New post on Papua New Guinea Mine Watch
§ Bougainville’s Transitional Mining Bill was a Theatrical Extravaganza by ramunickel
Industry Insider
Oh we have seen a ballet of bull**** over the past week.
And it was choreographed over a little chat between Rio Tinto/BCL, the ABG, its legal advisor and the Aussies - with the final touches being added several days before the mining transitional bill was very abruptly presented to, and passed by the ABG.
During these discussions the plan was hatched to pull the wool over people's eyes.
You generally don't meet the week before with Rio Tinto/BCL, if you are about to bust their chops wide open. You only meet if you want to jointly manage public perceptions, as they call it.
President Momis is hurting - most people see him as a puppet of foreign advisers (a reputation he earned back in the 80s). He needs to look like he has taken a stand for Bougainville, while selling it down the drain to a company who many regard as corporate killers. Not an easy task.
So the ballet began last week!
The legislation we were told gives landowners ownership of the minerals (not true - if I own my house, I can decide who comes in and who doesn't ... regardless of the situation ... under the act if the landowners let the miners through the door and they start busting up the furniture ... tough, they have no right to eject them).
And then get this, we were told Rio Tinto/BCL has been stripped of their rights - Momis the great liberator has arrived!
On cue BCL was outraged, steaming with anger.
It was a good old pantomime.
And the BS headlines began rolling in, as had been planned:
'Rio Tinto subsidiary takes legal advice after being stripped of its Bougainville mining licences' (ABC) 'Bougainville Copper stripped of licences' (PNG Industry News) 'Miner not happy with Bougainville Mining Bill' (Post Courier)
And then suddenly you have the sword wielding President prancing around on the political stage, claiming he has slayed the Rio Tinto beast, while his sycophantic offsiders applauded.
Tick tick tick. How long before we get to the last Act, where a humbled Rio Tinto bows before the slayer John Momis, and humbly ask to return.
About a week.
'Rio Tinto's Bougainville holds out hope for project' (Mining Weekly) 'Bougainville hopes mining giant embraces new law' (Radio New Zealand International) 'Bougainville Copper to pursue dialogue' (PNG Industry News)
We are now told ...
'Bougainville Copper says it will continue to pursue dialogue with landowners in Bougainville to assess the viability of reopening Panguna copper mine'.
'As a result, when the Bougainville Mining Act begins, section 212(2) will vest Bougainville Copper with an exploration licence for the area where a mining lease was previously held for the Panguna mine. That exploration licence will give BCL the right to apply for a mining lease under the Bougainville Mining Act, while the grant of a lease will depend on the outcome of negotiations in the Bougainville mineral resource forum'.
And what does BCL's Peter Taylor tell us
'Dialogue will continue with both governments and landowners in an effort to reach agreement on providing the company with the assurance it needs to go forward with community and study programs that are required to further assess the viability of reopening the mine'
Friends we call that good perception management. A theatrical extravaganza was planned for all and sundry. You had your redeemable villains, Rio Tinto/BCL, you had your hero, John Momis, you had your action, the stripping of BCL's leases (well not really), and then you had your moment of redemption, Rio Tinto/BCL to enter dialogue, chastened by the good President.
It was a good show used to obscure the fact that landowners at Panguna have just got shafted, and Rio Tinto - i.e. the villain - has been given the keys to the kingdom.
Cue the audience applause. ramunickel | August 18, 2014 at 12:11 pm | Tags: ABG, Anthony Regan, Bougainville, Human rights, John Momis, Landholders, Mining Law, Panguna, Papua New Guinea, Rio Tinto | Categories: Financial returns, Human rights, Papua New Guinea | URL: http://wp.me/pMvf7-3Co
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