Let’s Institutionalize a Bougainvillean Exodus home

By Leonard Fong Roka

Many myopic thinkers and observers of Bougainville (worst of all are even fellow Bougainvilleans) claim that lawlessness and weapons in the hands of Bougainvilleans is the problem. But, this is a narrow minded coward’s talk!

The man with a gun is not a problem. Our leaders in the government are not the problem. The village men are not the problem, but ‘WE’ and our ‘short sightedness’ is the problem!

Bougainville, today wait for miracles that will never come. We see that our President John Momis is the solution; but, in fact he is not, but it is you, the SOLUTION! Instead, the man that I am blaming for our problems—that is YOU—is worshipping the imposed laws. Where the agreed laws are not realistic to the situation, we still are there kneeling as our problems grows out of hand.

Last year, 2011, a bunch of PNGeans were brought into Panguna by some short-sighted scrap firm to teach Bougainvilleans how to weld. What are slap in the face for us! But, thank you ‘true’ Bougainvilleans who kicked these aliens out. Also, our schools run short of teachers each year, and to that let’s asked: hundreds come into PNG to train as teachers, where do they go to? Why are they servicing PNG, the riches country in Oceania, when the homeland needs them?

Bougainvilleans, living outside love to go home in their coffin, thus as leaders we need to address this for this just disadvantaging us.

My thoughts in all these, and even in the area of restarting the weapons disposal program and peace and fast-tracking of betterment, are to get all Bougainvilleans back to Bougainville.

The so-called hardcore trouble makers will see that what they died for is being upheld by the ABG with this gesture of protectionism. After all, this is a route to the already growing developmental trend of self-reliance we see where all business activities on Bougainville is being owned by locals.

In the Bougainville Peace Agreement there is a section that is titled ‘Two List System For Driving Powers And Functions’ and it is in this section I see room for negotiation and change we need to address some problems affecting us because the ABG is currently so myopic in its operations. Here it is:

“Subjects Not Now Known or Identified

57. Consistent with the agreed process for the transfer of powers, any subject not

listed on either list will remain initially with the National Government, provided

that:

(a) where either of the Governments wishes to legislate on a subject which is not clearly on either list, it will consult the other with a view to reaching agreement on which government should be responsible for the subject;

(b) if either Government passes a law on an unlisted subject, then the other may, if it disagrees, contest it through the agreed dispute settlement procedures;

(c) any dispute over which of the Governments is responsible for a power or function will be resolved by applying the principles governing the division of powers in this Agreement” BPA

From this section, Bougainville should create a Vagrancy Act for Bougainville against PNG. This is justifiable, by the concept of ‘nation’ in its reality. Also, the historical causes of the Bougainville Conflict; Bougainville needs protectionist measures today and not tomorrow. For, to many former combatants, the only outcome known is that, the Redskins are coming back! History is being repeated despite the fact that we died.

Many should argue my points, but the culture in Bougainville is that so known piece, throughout Melanesia as ‘big man’. It is creeping yet. Many that sign ‘black and white’ things are still nobodies to the illiterate and ‘catapult man’ who fought the BCL and Papua New Guinea.  

To win hearts, the way is to satisfy the majority that had no formal educations, but their interest on their land is undebatable.

From the lowest level of government in Bougainville, the Village Council of Chiefs to the Autonomous Government, there is this ignorance of the ‘ungroomed young man’ who is only good with his catapult in the bush. What we ignore is that this catapult has the much feared gun as senior at home.

A leader has not yet gone down into their boots with ‘established charisma’ to tell them that ‘what you fought for is now protected in a manner you like’.