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Sunday 21 July 2013

Bougainville Manifesto 6: Bougainville armed rebellion 1988-1989


Leonard Fong Roka

Family problem now left the Guava village and crept into the Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) executive rooms in the Panguna mine township. It should be noted that this was a Francis Ona-Mathew Kove war to a certain degree now.
Leonard Fong Roka
Mathew Kove knew he and the old Panguna Landowners Association (PLA) were in trouble because this crisis of creating a new landowner association was a threat to his prestige and power in the Guava village. Thus as he fought hard to survive, Francis Ona also counter attacked taking onboard all former problems created by the mine on the people and the issue of political independence for Bougainville; all these developments then got BCL and the PNG state into the family feud (Earlier, the environmental protest against the BCL was spearheaded by the Tumpusiong Valley, Moroni and Dapera peoples. The Guava villagers generally supported the mine and condemned anti-mining protests).

By all means, the late Francis Ona seeing his team as shrinking in power against his foe, the issue of Bougainville nationalism that the likes of late Sir Paul Lapun, Fr. John Momis, the group Napidakoe Navitu  and so on, would have had expertise in,  was attractive to gain wider support with him getting on a hard-line standing.

Getting onboard the old Bougainville nationalism issue that had roots parallel to the birth of the Panguna mine in the early 1960s covered the family feud swiftly and got the attention of a wider Bougainville support. Ona was now not prepared to give in into any systematic conflict resolution proposal by anyone.

With the growing support and a team of professional followers the late Francis Ona and his team, the New Panguna Landowners, established a well thought-out compensation packaged that shook the company and the PNG government.

In November of 1988, Ona had a 4-point demand to PNG and the BCL. According to Divine Word University Associate Professor Dr. Jerry Semos, the demands were: (1). K10 billion for environmental pollution, (2).50% of profits to resource-owners and the North Solomons provincial government, (3).localization of BCL ownership within 5 years and (4).consultation on all new mining projects in the province.

It is believed that Mathew Kove, and his men in the old PLA that includes people like Michael Pariu, Severinus Ampaoi and so on laughed at the demands as unrealistic as they waited for the PNG government commissioned NZ consultant firm that was undertaking Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for results.

As the ‘Francis Ona’s 4-point demand’ was hot in late 1988, another ill that Bougainvilleans had suffered under since the 1970s, and that is the New Guinean squatter-settlers, raped and murdered a local woman from the Aropa area.

Fighting broke out as frustrated Bougainvilleans who had for years being victimized retaliated. But the incident had all locals mobilizing against the illegal New Guinean settlers starting from Aropa to Arawa. In certain settlements homes were torched or settlers shot at with bows and arrows.

The new PLA and Francis Ona were not involved with the anti-squatter settlement campaigns especially on the Arawa-Aropa front, but they had direct impact on Ona’s decision making and moves. He did visit a number of villages and chaired meetings.

And has Ona and the new PLA campaigned against the possible closing of the mine if the 4-point demand were ignored, he had captured the attention of the old champions of anti-mining protests since the 1960s, and this is the what is now the Tumpusiong Valley people. They began holding protests down in the valley.

In the week the Tumpusiong Valley people were protesting by blocking the Panguna-Nagovis road, the NZ consultant held a public meeting at Guava village where they claimed, as stated by Dr. Jerry Semos, that BCL was not responsible for the social and environmental problems faced by the landowners and the Bougainville people.

Whilst the meeting was still on with Mathew Kove and his cronies in attendance, Francis Ona and his men stole explosives on 22 November 1988; and arson on BCL and government properties simultaneously began. The explosives then were put into action on 4 December 1988 by blowing down the first power pylon at the Police Corner of the port-mine access road.

To these fighting in the east coast, Arawa to Aropa, against squatter settlers also intensified.

The sabotage campaign around Panguna was seldom, but the BCL and PNG government campaign to address it on their terms was alarming. BCL, out of nowhere opened the door of employment to the locals, a fact that locals began angry about it for to them, it was too late.

And Ona was not to be fooled again. On 12 January 1989 (ibid), he kidnapped his relative, Mathew Kove and executed him out in the jungles of Mosinau where he was stationed.

On the PNG government side on the other hand, the state pushed for peace deals after deals to quell the crisis and save its revenue that was cut off by the mine closure on May 1989 despite the obvious fact of police and army brutality on Bougainvilleans that scared Ona to fight on or not to trust the government.

Thus what the PNG army leader Mr. Ted Diro boasted by claiming that ‘the Bougainville problem would be brought under control and solved within two weeks and the militant leader, Francis Ona [who had a K200 000 price tag on his head with 8 other BRA leaders] arrested’ (Niugini Nius, 4 October 1989) was now getting out of control; and from his hideout, Ona was feeling more secure.

So one PNG government’s major peace-oriented deal was the Bougainville Development Package and according to the North Solomons Provincial government’s weekly newsletter that was referred to as Weekly Brief: Bougainville Crisis (November 13-19, 1989 issue), the offer had seven benefits for Bougainvilleans. But the two significant promises were point (2).where the province would be receiving K282 million per year for seven years and (3).where the province would become a state government and would retain 75% of all earnings generated by the province whilst 25% went to Port Moresby; a deal Ona was not willing to accept.

But against Ona’s hopes, the provincial government under Joseph Kabui who was a figure with the characteristic of being open to others as premier accepted it thus scaring away Ona from the provincial government. 

So Ona responded irately on a letter to his sister, Cecilia Camel who to be the spoke person of the BRA at the peace ceremony in Arawa. The note, with a letter head as ‘Republic of Bougainville’ was dated 20 December 1989 had these demands: (1).National Government recognize and declare Francis Ona as the winner of the Bougainville crisis and itself the looser; (2).National Government declare North Solomons to secede; (3).The properties and those killed be compensated before the two parties meet for negotiations; (4). Security force and police…leave before negotiations where the two parties were to meet to negotiate 50% refund from the national government, and the demand of K10 billion from BCL. This note was signed by a Bruno Kobala for Francis Ona.

It is notable here that the provincial government, churches and others were the channel where Ona and the PNG government and the BCL were meeting now that Ona was in the bush hiding. But their engagement was so often conflicting because of their individual leadership characteristics and interest.

Joseph Kabui was open to negotiate with others and that he was a state actor with norms to observe whilst Francis Ona was militant. However, both groups feared one as enemy and that was the PNG government soldiers and police that were brutal on the Bougainville people.

But the most interesting fact about Ona was that he was observed as a leader, however, all BRA groups fighting on the ground were independently without any chain of common from Ona and Kauona from their hideout.

This can be confirmed by a Niugini Nius story entitled Shooting puts peace in doubt, of 30 October 1989. In the article, where the PLA, National Government, the provincial government had a peace ceremony at Arawa High School on 27 October 1989. In the ceremony PM Rabbie Namaliu said the K200 000 on Ona was to be removed and Ona, despite refusing to attend, sent a message through central Bougainville MP, Raphael Bele where he said that the traditional ceremonies of peace will be respected. However, on the 28 October 1989, BRA men from the Tumpusiong valley shot a PNGDF soldier.

Ona was a leader to those around him in the jungles of Mosinau but had no influence further away for he was not mobile.

People knew that Francis Ona was a leader in the jungle but translating that leadership in practical strategic influence and control was lacking outright since he was blinded too early by political pride by success of shutting the mine.

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