Reconsider decision

I REFER to a letter from Pau Piahe, of Aitara Village, South Bougainville, asking Papua New Guinea to let Bougainville get independence (The National, Sept 19).
This letter is from a self-centred, very narrow thinking person who does not have the collective interest of PNG at hand.
The letter is typical of most people from Bougainville, both educated and uneducated population.
I disagree that Bougainville should be given a referendum and let alone Independence.
In 2001, Bougainville was given the option of referendum through the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the PNG and Bougainville Constitutions.
Today is 2019 and is not same as 2001. In 2001, there was a different government and today we have a different government.
Peace agreement and constitution of Bougainville are not bibles that cannot be changed.
The peace agreement needs review and so as the Bougainville Constitution. PNG cannot commit political suicide to bow down to Bougainville and let it go.
The letter says that PNG at its 44th Independence year, is old enough to let Bougainville to go and live as a matured young man.
The writer should understand that PNG has 20 sons and if it let go Bougainville, other 19 sons will go away from the father as well and where will the father be?
As a 44-year-old man, he still has the strength to hold onto Bougainville.
Pihae says if PNG did not let go of Bougainville, this will create instability between the father and the son. The son has caused so many problems in the past for the father and his other 19 sons.
This son has been a very rebellious one from 1976, until now and there is no guarantee that he will behave well after PNG gives him independence.
Pihae’s illustration of father-son relation between PNG and Bougainville is an irrelevant illustration from a political point of view.
PNG will only be stronger when it holds all his 20 sons together and have a place in the international family of nations.
I am praying against Bougainville’s Independence and referendum. God must intervene to stop Bougainville referendum and independence.
If you lose Bougainville now, you will lose everything including PNG.

Rev. Pastor Mamando Pain
Apostolic Church of PNG,
Mt Hagen