BY NORM DIXON
The Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) on November 19 pulled out of negotiations with the Papua New Guinea government. The militant pro-independence group was frustrated at the slow pace of talks and the PNG government's unwillingness to agree to Bougainville people's right to a binding referendum to determine their political relationship with PNG. The final session of three years of reconciliation talks had begun in Port Moresby that morning.
Co-leader of the Bougainville negotiation team and president of the Bougainville People's Congress Joseph Kabui — who did not join the BRA walkout — said the PNG government was responsible for the BRA's withdrawal because it had been too slow in implementing agreements discussed and reached in earlier meetings in the year. "We have been telling the national government this but they have not listened... But it is not too late. What it means is that we must reach agreement on a timetable [for a] referendum at this round of talks otherwise we are going to push these people further away", Kabui told PNG's National newspaper.
Kabui told the National that the Bougainville delegation had been under the impression that agreement had been reached on the issue of a referendum and that subsequent negotiations were only to deal with a timetable. The team found that the government has done an about face on the issue.
A "final" political solution to the Bougainville problem was originally due on September 17. This was postponed to October 17, during the leaders' talks in Port Moresby, but that too ended in a stalemate.
"The BRA has fully withdrawn from the peace process because it has no more trust on the leaders and the politicians who are involved in negotiating the referendum for independence for Bougainville", the BRA negotiators said in a statement. "We are sick and tired of too many negotiations involving empty promises. We will no longer believe what the leaders are negotiating, therefore we will now stay out of the peace process."
Kabui said he did not believe that a return to fighting was likely. "The people do not want that, but we must not take that feeling for granted", Kabui said.
Kabui told the November 22 National that Bougainville wants to be "a nation within a nation" in Papua New Guinea and be allowed to have its own currency, taxation system, police and international trade relations. He said the national government could retain control of defence and "some functions of foreign affairs". Kabui said that PNG was balking at the degree of autonomy being demanded by the "moderate" members of the Bougainville team that did not join the BRA's walkout.
PNG Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta is planning to shut down parliament from December until July 23 to avoid the possibility of a no-confidence motion. It may mean that parliament does not ratify any agreement produced by the talks. Such a development may test the breaking point of the Bougainville people's patience.