Date: Wed, 03 Jul 1996 00:59:36 -0700
From: Sasha Baer <sashab-AT-magna.com.au>
Subject: Bougainville Update - 2/7/96


Title -- Bougainville battle takes another bloody turn
Date -- 1 July 1996
Byline -- David Robie
Origin -- Nius Network
Source -- InterPress Service (Manila), 24 June 1996
Copyright -- InterPress
Status -- Unabridged
-------------------

Subject: IPS: PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Bougainville
To: All
From: newsdesk-AT-igc.apc.org
Date: 28/6/96 11:10:36 AM
-------------------------------------------

       Copyright 1996 InterPress Service, all rights reserved.
          Worldwide distribution via the APC networks.

                      *** 24-Jun-96 ***

Title: PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Bougainville Battle Takes Another Bloody Turn

By David Robie

PORT MORESBY, Jun 24 (IPS) - Papua New Guinean Prime Minister Julius Chan,
caught in what some observers say is a no-win situation, has embarked on a
high stakes gamble to try to resolve the eight-year-old conflict on the
Bougainville island province.

With parliamentary elections due in 1997, the Papua New Guinea (PNG) prime
minister last week announced an all-out military offensive to crush the
Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) that has been waging an independence
struggle since 1988.

But past military offensives to end the conflict have failed with resulting
high civilian casualty counts, and observers say should this latest attempt
backfire, it could jeopardise the government's chances of re-election next year.

''The national government and the prime minister are now in the invidious
situation of being damned by a substantial number of Papua New Guineans
regardless of which approach they follow,'' said the influential 'National
Newspaper' in an editorial.

The prime minister is also coming under criticism from foreign governments
and human rights activists who are worried that it is the province's
civilian population that will come out the worst from any military campaign.

Ever since Papua New Guinea secured independence from Australia in 1975, the
Port Moresby authorities have been preoccupied with a secessionist threat
that together with a series of landowner compensation claims, have crippled
the development of the South Pacific nation's mineral reserves.

The initial rumblings were mollified in 1976 when the separatists were
granted self-government, but relations remained tense and then there was
bloodshed in 1988 when land owners who wanted compensation from the mine's
Australian operator, turned to sporadic guerrilla warfare when their claims
were not met.

Bougainville Copper Ltd, which had operated the Panguna mine since 1972,
closed the facility indefinitely in 1989 after sabotage and raids intensified.

The Australian mining concern refused to bow to landowner demands for
hundreds of millions of dollars as compensation for environmental damage
caused by mining.

Since then, the PNG government has sent thousands of troops to the island,
but they have been unable to crush the separatists who declared the island's
independence in 1990 and maintained complete control until 1992.

But the rebel army's failure to gain any foreign recognition, coupled with
its authoritarian form of government, made it unpopular among many of the
island's 160,000 people, and soon Bougainvillean tribal chiefs were
encouraging government efforts to regain control of the land.

As such, there are now two administrations on the island --  Port Moresby
has installed its own Bougainville Transitional Government in Buka, while
the revolutionary army backed Bougainville Interim
Government is based in Kieta.

There has been a total news black-out on events on Bougainville since the
offensive started last week, and it is unclear what inroads, if any, the
government troops are making. An Amnesty International human rights team now
in Papua New Guinea, has been barred from entering mainland Bougainville.

The Port Moresby authorities have even effectively silenced Premier Theodore
Miriung of the  government-backed transitional government on the island and
have banned him from travelling to mainland Bougainville. Miriung, one of
the strongest supporters of a peaceful option, has previously criticised
army offensives.

In the silencing of Miriung and the barring of any journalists or foreign
observers to the province, Chan is clearing all potential obstacles to the
military campaign.

He also has little time for criticism from Australia, and has bluntly told
the Canberra government to mind its own business.

''I have a government to run. As an independent nation, I feel that
Australia should let us continue doing just that -- managing our own
affairs,'' was how he responded to a critical attack by Australian Foreign
Minister Alexander Downer who said the military offensive would only serve
to worsen the crisis.

For other reasons, the government in neighbouring Solomon Islands, has
expressed its reservations about the offensive. Prime Minister Solomon
Mamaloni postponed this week's scheduled parliamentary session for a month
because of concerns the conflict may spill across borders.

More than once in the past few days, armed PNG soldiers have landed on the
Solomon island resort of Gizo and threatened people, Press reports claim.

PNG's Defence Minister Mathias Ijape says that his security forces are
taking all steps to cut off all escape routes from Bougainville.

Describing the rebel leaders as ''notorious criminals'', ''murderers'' and
''bandits'', Ijape said his forces were trying to flush out the rebels who
control one-tenth of Bougainville. Ijape appealed for calm by Bougainvillean
villagers, adding: ''These criminals have had it their way for too long.''

But the separatist movement is putting on a brave face.

BRA commander Sam Kauona, speaking through a rebel communication network
that has long defied the PNG security forces, went as far as to welcome the
military offensive, declaring it could determine the fate of Bougainville.

Describing rebel morale as ''very high'', Kaouna added: ''I hope this will
be the final and deciding game between the PNG government and its armed
forces and the BRA forces.''

He, like some local and foreign observers in Port Moresby, believe the
offensive is an attempt by the government to divert the attention of Papua
New Guineans from the rising economic, social and crime-related problems
which Kaouna says are ''sinking'' the country.

For his part, the prime minister has said that repeated attempts to reach a
solution by way of talks have failed largely because the separatists have
been unwilling to make any compromises.

In March, he ended an 18-month old ceasefire negotiated with the BRA when he
came to power in September 1994 and warned of an impending military
offensive. Bougainville ''criminals who continue to kill, destroy and
destabilise the peace longed for by all'' faced their ''darkest hour'', Chan
said.

At the time of that announcement, 'The National', warned that in bending to
cabinet and community pressure, Chan had taken a ''tragic and mistaken''
decision.

''Once again, the innocent population may well find itself trapped between
the rebels and the government forces,'' said the paper, pointing out that
previous military offensives had failed.

''Our fear, then, is that the pursuit of the military option on Bougainville
will simply revalidate that which has been roundly discredited -- the image
and impact of the rebels -- and at an unacceptably high human
cost.''(END/IPS/AP-IP-HD/DR/CPG/96)


Origin: Manila/PAPUA NEW GUINEA/
                              ----

       [c] 1996, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS)
                     All rights reserved

  May not be reproduced, reprinted or posted to any system or
  service outside  of  the  APC  networks,  without  specific
  permission from IPS.  This limitation includes distribution
  via  Usenet News,  bulletin board  systems, mailing  lists,
  print media  and broadcast.   For information about  cross-
  posting, send  a  message  to  <ips-info-AT-igc.apc.org>.  For
  information  about  print or  broadcast reproduction please 
  contact the IPS coordinator at <ipsrom-AT-gn.apc.org>.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BOUGAINVILLE MEDIA RELEASE   TUESDAY 2 JULY 1996
===============================================
PNGDF under Operation High Speed 2, dug in at Orami 30km southwest of
Panguna copper mine, PNGDF suffer casualties and Iroquois helicopter damaged
over Orami, Central Bougainville.

Bougainville:  The PNGDF troops moved into Orami, 30km southwest of the CRA
copper mine at Panguna on Wednesday 26 June 1996 and are said to be
surrounded by the BRA forces.  BRA radio network said that they were being
assisted by a small contingent of resistance fighters, with some civilians
forced as carriers. Since engaged by the BRA guerilla forces on Wednesday,
fighting between the two forces went on every day until Sunday 30 June 1996.

According to BRA sources, 2 PNGDF soldiers were killed in action on Thursday
27, while two Iroquois helicopters unsuccessfully tried to land in the area.

Friday 28th June saw more fighting, and again the BRA forces claimed to have
killed 4 more PNGDF soldiers.  The BRA guerillas also destroyed one PNGDF
bunker in the area;  and again there was another attempt to land an Iroquois
helicopter with reinforcements and ammunition, but it could not land.
Perched high up in an area very far from any water sources, the PNGDF are
now suffering from lack of water.

On Saturday 29 June the PNGDF forces came under more atack from the BRAs;
again also claiming that another 3 PNGDF soldiers were killed or injured.
The BRA sources said that an Iroquois helicopter was also hit from BRA
ground fire, and there may have been casualties in the helicopter.

It was last seen limping back to Bolave, Nagovisi, 50 km southwest of the
Panguna copper mine and the Java River.  There were no more helicopters
flying in the area on Sunday 30 June and Monday 1 July 1996.

The BRAs have identified that the PNGDF are now using new semi-automatic
mortar launchers, long range, 51 to 60 mms, probably Malaysian or US made.
Fighting continues at Orami. So far there has not been any casualties or
deaths in the BRA forces.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

MEDIA INFORMATION UPDATES   Monday 1 July 1996
=============================================
Orders given over PNGDF two-way radio to commence bombardment  of villages
>from the air;  PNGDF Operation High Speed 2 confirmed in place in Central
and South Bougainville;  PNG patrol boat enters Solomon Islands water and
fires at SIFF.

Bougainville  Thursday 27 June 1996 -- PNGDF orders to bombard villages from
air.

Messages intercepted over PNGDF two-way radio on Thursday 27 June 1996, gave
PNGDF Air Squadron orders to begin firing at villages from Iroquois
helicopter gun-ships to force villagers into government detention centres.
This was confirmed by BRA Commander Mr Sam Kauona that Iroquois helicopters
started firing at villages indiscriminately in the South Nasioi area south
of the Aropa airport.

One of the villages in the area Sianare came under heavy gun-fire with two
mothers and a young child narrowly escaping machine-gun traces fired from
the helicopter.  These Iroquois helicopters are all Australian-supplied.
These helicopters have also been re-modified and fitted with 50 mm or 60 mm
calibre guns each side.

Sunday 23 June 1996 -- PNGDF is stopped by BRA forces in 3 locations -- Buin.

There were three serious encounters between the PNGDF and the BRAs in three
different locations in Buin, South Bougainville. Confirmed by the BRA
Southern Commander Mr Paul Bobby, he said the BRA forces attacked the
advancing PNG  forces at Laguai Community School, and at Nakaro and Nakorei
villages.  Mr Bobby said the fighting started at 7 am and subsided at around
8 pm or 9 pm in the night.  Mr Bobby said the PNGDF withdrew in the night,
but upon inspection of the site by BRAs in the morning, found traces of
blood where the PNG soldiers had retreated during the night.  He said the
morale of the BRA forces was high.  He said his forces will defeat the PNDF
in South Bougainville.

Friday 28 June 1996 -- PNGDF patrol boat in Solomon waters and fires at SIG
forces.

PNGDF patrol boat No 3 entered into Solomon Islands territorial waters, and
fired at Solomon Islands Field Forces (SIFF) at Toluvi Island in the
Shortlands, only about 250 metres away. Firing went from 7.30 am to 10.50
am, and then again from 11 am to 11.30 am.  The firing on Solomon Island
Government forces was described as "crazy and an act of war" against the
Solomons.  One SIFF was slightly injured on the left ear, but no casualties
reported from either side.

Tuesday 25 June 1996 -- Heavy fighting between PNGDF and BRA near copper mine.

There was heavy fighting between the PNGDF and the BRA forces at southwest
of the Panguna copper mine.  This fighting continued on until Thursday 27
June 1996.  PNDF forces were also attacked by the BRA guerilla soldiers at
Orami village, about 25 km southwest of the Panguna copper mine.

Friday 28 June 1996 -- PNGDF  Iroquois Helicopter strafes village South of
Aropa airport -- Kieta.

An Australian supplied Iroquois helicopter started heavily bombarding
villages in South Nasioi, south the Aropa airport, Central Bougainville
starting at 4.30 pm on Friday 28th June 1996.  The Iroquois helicopter was
firing heavy guns and grenade launchers at the people between Tavatava
village all the way to Kieta.

BRA Commander Sam Kauona said from Bougainville that two mothers and a young
child were narrowly missed as they were fleeing from the helicopter
bombardment.  The bombing was designed so as to frighten the villagers so
that they may go to the government detention centres.  The people have
however moved into safer areas under the control of the BRA forces.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact Details:
===============
Vikki John (BFM)    +61-2-558-2730   email: V.john-AT-uts.edu.au
Moses Havini (BIG)  +61-2-804-7602
Max Watts           +61-2-818-2343   email: MWATTS-AT-fisher.biz.usyd.edu.au
(Journalist specialising in Bougainville, East Timor and West Papua issues)

Bougainville Freedom Movement
P.O. Box 134, Erskineville, NSW 2043, Australia

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regards Sasha

Sasha Baer
International Amateur Radio Network
Bougainville Freedom Movement
Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol
Voicemail: +61-2-513-5614
sashab-AT-magna.com.au
http://www.magna.com.au/~sashab/



     --- from list marxism-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---