Media Statement
Bougainville: Thursday 29th April 1999.
ATTENTION: MEDIA - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
+ BRA disassociates itself from the Matakana &Okataina Understanding, And
threatens to pull out from Peace Process.
+ Criticizes role of New Zealand Government in recent "study tour" in New
Zealand.
+ "Understanding" greatly undermines the powers of the people of
Bougainville; and gives more negotiating powers to the PNG Government under
Sir Kaputin.
+ Bougainville leaders have sold out to Papua New Guinea.
BOUGAINVILLE: The Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) is not a signatory
and disassociates itself from the recently signed Matakana and Okataina
Understanding, indicated as signed in New Zealand at Lake Okataina on 22nd
day April 1999.
Speaking from Bougainville Senior BRA Officer and Secretary to General Sam
Kauona, Robinson Asitau said what appeared to be a "study tour" got
cleverly planned into a major negotiation session with PNG's Sir John
Kaputin; supported by Prime Minister Bill Skate - where BIG/BRA
Officers/lawyers and other Bougainville men and women leaders were notably
absent, but not by choice.
This "snap negotiation" was a carefully orchestrated set-up to trap some of
our leaders into signing a document; prepared before hand in Port Moresby,
dated 22nd January 1999, and something that Bougainville leaders were
totally unprepared for, without the advice from their lawyers and technical
officers. This is the first time such unprofessionalism, and deliberate
manipulation by a supposedly "neutral party" has been seen since the peace
process started in 1997, said Mr. Asitau
"Whilst we acknowledge the work of the Peace Monitoring Group in
Bougainville, their role is basically to monitor the peace process
according to set agreements, and not manipulate it according to their own
interests. The New Zealand Government must now make its position clear
whether it is a "facilitator", or whether it has indeed taken over the
Bougainville agenda; to run, direct and try to formulate according to its
own NZ/Maori experiences - that I understand is still unresolved with all
the Maori Nations in New Zealand", said Mr. Asitau from Bougainville.
"The Maori experience, and especially that of the Tainui Tribe model (which
is a mere local-level government type arrangement), is the least of all
"blue prints" that we in Bougainville would like to emulate. The New
Zealand/Maori sets of experiences have no direct application to the
Bougainville experience", said Mr.Asitau.
"Let me make it clear that the NZ/Maori arrangement is no precedent for
Bougainville to follow. They are just merely fighting to get their land and
fishing rights back, which were stolen from them by white New Zealanders in
the 1800s. We are fighting for the complete to self-determination of our
people. The Maori Nations as far as we can understand are being advised not
to fight for self-determination and independence outside of the New Zealand
political frame-work but merely to be economically and socially independent
within the existing structure", said Mr.Asitau.
"Whilst we view the so-called "Matakana &Okataina Understanding" as clearly
not binding, incomplete, uncertain, ineffectual without the signatures of
the BRA; its intent is however devastating to the Bougainville parties and
is set to completely unravel the fruits of our labour since the Burnham
Declaration and tries to reverse some parts of past agreements", said
Mr.Asitau.
Whilst the Bougainville Parties were without their lawyers and technical
officers, Mr.Kabui and Mr.Sinato and other Bougainville parties who signed
the so-called "Understanding" gave away more powers of the people to the
PNG Government than they understood", said an angry Asitau from Bougainville.
The 'devil' is in the details as we can see in some of the following:
+ The disposal of arms is now no longer linked to the withdrawal of the PNG
Security forces from Bougainville.
+ Whilst we have a BRA Disposal Submission before the PPCC let me make it
plainly clear that the BRA are not going to hand in their arms without the
withdrawal of the PNG Security forces from Bougainville soil.
+ The present BRG elections have now been seriously undermined, implying
that they are no longer proper and seriously undermines the power of the
people under their own Bougainville constitution.
+ UN supervision of the disposal of arms has been removed and given to New
Zealand, which undermines the role of the UN and other members of the Peace
Monitoring Group.
+ The power of the people to negotiate invested in the BCA has now been
taken away and given wholly to the PNG's State Negotiator and the four
Bougainvillean parliamentarians.
+ The people have invested their power in the BCA and the BCA
representative have no mandate to divest these powers to any other body.
+ Our biggest concern concerning rehabilitation, development and
reconstruction on Bougainville is that of a better "mechanism". The
Understanding only goes to re-entrench PNG as that mechanism which has been
less than satisfactory in aid development in Bougainville. This is going to
be two steps backwards, and Bougainville can expect to be worse than even
before the war.
+ If the people of Bougainville are forced to amend the "Basic Agreement",
then the "suspension" would be lifted and Momis becomes the "Governor" of
Bougainville with Bougainville effectively coming under the PNG new reforms
on provincial government".
"The BRA is now seriously rethinking its position within the entire peace
process. Underhand tactics and moves as recently orchestrated by NZ and PNG
under the so-called "study tour", only goes to undermine the credibility of
the peace process.
Countries participating in the peace process are reminded that there is no
room for a NATO/KOSOVO method of conflict resolution on Bougainville. You
are not there to impose your "brand" of peace on Bougainville but to
monitor that peace process whilst the people themselves work it out with
the state of Papua New Guinea," concluded Mr.Asitau from Bougainville.
For Further Information please contact:
Mr. Robinson Asitau - + 872 761 224 139 - Bougainville.
--
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