From: "Vikki John" <VIKKI-AT-lexsun.law.uts.edu.au>
Date:          Mon, 7 Jul 1997 09:26:57 GMT-1000
Subject: M-NEWS: (Fwd) Bougainville - Radio Australia - World News


BOUGAINVILLE

 Radio Australia - World News

     POSITIVE SIGNS FROM DIRECT TALKS
     BETWEEN BOUGAINVILLE FACTIONS.
     Sunday 6 July, 1997 (5:43am AEST)

          Negotiations between the warring factions on Papua New
          Guinea's Bougainville Island have started with positive
          statements from both sides.

          The development came on the first day of direct talks
          between the main groups in New Zealand. 

          The groups are, the PNG-backed Bougainville Transitional
          Government, the separatist Bougainville Interim Government
          and its military associate the Bougainville Revolutionary
          Army. 

          The Premier of the Transitional Government, Gerard Sinato,
          says the talks are a very imoportant first step towards trying
          to solve the crisis and return peace to Bougainville. 

          A key delegate for the separatists Joseph Kabui says there is
          a desire on both sides of the crisis to broker a solution and
          there is a growing hope for peace among the people he
          represents. 

 
     BOUGAINVILLE PEACE TALKS IN
     TRACK DESPITE SHOTS AT
     HELICOPTER.
     Saturday 5 July, 1997 (7:39am AEST)

          The Bougainville peace talks in New Zealand are going ahead
          on a positive note, despite shots being fired at a helicopter
          transporting delegates to the talks yesterday. 

          One of two helicopters contracted to pick up Bougainville
          rebel leaders on the island was hit by bullets and landed
          promptly.

          No one was hurt and the delegates transferred to the other
          helicopter. 

          A New Zealand Foreign Affairs spokesman says he could
          NOT detect any tension when the 50 delegates taking part in
          the talks arrived at Christchurch Airport soon after. 

          He says relations between the various delegates is very
          amiable and there are no signs of tenisons.

          The meeting was brokered by New Zealand and brings
          together negotiators from the Bougainville Transitional
          Government; the rebels' political arm, the B-I-G and its
          military wing, the B-R-A. 

 
     DELEGATES PREPARE FOR LANDMARK
     BOUGAINVILLE PEACE TALKS.
     Saturday 5 July, 1997 (5:48am AEST)

          Delegates are preparing for peace talks in New Zealand this
          weekend between pro and anti-independence forces from the
          Papua New Guinea island of Bougainville.

          The meeting was brokered by the New Zealand government
          which has warned against quick solutions to the nine-year
          secessionist war. 

          Negotiatiors include the P-N-G government-backed
          Bougainville Transitional Government; the rebels' political
          arm, the B-I-G and its military wing, the B-R-A. 

          The negotiations are expected to last two weeks.

 
     HELICOPTER HIT BY GUNSHOTS OVER
     BOUGAINVILLE REBEL AREA
     Friday 4 July, 1997 (7:47pm AEST)

          There has been an early setback in arrangements for peace
          talks in New Zealand this weekend between pro and
          anti-independence forces from the Papua New Guinea island
          of Bougainville.

          A helicopter carrying a New Zealand diplomat, sent to pick
          up separatist rebel delegates from the island, has been hit by
          gunfire and damaged over rebel territory.

          Sean Dorney reports that it was one of two helicopters sent
          to pick up delegates for the talks in Christchurch.
          The operation to pick up members of the rebel delegation
          from the mountains of central Bougainville went sour when
          one of the two helicopters involved was fired on. It had just
          called in to one of the agreed pick-up points, but nobody
          was waiting. The shots that were fired did not hit the New
          Zealand diplomat or the crew, but the helicopter was
          damaged, and had to make an emergency landing on the
          central west coast of Bougainville. The second helicopter
          collected those on board, and then abandoned its original
          plan to fly to Solomon Islands. Instead, it returned to Buka
          Island, where a New Zealand Air Force aircraft was
          picking up the delegation from the PNG-recognised
          Bougainville Transitional Government. 
 

     AMNESTY OPTIMISTIC ON N.Z.
     BOUGAINVILLE PEACE TALKS
     Friday 4 July, 1997 (4:45pm AEST)

          The human rights group, Amnesty International, says it
          believes that talks in New Zealand this weekend provide a
          real chance for peace on the Papua New Guinea island of
          Bougainville.

          Amnesty says says the formation of a new national
          government in Port Moresby provides a good opportunity for
          progress after the weekend talks between representatives of
          both pro and anti-independence forces on Bougainville.

          A spokeswoman, Maya Catsanis, says Amnesty is hoping
          that human rights will feature prominently in the talks in
          Christchurch. 

          She says Amnesty does NOT accuse any particular side in
          the Bougainville conflict of being worse than another in terms
          of human rights abuses.
          "All sides, all three sides -- both the Bougainville
          Revolutionary Army, the PNG Defence Force, and the
          resistance forces, have been committing grave human rights
          abuses, such as extra-judicial executions, disappearances
          and ill-treatment in custody. So everybody is responsible." 

For further information please contact
Bougainville Freedom Movement   (61-2-9558.2730)
PO Box 134,
Erskineville  NSW  2043
Australia.