Bougainville war crimes inquiry
By Lynda Hansen
BRISBANE — The citizens-initiated Bougainville War Crimes Inquiry was held here on August 1 during the 25th South Pacific Conference to draw attention to Australia's approval of Papua New Guinea's military blockade on Bougainville.
The day before 60 angry protesters picketed the Heritage Hotel, site of the conference, to highlight Australia's military role in Bougainville. Civil rights barrister, Rosemary Gillespie demanded that the Australian government end the military blockade in Bougainville that has stopped food and medicine entering the area.
Moses Havini, representative of the Bougainville Interim Government opened the inquiry be sketching the history of Japanese and American intervention in Bougainville during World War II; many Bougainvilleans were killed in the fighting.
He said the forced closure of the Australian-owned Conzinc Rio Tinto Panguna copper mine in 1989 by the traditional landowners, designed to force the PNG government to negotiate, was a major victory.
The PNG government declared a "state of emergency" which amounted to a declaration of war. In 1990 PNG forces backed-off but blockaded the island. Peace negotiations were violated by PNG.
In 1991 PNG forces re-entered Bougainville from the north and occupied strategic points. Havini concluded: "I accuse the PNG and Australian Government of crimes against humanity — against my people".
David Fisher then presented his findings on the Australian parliamentary delegation visit to Bougainville, summed up in this year's Loosley report. The Australian delegation spent only 17 hours there, visited one detention centre — euphemistically known as a "care centre" — and failed to speak to representatives from the Bougainville Interim Government. The delegation found that the blockade was causing problems and proposed a reconstruction and rehabilitation program. According to Fisher this initiative would push the tribal people into a market economy.
Australia's main interest was to reopen the Panguna mine and employ cheap labour to sustain its operations. The Australian delegation did not investigate any human rights violations.
Jason Cornelius, a journalist recently returned from Bougainville, showed the inquiry footage of interviews with Bougainville Revolutionary Army commander, General Sam Kauona. Kauona explained that the BRA would not survive without the backing of the people; the villagers assist with food and refined coconut milk to run generators and vehicles.