Transcript
PHILIP MIRIORI: It is the same legal company with enormous liabilities hanging on its shoulder and some much damage was done during their operations. So it is the same company.
DON WISEMAN: The thing here is of course that since Rio Tinto has walked away - it doesn't have resources does it? In terms of that environmental and social deficit that people like John Momis have talked about, this current version of BCL is never going to be in much of a position to do much about that is it?
PM: With BCL the ABG is saying it is a new company, but we don't think it is a new company, it is the same company,, and the same management. People from Rio [Tinto] are still with the BCL arrangement, even now.
DW: Are there any circumstances under which the Me'ekamui Government of Unity and the SML Osikaiyang Landowners would ever accept BCL?
PM: I don't think we will accept BCL to come back to Panguna. BCL has said it would attract development partners, but we don't know this development partner, who is he? maybe it is the same Rio Tinto. They are looking to come back and work with BCL.
DW: So this protest last Thursday and Friday, the protest and the road block, did your people organise that?
PM: The people of Panguna especially the landowners and the women, our stand has always been clear - we don't accept BCL to come back and with the protest march last Friday it is a common sense that the people have here in Panguna, that by not accepting BCL to come back they had to stand for their rights. So they [The ABG] can make any tricks under the sun but with the records that BCL have in the past it is just not going to work. The protest march was right, you know.
DW: last month you presented a petition to the ABG, more than 500 signatures. What has been the outcome of that?
PM: Well the outcome from the ABG was negative. I presented that petition myself to President Momis. The petition was signed by 550 people from Panguna - the SML [Osikaiyang landowners]. So no response from President Momis's office, so these are the things that have brought the people together on the signing of the MOA.
DW: You are not opposed to mining are you? You clearly are interested in mining and you have linked up with this Australian miner called RTG. Why have you linked with them? Why have you chosen them?
PM: I am always for mining you know but not with BCL. We have this Australian company. We work with them for some time now and we built trust so we are not opposed to mining opening. We are for. We want the mine to open, to generate prosperity for our people and not with BCL. We don't want BCL to come back you know.
DW: Let's say RTG were to get an exploration licence, would you be keen for them to get in there and start doing the EL work, as it's called, immediately and then the prospect of opening the mine as soon as possible.
PM: If we are given an exploration licence we will start immediately and also make clean up operations around Panguna.
DW: There are a lot of other landowning groups close by aren't there and it would seem that you are at odds with them, or are you?
PM: Now I want to correct this. The other eight, or whatever, landowner associations - I think at this point in time they are irrelevant. They can come in when the mine is up running. They can make no decision on where the pit is, so right now, for me, it is irrelevant for those other organisations to make a decision over the SML [Osikaiyang Landowners]. The only entity, legal entity, is SML which I am chairman of.
DW: Your message then to the ABG is that there is substantial opposition among the people who are on the land, or who have the land, around that enormous hole in the ground at Panguna, who are opposed to BCL coming in, but you are very keen on mining and you want to form an association with this Australian company, RTG.
PM: A proper awareness is what is needed now. To go right down to the people, you know, and tell them what is the advantage of re-opening the mine now, and the disadvantage of keeping that mine [shut] for ten years as BCL says. But to us I can see that we start the mine up now, so that we start generating the money and prepare for the referendum or whatever you know.
