By Norm Dixon
A meeting of traditional leaders from central Bougainville has condemned the attack on the area by Papua New Guinea Defence Force troops and called for their immediate withdrawal. The chiefs vowed not to cooperate with the PNG troops and urged the Australian government to halt all military aid to PNG.
The meeting on November 1 at Amiong village was attended by 30 traditional leaders representing areas in central Bougainville as far north as Manetai and Wakunai, and south to Koiano. Chiefs from several areas in south Bougainville also attended.
Following the meeting, the chiefs issued a statement condemning the PNGDF's occupation of the Tunuru Catholic Mission on the outskirts of Arawa.
They denied claims by PNG defence minister Paul Tohian and prime minister Paias Wingti that the military had been invited into the region. "The PNG army was not invited here and must leave Central Bougainville immediately", they declared. "We, the chiefs of Central Bougainville, will not have anything to do with the PNG armed forces. We refuse to see them or speak to them ...
"The PNG army is using heavy guns in repeated attacks on Central Bougainville. They have been using Iroquois helicopters as gunships. They have bombarded Arawa Township and nearby villages with heavy artillery, mortars, grenades, machine gunfire fired from helicopter and patrol boats. ... The PNG army is not the answer to our independence struggle."
Attempts to lure Arawa's people into Tunuru with the offer of medicines and other services denied them by the continuing blockade were firmly rejected. "It is not the job of the PNG army to distribute medicines." All the PNGDF is distributing, the chiefs said scornfully, are "mortars, grenades, and bullets which are injuring our people."
Moses Havini, Australian representative of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, told Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly a communiqué referring to an Australian government promise to supply PNG speedboats had been intercepted by the interim government.
"It seems even with the use of the patrol boats, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft [PNG] can't stop every border crossing. The people back home are very concerned that adding these fast speedboats to the flotilla [PNG] already has is going to make it extremely difficult for people to get medicine across."
The chiefs demanded the end of all Australian military aid to PNG. "By providing military aid, Australia is helping to kill he people are very anxious that if these speed boats are put into operation they will cut off the supply of medicine completely. The Australian people are asked to prevent the delivery of these speed boats."
Australia's role in arming PNG was "amazing", the chiefs said. "The Iroquois helicopters [are] being used as gunships which are now being equipped with night flying equipment thus making it even more dangerous to cross the border than it ever was.
"The only thing the Australian government has not done", the chiefs charged, "is to actually pull the trigger. Otherwise they are heavily involved in fighting the war on Bougainville against our people."
The PNGDF is yet to provoke a full-scale confrontation by moving into Arawa in force, despite claims by the PNG government that it is in firm control. This claim is undermined by several recent skirmishes.
On October 30, PNG for the first time since the move into central Bougainville confirmed the death of a soldier. Prior to this, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army claimed that at least five PNG soldiers had died in the fighting.
The death occurred during a daring dawn raid by the BRA on Tunuru Junction, just 500 metres from Tunuru mission, where up to 200 PNG troops are holed up.
A BRA militant was also killed in the action, the rebels' first admitted death. The BRA claims that up to seven PNG soldiers were seriously injured or killed in the raid.
The PNGDF continues to shell Arawa with mortars. On October 28 an Australian-supplied patrol boat opened fire on Arawa General Hospital, badly damaging parts of it. The hospital continues to operate. The Bougainville Interim Government described the shelling of the hospital as "very uncivilised" and "a most cowardly act of aggression against innocent people".
On November 4, freelance journalist Max Watts was able to communicate with human rights lawyer Rosemarie Gillespie, who managed to slip through the blockade to reach Arawa with medical supplies. Gillespie confirmed that PNG troops had not taken the capital.
She said mortar rounds continue to strike the town indiscriminately, causing civilian injuries, some serious. Gillespie also reported airborne machine-gun attacks from Australian-supplied Iroquois combat helicopters.
Despite the fear generated by these attacks, many of Arawa's 5000-strong population have chosen to remain in town. The town's vegetable markets continue to operate twice a week, she reported. Moses Havini told Â鶹´«Ã½ that reports reaching him confirmed the Iroquois helicopters had strafed a truck carrying food supplies to Arawa from a village in the south. The helicopter continued to fire machine-guns as it flew north towards Arawa.
"It is time that the Australian government came to its senses", Havini said. "[It] should cease any form of military assistance to PNG. Australia is in a position to call what is happening in Bougainville to a halt because they are backing PNG militarily.
"Australia prides itself for its respect for human rights in areas like Cambodia, the Middle East and South Africa. They must treat what's happening on Bougainville in the same light."