File spoon-archives/marxism-news.archive/marxism-news_1998/marxism-news.9801, message 68


From: "Vikki John" <VIKKI-AT-lexsun.law.uts.edu.au>
Date:          Wed, 28 Jan 1998 11:35:40 GMT-1000
Subject: M-NEWS: (Fwd) Bougainville News - 28/1/98 (PC)



POSTCOURIER NEWSPAPER - 28 January, 1998

Independence remains target - rebels' Kabui

THE BEST political solution to the Bougainville crisis was total
independence for Bougainville, says a key rebel.  Joseph Kabui, the
leader of the Bougainville Interim Government's delegation to the just
concluded Lincoln talks, said in Honiara yesterday that the crisis had
been too long drawnout for Bougainvilleans to accept anything less
than total independence from PNG.

Mr Kabui, who is also deputy chairman of the BIG, said: ``PNG is ready
and willing to give Bougainville the highest possible autonomy.

Perhaps at the beginning of the crisis that would have been possible,
but not today,'' he said.

Mr Kabui left for Bougainville yesterday with BRA commander Sam Kauona
and the rest of their 61-man delegation.

Mr Kabui and Kauona, provided armed security at their Honiara hotel by
members of the Solomon Islands police force, said Bougainvilleans had
already achieved part of the independence they had sought in the past
nine years.

He explained that this was through the inventions and innovations of
the people to survive.

That and the loss of about 15,000 lives had hardened their resolve to
push for total independence.

The lives lost would be hard to erase from the minds of the people,
adding this would make things doubly hard for the Bougainville
remaining a part of PNG.

``Memories will not be easy to erase. The healing will be very
difficult,'' he said.

``The only sensible way for this process is for the two to part, to
help start a real healing process. You get the purest gold when you
put it through fire. We have been through that process,'' said Mr
Kabui.

He said Bougainville had a legal and genuine case to push for
independence.

He said this was based on research revealing that when the Germans and
the British carved up PNG under their rule in 1884, Bougainville was
not taken as part of PNG, being left alone as part of the Solomon
Islands.

It was not until around 1889 when Bougainville was used to trade off
some Tongan interests by the British to the Germans, that it then
became part of PNG. He said this demonstrated clearly that
Bougainville was never part of PNG.

He also vehemently attacked the fear that independence for
Bougainville would mean that disintegration of PNG as a country at the
best it would force the adoption of a regional or state system of
government, and nothing more.

``These are mistakes our colonial masters made but they have to be
corrected and they will hurt,'' he said.

Mr Kabui said the recently concluded talks in Lincoln were the best
sign yet PNG was genuine in peace eforts, as was his side.

He described Prime Minister Skate as genuine and attuned to the
problem on Bougainville.

He welcomed the government of reconciliation set to be formed between
the BIG and BTG by the end of this year to act as the vehicle through
which the political future of B/ville will be discussed.

Sam Kauona also transiting in Honiara, said PNG need not fear
Bougainville's push for independence.  He said it was a push which
would in the long run establish Melanesian solidarity in the region.

He said an independent Bougainville would work very closely with PNG
and SI.

By BLAISE NANGOI in Honiara




   

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