Source: Papua New Guinea Mine Watch

The Panguna Veterans Association has presented a withering denunciation of Bougainville's proposed new Mining Law and urged the members of the House of Representative to reject it.

A Statement from Chairman Noah Doko and Vice-Chairman Joe Birunoim describes the Bill as a wolf hiding in a sheep skin and accuses the ABG of selling out their birthrights.

But the most critical and worrying part of the Association's analysis is that the new law will lay the foundations for another crisis:

Let us all realise the truth - this mining Bill will likely lay the foundations for another Bougainville crisis - why? Rio Tinto/BCL owned and controlled our minerals before and it led to the war. Under this Bill, Rio Tinto/BCL owns and will control our minerals - why would the result be any different this time? The difference this time is that the ABG takes the place of the PNG Government. Do you think that your current leadership is tougher than Sir Michael Somare?