People's Congress From: Norbert BRAumann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Organization: Technical University Braunschweig (Germany) Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Precedence: bulk http://pidp.ewc.hawaii.edu/PIReport/1998/December/12-16-01.htm > PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT > > Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center > Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai�i at Manoa > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > PNG GOVERNMENT WILL RECOGNIZE BOUGAINVILLE PEOPLE'S CONGRESS > > PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (December 15, 1998 - > Post-Courier)---Prime Minister Bill Skate, before flying off to China > on a state visit yesterday, directed the Attorney General's office, in > consultation with the Bougainville Transitional Government and the > Office of Bougainville Affairs, to draw up legal arrangements that > would ensure the Bougainville Reconciliation Government is set up > under the legal framework of the national Constitution by the end of > the year. > > These legal arrangements are to be contained in a submission Mr. Skate > has directed be prepared for presentation to the National Executive > Council (NEC) for deliberation and endorsement tomorrow. > > Bougainville Transitional Government Premier Gerard Sinato announced > this yesterday after meeting with Mr. Skate and Bougainville Affairs > Minister Sam Akoitai to brief them on the Bougainville leaders stand > after Parliament two weeks ago failed to pass amendments intended to > exempt Bougainville from the provincial government reforms. > > The failure of the amendments meant Bougainville would come under the > reforms effective January 1, 1999, after the term of the BTG expires > on December 31. > > Bougainville leaders, outraged by the failure of the amendments, met > in Arawa last Wednesday and agreed to set up the Bougainville People's > Congress by January 1, 1999 in place of the BTG and would establish > and adopt its constitution next Tuesday. > > Coming out of yesterday's meeting, Mr. Sinato declared he had got > "everything'' the Bougainville leaders had wanted. > > He said the news that the national Government would allow the setting > up of the BRG was sure to please and "relieve tensions both at Waigani > and in Bougainville.'' > > Mr. Sinato said he was not prepared to discuss publicly the legal > arrangements under which the BRG would be set up until the NEC and the > Prime Minister made an announcement. > > "I would not rather talk about the details of these legal > arrangements, but I can tell you they only need the endorsement of > NEC. It doesn't need Parliament to sit to make it legal,'' Mr. Sinato > said. > > "This trip has been a great success. We got everything we wanted.'' > > On his meeting with Mr. Skate, Mr. Sinato said he briefed the PM on > the joint communiqu� from the Bougainville leaders meeting in Arawa > last week, which he said Mr. Skate accepted. > > "The Prime Minister assured me he wants Bougainvilleans to lead the > way in the peace process. > > "He told me he wants to see the Bougainville problem solved. > > "But he has insisted that the BRG must be set up under the legal > framework of the National Constitution. > > "We are mindful of that and the BRG will be set up under legal > frameworks, but we don't want to wait around; we want to get it > done,'' Mr. Sinato said. > > He said he will brief Bougainville Interim Government Vice President > Joseph Kabui when he returns to Bougainville. > > Mr. Sinato returned to Bougainville this morning, accompanying New > Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Don McKinnon on his visit to > Bougainville. > > SINGIROK DENIES TROOPS INCREASED ON BOUGAINVILLE > > PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (December 15, 1998 - > Post-Courier)---Papua New Guinea Defense Force Commander Jerry > Singirok has assured Bougainville rebel leaders Sam Kauona and Joseph > Kabui that soldier numbers have not been increased on the island. > > Mr. Singirok gave the assurance in Arawa following concerns raised by > both men at two separate meetings on Saturday morning. > > General Singirok reaffirmed his earlier stand before Brigadier Roger > Powell and senior officers of the Peace Monitoring Group that he was > committed to finding a peaceful solution for Bougainville. > > He admitted his men were moved from one location to another, but the > moves were for logistical and administrative purposes and not for > military assault. > > General Singirok also denied there was a special defense force unit on > the island. He told both men during his meetings with them that his > role was defined to ensure peace. He said he also has a constitutional > obligation to protect lives and property. > > The Defense Force Commander said political issues should be raised > with politicians, adding that as far as he was concerned, Bougainville > was part of Papua New Guinea and he will continue to follow directives > from the Skate government. > > On the issue of moving his men out of Bougainville, Mr. Singirok said > he will only listen to the National Executive Council. > > But Mr. Kaunoa said the movement of troops and an increase of manpower > on the island by the PNGDF seemed to be in-line with the government's > recent failure to pass amendments to set off the Bougainville > Reconciliation Government. > > Mr. Kauona also raised concerns that there were soldiers moving in and > out of Arawa, which was against agreements that the soldiers enter > Arawa only twice weekly. > > General Singirok assured the leaders that there were no special forces > on Bougainville and promised to look into the movement of soldiers > into Arawa. > > Brigadier Powell said the meeting heralded an historic moment for the > men to openly talk to each other about the crisis. Brig Powell said > the meeting on Saturday was significant for peace on the troubled > island of Bougainville. > > For additional reports from The Post-Courier, go to PACIFIC ISLANDS > REPORT News/Information Links: Newspapers/The Post-Courier (Papua New > Guinea). ********************************************************************** This public article was forwarded by NOBBY <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Mail subscriptions to me with subjects: "subscribe BougI-[x?]L" or "change to ..-[x?]L" <your_eMail-adr>. [BougI-xL] is the eXcerpt of [BougI-L]. end ============== Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List As vilified, slandered and attacked by One Nation mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html
