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.
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| 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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