Source: The National

The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) has warned the O'Neill Government against controlling mining on Bougainville. President John Momis (Pictured) said the idea of the National Government anywhere else in Bougainville was "completely unacceptable". Momis said in a letter to the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill that Bougainvilleans were determined to control their mining interests through the ABG.

"Any attempt by the National Government to control mining in Bougainville could cause Bougainvilleans to lose all faith in the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) and many would refuse to work with the National Government anymore, "Momis said in a media statement yesterday.

"They would want immediate independence. It would be a even destroying support for the BPA"

Momis revealed that O'Neill held a three-hour meeting with a team from the Me'ekamui Governement of Unity (MGU) on Oct 9. The meeting was arranged by the office of Central Bougainville MP Jimmy Miringtoro who is the Minister for Commuications and Information Technology in the O'Neill cabinet.

Momis said the ABG had obtained minutes of the meeting which reported the Prime Minister as saying "OK Tedi is your model to help you with mining in the future."

"We have given the Western Province 20% ownership of OK Tedi, and, "I will give 35% to Bougainville in any mining in the future."

He said the minutes indicated that O'Neill wanted the National Government to control mining at Panguna in the same way it controlled OK Tedi. Momis said during his meeting with the PM in October and November, O'Neill made no mention of the veiws he expressed to the MGU team.

"He (O'Neill) must explain why he can express such dangerous proposals to the MGU, and refuse to discuss with me," Momis said. "Is he trying to divide the people of Bougainville? If such views were expressed by the prime minister, they clearly have serious potential for undermining relationships between the ABG and the National Government."

"In the interests of maintaining a working relationship between your government and mine, it is essential that the prime minister clarify his position on these issues."

"The Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) states that the main goal of Bougainville's autonomy is to 'empower Bougainvilleans to solve thier own problems, manage thier own affairs and work to realise thier aspirations."

"Because of ourexperience of mining,mining was in the first set of powers that the ABG requested to be transferred from the National Government."