ian kemish visits panguna

Australian High Commissioner Ian Kemish visits Panguna

http://www.bougainville-copper.eu/news-august-2011.html

Who would have beleived that a foreigner could pass through the barrier at the Morgan Junction and into the Panguna District of Bougainville.
Well it was true. On August 2, the Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ian Kemish, passed freely through the barrier at the Morgan Junction and into the Panguna District of Bougainville.
He was accompanied by the Head of AusAID in PNG, Stephanie Copus-Campbell and three other colleagues from the High Commission.
This was the first time that the Australian Government officials had entered the ?no-go zone? since the Bougainville crisis erupted in 1988. They did so without paying a fee.
This courtesy was extended to the Australian Government by General Chris Uma of the original government of Me?ekamui, the group that continues to man the checkpoint at the entrance to the zone.
The visit is an important sign of the gradual return to normalcy in Panguna District.
Since the signing of the Panguna Communiqu? in 2007, the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) has had free access into the zone to deliver essential services.
The Me?ekamui Government of Unity, as signatory to the Communiqu?, led the way in this regard. AusAID has been delivering development projects in Panguna for some years but it has not been able to monitor their implementation or identify additional priority areas of need as the Australian officials may now come and go freely.
The visit allowed Ms Copus-Campbell to review the condition of the road in Panguna, which is maintained by AusAID.
?Roads are critically important to service delivery,? she said.
?I was heartened to see that the road was in good condition and that Bougainvillean youths were being employed to maintain it.?
AusAID has also funded construction of the district administration building and an attached aid post in the Panguna township.
In addition to the projects in Panguna, AusAID has helped to improve services in the nearby centre, Arawa.
?Through the Governance and Implementation Fund, we have improved water and sanitation standards in Arawa town and helped to fund the extension of 24 hour power to the centre,? Ms Copus-Campbell said.
Power is set to be activated in the coming months.
The High Commission team was accompanied by former president of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, James Tanis.
The ABG was represented by the Melchior Dare MHR, Member for the Eivo/Torau constituency in central Bougainville.
At the beginning of the year, the Autonomous Bougainville Government started the Panguna Peace Initiative, intended over time to reconcile long-standing differences and ensure all stakeholders in Panguna become partners to the peace process. It has broad support and is making impressive progress.
Australia has been proud to back the process through the provision of a range of diplomatic advice, financial and technical assistance. An open dialogue will be essential if an agreement to eventually reopen the mine at Panguna is to be reached.
?While many challenges lie ahead, they become surmountable when Bougainvilleans are being united and working together,? Mr Kemish said. Before the visit, Mr Kemish and his delegation worked with the Autonomous Bougainville Government and peace builders such as James Tanis to make the necessary preparations.
?It was important to us that the visit be conducted with respect. With help from our friends and partners in Bougainville, we were able to ensure proper courtesies were extended.
The people of the district feel this is important given the previous experience with outside visits,? Mr Kemish said.
These courtesies involved a ceremony at Morgan Junction with the High Commissioner walking formally through the check-point before offering tokens of respect to Chris Uma and his colleagues.
The High Commissioner also accepted local advice on where precisely he should go within the district, during what he hoped would be the first visit of the many.
?And by doing it this way,? the High Commissioner said, ?we have managed to build a number of new bridges.?
The Australian Government in partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea, the Autonomous Bougainville Government and other donors such as New Zealand, has been a committed friend to Bougainville. Since 1997, Australia has spent over K700 million on restoration and development assistance to the region.