Veterans urged to support Panguna
Veterans of the Bougainville Civil War have been encouraged to play a more proactive role in supporting the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s drive to foster economic growth in Bougainville.
This sentiment was expressed by the incumbent President of Bougainville and former Commander of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army Ishmael Toroama during a meeting with veterans from North, South and Central Bougainville in Arawa Town last Sunday.
The purpose of the meeting is an initiative of the Toroama Administration to garner support from the veterans as well as other important stakeholders to reopen the defunct Panguna Mine.
“When the call came from Francis Ona to take up arms against the oppression by Rio Tinto and Government of PNG, many of us volunteered to fight for our rights and protect our people and our land,” President Toroama said.
“We did not hesitate nor did we cower from the might of the oppressors as we stood firm to defend our people and our sacred duty to ensure Bougainville would become an independent sovereign nation,” President Toroama said.
“Today we feel marginalized and unappreciated for our services to Bougainville. More than anyone else, I understand how you feel,” President Toroama said.
“However, my challenge to our veterans is for us to start taking responsibility for our actions, to begin supporting the government and to become a part of the process of redeveloping Bougainville,” President Toroama stated.
“I have made a very critical decision to reopen the Panguna Mine simply because it has the potential drive to drive our economy and fund an independent Bougainville,” President Toroama revealed.
“We are the very people who united to support Francis Ona and the Panguna Landowners to shut down the mine because they were being oppressed so we are the stakeholder who should support the government in this initiative,” President Toroama said.
The meeting with the Bougainville veterans is part of a series of consultations by the ABG with various stakeholders of the Panguna Mine including the landowners.
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