By Moses Havini
As a representative of the Bougainville Interim Government, I have made many appeals to the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments in the past to end the war on Bougainville and all the suffering and death that it has caused. On behalf of the people of Bougainville, I am making another appeal to you to end the bloodshed.
My people have experienced the most degrading violations and poverty for the past eight years. Thousands of innocent people have lost their lives because they could not get medicines or treatment to cure their illnesses. Many have lost their lives to the gunfire and bombing of the PNG Defence Force.
Many thousands have been forced to live in the PNG so-called "care centres" which are more like concentration camps where the PNGDF continue their human rights abuses and where food shortages are severe. In spite of these horrors, most of my people remain strong in their conviction that justice will prevail on Bougainville when the PNGDF finally withdraw.
Both Australian and PNG governments have admitted that this conflict cannot be resolved by military means. Despite this, in March 1996, Prime Minister Chan lifted the cease-fire, openly declaring war on my people once again. All the people of Bougainville want is a just solution to the conflict, and now is the time for PNG to renegotiate the cease-fire and to move forward to bring about a stable and lasting peace.
For this to occur there must, firstly, be an immediate withdrawal of all PNGDF personnel from Bougainville. We have been deceived too many times in the past with promises of peace only to find the PNGDF (and now foreign mercenaries!) ambushing and attacking our people.
At the same time as troop withdrawal, representatives of the international human rights organisations and humanitarian aid organisations must be allowed to enter south and central Bougainville to oversee the troop withdrawal and establishment of peace and to supply aid to those in need.
When troop withdrawal is accomplished, negotiations involving all parties in the conflict must proceed. For long-term peace to be a possibility, these negotiations must accept the reality that self-determination for the people of Bougainville may be the most democratic and just path forward.
Finally, the Bougainville conflict is not an internal matter for PNG to resolve. Canberra funded the peace talks in Cairns (December 1995) which were undermined when PNGDF attacked the delegates as they returned to Bougainville. It would be very appropriate for Australia to fund another round of peace negotiations.
The Australian government has funded the entire military operation against my people, and much of the ammunition fired is manufactured in Australia. Australia is in a strong position to withdraw the funds to PNG until there is peace and justice on Bougainville, and I appeal to the Australian government to exercise this power humanely and responsibly for the sake of all Bougainvilleans.
Contact the Bougainville Freedom Movement at PO Box 134, Erskineville NSW 2043. Phone (02) 9558 2730.