Let's treat history with some respect, even if it is too dated to remember off the top of the head. Somare was certaily around, an angry yound man in Parliament, but there was no National Alliance at the time when the BCA was enacted in the pre-independence House of Assembly in 1969. A determined group of pioneer politicians that included Somare, Kiki, our own Paulus Lapun, Taureka, etc that comprised the fortress of a young Pangu Pati thought, talked and debated hard about nationalism with an admiring and singular sense of resources ownership by the people. John Kaputin was at the time at the forefront of the Mataungan Association, telling the Aussies to go to hell while at the same time immersing in all privileges and values western. He was obviously destined to end up in Parliament, and he did - and did very well without spending much time in the Parliament even in the various Ministries he held.
But going back to Wanjik's article, the truth is, it was Sir Paul who fought hard to renogiate the BCA for the first time. Pangu was steadfastly behind him. Pangu was Somare. Their opposition was a determined group of official members who were appointed to take seats on the floor of the House at the time. There was certainly no love lost when it came to debates and feelings about ownership of natural resources of the country, The likes of Wanjik will never know, or will never concede if they know, that our pioneer politicians before independence were very determined to ensure that they protected and got the best deals for the people when it came to any legislation to do with national resources.
In fact, the BCA when it was made was hailed as the best at the time. Events of ourse have surpassed this now. But of course, all mining ventures and project related problems in other parts of PNG have learnt both good and abject lessons from Bougainville.
I think it is fair to say that Somare and the politicians that Wanjik has so much disdain for were not a brooding bunch but serious and overt nationalists when we started out 35 years ago. All political parties in PNG, particularly those that govern as coalition of parties always face problems how best to perform balancing acts to keep everyone in the fold. Such is the situation with NA today. This would be no different if Mekere, Basil, Bart or Temu were in power. It was no different when Wingti, Skate and Chan were in power. The difference between Somare and all of these other people is that Somare is the consumate politician dealing,weaving, coalescing, balancing, managing, consulting, reminiscing, to-ing and fro-ing, balancing and staying a little ahead of the novices around him. Who you see and what you see is what you get - and all of it. It is misleading and unfair to pass judgment on a man (or woman) based on a minute fraction of his years in public life.
With all de respect, Wanjik has imprinted in his mind and encrypted in his temple that the MRA legislation is bad because he lost his position in nthe Mining Department when the MRA was set up. And he will not tire of blaming Temu, Akoitai and Somare for his demise as it was during their timke the MRA was enacted and established. The MRA has a proud and proven record of exponential success in the mining industry since it was established. It also has a good record of assisting the ABG whenever this assistance is sought. World Bank assistance meant to prop up the mining division and its staff in ARB is channeled thrugh MRA - at least until such time the ABG gets its act together.
The nexus between the B'ville crisis and NAP crisis that is Panguna is but a figment of someone's imagination and sour grapes. Wanjik misrepresents history and misrepresents the good intentions of BCA when it was made ( and we now all agree it has past its time and is no longer a fair and equitable agreement). Some of the views expressed on this arean oversimplification of what the realities are - may be because they are figments of someone's imagination, angst and a typical example of how some people will always blame others for all manners of problems and difficulties in life.
Let's not fudge about or poly-waffle with Bougainville's real history, both past and recent. When someone like Wanjik does, it is the kind of effluence tha the likes of VJ thrive and revel on, no end.
Panguna will re-open when the Panguna LOs, the Panguna mine affected areas and communities and when the rest of Bougainville decide. This will not happen overnight. This is a process that involves the National Govt, the ABG, Rio/BCL, the Landowners and it is work and process well in progress
BOC - Auf dem Weg zum MULTIBAGGER, die ersten 500% sind schon erreicht ;-))))))))))))