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| PNG leader apologises to Bougainville for bloody 1990s civil war | |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Papua New Guinea prime minister Peter O'Neill has apologised to the people of Bougainville for the 1990s civil war that left thousands dead. | Papua New Guinea prime minister Peter O'Neill has apologised to the people of Bougainville for the 1990s civil war that left thousands dead. |
| O'Neill also performed a reconciliation ceremony with the | O'Neill also performed a reconciliation ceremony with the |
| autonomous region's president, John Momis, and visited the site of the | autonomous region's president, John Momis, and visited the site of the |
| Panguna copper mine which sparked the civil war. | Panguna copper mine which sparked the civil war. |
| "Following custom, I'd like to say we are truly sorry for all the bad things that happened in your communities in Bougainville and our country Papua New Guinea," the Port Moresby-based Post Courier reported O'Neill as saying on Tuesday. | "Following custom, I'd like to say we are truly sorry for all the bad things that happened in your communities in Bougainville and our country Papua New Guinea," the Port Moresby-based Post Courier reported O'Neill as saying on Tuesday. |
| O'Neill made the comments at Bel Isi Park in Buka, where he and Momis broke an arrow in a symbolic gesture of peace. | O'Neill made the comments at Bel Isi Park in Buka, where he and Momis broke an arrow in a symbolic gesture of peace. |
| Momis told a crowd of hundreds that O'Neill's visit meant a new beginning for PNG and Bougainville. | Momis told a crowd of hundreds that O'Neill's visit meant a new beginning for PNG and Bougainville. |
| "This means a new beginning and co-operation and collaboration to continue the work for development," he said. | |
| O'Neill unveiled 1.5 million kina ($A720,000) in development funds for Bougainville and was accompanied by the PNG government's chief secretary, public enterprises minister Ben Micah and mining minister Byron Chan. | O'Neill unveiled 1.5 million kina ($A720,000) in development funds for Bougainville and was accompanied by the PNG government's chief secretary, public enterprises minister Ben Micah and mining minister Byron Chan. |
| Chan is the son of civil war prime minister Sir Julius Chan, | Chan is the son of civil war prime minister Sir Julius Chan, |
| who along with Momis is considered one of PNG's founding fathers. | who along with Momis is considered one of PNG's founding fathers. |
| Bougainville is due to hold a referendum to decide if it will become an independent country between 2015 and 2020. | Bougainville is due to hold a referendum to decide if it will become an independent country between 2015 and 2020. |
| Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyst Karl Claxton said there is a wide expectation Bougainville will vote to become independent. | Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyst Karl Claxton said there is a wide expectation Bougainville will vote to become independent. |
| "[O'Neill's] visit is definitely a welcome increase in focus | |
| and it's exactly what's needed, dialogue between the national government | and it's exactly what's needed, dialogue between the national government |
| and the ABG [Autonomous Bougainville Government]. | |
| "I would call it a very significant step indeed." | "I would call it a very significant step indeed." |
| O'Neill was also expected to visit the site of the Panguna mine near Bougainville's capital, Arawa. | O'Neill was also expected to visit the site of the Panguna mine near Bougainville's capital, Arawa. |
| At the time of its closure in 1989 in the build-up to the hostilities, the mine was the largest open-cut copper mine in the world. The mine is still a hot issue in Bougainville, with landowners living around it opposed to its reopening. | |
| However some argue it is a vital potential revenue stream for an independent Bougainville. | |
| Claxton said there is room for Momis to stretch out the independence vote until 2020. | |
| "To build consensus," he said. | |
| "There is very little understanding of what autonomy means and how much is needed to make either of those things [autonomy or staying with PNG] work. | |
| "Independence will need a big income stream." |