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Tuesday 30 August 2011

Divine Word Cultural Show Pictures (2)

Bougainville's bamboo band crew raving their folly

Bougainville's wild girls show-casing the Solomon dance as the Redskins stare in pure wonder

Bougainville women shaking to the beat of the bamboo

Simon Pigolo (Escapii Pigolo in Facebook) with a kavaronta (a set of bass bamboo flut)

Bougainville stall with bamboo band crew master, Issac Liri

Bamboo band crew at work

Leonard Fong Roka and company in the Bougainville stall (photo by Dr Jerome K. Semos)

Born to be a Bougainvillean and will die a Bougainvillean.

Divine Word Cultural Show Pictures

Leon Fong Roka workin on Kietas' traditional food tamatama with other Kawas mobs

Roomies, Simon Pigolo (left) and Douglas Deseng proud with the Bougainville flag

Bougainville's singsing kaur (kovi in Kieta) at DWU cultural show

Bougainville students dancing the tore

Leon Fong Roka and Jerome leading with the dangko

Entering the show ground

Getting nasty with the kovi

Monday 22 August 2011

Bougainville: referendum terms are unrealistic

The terms paving the way for the Bougainville referendum were agreed upon in Kokopo in Papua New Guinea on the 26 January 2001 by the leaders Moi Avei, John Momis, late Joseph Kabui, Joel Banam, UN's Noel Sinclair and PMG representative Stephen Henningham; and to most of us, its conditions are ignorant of the Bougainville problem.

In the agreement, it should be noted that when they said that, ' Bougainvilleans will vote not earlier than 10 years after the formation of the Autonomous Government and the Bougainville Constitution and no later than 15 years'. What is this nonsense?

Sam Kauona came out first to attack this by saying: ' That the conditions should be 'cautiously welcomed' as they were clearly 'unfair'. He further claimed that too much was given to the corrupt and dishonest PNG government. His question was: ' Did not we learn through the years we have been ruled by the Redskins'

The government of PNG knew all these conditions were to be challenged by the Bougainville economic status. Poor economic performance would have the Bougainville people vote against independence which shows PNG's continued attraction to this resource reach Solomon island of Bougainville. The 20 000 people that perished during the conflict were ignored.

Beside, more was said of the BRA to disarm completely. This is another gesture of PNG placing itself over the people of Bougainville. The biggest question is: why should we trust PNG? Unlike the evil Redskins, Bougainvilleans are peace loving people and we know where and when to use the gun.

As Bougainville is now approaching the set dates, all I am thinking of is the amendment of the useless PNG constitution. The section on Bougainville referendum must be amended to suit the situation on Bougainville.




Thursday 18 August 2011

Problems are good if we can learn them for our change

As a youngster of age 9, in 1988, I was jubiliating with pride when my uncle David Perakai and the other militants, especially in 1989, came for a visit and recreation at the Kaino care centre outside Arawa. The whole populace would feed and clothe them. In return they would tell us their tales of hard life in the jungles around the great Panguna mine.

After a week with us they would then return back to Panguna to fight without the a farewell. In the morning, I would ask, 'And uncle David'. All I got from the elders was, 'Your uncle will come soon.'

This were the lost days, when every person in Bougainville was behind the militants. Today, things have just gone wrong. Bougainville is divided.

Our Bougainville, has so many factions that we ought to deal with if we are progress forward. We have so many conflicting Meekamui groups. Koike and his men doing a little bit blood letting in Buin. Uma and his gang politking in Kieta, as Musinku, operating his kingdom in Siwai and many more.

These, all will end. There is nothing that does not have its death. But, as Bougainvilleans, are we learning from all these in preparation of building a better Bougainville?

The Kietas of Central Bougainville have a proverb: mushroom sprouts from the rot. This literally mean that, a good comes from what is considered bad.

Our problems must not just be ignored, but must be used for the betterment of tomorrow. Such chaotic situations will have our people better persons who will reject further problems.

Problems are our tools of change.



Saturday 13 August 2011

A Bougainvillean

by Leonard Fong Roka

In the room...
be a Bougainvillean
In the dorm...
be a Bougainvillean
In the ablution...
be a Bougainvillean
In the mess...
be a Bougainvillean
In the class...
be a Bougainvillean
At study...
be a Bougainvillean
Oh soul brother. On the u'rungkasi lawns
be a Kawas
In the dusty bus cabins...
be a Kawas
In the illness pubs...
be a Kawas
Oh soul brother. In the church of New Guinea lies...
pray a Bougainvillean prayer
In sorrow...
shed a Bougainvillean tear
In joy...
dance a Bougainville kovii
In greeting...
give a Bougainvillean kiss
And in love...
surrender to the Bougainvillean
rising sun
On Bougainville, you were born...
then die in Bougainville
Oh soul brother, we were Bougainvilleans
dying in our Solomons from Western and New Guinea
money lust...
Oh soul brother,
let not your father break in tears
as it was in the genesis
of
agony.
Oh soul brother,
be a true lewa
KAWAS!

Thursday 11 August 2011

The Water Problem in Bougainville

Water is a vital necessity of life. Without water our body cannot last for a day, but today this resources as being ignorantly abused by many people. Population growth and other factors causes harm or pollution to our water systems.

The mainland Bougainville island is, as we know, is so blessed with wild rivers but their daily volume by observation is decreasing because of deforestation from gardening and so on. Forests preserve soil moisture which is the main source of our water cycle. Moisture builds on to trickles; this further turn into streams, then to rivers we see and enjoy the moment we hear the brawling.

There are certain signs that I see today, that shows that a river is not normal. A river that is abnormal, floods so fast with just a little rain. Its flooding water has high content of mud and other materials and are very destructive; but, in easing, these rivers or streams are so quick. On the other hand, a natural river is so slow to flooding because the forest will be absorbing the first few drops of rain; and it takes time for natural rivers to cease the nature of flooding since the forest will again take time to release all its water content to its natural levels.

With this, Bougainville's most river systems are today, are all affected; only are very few are in their natural stages. This few, can only be identified in less populated areas in the west side of the island, especially in Eivo, Torokina and few other areas.

In other areas, where water should have remained chaste, today, alluvial gold mining is affecting water systems. In most areas of Central Bougainville, especially, the village of Kupe the sources of water in the mountainous Crown Prince Range has been polluted with chemicals and mud from the continuous operations of the gold panning and settlement. And the main village have piped in water from safer distances. This is also a grave danger to the town populace of Arawa that heavily depends on the Bovong river that comes from the Kupe area.

To the rest of Bougainville, the Buka islanders in the north are, as I had been witnessing, very good users of water. This is because their part of Bougainville lacks water depending on the type geographical make-up. To them, a bucket of tank water some how can do the whole family kitchen cleaning.

Bougainvilleans have now a challenge to manage and preserve water for the generations to come. With concerns over the resettlement of our Cateret islanders, and other problems, water management is one grave worry I have that's worth addressing by the leadership in government to the irresponsble village people and their leaders.

The Tumpusiong Story

Den'ona

by Leonard Fong Roka

Den'ona, Den'ona
why bothering me, the lass
you say so uneducated
of the Tumpusiong west...you reject for loving.
You say.
But as the sun wokes, o'er Deumori
swaggering was my swain
o'er the Darenai hillocks
that assemble like brave warriors
of the gone past.
Yet so cool; no fooling as a village
dog that come back for chased love
for I not like those sick folklores
of Mako'osi.
So you no moon and stars
I dream of,
Den'ona. Den'ona.

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Poem to the Mungkasi

A Flower on my desk

By Leonard Fong Roka

Since that February
The flower was there...next to me
In form, it was there
It was there, all tru seasons...it was there
Silent and chaste.

Perfect and violet, it stood
Calm and charming it withered by noon
To kill my lamp in the bloom of morning
As she paraded in gaits so angelic
To a lost Kawas kindred.

I dream of those tangles
Where we could hide across Bougainville
In the rugged and virginity
Of Panguna
And not those mosquito plains for the Solomons
But, I lament that it knew
That I was lost
Before her spells.

Sunday 7 August 2011

My soul is in Bougainville

I came to this strange in February this year (2011) but now am getting so sick. The place, so called 'Beautiful Madang' to tell you the truth has no freedom of expression, travel and any other fundamentals I enjoy back in my beloved country Bougainville.

All I want now is, this August must go then come September and quickly pass because I am not interested in you...I want October, that's when I am flying out of hell to freedom in my homeland Bougainville.

Bougainville, leaving you is a heartbreak, just like a sudden divorce.

Thursday 4 August 2011

August Poems

Tears

by Leonard Fong Roka

Tears
warm salty
flowing falling piling
sadness, bringing me
tears.

Overnight

by Leonard Fong Roka

Soothing song of snore
Down my spine and across my heart
You keep me long

Bali Island Way

by Leonard Fong Roka

Dingy na dingy
Oh we?
To my island paradise...

Cutting clear-bluey-soupy water
Please take me there
Across the sea where my eyes cannot see

Plonk! and a plonk...sucked!
My heart in the azure sky
Ram! and a ram...soaring!
My heart, back lo dingy
Feigning a wisdomed seaman

But, where is my island paradise?
Mi paul!

A plonk and a ram...
We go on and on and on
On a journey of no return

A plonk! and plonk!
A ram and ram we go...gliding
The rolling, rippling and ranting Bismarck Sea
To my island paradise

As she stood in desolation
But sweet...
Sore, Bali ailan.

Tuesday 2 August 2011

My Photos





Bougainville Crisis Photographs




Poem for you

I love you

by Leonard Fong Roka

Looking at all you children
I cry and cry for you
History shall tell you, I cried
I cried as your land was not yours;
But for the strange redskins
Who rave their evil in the night
Who killed and raped your mothers and fathers
Of the high names
For petty crimes...and they corruption?
I was sick for you
As they suck my blood
And left me barren
So you could die
I cry for you
The fruits of my reason
O mungkasi.

Monday 1 August 2011

Bougainville must be protected

Corruption in PNG is too systemic and systematic. The law enforcement mechanism bodies, instead of carrying out their duties turn to be the very one causing inharmony in society. Crime is a every day affair and ranges from petty to worst, like rape and often goes without media's attention.

Bougainville, the place known for the conflict and guns, on the other hand is the most safest place as long as you respect the native. I, as a Bougainvillean in Madang, am living in constant few.