Momis on Panguna
The President of the Autonomous Government of Bougainville, Honourable Dr John Momis, MHR, has announced that the Bougainville House of Representatives has debated and unanimously passed an indefinite reservation or moratorium from any exploration or mining activities over the Panguna project in its sitting today.
He said it was very clear from the debate that this decision could not be avoided but it had to be made in the best interest of the landowners and the people of Bougainville as the region prepares for its referendum next year.
The Honourable President emphasized that it was absolutely clear that the landowners and the people of Panguna are divided over their preferred developer of the Panguna project.
At the same time the landowner leadership remains unresolved creating factional groups with opposing views and positions on how the mine should be developed. This had posed a challenging and untenable situation for the Autonomous Bougainville Government as it strives towards achieving fiscal self-reliance and forging peace leading up to the referendum.
The clear message from the House of Representatives is that, as long as the landowners remain divided and not united over the Panguna project, the moratorium will remain indefinitely.
The onus is on the landowners to make a genuine effort to unite. Since 2012, the ABG had invested a lot of time and money to unite the landowners and the Bougainville people to reopen the Panguna mine. Today whilst most Bougainvilleans are in favor of reopening the mine, the Panguna landowners are holding the region at ransom.
It is our hope that the landowners realized this and resolves to work together to assist the ABG and develop the project for the benefit of all Bougainvilleans.
As President of the only legitimate government in Bougainville, let me also cautioned foreigners who are guest in Bougainville to respect our customs and traditional ways of resolving our domestic differences.
Our priority going forward will be to work with the landowners and the people of Bougainville to unite them on the future of Panguna. Hence, my Government will not tolerate foreign guest who interferes with our effort to unite our people on this important matter.
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