A SOUTH Bougainville Chief has expressed strong support for Bougainville president Dr Chief John Momis. Chief John Taipa Tauria, an ex-combatant, said the president was an honest leader who had a heart for his people. “I feel very sorry that a small group of people are questioning his leadership,” said the Chief in Tok Pisin. “It would be good if they could instead work together with him for the good of Bougainville.” Mr Tauria added that the Autonomous Bougainville Government was the legitimate government in Bougainville and must be given support. He said that he was in favour of the president’s vision to re-open the Panguna mine. “Why is there money full up in the ground and we are not benefitting?” he asked. “All of Bougainville went to war because of the trouble at Panguna. Men and women died, businesses were destroyed, people’s belongings were torched and plenty of men, women and children still feel the pain,’’ he said. “Who will compensate them all? The Panguna mine – that’s all! Bring BCL (Bougainville Copper Limited) and they can compensate us to bring some good back from what they destroyed. If you bring other people in to re-open the mine then they will say ‘we didn’t cause the problem, it was BCL’.” The chief said he believed that if BCL came back they would straighten out what happened to the people of Bougainville. “Panguna is now for all the people of Bougainville, we all fought and some died because of it.” Mr Tauria also asked people to stop criticising Mr Momis over the Chinese in Bougainville operating retail outlets. “President Momis said that foreign business people can come in partnership with Bougainvilleans. But they can’t operate the small businesses that Bougainvilleans can operate.” He said it was the people themselves, not the ABG, who had brought the Chinese in to partner with them in retail outlets. He also said that the Chinese paid their taxes, whereas most Bougainvilleans did not. “I don’t want Chinese people coming here and selling tinned fish and rice like they do in other parts of the country. But I don’t blame the ABG, I blame us Bougainvilleans,” he said. Read more at http://www.stockhouse.com/bullboards/messagedetail.aspx?s=MOC&t=LIST&m=32496150&l=0&pd=0&r=0&msg=3#SAUuSc4ydQTYoTAK.99
BOC Price at posting:
53.0¢ Sentiment: ST Buy Disclosure: Held
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