Transcript
James Tanis: it is in fact everyone... all the groups that were involved in the Agreement, that we should now reconcile and reunite.
Don Wiseman: How do they go about this reconciliation?
JT: It's really a question of timing, and also the processes that we have put in place, that we have been working quietly to achieve. What happened is that in Doreinang in 1997 was actually a combination of everything. It was in one aspect a compromise between those who wanted the peace process to proceed, and those who did not want the peace process to go ahead, and also a bit of reconciliation was involved in it; and also the third element in it was a military coup that was done by the Bougainville Revolutionary Army. So part of that compromise was to agree in fact to allow some part of the BRA to remain back in the bush and let the other part of BRA go ahead with the peace process.
DW: What is it now that's brought them together?
JT: What is at play at the moment is the coming referendum, because one thing that binds all Bougainvilleans together is that there should be a referendum to ultimately decide on the future political status of Bougainville. So in fact it's the coming referendum, that it's realised the only way for Bougainville to resolve the question of our final political status for Bougainville is to go through this referendum, and for Bougainville to succeed in the referendum, there needs to be a united voice. If you would look carefully at the sections we have on Bougainville, you would realise that Bougainville was divided into, namely the Bougainville resistance forces, that sided with the government of Papua New Guinea, and the rebel Bougainville Revolutionary Army. And if you look at the sections that we have on Bougainville, actually the smaller sections within the Me'ekamui groups, the one thing that is common in them is they are the former Bougainville Revolutionary Army that is divided into the groups that are in Panguna, south Bougainville and there are some elements in Tonu with Noah Musingku. So it's really the pro-independence groups that are coming together in preparation for the referendum.
DW: There are still though among those various Me'ekamui groupings, there are still people holding out, aren't there, at least individuals?
JT: Yes there are. And what is important for us is to make sure we continue the process of reconciliation, continue the process of consultations, to make sure we get as many as possible on to the process so that at least there is a clear majority participating in the referendum. The more people the better to participate in the referendum. And also if the referendum gives a clear outcome at the end of the day. It's a typical human problem. In fact we can never achieve total unity, one hundred percent, in terms of count per head if we go numerical. But what is important is that we get the majority on to the peace process. In fact what was important in the Arawa consultations was that all the groups were represented, and it was the first time that all the very senior commanders in the former Bougainville Revolutionary Army were present in that meeting and participating in that meeting, including the commanders from the Morgan Junction road block.
DW: You have a central role in this reconciliation process, so it was your organisation that brought all these people together?
JT: It was not my organisation alone. We are a government department. All we do is facilitate.
DW: So with this announcement last week, what have ordinary Bougainvilleans had to say about it?
JT: At the moment, I have not gone into the villages. But judging from my Facebook post that is becoming very popular on Bougainville, that is a very effective means of communication on Bougainville, the unification process is getting a lot of support. I think it has restored confidence back to the Bougainville communities that at least Bougainville is now reunited. And this reunification is very special in that it is actually the combatant groups that have decided to come together and reconcile because you and me, we know that in any situation where there's a political split, yeah politicians can argue with words, but if combatants are split then it poses a serious security risk. So that is one big milestone that we have done, that is to remove security risk. And what it does also is that it launches the next steps on Bougainville completing its weapons disposal processes so that we also meet that aspect of Bougainville commitment to the Peace Agreement.
