News and Public Notices

Mr. Speaker, I rise today within the chambers of this honorable house to pay tribute to an extraordinary Bougainvillean; a man who devoted his life to serving Bougainville with unyielding loyalty to the land and boundless love for the people.

Mr. Speaker we have lost a great leader, a great Bougainvillean and a dear friend in the passing of the Late Joseph Watawi.

The Late Joseph Watawi was a patriot whose life’s work had been to ensure the political liberation of the people of Bougainville. He firmly believed that Bougainville’s desire for political independence was a divine right of the people and he affirmed this belief through his commitment to the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the people of Bougainville. In his lifetime Joseph embraced this purpose of pursuing political liberation and committed himself to this endeavor.

At the height of the Bougainville Crisis from 1989 to 1997, Joe dedicated his life to peace building as Bougainville underwent the darkest days in our modern history. It was a time when our people realized that we could no longer be marginalized by a tyrannical regime and we sought to defend our land, our families and our rights as a people. We fought a ten year bloody civil war for political and economic independence for our people to be masters of our own destiny.

But we did this at the expense of creating a deeply divided Bougainville at the end of the conflict. The Bougainville Crisis not only resulted in the loss of more than 20, 000 lives and billions of kinas worth of property destroyed. It rendered our leaders factionalized and our people confused on the next steps for Bougainville’s future.

However, by the grace of God we had strong leaders who pursued peace relentlessly such as our Late President Joseph Kabui, Chief Joel Banam and many other leaders throughout Bougainville. Through their foresight they managed to unite a deeply divided Bougainville into one people through peace and reconciliation. The Karanas Accord between Kabui and Banam was a major turning point in reuniting Bougainville and the Late Joseph Watawi played a key role in negotiating the outcome the historic accord.

Joe showed immense skill as a negotiator during the peace negotiations and the consultations on the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the Bougainville Constitution that followed suit. He was a key person on how the peace agreement would be set up and how its pillars would be contained within a legal framework that guaranteed Bougainville’s political independence. Over the years his intimate knowledge on this very important document has provided the ABG with invaluable advice on the BPA’s intent and interpretation.

As a student of the Bougainville Constitution Joe continued to promote the need for the government to comply with its own laws and creating more legislations and policies that would improve the ABG’s capacity as a democratic government.

Mr. Speaker, in 2005 when Joe was elected the first Member for Selau he also became the first Vice President and Minister for Commerce Trade and Industry in the newly elected Autonomous Bougainville under the leadership of President Joseph Kabui. These two great men had the responsibility of creating a new government, creating a new public service and leading a people traumatized by war and searching for strong leadership and hope.

The Kabui/Watawi Government of the First Bougainville House of Representatives laid the foundations for a robust democratic government that encouraged progress through socioeconomic and political development. This gave the people hope and the strong leadership that they needed. They aspired to build a government that would inherit sovereign powers from Papua New Guinea once Bougainville declared itself an independent nation. They dared to dream big and their dreams are manifesting in what this current government has embarked on through the Bougainville Independence Mission.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Joe’s perseverance as a leader. Even when he lost his seat twice in the last four elections, that did not dissuade him from his role as a leader. He continued to serve his people and provide advice to the government. in his last tenure as a Member of the Bougainville House of Representatives from 2015 – 2020, he was famously known as the Father of the Bruk Lus Movement. This movement exemplified his character and called for Bougainville to secede from Papua New Guinea in a manner that was within international best practice standards.

Of recent he was engaged by the government with the Bougainville Independence Mission Advisory Team (BIMAT). In his capacity as an advisor on our Independence Mission he provided sound advice to the government and continued to do so until his untimely passing. Key outcomes from his time with BIMAT was the commencement of the Post Referendum Consultations and the Timeline for Bougainville’s political settlement.

Mr. Speaker, Members of this Honorable House, ladies and gentlemen; the house and the institution that we occupy today is the very house that the Late Joseph Watawi played a crucial role in building. There is no better place to farewell Joe than the house that he dutifully served and committed his life to as a legislator.

As we stand today on the threshold of the Bougainville House of Representatives we are reminded of the great men and women who have passed through its halls. We are reminded of the sacrifices they made and the hardships they endured to create a conducive environment for peace to prevail, our economy to grow and democracy to flourish.

This year alone we have lost many great leaders. Leaders from a generation that stood tall and bravely cried out for freedom for our people. It is a generation that valued integrity, commitment and trust in our God. We owe this generation of leaders a great deal so it is our responsibility to emulate their commitment to the government, to the people and to our independence mission.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the people of Bougainville I would like to thank the family of the Late Joseph Watawi and the people of Selau for allowing this great man to serve Bougainville. I thank his family for supporting him and the people of Selau for mandating him as a leader not only for the people of Selau but as a leader of Bougainville.

The Late Joseph Watawi leaves behind a legacy that will endure as Bougainville continues to strive for political independence. His charisma and personality will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved him.

Joe, you served Bougainville faithfully and with integrity. I bid you farewell until we meet on that glorious morning. May your Soul Rest In Peace.

Mr. Speaker I commend this statement to the House.

 

Hon. Ishmael Toroama, MHR

President

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