BCL hits Panguna hurdle: Momis says it ‘needs a social license’
09 January 2018
STAFF REPORTER | Radio New Zealand Pacific | Edited
WELLINGTON - The president of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, Dr John Momis, says mining companies must win the trust of landowners if they want to operate the Panguna mine.
Last month, Dr Momis placed an indefinite moratorium on mining at Panguna after landowners opposed the return of miner Bougainville Copper Limited.
The landowners said BCL would not take responsibility for the environmental and social impacts of its previous operation.
BCL ran Panguna until the outbreak of civil war in 1989 in which grievances caused in part by the mine triggered a 10 year conflict that cost an estimated 20,000 lives.
Dr Momis said to avoid further conflict Panguna could only be opened with the landowners' consent.
"Because of our concern that it might ignite another war, we decided, on the recommendation of the Bougainville Mining Council, to impose an indefinite moratorium on mining on Panguna," he said.
"The mine can recommence, but we have to ensure that whichever company gets the license must be acceptable to the people. In other words it must win the social license."
The vast Panguna copper and gold mine once generated nearly half of Papua New Guinea's annual export revenue.
In 2016, mining giant Rio Tinto transferred its controlling stake in BCL to the PNG government and the ABG and later BCL won support from the ABG to return to Panguna.
But opposition to BCL came from the Osikaiyang Landowners Association which said it was time for Bougainville to attract a mining partner that would respect the people and make sure they all benefit.
Australian mining company RTG claimed to have landowner backing last month and its chairman Michael Carrick told RNZ Pacific his company was a better option than BCL.
Dr Momis said it was not clear if an Australian company could provide landowners the same benefits as one partly owned by the ABG.
"That may be so but that is not the view of the people of Bougainville,” he said. “We have a referendum coming up which is important for the ultimate determination of our future and we can't allow BCL's involvement in Panguna to lead to bloodshed.
"We can't open the mine in the face of such huge opposition from the people.
“According to our law, the landowners own the resource, not the government. Until companies win the social license from the landowners they are barking up the wrong tree."
Momis, it is not only the immediate Panguna landowners but the whole of Bougainville from the North, Central and South who despise BCL's return.
Why would the people allow BCL, the previous operator of Panguna mine:
*one who abide not to the aspiration of the people
*partly caused the civil up-rise which led to 15,000 lives loss
*party to massive environmental damage of the ecosystem
*partly leading to the economic-downturn in PNG
An appropriate move for Bougainville it seems is to invite a developer who can't afford to repeat the above fiasco.
Posted by: Michael Geketa | 09 January 2018 at 08:21 AM