Poetic Lamentation on Gold Money Squandering

Since 1990, officially, Bougainville was on an economic standstill as a direct result of her 'fight for right' against the Bougainville Copper Limited and the Papua New Guinea government that benefited by far as the indigenous people stood on the periphery in wonder.

But once, the Bougainville Peace Process attained its momentum from around 1998, economic revival came out with a healthy gallop that was never experience before the bloody conflict that at least, took the lives of more than 15 000 people.

Cash cropping now dominates, followed by gold mining.

Gold Panners at work

But the most, notable problem across Bougainville, worst is the Kieta areas where gold panning is so vibrant, is uncontrolled spending. Last year, thinking about this concern I wrote this poem as my personel voice of lamentation to the enormous hurt we are giving back to Bougainville, our motherland.

The poem;

Koromoni Man

Kupe!

Kupe, o Kupe...

Kupe man...mountain man.

The gold miner,

miner of the Crown Prince Range

of squandering.

When Bougainville cry money

you heap her carton beer.

You snore in midget stash,

but feign a money flower on the streets of Arawa.

O midge of the land;

the false prophet!

O you scurrying wind of squandering

and barren dreams so high in Kieta.

Not wind of change you is,

but fade of the motherland,

o Kupe!

Kupe.

Commentary

Kupe is where the first actual mining operation started on Bougainville in the mid-1930s. Today, it is also a well known alluvial mining villages in Central Bougainville, but unfortunately, houses only a few good-users of money.

This are the very few that, say, contribute to the general economic rise of Bougainville through spending on their social and economic needs, like investing through the children in educational goals for the island.

Majority, though save money, but do save without set priority goals. These are the very lot that are so easily tempted by the success of others into unplanned expediture. An highlight, is what I often term as, the Land Cruiser culture on Bougainville, that is, when a neighbour purchases a new Land Cruiser, suddenly, a whole village brings in Land Cruisers (second hand and new).

Certain unconfirmed sources claim that, from gold panning alone, Bougainville is losing some K1 00 000 000 to K3 00 000 000 per annum. A great waste of local resources as it is also known for the cocoa industry that now, without direct Bougainville to overseas buyers trading, disadvantages the  islanders by benefiting Papua New Guineans.

Another lot, are just squanderers, these lot labours under the scourging tropic sun each day and in the afternoon the money is gone with the wind. They often live on credit (dinau) in every retail outlets and more they are with the beer sellers.

The culture of saving money for long term developments or needs (not wants) is still so far away to a average Bougainvillean man, though, compared to their political masters, the Papua New Guineans, money is not that hard to earn as a result of the conflict, that once the late rebel leader said as, 'a university' for them.

Thus, who steps out to fight this negative culture for this soon-to-be-independent nation, remains to the Bougainvilleans and their political leadership.

• Koromoni, is a Nasioi name for the Kupe Goldfield in Central Bougainville. It means, Koro, is gold and moni, is money. So the name is, Gold Money.