22 April 2010 Panguna landowners want mine to re-open BY KEITH JACKSON THE CHAIRMAN of the Panguna Landowners Association and candidate for the Ioro seat in the current Bougainville election, Chris Damana, has said local landowners want the Panguna copper and gold mine to re-open. Mr Damana was talking at a rally of 5,000 people in Arawa organised by the New Bougainville Party, led by leading PNG politician, John Momis, who is a candidate for President of the troubled province. In the 1970s, the opening of the mine sparked mass protests from landowners that led to a disastrous civil war resulting in the deaths of thousands of people. Mr Damana said landowners had decided to open the mine after negotiations with Bougainville Copper and the PNG government are completed. He said it would also take many years for another mine to start up, leaving Panguna as the only immediate project that would save Bougainville’s economy. Without the Panguna mine, he said, it will take a long time for Bougainville to reach economic capability to run as a nation. Auch die Partei von John Momis erkennt - wie James Tanis - die Notwendigkeit, MÖGLICHST SCHNELL den Bergbau in Bougainville zu beginnen, um für die Menschen und das Land den größten Nutzen aus dem Bergbau zu ziehen. The statement of Chris Damana " Without the Panguna mine, ... , it will take a long time for Bougainville to reach economic capability to run as a nation", zeigt, daß einerseits das schnelle und mutige Handeln von James Tanis in Richtung Bergbau übernommen wird, was an sich schon erstaunlich in einem Wahlkampf ist - und es zeigt andererseits, daß neben James Tanis auch die Partei von John Momis verstanden hat, wie wichtig der SCHNELLSTMÖGLICHE BEGINN des Bergbaus auf Bougainville ist, um den höchsten Nutzen für ALLE zu erarbeiten. I can't repeat it often enough : Nobody knows how many years the ongoing trend to buy gold, silver, copper,... as a protection against devaluation of currencies will be. The AS FAST AS POSSIBLE re- opening of the Panguna mine is in everybodies interest because every day of production means more taxes, more schools, more work, more bridges, more streets,... with nearly the same burden for the environment. It is very pleasing that John Momis - as already James Tanis - now is working in this direction, too - in the interest of all stakeholders - and not at last in the interest of the Bougainville people. |