Bougainville conflict

Sir,

I read with dismay the articles on the Bougainville conflict featured in Pacific Islands Monthly (July) - par ticularly, the pictures of dead

Bougainville Revolutionary Army

“rebels” on pages 12 and 15.

Those pictures sadly show to the out side world the genocide policy currently pursued by Sir Julius Chan on

Bougainville.

Papua New Guinea claims the Bougainville conflict is an internal matter and yet solutions are sought through the barrel of the gun as the PNG government allows its own citizens to be killed on Bougainville. Papua New Guinea takes pride in being a democratic state. But it strictly censors the citizens’ “freedom of choice”, “freedom of expression” and “freedom of association” on Bougainville.

Yes, the PNG soldiers could proudly stand over the bodies of the dead BRA “rebels” in the photo on page 12.

The BRA “rebels” were dead but the cause for which they have lost their lives is not. It is a cause which will haunt PNG for a long time to come.

I salute the immortal souls of the dead BRA “rebels” whose photos appear on pages 12 and 15.

Francis Ona, Sam Kaona and their lot are not rebels. They are freedom fighters.

They fight for their right to control the land of their birth.

It is rather unfortunate that a person of Sir Julius Chan’s stature has seen it fit to walk over dead bodies to find a solution to the Bougainville conflict.

The solution to the conflict is quite simple: Self-determination for

Bougainville.

J Irofanua

Solomon Islands