on Bougainville

Region

Security tight on Bougainville

By Sam Vulum

Security forces on Bougainville will continue to maintain security in care centres and along the Papua New Guinea/Solomon Islands border despite the recent upsurge in activities by the Bougainville Revolutionary Army.

PNG Defence Force chief of staff Colonel Jack Tuat said military operations on Bougainville were under the control of the national government and any change of strategies would be based on government decision.

In an interview with PIM, Tuat said: “In general we are aware of the location of the BRA. Their main strongholds are the Panguna and Kongara areas. However, the direction of the government is not to go on the offensive. Our deployment is to main

tain security.”

He said the security forces were aware of BRA presence near Arawa and they were only monitoring their movement.

However, if the BRA were closing in on Arawa and the situation became serious, the government would have to rethink its

strategies.

The chief of staff also said that apart from the BRA activities, there was ade quate supply of food, fuel and ammunition for a military strength of between 500 to 600 men and about 100 policemen on Bougainville. Their operations were sup ported by a fleet of vehicles, mainly army land rovers and two Iroquios helicopters.

He said allowances for the security forces were also being paid. Tuat reiterated earli er comments that recent BRA activities, which left two soldiers dead and civilians injured in January, were an attempt to sab otage the government’s peace efforts.

In the first killing incident, an army lieutenant was killed by rebel elements in the Haisi area of the Siwai district when

the rebels entered the Haisi Catholic Mission care-centre on the pretext of talk ing peace. Reports from the area said the rebels then ordered the civilians to move before shooting the soldier.

In the second incident, the BRA way laid a soldier who was walking with mem bers of the civilian group to a funeral at Matukori village in the Siwai area and killed him.

Tuat said: “We believe that BRA is pushing its ultimate goal and that is more than self-determination. It is stepping-up its activities in an attempt to win back the hearts of many Bougainvilleans who want

ed peace.”

He also said the recent BRA activities were in direct retaliation to the attack by security forces on BRA leaders, adding: “What we knew was that they were to trav el by helicopter to Bougainville.”

He said despite the BRA activities, restoration of services and other peace efforts were continuing. He also denied reports that security forces were stopping immunisation and relief workers from

entering Bougainville.

Tuat also said plans were under way for officials from the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby to visit Bougainville to see the restoration pro gramme and talk to the premier, chiefs and

people.

He said the Engineering Battalion would assist in sealing Buka airport and will probably work on the roads around the island.

The Arawa town hospital, headed by PNGDF’s Dr Gideon Kendino was also operating well with medical supplies com ing from both the PNGDF and the health

department.

Meanwhile, prior to the planned March/April all-Bougainville leaders

deliberations, Bougainville transitional

government premier Theodore Miriung

said there would be two technical meetings and the first will be held as soon as a venue was agreed on.

He said the BTG generally supported the national government’s position that the venue be in Bougainville or anywhere in PNG. However, if BRA leaders have other plans on the venue these will have to be approved by the national government.

Any prospects for an immediate peace meeting were unlikely with the burning down of the luxury home of Honiara-based rebel spokesperson Martin Miriori on

February 2.

Miriori, who is the secretary of the so called Bougainville interim government, the political wing of BRA, escaped the blaze with his family and relatives.

While the cause of the fire was not

known, BIG Sydney-based representative

Mike Foster has created doubts on the staging of the talks. Foster claimed arson was involved. He asked for a guarantee if they entered PNG for talks as suggested by prime minister Sir Julius Chan.

He said the blaze happened within hours of them receiving a letter stating Chan’s stance that BIG officials come to PNG for two preparatory meetings before the scheduled March/April meeting of all

Bougainvilleans.

Chan said: “There are rebels fighting against rebels, I can’t speak for them.”

In other developments, the Honiara District Court has cleared BRA sympathis er Rosemary Gillespie and her daughter Kirrallee Anie Gillespie of charges of ille gally entering the Solomon Islands.

In Port Moresby, prime minister Chan said there was nothing the government could do because it had been a matter for the Honiara court to decide on. ■