Bougainville News: The National 24/10/97 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source:VIKKI@lexsun.law.uts.edu.au Thu Oct 23 22:32:31 1997 The National (PNG) Newspaper 24/10/97 Army lifts all B'ville curbs PORT MORESBY: All military restrictions on war-torn Bougainville Island have been lifted. And the Security Forces' tactical operations base at Buka has been directed to move to a new area to allow displaced landowners to return to their land. PNG Defence Force Commander, Brigadier General Leo Nuia, announced the lifting of all restrictions imposed by the Security Forces on Bougainville in a statement last night. Brig-Gen Nuia said restrictions were lifted following the signing of the Burnham Truce on Oct 10. The Burnham Truce was one of the immediate resolutions endorsed at the second round of Bougainville peace talks in New Zealand. Brig-Gen Nuia said the restrictions had been lifted in good faith to comply with the truce agreement as well as to further enhance the peace process. "From now on, there is no requirement for the people travelling throughout Bougainville to seek security clearance from the security forces," Brig-Gen Nuia said. "People are free to move anywhere, anytime wherever they want to go." He said shipping companies and third level airlines were also free to operate throughout Bougainville. He urged all Bougainville traditional border crossers to report to Taorato Island for immigration and customs formalities before entering or exiting the Solomon Islands. Brig-Gen Nuia said he had also directed that soldiers vacate their camp in Buka to allow the Iata people to move back to their village. The Security Forces commander on Bougainville, Lieutenant Colonel Tarua Falaniki, is taking steps to ensure that the camp in Buka is re-located by the end of December. ================ Three thousand face starvation at Arawa care centre RABAUL: More than 3,000 people at the Arawa care centre and about 300 people from Pokpok Island near Arawa are facing starvation, a senior government official in Arawa reported yesterday. Arawa district administrator Peter Siunai said the people have been living without government rations for nearly six months. Mr Siunai expressed disappointment with government officials at the Buka provincial headquarters who he claimed had failed to inform his office and people at the care centre and Pokpok Island about why rations were not reaching the people. Mr Siunai said the people at the care centre in Arawa were forced to find their own food when ration supplies were stopped abruptly without any explanation. He said people at the care centre were near starvation stage about three months ago when they ran out of food which they were growing around the care centre as a result of the prolonged dry season, adding that they (care centre people) are also running short of water for cooking and washing. "People in the care centre here (Arawa) are facing starvation. They have no food and water. The ration supplies they used to get stopped some six months ago but no one in Buka informed us about the reason behind stopping the ration supplies," said Mr Siunai. "For the last six months, they have struggled to survive from whatever food they could gather from small gardens they had made around the care centre... The gardens have now become dry and they have been living on almost nothing for the last three months," he said. Mr Siunai said the 300-plus people from Pokpok Island, who are also facing starvation, are part of more than 500 people from the coastal areas of Arawa, adding that small creeks and dug-out wells on the island have run dry and people have no water to drink. "Talking about food, they have nothing left after the dry season destroyed all their gardens. The will starve to death if relief supplies don't reach them by the end of this week," he said. Provincial Education Secretary Tony Tsora said this week that since the drought reached its peak some six months ago, there has been a total breakdown in coordination of relief efforts on Bougainville. A source in Buka said yesterday that the Bougainville Transitional Government Cabinet will meet today to discuss, among other issues, a strategy to coordinate relief programs in the province. ============ Australian troops 'for civic projects only' PORT MORESBY: Defence Minister Mao Zeming has stressed that any use or deployment of Australian Defence Force personnel on Bougainville will solely be for the purpose of civic works and reconstruction to restore basic and essential services on the island. Speaking from Canberra where he is on an official visit to meet with his Australian counterpart Ian McLachlan, Mr Zeming reiterated that Australian army personnel "will not" be engaged in any military combat or assault operations. He said that at the request of Papua New Guinea, Australia has tentatively agreed to assist the PNG Government and the Defence Force to carry out restoration work to rebuild infrastructure to help restore peace and normalcy. Mr Zeming said the agreement was reached following officials talks with Mr McLachlan and officials from both countries. A joint statement on the Defence Cooperation released in Canberra yesterday raised the prospect of Australian defence support to achieving lasting peace on Bougainville. Mr Zeming was clarifying what he termed as "a very badly" worded story carried through the Australian Associated Press (AAP) of the possible use of Australian Defence Force personnel on Bougainville for civic action projects. "As a result of the possible misinterpretation of the agreement with Australia, people may be led to believe that Australian soldiers will assist PNG troops to fight Bougainville rebels. This is totally wrong and misleading, especially as the PNG Government has declared a truce on Bougainville after the last round of talks at Christchurch, New Zealand," Mr Zeming stressed. =================== Kembu claims march part of Defence plans By NIKINTS TIPTIP PORT MORESBY: The proposed protest march to Parliament on March 25 this year by NGOs and students was part of a strategy adopted by the Defence Force to overthrow the government and abort the Sandline contract, Deputy Police Commissioner Ludwig Kembu told the Los inquiry yesterday. Mr Kembu said soldiers were dropped off at certain locations that day around the city including at Morata and Waigani University Campus where people had gathered to provide security for the public and prevent their being dispersed by the police. "Walter Enuma asked me on the morning of March 25, at Murray Barracks, if I could allow as many people as I could to march to Parliament but I told him he would be interfering in our job," Mr Kembu said. He said on the night of March 25, soldiers, NGO leaders and members of the public were gathered around the Parliament ready to storm the house. There was an indication of command from the Defence Force and when Walter Enuma and Peter Donigi arrived at around 2am, the excitement of the crowd intensified, he claimed. "As soon as they arrived (Donigi and Enuma) at the back gate of Parliament, there was excitement among the crowd. Enuma was escorted by two other officers," he said. "I told them to stop when the crowd proceeded to take over Parliament. 'You stop or we confront you', I told them. "When Enuma, Donigi and myself went into Parliament, the crowd was asked to disperse but NGO leaders refused to leave and called a meeting on the side of the road. "Tension outside Parliament was kept high and they even blocked the Waigani intersection road to Parliament so police vehicles could not get in." Mr Kembu said the crowd refused to disperse again the next morning (March 26) so the police had to apply force. This did not stop the crowd and they stayed on in support of the Defence until 2pm when the defence minister stepped aside, he said. Earlier in the week, Mr Kembu said he and NCD police commander Sam Inguba, paid regular visits to the Flagstaff House to discuss the issue with former Defence Force commander Jerry Singirok. Mr Kembu said at their last visit to the Flagstaff House, there were military personnel outside the house. "And when we arrived, Mr Donigi handed us a computer printout telling us that it would be a crime under the criminal code for anyone to organise a force," he said. "Singirok showed us the documents and we just listened to him. From there I felt that Singirok was trying to control the police force as well. I did not consider visiting the Flagstaff House anymore. "Singirok appeared to be in command of the whole operation even when he was not in his uniform." The counsel representing Mr Singirok, Moses Murray, said Papua New Guineans were not satisfied with the way the country was run prior to the Sandline crisis. And the Sandline crisis which took the nation by surprise was the fruit of the public outcry, he said. The inquiry was adjourned to Nov 3. ========================== Leaders back govt on B'ville peace Japan-South Pacific Forum Summit By ERIC KONE TOKYO: The Prime Ministers of the Melanesian Spearhead Group nations and the foreign ministers of Australia and New Zealand yesterday reaffirmed their respective governments' commitment to assist Papua New Guinea's efforts to restore peace on Bougainville. Foreign Minister Kilroy Genia said his meeting with Prime Ministers Sitiveni Rabuka (Fiji), Bart Ulufa'alu (Solomon Islands), Serge Rialuth (Vanuatu), and Foreign Ministers Alexander Downer (Australia) and Don McKinnon (New Zealand) showed that the leaders were committed in supporting the PNG Government's peace efforts. The leaders exchanged views on the outcome of the Burnham II Talks during which a truce was signed between representatives of the Government and the Bougainville rebels in New Zealand earlier this month. Mr Genia and other South Pacific leaders were in Tokyo for the three-day Japan-South Pacific Forum Summit meeting which ended yesterday. The minister and his delegation left yesterday for Port Moresby via Australia. Mr Genia said he was also satisfied without the outcome of his meetings with the presidents of the Federated States of Micronesia and Kiribati, as well as the Premier of Niue. "We explored opportunities for closer cooperation, especially in the areas of fisheries and development cooperation which is in line with our Government's plans to advance our relations with Pacific island countries under the Pacific Plan," he said. He said the Japan-South Pacific Forum Summit ended successfully with a commitment by Japan and the Forum countries to work in partnership towards sustainable development, and the economic and social well-being of the people of the Forum countries. "There is, however, a need for more regular engagements of this nature in future, which I am pleased to say was later announced by the Prime Minister of Japan." The summit discussed a wide range of issues between Japan and the Forum countries in relation to cooperation in trade and investment, development assistance, environment and sustainable development, fisheries, as well as tourism. Other important regional and global issues including the reforms in the United Nations were also discussed. ====== Transparency denies role in Sandline saga By PHIL YOMBON PORT MORESBY: The President of the Transparency International (TI), Sir Anthony Siaguru, yesterday denied the involvement of his organisation in cancelling the Sandline contract and subsequent events. "Some media reports left the impression that TI was actively involved and took sides during the Sandline crisis. This is largely false," he said. He said the facts were that during the week after former Defence Force commander Jerry Singirok's broadcast on NBC radio, TI members Richard Kassman and Meg Taylor became involved on an individual basis with other prominent members of the community in an effort to open dialogue between the various parties including the Government, the Opposition, the Speaker of the Parliament and Jerry Singirok. He said: "They worked closely with Sir Rabbie Namaliu and met with Sir Julius Chan. "This group of concerned citizens acted openly in an effort to find solution to the Sandline crisis. "I reiterate that both Richard Kassman and Meg Taylor acted in their personal capacities as concerned Papua New Guineans." Sir Anthony said TI does not get involved in individual cases but works through coalitions within the society to strengthen existing institutions; adding that the organisation was established within the framework of the existing laws and process. "The Sandline situation is an individual case where allegations of corruption were made. TI (PNG) Inc does not play an investigative or 'exposure' role and does not investigate individual cases," he said. "It was not involved in any way and to imply otherwise is irresponsible and a misrepresentation of the facts." ================================================================= 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-10.25.97-22:03:31-25381