Press Release by the Special Mining Lease Landowners Association...

Press Release by the Special Mining Lease Landowners Association (“SMLOLA”)
26 October 2017
DESPERATE, DISRESPECTFUL AND DISHONEST – BCL GET A “D” FOR EFFORT IN BOUGAINVILLE AND HAS FAILED TO WIN LANDOWNER SUPPORT

Mr Phillip Miriori, the Chairman of the SMLOLA is annoyed by the recent Shareholder Release by Bougainville Copper Limited (“BCL”) which is, profoundly misleading and shows complete disrespect for the facts, the SMLOLA and the views of many of our members, who are standing up for their rights and say, “No to BCL Forever”. The SMLOLA petition against the return of BCL now represents around 2,000 members and continues to increase, but BCL just refuses to listen. BCL try and distract from the real issue – a lack of necessary landowner support – by suggesting there is a leadership issue. Mr Miriori is the Court approved and recognised Chairman of the SMLOLA and Mr Daveona ‘s challenge is disingenuous as it only arose when the members’ view – NO TO BCL – was made clear to BCL. It was a last-ditch effort to try and go around our members.

BCL’s ex Rio management has refused to meet with the Board of the SMLOLA or its Chairman, Mr Phillip Miriori: that does not qualify as “respectful community engagement programs”. They have not stepped foot in Panguna in over 28 years yet they say, “they continue to make progress on implementing our staged development plan for a new Panguna”.
BCL is Not Welcome Back for Obvious Reasons
Mr Miriori says “It is just another clear example of the continuing colonial arrogance of BCL and the disrespectful treatment of landowners, with the constant attempt by BCL to mislead and misinform. It is all just a repeat of the past - they have not changed. The reasons for the strong and unwavering opposition to BCL are obvious:

• President Momis himself under affidavit has stood up for his people and said BCL caused the civil war that lead to the death of around 20,000 of our fellow Bougainvilleans;
• We were treated as irrelevant in the past and that is continuing, calling us an “impediment” they will simply go around – we, the SMLOLA, now own the minerals and have the ultimate say on who will redevelop Panguna;
• BCL was the mining permit holder all those years ago, and it was under their operation that we were left with this horrific environmental damage which President Momis himself has suggested caused billions of dollars of damage. To this day, BCL has not taken responsibility for or compensated us in any manner – not one kina;
• BCL says it does not “support an approach that creates social disharmony” and yet by trying to force its return through unscrupulous methods, it is doing just that, putting the whole Peace Treaty at risk, putting our lives at risk all over again;
• BCL is clearly not a fit and proper person as required under the Mining Act to renew their now expired licence so their application should fail; and
• With the legacy of the past hanging over their heads, BCL has again admitted it cannot develop it alone and will need to attract a development partner so we do not even know who the real partner will be!”

Just More Lies
Mr Miriori says; “the dishonesty and disrespect of the past continues and is both alarming and consistent with their superior colonial attitude. Just look at the recent lies:

• Now they refer to the “project area landowners” to mislead on the level of local support. Wrong again, the only landowner association that has a veto against the renewal of the expired exploration licence No 1 (“EL1”) is the SMLOLA, the owners of the customary land inside the exploration licence boundary. The SMLOLA is vehemently opposed to BCL’s attempts to return and will never consent. This makes a mockery of their false claims of unanimous or even strong landowner support;
• The new BCL Board just makes the company even more PNG focussed with the only Bougainvillean representative having lived in PNG and Australia for many years. The rumoured PNG deal to take back control of Panguna, blocking Independence is reinforced with every step they take;
• BCL tries to distract from the real issue – a lack of necessary local support. The leadership dispute is straight forward, the Court has already recognised me as the current chairman in the recent restraining order against Mr Daveona and I complied with all Court Orders whereas Mr Daveona ignored them and disrespected the Court. I am the properly elected Chairman of the SMLOLA until December 2018 (and the leader under custom) and I commenced the Court proceedings to protect our members against the unlawful conduct of Mr Daveona. Mr Daveona has in fact publicly confirmed he is not the Chairman of the SMLOLA before the people of Panguna and the ABG Cabinet, ;
• BCL states I have a vested interest in the SMLOLA’s preferred deal with RTG Mining Inc. (“RTG”) as a shareholder. Again, absolutely incorrect as 100% of the interest is held in trust for SMLOLA members (50%) and other Bougainvilleans generally (50%);
• BCL states it has a first right of refusal to an exploration licence. This is blatantly wrong. The only right it has is to apply for a renewal of EL1. The Autonomous Bougainville Government is not obliged to give it to BCL and has a very prescriptive process it must follow, a key part of which is a Warden’s hearing to gauge landowner support which it clearly does not have and it must also be a ‘fit and proper person’ which it again fails;
• BCL is not the preferred developer as they name themselves; and
• BCL’s misleading comments on RTG are disingenuous and profoundly misleading, reading as quite desperate to me. The BCL deal will likely require in excess of US$6bn of new capital and more than 10 years before any benefits will flow to Bougainville. Our proposal with RTG is around US$950m more attractive financially and importantly has an actual staged process that will see a mine developed with materially less capital in 3 – 4 years, which improves the certainty of a successful redevelopment. Most importantly though, it also has a commitment to provide a Bougainville Redevelopment Fund which will provide funding for community projects from Day 1.

Mr Miriori says “I am disappointed that BCL keep trying to ignore us, mislead us and disrespect us, trying to distract with reference to an unlawful leadership challenge which is not the issue at hand. The issue is my people will not allow BCL to return and no amount of misinformation will change our position. We will fight to the end. After all they took our homes and lands and left us living in a toxic wasteland. It’s only normal that we do not want our abuser back! BCL has failed to win the hearts and minds of the landowners and is not welcome any more.”


PHILLIP MIRIORI
Chairman of the SMLOLA
ENDS//