Mission & Justice

Madeline Arek; 20/2/09

As the Air Niugini Fokker 100 aircraft landed and made its way to the Buka airport terminal, a feeling of nostalgia overcame me. I was returning “home” after more than 20 years. I really did not know what to expect, the last time I had seen the island was through the eyes of a five year old. We had not left by plane, but on the MV Kosmaris, a huge cargo ship owned by Burns Philip and captained by a young Eastern Highlander named Daniel. Life on the island was amazing as it obviously would be for a child. I spent those three years in a world of my own, a little “red skin” child amongst all the “black” children, sticking out like a sore thumb. But it never really mattered, as it would years later when the infamous Bougainville Crisis set in and all the “red skins” or those who were not black pigmented, were sent packing.

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Augustine Kinna; 15/12/08

The reconciliation and weapons disposal program has been an ongoing process on the Autonomous Region of Bougainville for the past 11 years, since the signing of the Burnham Truce peace agreement in 1997 and the Lincoln Agreement on Peace, Security and Development in 1998. Reconciliation and weapons disposal remains a top priority for the Autonomous Bougainville Government as it has a limited time frame of less than seven to eleven year from now before it decides on its referendum. Despite the fact that there is no reconciliation policy put in place by the Autonomous Bougainville constitution, the people have taken ownership of reconciliation in their respective communities. Early this year, the ABG under the leadership of the late President Kabui declared 2008 and 2009 as the year for reconciliation and weapons disposal.

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Eric Tapakau; 27/8/08

The Panguna Landowners Association will continue to promote peace and reconciliation as part of the peace agreement, chairman Michael Pariu said. Mr Pariu said the group will not be deterred by factions from within the Panguna area who claimed to have authority and disrupted the reconciliation process already firmly underway. Mr Pariu was responding to media reports by Ioro Constituency Member in the Bougainville House of Representatives Dr Benedict Pisi and Me’ekamui government of unity chairman Philip Miriori that there should not be any reconciliation in Panguna.

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12/8/08

The people of Panguna, dubbed the “last frontier” of the peace process in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, have unanimously agreed to have reconciliation among them. In an overwhelming show of solidarity, the Me’ekamui Government of Unity, its military arm the Me’ekamui Defence Force, chiefs, men, women and youth all agreed that there will be reconciliation among all major clans in the area and that these reconciliations would not be disrupted anytime in the future. The first Panguna District Reconciliation Consultative Forum in 20 years was hailed a huge success as all speakers emotionally called for reconciliation to take place. During a forum held in the former mining township of Panguna, the people including landowners resolved to immediately start consultations among themselves to have reconciliation ceremonies in the area by the end of this year.

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