LET MY PEOPLE GO

 

BOUGAINVILLE BOMBSHELL

BY GORETHY KENNETH

LET my people go!

That was the simple clear message from Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama to Papua New Guinea and Australia on December 9.

It was so boldly precise, that one could have heard a pin drop in the conference room of the Joint Consultation session on Bougainville in Port Moresby yesterday.

In a biblical Moses like plea, Mr Toroama bluntly told the PNG Government: "let my people go!"

The Bougainville leader also lashed out at Australia for interfering in the affairs of Bougainville by advising PNG not to let Bougainville gain independence.

Mr Toroama said time has been wasted citing several anomalies and specific issues ranging from failure to betrayal and neglect and noting vital issues and agendas that were not addressed over the years.

Mr Toroama called on the Papua New Guinea Government to make a clear declaration to his people, its’ plans for giving independence to Bougainville, within the time frame set in the Wabag roadmap.

But Prime Minister James Marape defended that Bougainville Independence will still go through the legal processes, constitutional amendments including Parliament ratification and would take time.

He said Bougainville still remained part and partial of PNG therefore the National Government still had a major role in the political settlement of Bougainville.

Mr Marape also stressed the need for capacity building, infrastructure, and economic independence among others including the legality and parliamentary procedures entailed and enshrined in the constitution.

But Mr Toroama was steadfast when delivering his speech, and also lashed out at Australia for allegedly advising PNG against Bougainville Independence and for Bougainville Copper Limited and PNG Government for failing Bougainville.

"I, as the President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, now call upon the PNG Government to make a clear declaration to this Joint Consultation and to the people of Bougainville, its’ plans for giving independence to Bougainville, within the time frame set in the Wabag roadmap," Mr Toroama said.

After reading out his 6-page statement Mr Toroama said:" Today Mr Chairman, I stand here to say only one thing: My friend Hon James Marape, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, I appeal to you, it is now time to let my people go!”

“I wish to state that as far as my government is concerned, we have taken the “consultation avenue” as far as we can. The timing is now right to address “head on” the long historical issue of independence as expressed in the Referendum result,” he said.

“We the leaders of Bougainville hereby declare to Papua New Guinea and the United Nations, the facts on which our long-standing pursuit for political independence is founded.

“Further, specifically noting that the Government of PNG, using its Constitution and State Institutions, and against international law, and supported by Australia, committed serious crimes against humanity and human rights abuses that can be deemed as acts of genocide in international law….that the states sanctioned measures included the blanket economic embargo and the Sandline mercenaries.

“Noting the continued advisory role now being played by Australia DFAT in advising PNG Government against Bougainville independence,”Mr Toroama said.

“..noting specifically, that the PNG government failed to renegotiate the Panguna Mining Agreement twice aggravating the concerns of the people. That failure by the PNG Government and Bougainville Copper Limited to genuinely address the concerns regarding the environmental issues, led to the peaceful demonstrations of the landowners.
“Finally, exactly 20 years ago to the day, all of us here today those sitting across the table, as representatives of our people, and those of our friends from the international community, and those who are here to represent the United Nations, including yourself Mr Chairman, exactly 20 years ago, we concluded perhaps one of the most successful peace agreements, in modern times.

It brought our people together, it brought Bougainville together, it brought Papua New Guinean together, and it brought our friends in the international community closer to us, so that we may join hands and work out a long-lasting solution to that conflict.

We have dedicated ourselves to this process, where we would finally resolve, through a Referendum the future of Bougainville in the greater PNG union that was formed in 1975.

“But while we the living have made the choice for independence; the future has been earned by those who have perished from the face of the earth in this conflict.”