Masiu apologises to Solomon Islanders for B’ville crisis spillover

Deputy leader of the Opposition Timothy Masiu is apologising to the Solomon Islands people who were victims of the Bougainville crisis.
“I am now apologising for the spill-over of the Bougainville crisis into the Solomon Islands that had occurred about 20 years ago,” Masiu said.
“I am now calling on Bougainvilleans to be good ambassadors in the foreign country and to abide by the laws of that country and not tarnish the good name and reputation of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea.”
Masiu, who is also the member for South Bougainville, was speaking in the Solomon Islands when a Papua New Guinea government delegation, led by Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Emil Tamur, attended the Melanesian Arts and Culture Festival.
He used the opportunity to carry out explain the Bougainville referendum process to Solomon Islands-based Bougainvilleans.
Masiu met with Bougainvilleans living in Honiara and updated them on the Bougainville referendum next year and other developments taking place in South Bougainville.
“The referendum is a very important part of the peace process on Bougainville and that all Bougainvilleans must understand what it is all about,” he said.
“It is very important that all Bougainvilleans know and understand what the referendum is all about and how it will affect the people of Bougainville when it happens on June 15, 2019.
“With fair knowledge of the referendum to be held on June will give our people to make an informed decision on reaching a fair decision people our people and the land. ”
Masiu stressed that the Bougainville government was spearheading the awareness programme.
He also called on the Bougainville government to visit all Bougainvilleans around Papua New Guinea as well as the Solomon Islands to make sure they knew what was happening back in Bougainville.
Meanwhile, Masiu said that since his electorate was along the Solomons Islands/Papua New Guinea border, he had discussed with the Civil Aviation Minister Alfred Manase the possibility of reopening Buin Airstrip and the border in order to stop illegal immigration to boost internal revenue through taxation of imported and exported goods.