Quency and Urban Violence. the 1989 Census Revealed
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POLITICAL REVIEW. MELANESIA quency and urban violence. The 1989 impose a solution, while the undisci census revealed that the population plined behavior ofits security forces had grown to 164,000, with Melane served to exacerbate existing ethnic sians representing 45 percent ofthe and separatist tensions. total. There was little progress on land Growing dissatisfaction with reform, despite repeated promises. Bougainville Copper Limited's The year drew to a close with the response to certain long-standing griev pardoning of26 Kanaks jailed after the ances had led some landowners to murder offour gendarmes in April adopt militant tactics in late 1988. The 1988, the incident that had precipitated initial campaign of bombing and arson the Ouvea violence. Although opposed directed against company property was by the right wing, the amnesty indica orchestrated by a group oflandowners, ted the further distancing of New Cale led by a former mine employee, Francis donia from the violence ofthe immedi Ona, who had become disenchanted ate past. The year ended as peacefully with the leadership and approach of as it had begun. But it had added one their representative body, the Panguna more violent chapter to the recent his Landowners Association. However, tory ofNew Caledonia, and witnessed Ona's group, associated with the so what apppeared to be the declining for called new Panguna Landowners Asso tunes of the FLNKS, despite its contin ciation, and based in Nasioi villages ued electoral support. close to the mine, was not the only one JOHN CONNELL active in 1989. Acts ofviolence were also committed by individuals and gIOUpS in broad sympathy with Ona's anticompany and secessionist senti PAPUA NEW GUINEA ments, but pursuing their own particu This was Papua New Guinea's most lar agendas (May 1989,23-25). Most of difficult year since independence in the action, which included the toppling 1975. On Bougainville Island more than ofpower pylons and shooting at traffic fifty people died and many more were on the Port-Mine Access Road, was injured in clashes between security designed to put the mine out ofproduc forces and militant landowners near tion. the giant Panguna copper and gold While some landowners, notably mine, and in outbursts ofethnic vio the officers ofthe trust fund set up in lence between Bougainvilleans and 1980 to invest compensation payments migrants from other provinces. The on behalf oflandowners, the Road forced closure ofthe mine in May 1989 Mining Tailings Leases Trust (RMTL), had serious economic consequences, were prepared to negotiate a settle especially for government revenues and ment, Ona's group was still sticking to the country's balance of payments. its original demands at the end ofthe More important, however, were the year. These included 50 percent ofthe political and social implications ofthe total revenues generated by the mine Bougainville crisis. The national gov since production commenced in 1972, ernment was unable to negotiate or and KIO billion to compensate for envi- THE CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC· FALL 1990 ronmental and social disruption. A call During the first halfof the year, for a referendum on secession for Namaliu managed to stand firm Bougainville was added early in 1989. against regular calls from within and Prime Minister Rabbie Namaliu without his government for a "military continued throughout the year to press solution." In March, members of the for a negotiated settlement. The culmi Papua New Guinea Defence Force nation of these efforts was the so-called were sent in, but to assist police to con peace package, first announced in late trol extensive rioting sparked by April, that included provisions for the clashes between Bougainvilleans and transfer ofhalf ofthe government's 20 migrants. There was no determined percent share ofequity in the mining offensive against the militants until company to the provincial government June, when the government ordered and landowners; a greater share of security forces to "flush out" Ona and mining royalties to go directly to the his men, and activated constitutional landowners; an unconditional annual provisions for a state of emergency. In grant to the provincial government July, the government announced plans equivalent to I percent ofthe gross to introduce an internment bill (later value ofminerals produced in the prov withdrawn after protests from students ince; and a five-year program of sup and others), and the first ofthe four port for development projects in the Australian-donated Iroquois helicop prOVince. ters arrived to provide logistical sup The North Solomons Provincial port for the security forces.' Government was prepared to accept Support for a "military solution" the offer, despite the recommendations increased significantly after the chair of of a provincial select committee that all the provincial select committee on the national government powers, except crisis, John Bika, was murdered by foreign affairs, defence, and some cen masked gunmen on 12 September. Two tral banking functions, should be days later Minister of State and former devolved to the province. Some land Defence Commander Ted Diro author owner representatives were also pre ized the security forces to use mines pared to sign the agreement, although and booby traps to counter further sab one group, led by the secretary ofthe otage attempts. By the end ofthe year, RTML, Lawrence Daveona, floated a two soldiers had apparently fallen vic "counter-proposal" that sought tax tim to these devices. In October, Colo concessions for RTML and the free nel Leo Niua, widely regarded as a transfer of all ofthe government's hardliner, replaced Colonel Lima equity in the mine to the landowners. Dotaona as deputy controller of the Despite numerous approaches by gov state ofemergency (Standish 1989, 10). ernment representatives and intermedi At year's end Ona and his key sup aries, offers ofsafe-conduct, and cease porters were still at large. The financial fires, Ona's group continued to reject cost ofthe crisis was already enor the package out ofhand, making nego mous, and no solution was in sight. tiations conditional on the withdrawal The state of emergency itself was esti of all security forces from the province. mated to have cost more than twelve POLITICAL REVIEW. MELANESIA million kina. At the end of December, size oftheir long-awaited pay increase. Bougainville Copper Limited finally As a result of this incident, Defence announced plans to layoff most of its Force Commander Rochus Lokinap employees and to place the mine on a and the department secretary, Steven "care and maintenance" basis. With the Mokis, were suspended but subse mine out ofproduction, Papua New quently reinstated at the recommenda Guinea was deprived of19 percent of tion of a Defence Force Board of its government revenue, 30 percent of Inquiry (PR, 12 Oct 1989). In March, its exports by value, and some K200 police demonstrated at the house of million per year in foreign exchange Provincial Affairs Minister John earnings. Momis after he called for the dismissal Other costs were harder to quantify, ofthe police commander in Bougain but equally important. Nearly four ville, Paul Tohian. Then in June, police thousand villagers had been evacuated shot dead a student on the campus of from troubled areas and were living in the University of Technology in Lae 19 "care centers" in and around Arawa. and were accused of committing crimi Many non-Bougainvilleans had left the nal acts on the Waigani campus ofthe province. There was a growing sense of University ofPapua New Guinea by outrage among Bougainvilleans at the Vice-Chancellor John Lynch. conduct ofthe security forces, espe Security forces were called on to cially the police. Some sixteen hundred deal with riots in Port Moresby, Lae, dwellings had been destroyed in raids Hagen, and Wabag during 1989. Two on villages suspected ofharboring mili people died in Port Moresby in March tants. Provincial premier Joseph Kabui as a "peace march" to protest the kill and one ofhis ministers, Michael ing of a youth leader and his wife, sup Laimo, had been beaten by riot police posedly by migrants from another in July, with Laimo losing an eye as a area, turned violent. In July, riots result. In April 1989, the widely broke out in Hagen and Wabag after respected human rights group, the shooting death of Communication Amnesty International, began docu Minister Malipu Balakau, allegedly at menting cases of ill-treatment, torture, the hands of supporters ofrival High and unlawful killing at the hands ofthe lands politician, Paul Torato. Early in security forces. By December they had September, a curfew was imposed in launched a letter-writing campaign cit Lae after two days ofviolence followed ing three particular cases of abuse, and the shooting of a policeman and one of aimed at the prime minister and his his relatives. The Morobe Provincial minister for justice (TPNG, 14 Dec Government, already under scrutiny 1989). for gross mismanagement ofpublic There were other examples of ill dis funds, was suspended at the same time. cipline in the ranks ofthe police and The Lae curfew remained in effect at the army during 1989. On 8 February the end of1989. soldiers marched on parliament, Prime Minister Namaliu managed smashing windows and damaging to stave off several attempts to unseat property along the way, to protest the his government during the year. Unde- AW· THE CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC· FALL 1990 terred by an unprecedented public out Somare, and Minister ofState Ted cry at the prospect of an early change Diro. In the first of many anticipated ofgovernment, the opposition gave disciplinary actions arising from the notice of a vote ofno confidence in work of the commission, the Leader March, naming Paias Wingti as the ship Tribunal recommended in Octo alternate prime minister. The move ber the dismissal ofHousing Minister gained momentum with the defection Gerard Sigulogo from parliament for offive members ofthe government, corruptly requesting K30,000 from a including Pangu Pati stalwart Tony Ila, Malaysian logging contractor (PR, 12 but was preempted when the govern Oct 1989).