25/9/97 - Bougainville News (Postcourier) id JAA12792; Sat, 27 Sep 1997 09:03:30 -0400 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source: VIKKI@lexsun.law.uts.edu.au Thu Sep 25 03:16:43 1997 Postcourier Newspaper (PNG) - 25 September, 1997 Islanders `living on mangroves' SEVEN thousand people on Nissan and Pinefel islands in North Solomons Province have completely run out of fresh water and are living on mangrove seeds, according to their transitional government member. Agnes Titus, who also represents women in the Bougainville government, reported dysentery, diarrhoea and other stomach disorders in some of the villages and begged for supplies of fresh water, greens and other garden produce. Mrs Titus said government authorities and the National Disaster and Emergency Services had failed to respond to her pleas for help. [Bougainville Premier Gerard Sinato said yesterday he was aware of the situation and had sent a report to the NDES.]There had been no rain for five months, Mrs Titus told the Post-Courier Rabaul office. All sources of fresh water on the islands had dried up and food gardens had withered in the sun. Even fruit trees had died, caked in salt water blown inland by strong winds. ``It's a pitiful situation out here and unless something is done now, people are just going to start dying,'' she said. Already, there had been unconfirmed reports from one village on Pinefel that several people have died as a result of lack of proper water. Wells dug in stony and limestone beds had contributed to some of the stomach problems being experienced by the people. ``Ninety percent of the islands are limestone so fresh water is a major problem,'' she said. ``All that is left for us to drink is coconut, but even coconuts hanging from the trees have no water in them. ``It's hell out here and I am now begging for help.'' Kaukau, taro and other locally grown food crops had long since dried up due to lack of water in the soil. ``People are now living on mangrove seeds,'' she said. Mrs Titus called for national parliamentarian Michael Ogio to charter a barge to bring in fresh water and food. ``We are concerned especially for the old and the young people,'' she said. They are the ones who are going to be affected first.'' ======================== BTG member pleads for extension BOUGAINVILLE Transitional Government members aligned to the Melanesian Alliance have urged their party leader and Regional MP John Momis to support an extension of the BTG's term in office. A Bill for extending the life of the BTG is now before Parliament. Bougainville education minister Joseph Sahato said in a letter to Mr Momis that the people of Bougainville did not want to be subject to the reformed system of provincial and local level governments. ``It would make sense to hold an election if the province were to accept the provincial and local level government reforms, but it is against the wishes of the majority of Bougainvilleans,'' he said. ``The people of Bougainville want more autonomy.'' He urged Mr Momis to understand what the transitional government wanted to achieve and to support its extension. Elections should not be held until a political settlement to the Bougainville crisis had been reached. ``I and my colleague ministers and members aligned to the Melanesian Alliance and its philosophy support election of members by the people,'' Mr Sahato said. ``What we would throw more support on is free and democratic election for a permanent government that the province and the national Government have settled on. There is no point in holding elections merely to accommodate the wishes of opportunists.'' He said his support for the extension of the transitional government's term did not mean that he supported corrupt leaders. He supported the transitional government because there were positive signs of peace and people were actually working and not just talking for and about peace in Bougainville. ``We are slowly and surely building a secure foundation for peace,'' he said. ``It just has to be completed.'' ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytpac-09.27.97-09:03:40-8948