Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Bougainville Government committed to review of Peace Agreement

Posted at 07:58 on 19 September, 2012 UTC

The President of the autonomous Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville, John Momis, says he accepts not enough progress has been made on the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

This follows a petition presented to him by the Bougainville Veterans Association, made up of ex-combatants from the former Bougainville Revolutionary Army, resistance fighters and the Mekamui group.

It wants an immediate review of the implementation of the Agreement.

Mr Momis says he will speak with the national government about what can be done to improve the implementation but he acknowledges several problems.

“Draw down of powers, provision of funding, taking positive steps to create law and order and investment and so on and so forth. It is not true that nothing has been done. A lot of things have been done but it is true that funding has been slow. I hope that this will be positively addressed very soon.”