed, and a generation of unemployed youth are getting restless. With as little as a year to go until the independence referendum, the question of how Bougainville will recover in time, remains unanswered.
Sound up: singers fade out
(Flash to white)
(Fade to black)also desperate for the economic boost the mine could bring to Bougainville's bid for independence. With as little as a year to go until the independence referendum, the island is fast running out of time.
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