President Toroama reaffirms the sanctity of the Joint Supervisory Body
The President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, His Excellency Ishmael Toroama, has issued a firm reminder to the National Government that the Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) remains the central and constitutionally mandated mechanism under the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
Speaking at the JSB meeting in Port Moresby yesterday, President Toroama emphasized that the JSB has been the core structure that has held the Bougainville peace process together for the last 24 years and must not be weakened or undermined by unilateral actions from any government actor.
President Toroama reflected on the words of the first Bougainville President, the Late Joseph Kabui, who reminded all parties “that the peace process is not the end of the war on independence but rather, Bougainville is leaving the jungles and entering the jungles of the negotiation table.”
President Toroama stressed that the JSB is the space where sensitive political issues among others, particularly Bougainville’s independence, must continue to be addressed peacefully and respectfully.
“The JSB is the very table where the two parties can continue to have peaceful dialogue on Bougainville’s independence in the controlled and respected environment of the JSB.”
President Toroama expressed concerns that recent actions taken within the National Government had undermined decisions of the JSB.
“Such actions risk undermining the JSB’s authority. This is very dangerous and has the potential to be perilous to the peace process and to the constitutionality of the JSB itself,” he said.
He warned that failure to uphold JSB resolutions carries serious implications for the wider political process between the two governments.
“The conversation around Bougainville’s Independence has been amplified through the JSB and whilst this must remain the core agenda of our consultations, let me sound a warning here that any suggestions watering down or diluting the constitutional role of the JSB will prove fatal on many fronts.”
He further reminded the meeting that the very laws and constitution now used in technical interpretations were once instruments of conflict on Bougainville in the past.
“It was those same laws that killed thousands of Bougainvilleans. It was that same constitution that turned murderous through decisions of the PNG parliament.”
He stressed that this history is exactly why the JSB’s mediatory role must never be diluted.
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