The Most Beautiful Town in PNG - Madang in Pictures

Symbol of the beauty queen

is so chaste

that a blackman enjoys

the dirtless streets

and pothole freedom.

The Kawas man gaits

through heaven so clean

and without beggars that bother

and slums that robs...

Diz is beautiful Madang.

YU YET KAM NA LUKIM!

SnapShots of Bougainville's Reeds Festival in 2009

The man behind this 'cultural revival' was late William Takaku, a film and theatre actor and director from Kieta's Pidia village in Bougainville with the backing from The CHRISTENSEN FUND from California, USA. Late Takuka passed away on the 3 of January, 2011.

William Takaku (trakt.tv)

The Reeds Festival was 'a bio-cultural diversity celebration of our island's unique 'kaur' culture. 'Kaur' or panpipes [kovii, in the Nasioi language of central Bougainville], with a inclusion of chanting dances is widely practiced on Bougainville and its sister island of the Western Province of Solomon Islands.

Kaur dance (top and below)

Kaur culture signifies the outward display of happiness in reconciliation; in friendships and in mending souring relationships and in other ceremonial and ritual occassions.

Kaur entering the stage

Kaur in action

At this time when the world is facing great changes and uncertainties, many indigenous people of the world are challenged whether to keep our cultures or allow it to die as we follow our developmental efforts that are based on powerful western orientation and influences that sooner or later, surely see the demise of our Melanesian languages and cultures.

Marriage ritual from Pokpok

Atamo kaur

Our culture is the one thing that identifies us as a unique group of people on this planet.

kaur from Wakunai

kaur from Kieta

We thus, have that responsibility to uphold our cultures for that is what that made us, who we are today and that that 'sweet western' culture that is imperialistic and harmful. So, late William Takuka says: 'The old leaves must fall to allow the young leaves to grow, living their wisdom of the trunk to the young leaves to carry on the culture of the tree'.

Young kaur dancers

kaur group from Pomaua

This performances and film were done on the 8-9 of December, 2009 at Tubiana in Kieta. Almost 13 kaur groups from as far as Raubira in Wakunai and Unei in the Wisai of Buin came to show to each other their styles of 'kaur dancing and chantings'.

• This writing and snapshots are not mind, but extracted from the film narration and pictures produced with above said event 

...Saving our culture is saving our island of Bougainville and our peoples' future and betterment...







PNG Army in Bougainville - Dirty Rascals

After the police were getting nowhere into solving the crisis with their brutality on Bougainvilleans, their 'little army' came in. Again, their were continous harassed to the state's disgrace for 'seeing what enormous resources investmented on' was of no use.

To such nightmare, on April 11 1989, Post Courier had an article titled 'Soldiers to step up action'. The author, Sema Rea wrote that the Defense Minister Arnold Marsipal announcing his Chief of Operation on Bougainville, Colonel Leo Nuia had issued the order 'shoot and kill' just four days after two of his soldiers were killed.

Under this orders, our homes were burned or looted, civilians tortured or killed, domesticated animals killed, gardens destroyed and our women raped by the infiltrating security forces.

Who should deny this? And from where, is this PNGDF helicopter pilot, Charlie Andrews, coming from?

Charlie Andrews

In the Sandline Crisis video documentary, Charlie Andrews says:

'Militarily we cannot stop the war, I mean it is against our brothers and sisters out there...so most of the soldiers, the service men, God blessed them with big hearts. They are not out there to destroy and killed others unnecessarily'.

In late 1989, a cocoa farmer from Kupe was in cocoa plot at Bakabori when a PNGDF patrol came. He was shot, had his feet attached to a tether and dragged down hill to the Bovo river with some captives. There he was buried alive and he died. My brother and I was soon to walk into these killers but a escaping family rescued us. Weeks later, the PNGDF gunship stormed the mountainous Kupe villages. From our care centre, Kaino, we watched as two choppers gunned the mountains passing by each other as their attacked.

Charlie Andrews and his bird

The operation took a captive, Louis Kepetu by air to Panguna where he was tortured for months.

Back he my hamlet, Kavaronau, in the Tumpusiong Valley of Panguna District, the PNGDF arrived one 1989 day. As the truck patrol was driving in, my family escaped after having gone through nightmares with the police.

My hamlet, in those days was the only well-off homestead. It took electrical supply from the BCL supply and also, had family business operations.

So, as they entered the first thing was to help themselves with store goods and cash. And later torched our 9 houses. My family stood just above a hillock and wept.

Later, the PNGDF shot death a mentally retarded relative, Arenama, as they further track up hill the escape routes.

Then, such newspaper titles, dominated in Niugini Nius: 'Troops up in arms over politicians' in 3 October 1989, 'Civilian shot death in Bougainville raid' in 16 October 1989, 'Shooting puts peace in doubt' in 27 October 1989, 'Soldiers in Panguna go looting' in 23 February 1989 and so on.

From where is Charlie Andrews coming, to tell Bougainvilleans that his army is good?

Again in 1991, according to Karl Claston's 1998 book, Bougainville 1988-98, he bring forth the story of PNGDF massacred Bougainvillean bodies that were dumped at sea with the Australia-donated gunships. Who flew the choppers?

In 1993, another welknown mental retard of Arawa was shot death. Such peoples, I know, ought to be protected. Earlier, a BRA man from Topinang village was shot in an ambush near the Bairima Junction outside Arawa. His body was, again attached to a tether and the other end of the rope to the armoured vehicle. The vehicle was drove towards Tunuru Box-cut with the body burning with friction against the tar.

Throughout the crisis, the PNGDF had no clear defined target to attack. So, mortars landed on innocent Bougainvilleans as in Buin where 9 children was killed. And, also in Arawa in 1992, a pregnant mother from Pavaire village went down to a shell from Tunuru Catholic mission.

With these incidences, what does PNGDF helicopter pilot mean when said, '...God blessed them with big hearts. They are not there to destry or kill...?' Who are his 'brothers and sisters' on Bougainville? What clan does he belongs to in Bougainville? What is the traditional name of a piece of land he owns in Bougainville?

This is a slap-in-the-face words from a military man whom we saw doing bad to us on our own land. The PNGDF actions on Bougainville were appropriate if we, Bougainvilleans were having a slum camp in a certain part of PNG and harming the New Guineans.

Beside, adopting foreign concepts like 'brother in the name of christ' does nothing good such as a, reributive justice to a heart that has been broken and shattered.

In Bougainville, during the crisis especially around the 1996 period when the 'Operation High Speed' series were on and seeing with our own eyes as the BRA punished them, the popular remark that was in the mouths was that, the PNGDF was:

'Michael Somare's personal body guards deployed on a mission beyond their comprehension and capability'.

Bougainville 1988-1989 Rebellion Timeline

Chronological events marking the militant uprising on Bougainville as noted by the security forces during the so called, 'Operation Tampara'.

22 November 1988-- Explosives stolen from the Panguna mine magazine after inside negotiations led by local BCL employees.
26 November 1988-- Arson on Panguna guest house
27 November 1988-- Arson on Pink Palace Administration Block, Panguna
27 November 1988-- An attempted arson on Crystal Palace Administration Block, Panguna
27 November 1988-- Helicopter (locally known as BDC chopper) damaged and the building burnt down, Panguna
2 December 1988-- Arson on repeater station at Kaupara, Kupe-Panguna
3 December 1988-- Bougainville lime stone compressor set on fire
4 December 1988-- BCL power pylon blown up at Police Man's Corner, Panguna road
6 December 1988-- BCL power pylon blown up at Waterfall Corner, Panguna road
7 December 1988-- Arson on Arawa Maintainance building
30 December 1988-- Burning of a caterpillar backhoe at Panguna. 5 arrests
12 January 1989-- Alleged kidnapping of Mathew Kove. 3 arrests
15 January 1989-- Attempted arson on Mananau BCL chicken/pig farm in Bana District
16 January 1989-- Arson on Mount Bon Martin repeater station
17 January 1989-- Arson on Arawa Water Pump Station
17 January 1989-- An attempted blowing of a bridge on Mananau road
30 January 1989-- A police patrol ambushed on Karuru road. A police wounded
2 March 1989-- An helicopter fired at in Kongara's Kakusira Community School
8 March 1989-- An ambush on police vehicle at Aropa bridge. Two police men wounded
15 March 1989-- An attempted blowing up of the Aropa Plantation fermentary
16 March 1989-- A double murder at Aropa Plantation Compound fermentary
19 March 1989-- Arson on Compound 4000 at Aropa
19 March 1989-- Arson on Aropa Plantation office
19 March 1989-- Arson on assistant manager's residence on Aropa plantation
19 March 1989-- Arson on Aropa Plantation's Kangsinari Compound
19 March 1989-- An attempted murder on Aropa road
19 March 1989-- Arson on Aropa sawmill
21 March 1989-- Arson on Kieta/Aropa airport and destruction on an Bougair aircraft
21 March 1989-- A police vehicle ambushed at Laluai bridge and one militant body recovered
21 March 1989-- Arson on Buin Police Station
21 March 1989-- Arson on Parai'ano village inland of Aropa airport
22 March 1989-- Arson on Toborai plantation
22 March 1989-- Arson on Aropa vegetable farm
22 March 1989-- Arson on houses at Aropa crusher
22 March 1989-- Arson on AEL Buin supermarket
22 March 1989-- An arson on Manetai village with two arrests
26 March 1989-- Arson on Torokina District Office and six persons were arrested
6 April 1989-- Contact between the PNGDF and militants. Two soldiers were killed alongside one militant [false]
6 April 1989-- Burning of a exploration drill at Panguna
15 April 1989-- Damage on BCL power pylon no. 48 at Pine bridge
16 April 1989-- Arson on Tinputz District Office
16 April 1989- Damage on BCL power pylon no. 32 at Birempa
18 April 1989-- Shooting on police at Kobuan Camp
18 April 1989-- Police confrontation at Kerei Hill and Anganai village. One militant death [innocent village]
23 April 1989-- A police man wounded at Pakia Gap
28 April 1989-- Killing of PNGDF personal
5 May 1989-- Damage on civilian vehicle at Sipuru at Kongara by setting it on fire
6 May 1989-- Wounding of two PNGDF men at Karuru bridge in Kongara 1
14 May 1989-- Damage on Buin High School water tank
15 May 1989-- Damage to a BCL dozer at the Panguna mine area
16 May 1989-- Possession of ammunition and loitering at the Aropa airport. 6 arrests
17 May 1989-- Robbery on SP bank at Buka
17 May 1989-- Arson on shovel no.4 at Panguna
17 May 1989-- Shooting at policemen in Mananau Farm
17 May 1989-- Attack on police with petrol bombs at Panguna mine site
18 May 1989-- Shooting on BCL buses at Pakia Gap
18 May 1989-- Arson on Bolave Community Government office
18 May 1989-- Arson on Ioro Comunity Government office
21 May 1989-- Shooting of an expatriate, Mike Bell at a guesthouse in Panguna
21 May 1989-- Shooting confrontation with security forces at mine site
21 May 1989-- Threats to blow up the Limestone Magazine
21 May 1989-- Bomb blast at Panguna bus depot
22 May 1989-- Shooting of BCL bus at Pakia Gap
22 May 1989-- Arson on BCL power pylon no.58 at Pakia
23 May 1989-- Arson on Kumo crusher by explosives
24 May 1989-- Shooting of police men near the BCL standby generator in Panguna
24 May 1989-- An attempt to blow down power pylon at Birempa
25 May 1989-- An attempt to burn down the Jaba Pump Station in the Tumpusiong Valley
25 May 1989-- Shooting of a SHRM (catering company) vehicle at Pakia
26 May 1989-- Bomb threats on PNGDF vehicle
26 May 1989-- Wounding of a CID officer at  the Policeman's Corner with a shotgun
28 May 1989-- Shooting at Tunuru Junction by militants with a shotgun
30 May 1989-- Wounding of Severinus Ampaoi's son at Pakia village and damage of his 15-seater bus
1 June 1989-- Threatening letter to William BAINDU, a BCL employee
6 June 1989-- Murder of two children at the Nambis Camp ( a redskin's slum)
6 June 1989-- Shooting at policemen near the Provincial Government Building, Arawa
7 June 1989-- Shooting at Section 4, Arawa
8 June 1989-- Arson on Jaba Pump Station
8 June 1989-- Shooting of Mr Greg BOSCHAT at Section 12, Arawa
9 June 1989-- Threats to blow up the limestone magazine
12 June 1989-- Damage to BCL vehicle by shotgun pellets at Pakia village driven by Mr George KRITICOS
12 June 1989-- Damage to BCL vehicle by shotgun pellets at Jaba, Tumpusiong
12 June 1989-- Shooting on Mr Geoff R. RASON with a .22 rifle at Jaba, Tumpusiong
13 June 1989-- Damage on police hire car ZGJ.880 by an M16 rifle
14 June 1989-- Shooting at Boku roadblock; one killed and a arrest made
14 June 1989-- An attemted murder at Kerei. Victim shot with arrows
15 June 1989-- Threat calls to blow up the Shell compound at Aropa airport
16 June 1989-- Arson at Section 16's Morobe Camp (redskin's slum), Arawa
17 June 1989-- Confrontation and shooting at PNGDF and security at Panguna's water supply treatment plant with shotgun
17 June 1989-- Attempted murder of Const. Kandos who shot at in Finger Point in Panguna with a shotgun
17 June 1989-- Shooting at 'S' Bend, Episie Highway, Panguna
18 June 1989-- Shooting at Pakia village; two mobile policemen shot and injured
18 June 1989-- Shooting at Pakia village with an M16 rifle
19 June 1989-- Aiding militants is James SINGKO
19 June 1989-- Shooting at BCL security vehicle at Policeman's Corner
19 June 1989-- Attempted murder of Martin Atobu near Jaba as he was driving for Arawa
20 June 1989-- Shooting at Birempa, Camp 5
22 June 1989-- Shooting at Birempa, Camp 5 again
22 June 1989-- armed robbery of SP Bank in Arawa
23 June 1989-- Attempted arson at Pine bridge
24 June 1989-- Attempted murder of one Issac KAMENG with a shotgun
24 June 1989-- Arson on Severinus AMPAOI's D/House at Piva village
24 June 1989-- A threat call to blow up Arawa police station
25 June 1989-- Arson on Mananau farm's generator
26 June 1989-- Threatening with actual violence by Kieta militants
26 June 1989-- Shooting with M16 at pakia by militants
1 July 1989-- Det. F. CONOT was shot with pellet to his right arm; treated and discharged at Panguna Medical Centre
1 July 1989-- Const.9962 TODE shot, pellets in chest. No internal damage. Shooting at Finger Point, Panguna.
2 July 1989-- Const.7820 BOUBA and Const.7818 KAGENT shot. BOUBA had pellets in his eyes. KAGENT had pellets in right shoulder. Treated and discharged.
3 July 1989-- 3 members shot: S.Const.MEMEPE, Const. AIPA and Const. KAUBA. No death.
3 July 1989-- Jori Ambros VESOME from Kainantu murdered. Married to local women at Momau, Tumpusiong Valley [This attacked happened because when Vesome married here, he brought in his kinsmen (New Guinea culture of shameless ownership of places) and they regularly terrorised locals]


....the PNG security forces and laws call this acts of freedom as crime to hide their subjugation of Bougainvilleans and their island....


Sourced from: Timetable of Rebellion. (1989, July 5). Post Courier, p 12

1988-1990 PNG Police Culture on Bougainville: A Case Flashback

As the Bougainville conflict came into existence, the PNGeans deployed the ruthless police to crush Bougainvilleans once and for all.

But their impact was to fuel the crisis out of hand by looting, raping, burning homes, terrorising the Solomon Islanders. They failed with all their gun-point abuses of Bougainvilleans on their own land. A sane human person, could feel ashame for he is not a Bougainvillean and commit no harm to a native.

But the opposite injustice was what we Bougainvilleans face as we attempted to stand-up for our rights against the infiltrating aliens of our island home.

australianetworknews.com

Here, I reproduce a letter in its originality, from the late Joseph Kabui's official files (then NSP premier) that I now keep to give light to the brutality the PNG law gave my people on Bougainville. A Christian race and government did this to the people, so marginalised and subjugated to their democratic country. [hand written letter]

The letter, reads:

                                                                                                           Bana Pressure Group

                                                                                                           PO Box 760

                                                                                                           PANGUNA

                                                                                                           NSP

                                                                                                           25/09/89

The Police Mininster

Mr Mathias Ijape

PO Box 86

KONEDOBU

NCD

Dear Hon. Police Mininster,

Thank you for your letter dated 5th June 1989  replying to my letter concerning the police violating human rights and rape my wife, Mrs Barbara Kinima while I'am away in Port Moresby with the Premier, Mr Joseph Kabui and the Panguna Landowner representatives to discuss the present Bougainville crisis with the right honourable Rabbie Namaliu, the Prime Minister of PNG.

I have noted one of your security force member who were involve in the incident on 25 Tuesday April 1989. He is Mr Steven of Rapunua village in Kokopo in East New Britain Province. His wantok, Mr Robert Tiria recognised him when they were trying to do the same thing to his wife at Panpara (spelling ?) village on the same night. But they were all fail to do so.

After they failed there, the intrude into Leira (spelling ?). They came into my house with the other two from the mainland [New Guinea]. They were uniformed and with M16 rifles and masked head. They strongly shouted to my family and knocked on the door:' Open the door!' If you don't open the door we will put this house on fire'.

My wife open the door to them, after she had open the door to them they pointed the gun to her and tell her for sexual intercourse and she replied to them and said: ' I am pregnant, I can't do so'. They strongly accused her and gun pointed  to her breast and say to her: 'If you don't agree with what we are saying, we will shot you died'. Another man, quickly removed her laplap and kicked fell down to the floor and he raped her there.

While the first man is raping another man went into the third room and stample on my children with his boots and allowed them to watched their mother been raped.

Both of these two police riot squad been raped my wife, Mrs Barbara Kinima.

My dear minister I was on a crucial mission with the provincial government to iron out a very delicated issue that could throw this nation into chaos and having much wider constitutional crisis implication.

In my absence, the government's enforcing People Broke the very law in raping my wife. This is an animalistic behaviour. Your security force member or your department should collectively pay me restitution compensation payments.

Lastly, I would like to inform you Mr Minister, that we the people of North Solomons Province are normally peaceful and law abiding citizens, but we can not seen as 'sitting ducks' for anyone who comes in the of the 'law' to destroy, rape, kill, [continued, but I lost the rest of the paper during the crisis].

RPNGC (police) actions on Bougainvilleans was that brutal. I was a student then and saw all these sorts of inhumanity on my people unfolding. One would say, PNGeans were Melanesians with a well established Melanesians world views, but we Bougainvilleans were no-bodies in the eyes of PNGeans that rules us.

In early 1990, one afternoon, I and a couple of Bougainvillean students were returning home after school. As we reached the Arawa General Hospital, a PNG police van forced a utility packed with Bougainvilleans to a halt infront of the Arawa High School's College of Distant Education building at gun point. We, being juvenile halted to have a look, but a armed redskin police man scolded at us: ' you leave, black saucepans!'. We left as a bunch of passer-by redskins laugh at us. They molested our people. They threw all their food baskets on the footpath and smashed them.

...So, as Bougainvilleans, we still have our past to design our future for the better. Many like Barbara Kinima who is our mother, sister or granny, has paid for our good by sacrificing their lives to this dogs that rule us...

The 'Plaster Impact' of the Bougainville Peace Process

The Bougainville crisis from the very beginning, 1988, was upheld by the economically and socially displaced youngsters of Central Bougainville and parts of South Bougainville, especially the Bana District.

These youths, mostly were the unemployed and often jailed men in society of the then economically booming North Solomons Province. They were the ones, so often running around the urban centres of Central Bougainville, like the Panguna mine sites, Arawa or Kieta looking for opportunities to earn or commit crime to make ends meet.

So when the Panguna peoples began to protest against the mining operations, they took that opportunity as the 'way out' from personal problems and a means to earn respect in society. Those men who had brave hearts joined the militancy and those, who feared the PNGDF as a modern force, fled into the jungles or entered the safety of the carecentres.

A Bougainville militant in action

Through careful analysis of the chronological stages of the crisis, I should give light on the developments around 30 March 1990 (the first Ceasefire). By the dawn of the ceasefire, the number of men who actually left the jungles under the name of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, were more than the number that actually fought in the jungles.

Who were these extra persons now on the streets of Arawa or Panguna in 1990? Was Ona able to control them? What were their intentions?

The fighting BRA of 1988-on were tiny bands of men mostly from the Panguna and Kongara areas. The BRA that came out to light during the ceasefire weeks, was more than what that actually engaged in the fighting months.

The new men came from the bushcamps, care centres and villages. They were not involve in direct fighting. They enrolled into the BRA list with contrasting interests or, they were there in the light of 'gains of war'. Thus, the late Francis Ona or his commanders lacked that capacity to control the mass of ever conflicting interest.

From this scenario, we move into the Bougainville Peace Process that began around 1994 from the initial Arawa Peace Conference of October 1994 or further back.

The timeframe, the recent experiences of 1990-91 and admittance of their own lack of power is what most Bougainville political leaders did not take into consideration when designing the peace strategies for Bougainville.

The period from 1990 to 1997 (when active peace negotiation began in NZ) was not long. The persons involved in the crises then, were still around. Also, their culture of opportunity-rush as did happened in 1990-92 over properties non-Bougainvilleans left and fled, was still fresh and, where leadership was concerned, Bougainvilleans were not united. There was Ona, there was Kabui or Sam Kauona.

BRA men also, were made of autonomous factions. Southern Bougainville did not take orders from Central Bougainville to operate so, this should have showed that there was a need for a period of time for leadership to take control. Or a direct intervention force was a need to execute justice for war crimes and to disarmed the man by force.

All these, problematic characterisations were avoided and the peace was signed as if Bougainville trouble free or, as if the leadership had the prowess or power to control the people.

A Peace Ceremony in Panguna

As the Bougainville peace process came into existence or leaped towards momentum, the old ignored 'self' of the Bougainville society took life. Worst, because it was money that was the medium of peace making and not the pacification of the hearts and minds.

Peace by peaceful means was promoted or forgive and forget, to name a few, was adopted. What the leaders denied was that, these approaches were introduced and foreign to the Melanesian psychological world view. Pay back and so on are Melanesian concepts, thus suitable way of conflict resolution for Bougainville was that 'justice should have been done' by force.

Autonomous BRA or BRF made peace as they see suitable with the leadership behind them because they were the men who fought for freedom. Generally, I should say that Bougainvilleans manipulated the peace system to gain personal desired results; not for the betterment of Bougainville.

I, for one, had my father killed during the crisis by the very ones who have their signitures on the Bougainville Peace Agreement and many other documents relating to the peace effort, but not one of them like Ishamael Toroama, looked back and said, ' Hey, there is that family that my men victimized'. Not one of them.

Reconciliations took place between people who had power or prestige at that time; or between those, that considered each other as a means of possible threat.

The underlying sorrowful yokes on many of us who have fell victims to the crisis were ignored. Marginalised people, in a sense that they did not took part in any known combat operation, were no bodies. Without seeing that the power of mind is so lethal a weapon.

Thus, the curse is the abuse of the Weapons Disposal Programme, criminalisation of the power to terrorise the birth of a civil society and law and order problems that is now paving the way for warlords like Chris Uma and Ishmael Toroama, who intermittenly fight each other causing setbacks on progress.



Poem Against Abortion

In religious terms, life belongs to God. He creates it and He alone has the right to eradicate it. In our day, life seemingly turns to let-go its divinity as humanity turns to scientific explanations to our world.

Life, according to religious and scientific general interpretation begins at the moment of fusion of the male and female cells. Getting rid of that human person equals murder that generates later a weight of lifetime guilt to a mother.

Here, my persona is the soon to killed human person in the womb.

A Sour Sea of Love

Mama,

unto thy son...

a just, conducive and refreshing

sea of love.

Mama,

unto thy son

is love:

cherishes, prolongs and cleanses

the barreness.

Mama,

unto thy son, why

rage of irateness that hurts?

Why hate? Curse? Murder, from gods?

Ebbed has the love?

Mama,

unto thy son

is the infiltrating razor of death:

fate, oblivion and sin

to fruit of love reason.

Mama,

unto thy mat of guilt

is my divine flesh of denied manhood:

coffin of rejection

that is your curse.

Mama,

from thy tomb

I'd lament

lost humanity

Mama,

I love you.

...The infant is innocent so don't touch him or her...for you will suffer more than what you have done to your child...You will die in GUILT!...

Sacrifice, For the Love of a Bougainvillean Family

Bougainville since 1988 saw many lives and properties lost in the name of 'FREEDOM'. All deads, though unjust, was just; for the betterment of the future of Bougainvilleans.

Here  I share the life and dead of my father who was killed at the peak of the conflict in 1993 on this very date 18 of March at 3PM at Kapanasi hamlet of Siae Village in the North Nasioi LLG in Central Bougainville.

Dad: John Roka

My dad was born John Kalago at Manopo Village in Bali island of Talasia district of West New Britain in 1954. Later he adopted John Roka.

He was educated at home and later was studying to be a Catholic missionary but due to the economic boom in Panguna he left for Bougainville. He was apprentice at the Panguna Mining School and worked the the BCL's Light Vehicle Workshop as an auto-mechanic.

He met my mother (blood niece of later rebel leader, Joseph C. Kabui), whilst a student at Arawa High School in the late 1970s. They married in 1977 and I was born in 1979 in Arawa.



Ma: Threse and granny, Theophil Roka

To his own world-view, dad loved Bougainville much and did not bother even to bring his family across to his relatives. Kieta and Kieta cultures is what he enjoyed all through his working life and into the crisis.

We had our home in the early 1980s in Kavarongnau hamlet in the Tumpusiong Valley of Panguna District. But in the later years, our nuclear family to the liking of my grandfather who was from Kupe-Topinang villages we resettled at Kupe in a land purchased by my grandma years back from her in-laws.

Here we lived as the crisis unfolded in 1988.

My dad was a always sympathetic to the early militants fighting in Panguna. He was saying their actions was good for our future. For in the early militancy my uncles were in from the start.

In early 1990, the PNGDF evacuated the Kupe villages to Kaino village turned a care centre. Here we lived. Here, my BRA relatives from Panguna came to visit and for clothing, medicine and a break. The care centre assisted them (it was a all-Panguna affair then).

But, in late 1992 a radio message was transmitted through the Red Cross in Arawa for him to go home where his elder brother Joe and a brother behind him, Patrick, were knifed to death at home. They were killed defending their little brother over a sex-affair row at home, Manopo.

So dad left through the Solomon Islands.

The night before he departed from Kieta, dad told my aunty Durinu with a laugh, 'I am leaving through Honiara and shall return through Buka. When I arrive here, it is you who will kill me'.

He was away when the PNGDF recaptured parts of Kieta on the 21 October 1992. Without him, mom cared for us in the jungles of Kupe where the PNGDF mortar shelling was a routined tradtion.

Then one day, dad got into air. He sent a message (Toksave) through Radio Bougainville that operating from Rabaul that he was coming. No body knew which route he was following.

To our shock, he arrived home on the 15 March 1993. A few BRA men from Kupe on patrol met him but ignored him for they knew the sort of a man. He did came through Buka, Wakunai and Arawa. This was the coastal areas controlled by the PNGDF and BRF.

The next day, a self-appointed BRA colonel, BI, secretly wrote a letter to a BRA faction from Kongara to execute him for he was 'a threat to Bougainville freedom'.

So the next day, 17 March 1993, a bunch of them arrived home and they called him that a BRA team was to interview him. Mom followed dad to Totaisii near the Rumba SDA Mission station outside Arawa. He was interviewed by late Otii, a BRA man from Kongara.

In the afternoon they returned. On their way home, mom told him that she not feeling well, thus they need to come home quickly and we escaped into Arawa. All dad said was, 'This is our home'.

Very early in the morning of 18 March 1993, dad prayed a prayer I never heard of:

'Lord, thank you for giving me my wife, Threse

and my children Leonard, Justin

Jessica, Dollorose and Theonilla.

Bless our home and the land

You gave us.

There are times I feel bad towards them. I say

Sorry for this moments'

After this praying, he ordered us to kill a pig. We did that. And we were preparing and cooking this food stuff till midday when a pair of errand boys arrived, one was armed but the order was a little kid and told mom that Ishmael Toroama (BRA commando) wanted to interview him.

So, dad lifted Theonilla who was our last born and held her tightly. Patted some of us and left without having the taste of food he wanted. Mom and and a uncle followed him to Piruana where the interview was to take place.

At Piruana, not a sign of Toroama. They waited. In the late afternoon armed men arrived and went straight for a kill. People fled but mom stood back in defence around my dad. She brushed away punches aimed at my dad. Guns aimed at dad she shielded off so one as to reaim again. She, in a gesture of love at the face of death, never heard of across Bougainville, stood by in no fear of death. The BRAs struggled often calling at her that, ' This is not your father's nephew'.

But later, dad peacefully said to mom: 'Leave me to death.If you both die, what will happen to our children?'

To the power of these words, mom was swept away by the blood hungry men. Then BRA 'C' Coy commander Steven Topesi's brother, Diu'tepaa fired a shot that penetrated dad's skull from the back and out of his face and dad landed heavily on a rocky lawn. Seeing that he was still struggling at his last seconds, Henry Dupinu from Karikira fired a second bullet through his chest and rested was dad.

My uncle, Steven Perakai, got himself out of the bushes and held his elder grief striken sister and ushered her home.

The BRA men got some by-standers at gun point and ordered them to bury dad are few metres from where he landed. We were not allowed to take the body home.

Theonilla and son, Clinton

Jessica's daughter, Cathy and Roka home in Panguna

Jessica Roka

Dollorose Roka and Roka cocoa plantation

...20 years today since you've been gone in the name of Bougainville freedom, dad, but still yesterday is here around me...remember us as we strive to be the agents of change to the land you did love the most and tainted it with your innocent blood for our good...

John Roka is survived by mother, Threse, sons Leonard Fong Roka and Justin Roka and daughters, Jessica Roka, Dollorose Roka and Theonilla Roka. Followed by six grand children, from primary teacher Justin and Buka wife, Jessica and husband and Dollorose and husband.

Few Reason Towards Bougainville Secession By James Griffin

The late Professor James Thomas Griffin writing in 1990 unfolded certain facts about Bougainville that I want to bring back to add more to the general knowledge or outlook on Bougainville society and its citizens.

There are many ill-treatments of Bougainville and Bougainvilleans that is yet to be talked about to get people more aware of what actually happened in their past that eventually led them to suffer as they struggled against relegation from external infidels and infiltrators, a classical one is the puppet state of Papua New Guinea.

Professor James T. Griffin

Bougainville Facts

• Bougainvilleans are racially and culturally distinct to PNG redskins, except to the adjoining part of the Solomon Islands. Jet-black people and traditionally more Pacific
• Bougainvilleans returning from overseas contracts saw no economic opportunities awaiting them so in the 1930s cargo cult movements exploded
• A sense of neglect by Port Moresby developed, and even the expatriates saw it as a 'cinderalla' province of PNG
• In fact [Bougainville] was better off than most places, not only because of its natural endowments, but because of intensive Christian mission inputs into health and education
• In Bougainville, no administration run school existed until 1961 and it was established to benefit itinerant, non-Bougaoinvillean public servants
• The Australian administration under a policy of 'uniformed development' felt resources should be concentrated in needier places, such as the recently contacted PNG Highlands and the mainland. Bougainvilleans resisted, in 1962, they demonstrated before the United Nations mission in Kieta seeking a transfer of the UN mandate of the former German colony from Australia to the United States
• Coinciding with  the first common-roll election which flagged Bougainville's integration, CRA entered, uninvited into the dissident Guava division in 1964. Resistance to exploration soon began, and police were used to consolidateCRA's presence
• The Australian attitude was based on the rule of enminent domain: Minerals belonged to the Crown. They were to be developed to benefit the people as a whole

Source: Niugini Nius 7 February 1990 (Focus)

Benedict Darate and the Napidakoe Navitu

Bougainville's struggle for self-determination began as early as the 1950s. But the main characteristics of all these anti-colonization efforts was that, people were not united. Thus, many did not achieve what they wanted until the late 1980s when the late Francis adopted politics into a long family problem.

During this era, Bougainville did developed many tiny movements to fight outside domination with a minimum of impacts across the island. One such movement aimed at liberating Bougainville was Napidakoe Navitu.

Napidakoe Navitu, according to Benedict Darate, was created in late 1969 in the Kieta District to unite Bougainvilleans so divided by Western religion, education, politics and money.

Benedict Darate

Bougainville was division around the 1950s, was created by religion and politics. Buka had its own, a classical one is the Hahalis Welfare Society struggling to rid Christianity. Kieta had many, example the Meekamui Pontoku Onoring with Damien Dameng, Tone'pa Movement in Evo and others. Many were in the Christianity's many introduced religions that were also bringing in the division and conflict.

Thus, one common binding factor in Bougainville was the uncontrolled influx of PNG's redskins and other foreigners that the cocoa-copra plantations and the BCL's Panguna mine was supporting.

From, all these mess, Napidakoe Navitu was born, with major issue was to foster a united front against PNG and strive for self-determination.

So, what is Napidakoe Navitu? Napidakoe Navitu was a umbrella body, according to Darate, created out of the many independent movements-called by the Christians and government-as cargo cult organizations. It aimed to fight for the rights of the Bougainville people.

Napidakoe Navitu: 'Na' stands for Nasioi area of Kieta, 'Pi' stands for Pirung (all peoples on islands and coasts, 'Da' stood for Damara, that is the Panguna to Kongara area, 'Ko' stands for Koromira and the single 'E' stood for Evo. 'Navitu' is a word for UNITY in the Nasioi language.

Due to the fact that the so called CARGO CULT leaders were holding the upper hand in the group, they were said to be culture based in their world views.

It was based at Kuka village (North Nasioi) and sourced a little funding from a monthly collection of 20t fee from members and supporters. 

The movement had sub-committees around Central Bougainville led by figure like Damien Dameng, Tone'pa, Peter Itomui, David Sisito and Miriori (from Kereinari).

The structure was as follows: the Chairman, was Sir Paul Lapun, whilst the tressurer was Raphael Bele and the secretary was the Australian Barry Middlemiss who is honoured for the organization's successes in the 1970s.

In 1970, Napidakoe Navitu pushed for a referendum for self-determination or autonomy and independence for Bougainville. But did not eventuate because of conflicting views from the Noth Bougainville and South Bougainville areas.

In the many sub-committees, Darate was a member in the Oune Mu'mung-sinaa. This committee hailed from the Oune area, home to the Bougainville's notable leader, ABG's first president, late Joseph C. Kabui and his elder brother, Martin Miriori.

Oune Mu'mung-sinaa was lead by Michael Aite from the Paruparu area and Benedict Darate. Since it was based at Dupanta Village in the vicinity of the developing Panguna mine, it was incharge of the many anti-mining protests in the 1970s and 1980s.

It was the committee that also played the upper hand in the declaration of Bougainville independence in the 1 September 1975.