Bougainville Update - 19/6/96

[Sasha Baer <sashab@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title -- Government has failed: Rimbunan        
Date --  15 June 1996
Byline -- Harlyne Joku
Origin -- Nius Network
Source -- The Independent (PNG), 14 June 1996
Copyright -- The Independent
Status -- Abridged
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GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED: RIMBUNAN

By Harlyne Joku
The PNG government has again copped criticism for lack of development in
rural areas.

This time it is from Malaysian logging conglomerate Rimbunan Hijau, the
developer of over 70 per cent of PNG's logging concessions.

In response to allegations made at its operations at Wawoi Guavi, general
manager Francis Tiong said the government had failed its responsibilities in
maintaining infrastructure, and supporting services that had been
established by Rimbunan Hijau as part of the agreement.

Wawoi Guavi, in Western Province, is Rimbunan Hijau's biggest and most
lucrative logging operation in PNG.

Mr Tiong said that in the past two years (1994 and 1995) consequently, Wawoi
Guavi alone had contributed to the government K15 million annually through
export duty tax.

It pays an average K1.2 million in royalties to landowners per annum, an
annual premium rate of K600,000, and delivers infrastructure at a cost of
K1.5 million annually.

It began operations at Wawoi Guavi in 1987. In 1992, Rimbunan Hijau
constructed foru classrooms, a health centre and administrative office at
Wawoi Guavi's campsite, Kamusie in 1992.

The school is in operation but the administrative office and the health
centre lack government officers.

"We have built a health centre and handed it over to the authorities four
years ago. This centre has never been manned or used at all. We believe
because of this the facility has fallen prey to vandals," Mr Tiong said.

Mr Tiong said it was unfortunate that the government had not been able to
fulfil its responsibilities while RH as developer of the largest TRP area
had done so.

He was responding to a series of claims made by Middle Fly MP and
Vice-Minister for Forests Bitan Kuok. Mr Kuok made the following allegations
about Rimbunan Hijau's operations at Wawoi Guavi last week:

* Royalties currently being paid by Rimbunan Hijau to the resource owners of
Wawoi Guavi are far below royalties paid to resource owners in other timber
concessions that it operates.

* Royalties paid to the people have indirectly been paid back to Rimbunan
Hijau through the shop it operates at the camping site as it charges
exhorbitant prices.

* The board of directors is being controlled by Rimbinuan Hijau. There have
been no meetings or changes to the board of directors for almost six to
seven years now.

* There are no infrastructure services such as health services .

* Rimbunan Hijau has not paid water levies for a period of about seven years
for using Bamu River to transport harvested logs.

Mr Tiong said Rimbunan Hijau, through its subsidiary Wawoi Guavi Timber Co
Pty Ltd, totally denied Mr Kuok's allegations.

He said royalties were paid according to a set formula originating from
government authorities.

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BOUGAINVILLE - Media Release, Tuesday 18 June, 1996
===================================================

NEW P.N.G. MILITARY OFFENSIVE ON BOUGAINVILLE

Bougainville:  More than 100 fresh troops from First Battalion 1PIR that
left Port Moresby last week for Bougainville have now combined with 2PIR
already on Bougainville, for a new push to try and re-take the Bougainville
Copper Mine, and to also flush out the rebel leaders.

The BRA intelligence network knew of the new planned offensive but did not
expect it to happen so soon.  The BRA intelligence warned that it would also
cover the sea border between Bougainville and the Solomon Islands.

The planned offensive is similar to the mid-year 1994 offensive headed by
the then ground commander Col. Singorok.  This offensive proved to be a
major failure in which the PNGDF lost many soldiers including three senior
officers.  PNGDF Commander Singorok was wounded on him arm as he was flying
in a rescue Iroquois helicopter to save the rest of his troops from the BRA
offensive.

According to information on hand, the First Battalion is to launch its
offensive through to the abondoned CRA Bougainville Copper Mine, then
through the Crown Prince Range south to the Kongara Ranges then to Koromira
on the south-east coast.  At this point it should meet up with its other
contingents on patrol between the southern sea border between Bougainville
and the Solomon Islands.

A warning had already been issued to all the people within Free Bougainville
to move to Government Care Centres on the coast.  The notice was issued in
the name of the new Police Commissioner, Mr Bob
Nenta, who said unless the people moved out of what he called "clean-up
zones" they would have to "face the consequences".

The people that live within the Panguna area, Bovomari have been asked to
move down to the Arawa Care Centre, while the people from Koromira, Koiari,
and Wisai have been asked to move down to the
Toimanapu camp.

"I have received information from the ground that the village people have
refused to move down to these detention centres, as they have lived all
their lives in the jungle in relative safety.  The serious warning given to
them by Commissioner Nenta now means that they are also going to be targets
of this new offensive", said Mr Moses Havini, Bougainville Spokesperson in
Sydney.

"I am requesting that Australian Government take a much more decisive role
in the conflict in Bougainville, being the major adviser to the PNG
Government; but also that it is the major supplier of military weaponry that
are being used to kill my people", concluded Mr Havini.

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Title -- It's war on BRA - Govt
Date -- 18 June 1996
Byline -- Joe Maeva
Origin -- Nius Network
Source -- Post-Courier (PNG), 18 June 1996
Copyright -- Post-Courier
Status -- Abridged
-----------------
IT'S WAR ON BRA - GOVT

By Joe Maeva
Security forces on Bougainville at the weekend ordered all people living at
Kongara and Panguna to immediately move out as the army prepares for all-out
war against BRA rebels.

The people were ordered to go to areas like Arawa, Toimanapu, Sikondo,
Sikorewa and Sovele, or they could be caught in the crossfire.

The direction came in a notice in Tok Pisin signed by Police Commissioner
and controller of Bougainville operations Bob Nenta.

The notice said the security forces were preparing a major "clean up" of
rebel strongholds starting this month.

At the weekend, North Solomons Premier Theodore Miriung travelled to Arawa
to urge Security Forces not to touch the North Nasioi area. He said
yesterday that North Nasioi was a peaceful area and that people should be
left alone.

He later condemned any further violence and called for more talks between
the government and BRA rebels and their outlawed interim government.

"The BRA/BIG leaders must come up with the initiative at their own place and
venue but all of us must be led by the spirit of trust and good faith. There
must never be any hidden agendas," the premier said.

"The government asking the rebels to surrender is probably their way of
maintaining authority on Bougainville. We cannot continue to try to solve
this conflict with the use of lethal weapons. Enough people have already
been killed."

Premier Miriung said the government did not have the money to feed villagers
in Arawa.

Despite this, the security forces are adamant that all people from Kongara
and Panguna must move from their targeted areas, for fear of the BRA using
the people to hide or to use them as human shields.

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Sydney Morning Herald - 19 June 1996
====================================

PNG TROOPS GET SET TO 'WIPE OUT' ISLAND ARMY

by Greg Roberts

Tens of thousands of villagers have been ordered from their homes on
Bougainville as Papua New Guinean troops prepare for their biggest offensive
of the seven-year war on the strife-torn island.

A source close to the PNG Prime Minister, Sir Julius Chan, said the
Government was determined to "wipe out" the Bougainville Revolutionary Army
(BRA) and "destroy forever" its goal of an independent Bougainville.

More than 500 troops of the First Battalion of PNG's Royal Pacific Islands
Regiment have landed on the island recently.

They would normally be relieving the regiment's Second Battalion, but its
soldiers have been ordered to remain on Bougainville and many have been
supplied with new weapons over the past two weeks.

The total of between 1,300 and 1,400 PNG troops, police and support staff
now on Bougainville is the biggest military force assembled on the island by
Port Moresby.

According to PNG Government sources, troops plan to attack from points on
the island's eastern and western coasts in a pincer movement aimed at
isolating and destroying the BRA.

They aim to trap the guerillas in their strongholds in Bougainville's
mountainous interior, especially in the Crown Prince Range and Kongara regions.

The Commander of the PNG Defence Force, Brigadier Gerry Singirok, will seal
the border with the Solomon Islands to prevent BRA members escaping PNG
territory.

Police notices have directed residents in potential combat zones around the
disbanded Panguna copper mine and elsewhere to join an estimated 30,000
people already in Government-controlled "care" centres.

The PNG Police Commissioner, Mr Bob Nenta, warns in the notices that
villagers may "face the consequences" if they fail to move.  The offensive
follows a warning by Sir Julius in March that the BRA's "darkets hour had
come" when he ended an 18-month ceasefire on Bougainville.

It highlights the failure of repeated efforts by the Australian Government
to broker a settlement.

After the ceasefire was lifted, Canberra agreed to sell $200,000 worth of
military supplies to PNG, including body armour, in addition to equipment
supplied under Australia's annual $16 million defence
co-operation arrangments.

The BRA's Australain representative, Mr Moses Havini, said preliminary
advice from the island indicated Australian supplied Iroquois Helicopters,
motor launches, automatic fire-arms and small arms would be used in the
offensive.

Mr Havini said the biggest losers would be civilians caught up in the
fighting.  He called on the Minister for Foreighn Affairs, Mr Downer, to
intervene to use Canberra's influence to try to prevent the clash.

Mr Havini said the BRA was capable of withstanding any assault by PNG forces.

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Contact Details:
================

Vikki John (BFM)     +61-2-558-2730   email: V.john@xxxxxxxxxx
Moses Havini (BIG)   +61-2-804-7602
Max Watts            +61-2-818-2343   email: MWATTS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(Journalist specialising in Bougainville, East Timor and West Papua issues)

Bougainville Freedom Movement
P.O. Box 134, Erskineville, NSW 2043, Australia

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Regards Sasha

Sasha Baer
International Amateur Radio Network
Bougainville Freedom Movement
Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol
Voicemail: +61-2-513-5614
sashab@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.wr.com.au/sashab/



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