File spoon-archives/marxism-news.archive/marxism-news_1998/marxism-news.9804, message 92


From: "Vikki John" <VIKKI-AT-lexsun.law.uts.edu.au>
Date:          Mon, 27 Apr 1998 09:25:38 GMT-1000
Subject: M-NEWS: (Fwd) Bougainville News - 27 April 98 (Nat)


The National (PNG) Newspaper - Monday, 27 April 98

I will meet Ona alone, says PM

PORT MORESBY: Prime Minister Bill Skate plans to travel alone and unarmed into the Panguna
headquarters of Bougainville rebel leader Francis Ona for a face to face meeting on the eve of the
signing of the permanent ceasefire on the troubled island.

Mr Skate told a Brisbane newspaper yesterday that his plan has dismayed his security advisers and
family.

He told the newspaper that he planned to meet Mr Ona, who has been a hardline opponent of a
negotiated peace, on Wednesday - the day before the expected signing of a permanent ceasefire to
end the ten-year unrest, which has cost thousands of lives.

Only last week, Mr Skate said here that the four Bougainville MPs who attended an all-Bougainville
leaders meeting called by Mr Ona at Pakia village before Easter had brought back an invitation from
Mr Ona for a meeting.

Mr Skate had said he was prepared to meet Mr Ona anytime and anywhere. The Pakia talks
however, were boycotted by two other rebel leaders who are crucial to the success of any
permanent peace of the island, Joseph Kabui and Sam Kauona. 

In a separate statement at the weekend, Mr Kabui extended an invitation to Mr Skate and Mr Ona
to attend and observe the signing ceremony of the ceasefire agreement at Arawa.

Mr Skate, in Brisbane at the weekend to be briefed by his lawyers on the Mujo Sefa tapes saga in
which he is suing ABC television, said he was not worried about a solitary journey to Mr Ona's
Guava village, near the closed Panguna copper mine.

This was despite suggestions that Mr Ona's bodyguards, estimated to number up to 200 men, were
fanatically committed to secession, which Mr Skate has ruled out, although he has acknowledged
that greater autonomy for Bougainville was inevitable.

"Other people think it's risky, but I don't,'' said Mr Skate.

"I am going there with an open heart and mind, and I fear no-one. I only fear God," Mr Skate told
journalist John Wright. 

"I am looking forward to meeting Francis Ona. I want to sit with him and listen to his concerns face
to face, man to man.'

"I will go up there without bodyguards to give him an assurance that I am not there to suppress him.
I expect him to accept me as a human being and the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea.''

He told the newspaper that previous prime ministers had always gone to Bougainville with
bodyguards, but he wanted to be different. 

"If we can meet without people holding guns and spears and bows and arrows, it will go a long
way,'' he said.

Mr Skate told the newspaper that Mr Ona's inclusion in the peace process was essential but the
rebel leader's political future on Bougainville was ''a matter for him''. 
============================Ona signals he will be part of ceasefire

By PHILIP KEPSON

BUKA: Bougainville rebel leader Francis Ona has indicated he will support and be part of the
signing of the ceasefire agreement to end the nine-year-long Bougainville crisis.

Mr Ona's stand was conveyed by Chief Liaison Officer Patrick Ninko, who is also the chairman of
the Central Bougainville Interim Authority, at a consultation meeting attended by Bougainville MPs
Sam Akoitai (Central), Michael Ogio (North), and Michael Laimo (South) in Arawa.

Other Bougainville leaders at the Arawa meeting on Saturday night included Premier Gerard Sinato,
Deputy Premier Thomas Anis, former Premier Leo Hannett, and Chief Ombudsman Simon Pentanu.

Those representing Mr Ona's faction included 14 chiefs from the Central Bougainville Council of
Chiefs, and Justin Monona, deputy leader of the liaison team.

Mr Ninko told the meeting that he and the delegation were sent by Mr Ona to tell the meeting that
the rebel leader was ready to be part of the ceasefire ceremony on Thursday in order to end the
crisis.

"We are here as the mouthpiece of Mr Ona to inform this meeting that he is ready to be part of the
ceasefire ceremony on Thursday to end the crisis," he said.

Mr Ninko said that Mr Ona would also like to see the current dialogue he has had with leaders,
including the Government, continue after the ceasefire is signed, in order to discuss other issues such
as the political future of Bougainville, the re-opening of the Panguna mine, and other business
activities involving foreign investment on Bougainville in the future.

"While appreciating and welcoming the current peace process, Mr Ona would firmly want this
dialogue and the communication with Bougainville MPs and other leaders, including the Government,
to continue," he said.

Saturday's meeting confirmed Mr Ona's second face-to-face meeting planned with leaders in his
Guava village today and tomorrow. 

Premier Sinato said the leaders who will be joined this morning by Bougainville MP John Momis,
will drive from Arawa to Guava to begin their second meeting today and tomorrow.

"The meeting will be the continuation of our first meeting last weekend at Pakia, and to get his
assurance of his change of position and support for the ceasefire," said Premier Sinato.

He also expressed gratitude for Mr Ona's change of attitude to support peace initiatives, saying that
he would ensure that all parties involved in the peace process welcomed Mr Ona's suggestion to
hold further talks affecting the crisis-torn island.

Meanwhile, overseas-based rebel technical advisors Mike Forster, Martin Miriori and Moses Havini
yesterday arrived in Arawa from the Solomon Island's capital of Honiara in a Truce Monitoring
Group (TMG) helicopter to participate in the ceasefire ceremony.

Mr Sinato said the three advisors were later taken to Lehu village in Kongara where Joseph Kabui
and Sam Kauona were said to be organising a meeting for all Bougainville rebel commanders
meeting last night.

"Last night's meeting in Lehu was for the rebel commanders of the Kabui/Kauona group to solidify
their position on the ceasefire in the presence of Miriori, Havini and Foster," he said.

Mr Sinato said that on Wednesday all Bougainville leaders including BTG, rebels, resistance forces,
chiefs and other leaders will finalise and endorse a draft of the ceasefire agreement before Mr
Akoitai takes it to Cabinet in the afternoon for the NEC's final blessing.

"The leaders' meeting will be held on HMAS Tobruk, or in Arawa before the effecting ceremony on
Thursday," he said. 

Meanwhile, Mr Kabui said at the weekend at his Paruparu village near Kongara that he was
confident that the ceasefire agreement would be signed as planned.

"I want to assure the people of Bougainville, PNG and the international community that the ceasefire
document to officially end fighting between my forces and the PNG Government army in the last 10
years will be signed before the end of this month," he said.

"All parties to the war have endured so much blood and tears that the fruitless results of a war can
no longer be entertained."

He said despite the slight misunderstanding between his faction and Mr Ona, peace has finally been
won and secured by the people of Bougainville.
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