Transcript
JOHN MOMIS: What they are claiming, supposedly based on their so-called proper interpretation of the formula, even then they have not paid us. Ours is much much more than that of course, and even their agreed amount, according to their agreed interpretation, their formula, has not been released to Bougainville. By their own admission they are negligent and therefore in breach of the Peace Agreement.
DON WISEMAN: The economy though is in absolute tatters at the moment isn't it, the Budget that is being brought in this week is going to involve a lot of belt tightening so will you get the money this time?
JM: We are hoping against hope. We are very worried that we might not get what we are entitled to. That has not stopped us from relentlessly talking to the national government, trying to impress upon them the importance of giving us what we are entitled to so that we can, by providing services and taking care of the other important resposnibilities under the Peace Agreement, be in a position to create a conducive climate for the two parties, namely the national government and the ABG, to jointly implement the Peace Agreement and including the implementation of the referendum.
DW: Another critical factor is this shareholding in BCL that Peter O'Neill offered, about a year ago, to the landowners of Bougainville but I understand that nothing has happened since that offer was first made. So is this something that you will bring up at these discussions?
JM: Yes we will. We are very disappointed that the Prime Minister, of his own volition, made the public statement that he would transfer this 17.4 percent given to the national government by Rio [Tinto] when they walked away from Panguna. So it is alarming that the national government has kept very quiet about it and we will certainly raise it in the discussions and of course this is adding to the troubling or disturbing undercurrent that is occurring as we approach the very, very important joint responsibility of the two governments to conduct a referendum which will deliver an outcome that can be managed by the two governments to get a peaceful outcome. I mean it is very very important. We must emphasize that whatever the outcome might be, hopefully it will be equitable and it must be peaceful.
DW: These disturbing developments - what are they?
JM: Well there is a very strong feeling of suspicion that the national government is deliberately trying to undermine the ABG's rights as stipulated in the Peace Agreement. And if one party refuses to pick up their end of the stick, as it wwere, then it creates a situation where, preparing the way for collaborative engagement, you are creating a situation where there could be adversarial engagement that may not get a good outcome. At this juncture of the long process of finding a democratic, just solution of the Bougainville bloody war we must not succumb to pressures that try to undermine the Peace Agreement. I think it is very important that we must persevere in our commitment.
