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Sports |
Dialogue is key to mining
I REFER to the MRA’s newly appointed
head on the possible reactivation plans for the Panguna mine (The
National, May 29).
Having just returned from a two-week trip to Bougainville,
including the No-Go Zone, the mine site as well as the tailings, I
think it is best the MRA or BCL get down to the ground and seek
the views of ordinary Bougainvilleans, including remnants of the
BRA who still man the existing entry points of the mine site.
It would be a grave mistake to talk of reactivation plans of
Panguna mine without the direct involvement of the most important
stakeholders, the landowners, BRA, the ordinary Bougainvilleans
and the ABG.
I was fortunate to meet the most senior man there after the late
Francis Ona in his village for the signing of the MoU for the
proposed OISCA Agriculture Training Centre between ABG officials
and his clan and this gentleman’s exact words are “wok bilong
agriculture mas go pas bipo yumi ken toktok long opim gen mine.
Long mine ol universiti man talsol bai kaikai moni. Yumi ol ples
man bai nogat. Long wok agriculture moni bai go long ol ples na
bai stap long ol pipol”.
He went on and said that he would not support reopening the mine
because his boys know how to pull the trigger and that there is
blood on their hands.
His fears are that should disagreements arise, it would eventually
lead to another crisis which he said was not good for everybody.
He said he would support sustainable agriculture projects such as
the OISCA funded Agriculture Training Centre to be built on part
of the 278ha ranch formerly owned by BCL.
Being an agriculturalist who went to the island on the invitation
of the ABG administration to do a feasibility study on the
possibility of reviving the livestock sector there, I was
encouraged by these words from a man who once was the most
notorious head of the secessionist movement and who still wield
enormous power even today.
There are other people on the streets and in villages who think
mining is not everything and want to pursue other avenues to
revive their economy.
It would be appropriate for the MRA and other relevant
organisations, including the National Government, to help explore
these avenues for the Autonomous Region and its people to take an
active role in the development of their economy through
alternative industries.
Any talks of reactivating the mine should be put on hold until
such time all stakeholders are happy and are prepared to commit to
the project.
I think that time will come eventually.
Andy K Yombo
Lae
 
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