The Bougainville crisis
IN 1992, the Pacific Conference of Churches executive committee decided against sending a team on a fact-finding tour of Bougainville.
An article published by The Fiji Times on October 3 of that year, stated the delegates had, however, agreed to address the Bougainville crisis.
Conference secretary for justice, peace and development Peter Salamonsen said, “This Boungainvile crisis will continue to be an important issue and there is still a possibility that we will send a team.
“We have to look at the issue from a regional perspective. It is a sensitive and complex issue.”
Mr Salamonsen said the conference was not concerned with political solutions causing the troubles on the island.
“Our immediate concern is for the people who are suffering from the economic blockade. Some have been suffering since 1990. The conference’s policy is to try to arrange a pastoral visit.”
Any visit to the island would have to be negotiated through the Papua New Guinea Conference of Churches. Earlier, the delegates had expressed hopes that the meeting would adopt a resolution calling for a team to visit Bougainville to gain first-hand experience of the situation. The article stated that meeting chairman Bishop Patelisio Finau had told delegates the situation on the island was confusing because of the many reports the conference had received from different sources.
On Tuesday of that week, he said, moves to find out more about Bougainville had been frustrating and he called for the delegates to make a united stand on the issue.
As mentioned in the article, a rebel government seeking international recognition and declaring independence from Papua New Guinea had been set up on the island.
Delegates had heard that visits to Bougainville by foreigners were not normally granted by the Papua New Guinea government.
Most foreign visitors to the secessionist island were forced to travel through the Solomon Islands which lie off the tip of Bougainville.
On Thursday, the delegates resolved to continue to protest against the Japanese government’s decision to transport a shipment of plutonium across the Pacific,
Mr Salamonsen said a policy would have to be adopted so that member churches and governments could jointly protest against the shipments.
At that time Japan was planning to ship enriched plutonium for its nuclear power stations from Europe to Japan.
Among other decisions that were made were protests on the possibility of continued French nuclear testing at Mururoa. They discussed forming stronger working relationships with political leaders and nongovernmental organisations.
Also part of the discussion was the greenhouse effect and how to make people more aware of environmental problems.
Our immediate concern is for the people who are suffering from the economic blockade. Some have been suffering since 1990. The conference’s policy is to try to arrange a pastoral visit – Peter Salamonsen