Panguna mine seen as key to Bougainville independence

Transcript

Panguna was one of the world's largest open pit mines.

While large scale mining has long since ceased, nature gradually reclaimed the gigantic pit. 

Aside from alluvial miners who chip away at its fringes on a daily basis, the mine may initially appear as a thing of the past.

But for Maggie Voring of Panguna's Guava village, the trauma of lost lives and devastated communities lingers.

"Because our blood shed. Too many blood shed in here. And even today, we didn't get the bones from all over the place, which is no good for us."

The shelled out husk of concrete and steel that is the town of Panguna, just adjacent to the open put mine, was once a bustling centre for Bougainville Copper Limited staff and other ex patriots. The town was big. It had a major supermarket, a cinema, squashcourts. A far cry from the level of services in most parts of Bougainville and PNG.

But the war brought all that to an end.

Maggie Voring used to work at the supermarket.

She says she saw lots of wealth pumping through the tills, via the foreigners who came to exploit Bougainville's natural resources.

"This is no good. I'm not getting money from my wealth. They have stolen my wealth out of here. Even Papua New Guinea government done to us. We are really poor on that. I'm the grandmother for 11 kids. I don't have better place to put my grandchildren to school like a university in Arawa. No, I cannot afford to get the money to send my grandchildren out there in Papua New Guinea side."

Another Panguna local, Sylvester Birou, is a former commander of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army which squared off against the PNG Defence Force during the war.

He says the resources which caused the crisis are also the key to the future.

"Papua New Guinea never fought the war to gain independence. Bougainville, we fought the war to gain independence. Papua New Guinea government was just given in a golden plate, independence. And that independence of Papua New Guinea government was by Panguna mining."

In Arawa, the man who led the BRA, Sam Kauona, is pitching to be the leader of a new independent Bougainville.

This week he made the news in Australia, announcing that he has received overtures from the Chinese private sector looking to help develop Bougainville's natural resources.

"What I see is that if Chinese come into Bougainville, they have to come under a good arrangement, good laws signed between governments, signed between the resource owners of Bougainville. No one can come in without having good laws protecting both interests, local interests and investor interests. That's why Chinese are welcome. Japanese, Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, all welcome."

The result of Bougainville's non-binding referendum is subject to ratification by PNG's national parliament. 

A period of consultation between the two sides is expected to take place first, after the count. 

But no one is certain how long this process may take.

However, Sam Kauona says there must be a transitional type of government to take over the current Autonomous Bougainville government.

"A government to lead us into the future Bougainville government, which all the factions will have to come under, will have to be drawn into the new system. It's not ABG government in the future, it's totally a different government of Bougainville."

Confident of a strong majority vote for independence, Mr Kauona says he and many other resource owners want the Panguna mine reopened soon.

With Bougainville Copper Limited estimating there is $US58 billion worth of mineral reserves still to be tapped, Mr Kauona says the mine will bankroll a new independent Bougainville.

In Arawa, Johnny Blades.