Bougainville Referendum

PRIME Minister James Marape recently mentioned in the daily newspapers he would be campaigning for a “United PNG” before the Bougainville Referendum is held.
While the PM has liberty to express his views, the questions is, will campaigning for a “United PNG” help in solving the Bougainville conflict?
The Bougainville Peace Agreement does not provide a permanent solution to the Bougainville conflict.
It only assists in facilitating mechanisms leading to the achievement of the Bougainville conflict through three pillars namely, autonomy, weapons disposal and referendum.
What the PM needs to understand is that level of unity among Bougainvilleans namely the combatants (including the BRA and the resistant fighters) and ordinary citizens in Bougainville is at its highest level compared to that of the 1999 when the Peace Agreement was negotiated.
In other words, Bougainvilleans want nothing less than independence.
And if the PM continues to advocate for a “United PNG” when majority or 90 per cent Bougainvilleans do not want to stay with PNG, does PM’s campaign for a united PNG assists in solving the Bougainville conflict? No.
All that the people of Bougainville want from PM Marape is to see how 20,000 deaths in Bougainville can be best compensated by PNG, how the pain and suffering that 300,000 Bougainvilleans went through during the 10 year civil conflict can be best compensated by PNG, how the environmental damages done to the river systems, the oceans, land and the forests in Bougainville can be best compensated by PNG.
There is no monetary value for the damages done to the deaths, the pain and suffering of 300,000 Bougainvilleans at that time and the environmental damages done to their seas, land and the forests in Bougainville.
The only compensation that PNG can meet for these damages is to grant independence for Bougainville.
But if the PM is really serious about achieving a “United PNG” and willing to sacrifice to achieve a “United PNG”, then he must compensate K900 billion to Bougainville to get Bougainville back but at the same time allow some of its sovereign powers like foreign relations, international shipping, international aviation, international trade and straddling fish stocks be transferred to Bougainville.
If PNG cannot afford this, Marape must grant Bougainville independence.
Only when that is done, permanent peace will be achieved in Bougainville.

King Honging
Buka