Bouginville-Secessionists Warn of civil War Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source - VIKKI@law.uts.edu.au Mon May 10 20:16:34 1999 Friday, May 7, 1999 - Sydney Morning Herald PAPUA NEW GUINEA Secessionists warn of civil war unless NZ-brokered treaty is scrapped By GREG ROBERTS Secessionist rebels in Bougainville have warned civil war may resume after two years of peace unless a New Zealand-brokered agreement is scrapped. The Australian representative of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), Mr Moses Havini, said rebel leaders have resolved to reject the so-called Matakana and Okataina Understanding, signed in the New Zealand town of Rotorua two weeks ago. "We are not going to be stuck with this thing," Mr Havini said. "They will have to throw it out or get back to the negotiating table or else the peace process is threatened." Signatories to the agreement include PNG's special State negotiator on Bougainville, Sir John Kaputin, the PNG Minister for Bougainville Affairs, Mr Sam Akaoitai, and the co-chairman of the Bougainville Constituent Assembly and former BRA leader, Mr Joseph Kabui. Mr Havini said New Zealand had colluded with the PNG Prime Minister, Mr Bill Skate, who was in Rotorua for the talks, to sideline the BRA commander, Mr Sam Kauona, and other rebel delegates. "If the peace process fails, the blame will lie squarely at the feet of the governments of PNG and New Zealand," Mr Havini said. A formal ceasefire was signed in April last year, but there has been no widespread violence on Bougainville since the Sandline mercenary affair saw the Chan Government ousted in the 1997 elections. Mr Havini said the Rotorua agreement breached important principles agreed to in three previous accords. Most importantly, he said, it no longer linked disposal of BRA arms to the withdrawal of PNG security forces from Bougainville. As well, New Zealand, instead of the United Nations, would now be responsible for arms disposal, and Sir John Kaputin had been given "all the power" to negotiate autonomy issues on behalf of islanders. "This agreement tries to completely unravel all the fruits of our hard work over the last two years," Mr Havini said. "They've decided they don't want to listen to the BRA." Mr Skate's office declined to comment. A spokesman for the New Zealand Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Don McKinnon, denied his Government colluded with Port Moresby against the BRA. "We have always been a facilitator, not a side-taker, and if there is some discontent about what was achieved, that is between the parties," the spokesman said. Australia has 250 defence personnel on Bougainville, the major part of an unarmed international peace-monitoring force established after the ceasefire accord. A Ministry of Defence spokesman, Squadron Leader Mark Quilligan, said he was surprised by Mr Havini's warning. BRA leaders on the island had told the Australian commander on Bougainville, Brigadier Simon Willis, they remained committed to the peace process, despite concerns about the Rotorua agreement. An estimated 10,000 people died in 10 years of civil war in Bougainville before fighting stopped. ================================================================= 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-05.12.99-11:29:46-9357