A statement in the blogs site Papua New Guinea Mine Watch has come under fire for misquoting Autonomous Bougainville Government President John Momis.
The scathing report gives a tainted view of the president’s outlook on the sensitive Panguna mine issue.
The report implyed that the president was hellbent on reopening the mine by force and also expressing his dissatisfaction of the Panguna Landowners Association.
The actual speech given by President Momis during the first mass by newly ordained priest Fr Ambrose Kakatai at the Tabago parish in Buin on February 15 contradicts the report at so many levels.
Mr Momis’ speech was simply about the responsibility that Bougainvilleans must now undertake to prepare themselves for the coming referendum and their responsibility to honor the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
Parts of the president’s speech were made in the Telei (Buin) dialect as the majority of the people at the event were from the Buin district. The part of the President’s speech that was misconstrued may have been when he explained the ABG’s continued consultative approach to resolving the Panguna issue.
“The ABG continues to consult our people on the Panguna mine’s reopening, because of the respect for our people the mine will not be reopened by force,” Mr Momis’ stated in the Telei dialect.
This quote is the only one in which President Momis mentioned anything about the use of force to reopen the mine.
The other allegation raised in the report on President Momis’ speech was his “criticism” of the Panguana Landowners Association which again contradicts the actual speech.
Mr Momis said on the same speech that the ABG was working closely with important stakeholders such as the Panguna Landowners to resolve the issue and that the government had already created a channel of communication with the Mekamui Traibal Government of Unity who at first were suspicious of the A
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