Kalia Mining ignored advance warning, says MP

KALIA Mining Limited ignored advanced warnings from locals, resulting in the alleged killing of a non-Bougainville geologist at a potential gold and copper mine project on Bougainville, North Bougainville MP William Nakin says.
“The team of geologists who went to that remote, mountainous area in Tinputz in my electorate was given sufficient warnings, two weeks before the incident occurred,” he said.
“The brushing aside of such warning resulted in the killing of the late Terry Wynn Kilya and the serious wounding of the local carriers from the coastal Tinputz area.”
Nakin said the local carriers had helped Kilya carry equipment and food rations into the area.
He warned the company to discontinue exploration activities in the area.
“I’m now warning Kalia Limited not to carry exploration work in that area when landowners disagree with such work to take place.”
Nakin also appealed to the relatives of the carriers who were injured in the incident to respect the rule of law and not retaliate.
Nakin said yesterday that reports reaching his office suggested that the landowners of the area had disagreed with any mining, including exploration in their area.
He condemned the killing by the Melelup landowners last Friday.
He also passed his condolences to the family of the deceased, Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas and Wapenamanda MP Rimbink Pato.
“The killing was unnecessary as the landowners had their companies, Tore Joint Venture Limited and Toremana Resources Limited who are responsible for the interest of the resource owners, the welfare of the exploration staff in the area and they are responsible also for the sustenance of peaceful dialogue and constant liaison with each of the landowner groups in the Tore mine where exploration is taking place.”