Politics
Bougainville Peace Process Under Threat
As peace monitoring groups move out
The fragile Bougainville peace process is under serious threat. Why? The Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) is moving out in June, the United Nations Observer Mission in Bougainville (UNOB) is also moving out in December, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force soldiers have completely withdrawn, the Bougainville autonomous draft constitution is causing a stir among Papua New Guinea Government law experts, the second phase of the arms disposal process is yet to be completed and rebel leader Francis Ona continues to remain outside of the peace process‹some issues that have threatened the peace process at Bougainville.
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All indicators currently point to the negative and the Papua New Guinea Government is concerned the peace process might just disintegrate if concerned parties are not careful.
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Minister for Inter-Government Relations and Bougainville Affairs, Sir Peter Barter revealed in Parliament recently that the Bougaiville peace process has reached its most critical phase and from here on, the Papua New Guinea parties must "prepare to accept responsibility for maintaining, consolidating and strengthening peace for themselves".
The external forces, which have supported the peace process, the neutral four-nation Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) and the United Nations Observer Mission in Bougainville (UNOMB), will have withdrawn their support by the end of the year.
The PMG, comprising people from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Vanuatu will be withdrawn on June 30 and the UNOMB will withdraw by December.
Barter said although negotiations are continuing, indications are that both groups will not extend their commitment to Bougainville.
That was to be expected, he said.
"The commitments to UNOMB and the PMG have never been open-ended," he said.
"All of the parties involved in the Bougainville peace process have always known they would come to an end," Barter said. "After several extensions, the end of their respective assignments is now in sight."
The PNG Defence Force has also withdrawn its presence from the island. The last of its soldiers left the island in April.
The minister said the peace process is not as advanced as many had expected.
"A series of target dates for completing implementations of the agreed weapons disposal plan have been missed," he said.
"Restoration of civil authority (police, courts and correctional services) is less advanced.
"Francis Ona and the remaining hard core of his closest supporters continue to be outside (the peace process)."
An area of concern also has been the breach of containers containing weapons surrendered under the weapons disposal programme.
Barter reported that weapons have been removed, some for safekeeping but some for "more worrying reasons".
To date, the total number of weapons contained in the first week of May stood at 1850, of which 306 were high-powered factory-made guns.
The weapons disposal programme is the core of the peace process.
Former Bougainville Interim Government/Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) Secretary Martin Miriori has supported the government by strongly appealling to all BRA members, especially those in Central Bougainville, to hand in all their remaining weapons without delay as required under the peace agreement.
Miriori urged BRA members to listen to their leaders like Ishmael Toroama, Steven Topesi and others and quickly surrender their weapons in accordance with the agreement to complete stage two of the weapons disposal programme, and ready for verification by the United Nations. Miriori said that if Bougainvilleans are genuinely serious about achieving what they were so determined to fight for in their long political struggle, then now is the time they must prove this with real action by making Bougainville once again a gun-free island paradise.
"All weapons must be therefore handed in straightaway and containerised well before PMG pulls out of Bougainville on 30 June 2003," Miriori said.
"As one of the key leaders who played a pivotal role in helping to set up the peace process at Burnham in 1997 with the support of the New Zealand Government, I would be indeed very sad to see that Bougainvilleans would again become the biggest losers because of a few who seem to value their weapons much more than the important lives and the political future of the vast majority of Bougainvilleans."
But the most worrying has been the contents of the Bougainville Constitution. A request by Bougainville for more autonomy in the 1960s has resulted in the current provincial and local level government system throughout the country.
They are now doing the same under the proposed constitution, but this time, they are calling for more exclusive powers.
The draft constitution stipulates that only a Bougainvillean may:
- Own customary land;
- Be a candidate in any election and any other elected body;
- Vote in any such election; and
- May have additional rights provided for by a Bougainville law.
The constitution names the province as the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and adopts for the future government powers never before available to any provincial government in Papua New Guinea.
The second draft of the Bougainville Constitution, currently being circulated for comment, provides for constitutional offices such as:
- Chief Justice and Judges;
- Public Prosecutor;
- Public Solicitor;
- Public Services Commission;
- Electoral Commission;
- Boundaries Commission;
- Auditor General;
- Chief of Bougainville Police;
- Chief of Bougainville Correctional Service;
- Ombudsmen Commission and a Leadership Code; and
- The Bougainville Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
The constitution grants the autonomous government wide ranging powers over all but foreign affairs, defence, and financial matters.
A team from Bougainville had travelled the country in May to gauge the views of other Bougainvilleans living in other parts of Papua New Guinea.
The team was made up of leaders of four of the five regional teams of commission members.
These teams were established in September last year when the commission first began its consultation with the people of Bougainville.
Speaking on behalf of the Constitutional Commission team, Paul Korerua said the team had been pleased with the interest shown by Bougainvilleans who had attended the meetings in Port Moresby and Lae.
"They made many useful comments and suggestions."
