Former veteran appeals for calm

A FORMER Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) secretary Martin Miriori has appealed for calm and understanding over a Channel Nine 60 Minutes report on Sunday which aired General Sam Kauona making pro-China remarks.
The special investigation revealed the depth of China’s influence in the Pacific region. In its report it interviewed former BRA General Kauona.
Miriori said the report might have been aired at a wrong time when Bougainville was just about to vote in a referendum on independence.
Miriori said Kauona’s comments, although they were somewhat alarming, they were basically made in his private capacity challenging the West including Australia, and the United States to think twice before taking things for granted with their claim of ownership and influence over small Pacific island countries.
“Instead, the West are therefore strongly called upon to use their influence in urging Papua New Guinea to quickly ratify the independence vote and let Bougainville go. As a matter of fact PNG has really got nothing more left to offer to Bougainville at this time, except it is PNG which in fact still owes a lot to Bougainville since the early 1970s,” he said.