By Norm Dixon
Moses Havini, Australian representative of the Interim Government of Bougainville, has denied the accusation by the Papua New Guinea government that the Bougainville Revolutionary Army has taken 1000 villagers hostage in central Bougainville.
He dismissed claims, originating from the PNG authorities and repeated in the Australian press, that fighting between the BRA and "pro-government villagers" had caused people to flee.
These claims, Havini told Green Left, were "hogwash". "The Papua New Guinea government has taken the opportunity to launch a media misinformation campaign" following a series of military provocations over the past several weeks.
These began on January 26, when PNG landed a large number of troops at Wakunai, about 50 kilometres north of Bougainville's capital, Arawa. The PNG government says this was at the request of local chiefs and that soldiers were there to help with the "restoration of services".
Bougainville's spokesperson in Honiara, Martin Miriori, has received reports of troops harassing the local people, particularly women. A number of rapes have been reported.
Troops have also been clearing villages and forcing residents to gather in "care centres". Miriori described these as "concentration camps". Similar camps have been set up on Buka Island and parts of north Bougainville occupied by PNG troops, he said.
On February 3, PNG patrol boats opened fire on the village of Vito, 15 km from Arawa. Later that day, mortar shells were fired at the villages of Rorovana Number 1 and Rorovana Number 2, just two kilometres from Arawa. The PNG government said the fighting was between pro- and anti-BRA villagers.
The news of the attack first reached the outside world in a broadcast from Radio Free Bougainville, a station established with help of an Australian amateur radio operator, Sam Voron, to beat the PNG government's tight communications blockade of the island.
Havini told Green Left: "There was an attempted landing at Rorovana village, which was fought off by the Bougainville army ...
"Because it was no longer safe for the people to stay in the village of Rorovana, the Interim Government evacuated them to Arawa, where they are being safely housed. The people had to flee their villages because of fear of being bombarded from the PNG patrol boats."
Havini's account was backed up by statements from the paramount chiefs of the Rorovana people. Michael Madaku and James Apunu confirmed their villages had been bombarded by PNG's Australian-supplied patrol boats. They appealed for villagers who had fled into the bush to go to the 1200 villagers are being cared for at Arawa's United Church Sharp Memorial Centre. The chiefs have asked PNG security forces to keep away from Rorovana so that people can return to their homes.
Martin Miriori, in a statement faxed from Honiara, conceded there had been a "minor conflict between BRA soldiers" and some of the Rorovana villagers "in which one young man was shot and killed in self defence by some BRA members in the village". This resulted from a "misunderstanding over allegations of some villagers collaborating to allow a PNG landing", Miriori said.
PNG's three-year-long blockade of Bougainville, which has caused the deaths of at least 5000 people through lack of medicines, seems to have had some success in creating divisions among the population. Several agreements have been signed between the PNG government and local chiefs in the north and south to restore essential services.
Referring to the most recent agreement, signed by chiefs in one area in the south, Havini said, "I'm just hoping our people have not fallen for PNG trickery because it is really PNG's way of continuing with this divide and rule war amongst our people. I, for one, know nothing will ever eventuate from that agreement." The agreements, Havini told Green Left, have the support of only 10-20% of the people in areas covered by them.
Bougainville's people and leaders remain "very much commuted to peace negotiations with PNG", Havini insisted. "We have had two [agreements] which were violated by PNG. We have never violated those two peace accords and we have stressed to Papua New Guinea that we are willing and waiting to negotiate with them.
"But because PNG now feels that they are gaining some ground on our people they tend to be overlooking the idea of negotiating."