The Bougainville referendum needs more awareness and more campaigners need to be trained and ready to challenge the region’s rugged terrain.
A village chief from the Konnou area of Buin, South Bougainville, told Loop PNG that the awareness for the referendum needs to be more aggressive now.
Joe Patuai said: “There needs to be more funding put into these awareness programs and people need to travel the full length of this island, even into places where service doesn’t go to, awareness has to go.
“More and more people need to know about the referendum. There has to be radio and television commercials, pamphlets, and anything else which needs to drive an awareness in a more active, professional and comprehensive manner.”
Patuai said awareness on both the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) and the Referendum need to reach schools, even in other parts of Papua New Guinea if necessary, where Bougainvilleans work and reside.
“We need to climb mountains, cross rivers ready to take on the region’s rugged terrain in order to put the awareness into people’s brains,” Patuai said.
“Another most important thing is that we need good campaigners, people who will carry out the awareness from their hearts and not just for the sake of receiving travelling allowances.”
(Picture: Bougainville News)