BOUGAINVILLE: PNG frustrates independence referendum
Statements by Sir Michael Somare, Papua New Guinea's minister for Bougainville affairs, have exposed the lack of sincerity behind the PNG government's apparent agreement to allow the people of Bougainville to decide on whether or not they wish to remain under PNG rule.
On May 3, Somare declared that a referendum for Bougainville would be conducted in 15 years' time and that he had "never given the thought that we should let them [Bougainville] go".
These statements confirm the fears Moses Havini, Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) international representative, raised after the signing of the "Loloata understanding" on March 23. He said on March 24, "Past agreements between Bougainville and PNG have been plagued with vague commitments ... one sees this lack of responsibility [by PNG] yet again."
In a media release on May 5, Lucy Morris, a representative of the Bougainville Freedom Movement, stated, "Any attempt by Sir Michael Somare and the PNG government to delay a referendum ... is a deliberate attempt to indefinitely postpone and even remove the question of independence from the current political settlements".
On May 6, Sam Kauona, a former general of the BRA, said that Somare had no right to set such a time frame or use the constitution to delay the referendum. "[PNG] will not stop Bougainvilleans conducting a referendum in one or two years' time", he said.
Prior to Somare's latest comments, on April 24, BRA commander Ismael Toroama released a media statement on behalf of the Bougainville Interim Government (BIG) and the BRA outlining their disappointment with how the peace process was being manipulated by certain leaders in Bougainville and PNG to ignore the issue of a referendum. "BRA therefore vows to closely monitor the situation, and unless we see that the real issue of referendum is being addressed properly ... BRA will simply refuse to entertain any discussion on issues such as the weapons disposal, or even allowing the BIG/BRA leadership to participate in the coming peace talks", warned Toroama.
BY MARK ABBERTON