Pelika ashamed of govt’s progress on Bougainville

MENYAMYA MP Thomas Pelika, (pictured) a member of the parliamentary committee on Bougainville Affairs, says he is ashamed to go back to Bougainville because the Government has failed the people.
Pelika said he accompanied former prime minister late Sir Bill Skate to establish formal peace with the people of Bougainville at the height of the crisis.
However, he said after being absent for 15 years from active politics, he came back and travelled to Bougainville only to learn that the Government over the years had failed to address the issues.
Pelika said Skate went into Punguna and spoke to the late Francis Ona and assured the people that their concerns about mining powers would be transferred back to the people but that had not been done.
He said he was the police minister at that time.
“They were not able to fulfil some of the commitments made at that time,” Pelika said.
He said since 1989, the Government had not looked at making peace and reconcilliation with the Bougainvilleans and with the rest of PNG in the Melanesian way.
He said many issues were not addressed.
“I went back as a member of the Bipartisan Committee on Bougainville Matters last month and I was ashamed to hear from the people and see things on the ground.”
“The Government failed the people of Bougainville as it failed to address some of the issues. They failed to go back and negotiate with the people.
“I went to Bougainville and came back ashamed so I will not go back to Bougainville again because we have done virtually nothing because of the red tape in Waigani.
“How can we convince the people of Bougainville after they have decided their political future?”