ABG, people must have fair share of equity

The National Letters
Source:
The National, Tuesday July 26th, 2016

FOR the PNG Government to be given full 17.5 per cent of Rio Tinto shares, the problems between the Autonomous Bougainville Government and Waigani will not be solved.
Even within Bougainville, the landowners still do not want to allow the mine to be reopened.
This means that Panguna will remain closed even after Bougainville becomes independent.
Panguna landowners must also be given a portion of the shares offered by Rio Tinto to the National Government.
I suggest that the 17.5 per cent shares be allocated between the National Government, ABG and the Panguna landowners as follows;

  • PNG Government – 3.5% apart from the existing shares it already owns
  • Panguna Landowers -5%
  • ABG – 9% in addition to what was offered by Rio Tinto
  • The above suggestions are made in consideration of the following:
  • The Bougainville Peace Agreement, Constitution of PNG (Amended) the Bougainville Constitution and the Bougainville Mining laws and all of them give Bougainville and the landowners’ full autonomy to own and manage its own resources in Bougainville.
  • Environmental damage done by the Panguna mine to the environment during BCLs operation not only felt by landowners but other parts of Bougainville.
  • The environmental mess created by BCL when the mine closed.
  • The loss of 20,000 plus human lives as a result of the Bougainville Crisis which was ignited by the Panguna Mine issue. (only few landowners and majority of other Bougainvilleans died)
  • The suffering among Bougainvillean widows due the Bougainville crises, and more importantly, the lost generation who are still illiterate.
  • The suffering of widows of PNGDF soldiers and police men and members who served during the Crises. (0.4% of the 3.5% allocated to PNG government should be given to the relatives of those who died.
  • That ABG has spent millions on various reconciliations and meetings on Panguna landowners since 2005 trying to negotiate the opening of the mine.
  • Bougainville’s political future after Referendum.

I urge the National Executive Council to be well versed with these important considerations when discussing the 17.5% shares given to the PNG Government.

Joel Nava
Auckland, NZ

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