Theonila Roka Matbob Photo: Human Rights Law Centre
An MP in the autonomous Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville says the report into the environmental and human rights legacy of the Panguna mine gives her satisfaction.
The report, released on Friday, identifies ongoing environmental and human rights issues.
Mining multi national Rio Tinto was the miner behind the development of the mine.
It funded the assessment and it says it will work with stakeholders to ensure the legacy of the mine is addressed in a fair and equitable manner.
Theonila Roka Matbob, the MP in the region encompassing Panguna who led the push for the assessment to be done, spoke with RNZ Pacific.
(The transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.)
An aerial view of the abandoned Panguna mine pit. Photo: OCCRP / Aubrey Belford
Theonila Roka Matbob: If I have to start off with a quote from Bougainville's first President [Joseph] Kabui where he said in 2001 that the fight's not over, 'we've just brought the independence fight onto the table, but we are yet to bring the Panguna fight onto the table.' It brings a lot of satisfaction to me personally, because at least I've been able, in my time, in this generation to fulfill the desire and the wish of our leaders who have gone ahead.
Don Wiseman: The report's not going to be telling you anything you didn't already know anchor. Is it?
TRM: No, , it's, it doesn't come by surprise. It's actually just, I mean, for me, the significant thing is that now there is an anchor, there is a basis when we're talking about accountability of the process of Panguna. There is a standpoint from which we can talk to which no one needs to lecture each other, but it is materialised, and it now changes the form from the state of understanding that a lot of things we talk about is based on assumption.
It is no longer an assumption, but it is a verified truth that, yes, Panguna is an issue that we need to deal with, and it is an entry as well for me. It opened, you know, the report when it came out, it opened the way an approach into dealing with the myriad of issues that we are battling on Bougainville.
For me, it's a standpoint from which we can now say that Panguna is a matter separate from independence that needs to have its own approaches that we need to take as stakeholders involved into settling the issue before understanding the next steps going forward.
DW: Rio Tinto clearly seems to have changed its attitudes in a lot of ways. It backed this scheme, didn't it, but it hasn't said what it might do following this assessment report coming out. It has announced that it's entered a memorandum of understanding with the government and with Bougainville Copper to look at a possible remedy mechanism. So have you had any discussions yourself with Rio?
TRM: Yes, as expected, the behaviour of the company is changing. But my stance in terms of getting the company to give its public commitment will never change. And it means that even if that has to go for me, I am committed to ensuring that whether we like it or not, it is writing on the wall for us to deal with.
DW: The report talks about or makes 24 recommendations. What are the critical ones within that? What are the most critical.
TRM: For me, the most critical is dealing with basics for the people and committing to a lasting solution, where, if the company can commit to a lasting solution, especially where basic survival intervention is concerned, that is the most important thing, and also relocation and committing to an independent assessment fund - they are the three top priorities for me.
