Report - Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights

Case Study 2 –
Kokopo village in south Bougainville is made up <strong>of</strong> small hamlets. During <strong>the</strong> period <strong>of</strong> armed conflict
when <strong>the</strong> BRA and PNG used <strong>the</strong>ir land as a battle field, half <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> villagers fled inland to set up
shelter and hide, while <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r half fled and moved into <strong>the</strong> areas that was controlled by <strong>the</strong> PNG
and set up care centres at <strong>the</strong> Piano Mission Station.
I visited <strong>the</strong> care centre in November/December <strong>of</strong> 1994 and lived in <strong>the</strong> care centre for a week. While
people had enough from <strong>the</strong>ir food gardens to eat and <strong>the</strong>y slept in traditional saksak houses as <strong>the</strong>
proper built care centre was overcrowded with no sense <strong>of</strong> privacy. Most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> women were in <strong>the</strong>
car centre, as <strong>the</strong> men had to hide in <strong>the</strong> bush from <strong>the</strong> PNG Defence Force.
While <strong>the</strong> Chiefs and Elders had <strong>the</strong> responsibility <strong>of</strong> managing <strong>the</strong> centre, <strong>the</strong> women had to keep
<strong>the</strong> gardens tended so <strong>the</strong>re was enough food for <strong>the</strong> people in <strong>the</strong> centre. People still lack basic essentials
today like clo<strong>the</strong>s, cooking pots, soap, medicine, and it is too expensive for those villagers living inland.
The PNGDF had <strong>the</strong>ir camp at <strong>the</strong> edge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mission Station behind <strong>the</strong> care centre; <strong>the</strong>y made a
curfew from 6.00PM to 6.00AM. Women were also banned from going to <strong>the</strong> gardens when <strong>the</strong> PNG
and BRA operations were going on at <strong>the</strong> time. All those families who lived like this for throughout
<strong>the</strong> years <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> blockade, still have this trauma <strong>of</strong> living under constant rule and felt that <strong>the</strong>y have
lost <strong>the</strong>ir freedom, not just <strong>the</strong>ir land, homes, and villages to <strong>the</strong> warring factions who evicted <strong>the</strong>m.
Poem (a reflection on <strong>the</strong> aid problem in Bougainville) :
“Flavour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> month/decade”
Here <strong>the</strong>y come with <strong>the</strong>ir back packs
Full <strong>of</strong> papers and for one month
There might be an agenda or two
Hidden down under.
They smile at us…woo us into love and friendship
They look at us…
Getting a feel for what we feel like…
Am I <strong>the</strong> right flavour
Are we <strong>the</strong> right flavour
Is it HIV-AIDS
What is it <strong>the</strong>n
‘Peace Making’ and ‘Conflict resolution’
Is it with a tag that reads;
‘Good Governance’ and ‘civil society’,
What will it be next What was it in <strong>the</strong> 1990’s
Was it ‘Literacy’ Or ‘violence against women’
Was it ‘capacity building’ for NGO’s and CBO’s
Did I hear something about linking, networking, and skill development
Of course it was about mining, logging, and advocacy
Did <strong>the</strong>y say something about nuclear testing at some stage
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