The national government was reminded today that it has a forgotten agenda in Panguna.
Panguna landowner and Bougainville’s Minister for Community Government, Theonila Roka Matbob, issued the reminder on the second day of the Community Affairs and National Content Conference and Expo (CANCONEX) in Lae, Morobe Province.
PNG’s largest copper mine, which operated for 17 years from 1972 until 1989, abruptly closed due to the Bougainville Conflict.
“We fought amongst each other and we all forgot that the initial agenda was fixing the law,” said Matbob, who lost her father during the 10-year conflict.
“And we left everything and now Bougainville has reached a point of no return. We want to be independent. But the real agenda stands.
“While I heard the presentations yesterday, you know, I’m seeing all these progress that are happening and in the extractive industry space, you have a forgotten agenda in Panguna that has never been given a formal closer.
“If you cannot give a formal closer to Panguna, I doubt we will give closure to all the other mines – Porgera is here.
“We need to train ourselves to create an opening and put a closer before we start a new agenda. That’s governance.”
Matbob and the former chief executive officer of the Bougainville Development Corporation, Paul Nerau, and PNG Council of Women’s former president, Theresa Jaintong, were given the opportunity to share their experiences with attendees at CANCONEX this morning. The three-day event, which has attracted over 830 delegates, will conclude tomorrow.