Families and relatives of members of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, resistant fighters and civilians who died during the Bougainville crisis on state land at Toniva, Kieta, Arawa and Loloho will undergo a traditional ceremony to reunite today.
The ceremony, called “domang tampo” in the Nasioi dialect, meaning reuniting families and relatives of the dead, will see traditional items given to the families of 62 deceased, to acknowledge that their loved ones died for a reason - referendum and independence for Bougainville.
Former BRA chief of defence Ishmael Toroama, who is spearheading the program, said “domang tampo” was the custom to reconcile with everyone before major developments could take place in these areas, which now belong to the Autonomous Bougainville Government.
“Before the ABG or business investors like the banks and airports move to central Bougainville, we have to settle the relatives of all who died on state land. And this will be done customarily through ‘domang tampo’ and ‘tanuang toro’ meaning, peacefully reuniting families and their loved ones and bringing the soul of the deceased back to their home villages,” he said.
He said now that the fighting has stopped and reconciliations were happening throughout the island, it was very important that the land for development be cleansed from blood spilled because this could either “curse or bless the changes”.
|
Thread abonnieren
