PNG: New Bougainville President Applauds Francis Ona Friday: June 17, 2005
The newly-elected president of the Bougainville Autonomous Government has hailed Mekamui Movement leader Francis Ona as a "hero" for creating the province's 16-year-old crisis.
Joseph Kabui said the crisis, in which Ona led a rebel resistance force, had resulted in the first autonomous region in Papua New Guinea. Kabui says they must not forget him for playing a very big role for them to push their agenda to the National Government to become the first autonomous region.
He says it took a fearless person Ona him to go into the bush to create this mess and then leave that mess to them to fix it.
Mr Kabui says the politicians were too soft to solve the sensitive issue about the Bougainville copper mine, thus, Ona was forced to create this crisis that cost about 20-thousand lives.
He says Ona is in the bush with his organisation, but as a Bougainvillean, Kabui says he knows that a time will come when Ona will come out of the bush to join in the government in which he had played an effective role.
Kabui was speaking at the swearing-in of three members of a caretaker Cabinet in Arawa on Friday. –SIBC/Pacnews
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