Rally for Bougainville
By Alex Cooper
MELBOURNE — The lawns of Victoria Barracks were adorned with crosses on May 21 as part of a protest against Australian military assistance to Papua New Guinea in its war against the people of Bougainville.
Protesters were told by human rights lawyer Rosemary Gillespie that Australians were in Bougainville because of the CRA copper mine. The people of Bougainville had closed the mine to protect themselves.
She pointed out that 2000 children have died as a result of the PNG blockade on medicines to Bougainville. The weapons used to enforce this blockade, such as helicopters and patrol boats, came from Australia. Australia also supplied the mortars which are fired every morning at the Arawa General Hospital, she said.
Moses Havini, a representative of the Bougainville Interim Government, said this war was every bit as bad as Bosnia and Cambodia. He pointed out that the PNG military had received special training in jungle warfare.
At a public meeting on May 20 Gillespie accused PNG of using its "care" centres as detention centres where torture and surveillance are practised and where no visitors are allowed.
Moses Havini said that, contrary to media misinformation, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army controlled 80% of Bougainville and received much support from the people.
Havini told the meeting that the Australian government had attempted to stop the interim government informing the Australian people what was going on in Bougainville.