Transcript
RAYMOND MASONO: We know there were about 30 to 40 people who protested on Thursday morning, the same number erected the road block of people at the Morgan Junction to prevent the ABG team from travelling from Arawa to Panguna for the signing ceremony.
DON WISEMAN: A small group, an insignficant group but big enough to stop the signing.
RM: We have to understand that the ABG believes in consultations and therefore, regardless of the size of the group we still met with them on Thursday night for two to three hours, explaining the ABG policy on Panguna. Regardless how many times we explain, if fact it seems the ABG has been talking to itself by repeating the issues that have been explained so many times to the same group without change.
DW: They are saying of course that they don't want any talk of a possible re-opening of Panguna until after the independence vote and that's still more than two years away isn't it?
RM: What we are telling them is that even the signing does not mean that the mine would be opened straight away. The signing of the MOA is to begin the process, a process that will take a long time to remove impediments to re-opening the mine. This includes at present the issues the minority group is talking about. You know for them it is a case of competing for space. Some people are feeling they are being left out but we are telling them that no one will be left out. Once we sign the MOA it requires us to implement the programme that will deal with issues that are being raised by raised by the hardliners [the protestors] and the Me'ekamuis [ former separatist combatants]. Those issues are contained in a web programme and thats to the MOA as an annexe. So you know there perception is that they are being left out, they are not being left out in any way. The ABG will deal with them. In any case going forward we have given the landowners and the groups that are opposing to mining and BCL two weeks, if necessary longer, to sort themselves out. And if and when they are ready they will come to the ABG and we will organise for the signing ceremony of the MOA. So we consider this non-signing of the MOA as a temporary setback. Government's resolve is to have the MOA signed in two weeks, as soon as those groups are ready.
DW: So you are determined still to go ahead with it?
RM: Of course. We are trying to make those people understand that if you are going to vote for independence you must assure the people of Bougainville there is some comfort that life as independents, an independent Bougainville, will be much better than it is today. For example, we need to have enough money raised internally, in Bougainville, to be able to finance whatever type of government is decided after the referendum. Those opposed to mining don't understand. The aspiration for independence and the re-opening of Panguna mine, as far as I am concerned, are two sides of the same coin. You cannot separate the two.
DW: Yes of course but there are other things that Bougainville could do. It could put a whole lot more effort into farming and tourism and small scale mining. There's been talk of this but not a huge lot of progress has there?
RM: Where are you goling to get the money to invest in those sectors? Only Panguna mine can provide the revenue need to develop those sectors. You can talk about tourism, fisheries, and you named a whole lot but unless there's there is a mining project or a large economic project that can provide the revenue required so they can develop those sectors, so they can contribute to the economy of Bougainville. Then you can talk about these sectors until the cows come home.
DW: There's clearly a communication gap isn't there? It's a difficult road to go down.
RM: We are working on resolving those issues. We keep on discussing these issues with people opposed to mining, those who are opposed to the return of BCL. We hope to resolve those issues very soon, because the government is determined to continue with its policy. It believes that without a large economic project on which sectors which you just mentioned [ tourism, farming, small scale mining ] can piggyback, you can talk about political independence but without a sound economic foundation for a future prosperous Bougainville, what is there to vote for in the referendum?.
