PNG defense chief says rebels out of control

PNG defense chief says rebels out of control

PORT MORESBY (Reuter): Separatist rebels are out of control on Papua New Guinea's Bougainville island, where guerrilla activity has escalated in the past 10 days, the head of the country's defense force said.

In a rare move, the commander of the Papua New Guinea Defense Force, Brig. Gen. Tony Huai, late on Tuesday urged village chiefs and the hierarchy of the rebels' Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) to "take control of the situation."

Huai condemned the latest spate of violence in which one Papua New Guinea soldier and at least three rebel fighters have been killed.

The violence has also disrupted attempts by a recently formed Bougainville Transitional Government to restore essential services to the island, which has been devastated by a seven-year secessionist crisis.

"It is obvious the rebel hierarchy and the Bougainville Transitional Government have no control over these gun-toting hooligans who take great pride and joy in destroying assets, killing security force members, their own people and continue these hostilities," Huai said in a statement on Tuesday.

The renewed violence has dashed hopes of a cease-fire mooted at peace talks last month.

Rebels have increased activity in central and southern parts of Bougainville, which is about 800 kilometers north east of the Papua New Guinea mainland.

This has forced the closure of a major health center at Buin in the south and rebel threats forced more than 20,000 people living in government care centers to flee into the bush.

"The rebels seem to be in control of the whole situation," a source on Bougainville told Reuters.

Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan this week expressed concern over the latest violence and has urged both sides to speed up preparations for more peace talks, planned for later this month.

The negotiations last month took place in Cairns in northern Australia with the BRA insisting on neutral venue, but the rebels say they have no funds for further talks.

"This has resulted in the cease-fire being gravely endangered," BRA spokesman Martin Miriori said in a statement from the Solomon Islands on Tuesday.

The Bougainville crisis erupted in 1988 when anger over payments from a huge copper mine in the center of the island fueled existing secessionist sentiments.

The Panguna mine, run by Australian mining giant CRA Ltd, was forced to close in May 1989 and remains idle.