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.