A sinister game on Bougainville?

The peace process between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and 
Bougainville has been slowly and painfully moving in a positive 
direction thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Governor 
of Bougainville, John Momis; Joseph Kabui, the former leader of 
the Bougainville Revolutionary Army; and Sir Peter Barter, the 
PNG Government Minister responsible for Bougainville affairs. 
Years of fighting and many deaths led eventually to an agreement 
to end the conflict and search for a peaceful way forward to 
Bougainville independence.

As the PNG newspaper The National declared on October 20, 
"As each month passes, the island moves closer to the goals now 
so clearly longed-for by all thinking Bougainvilleans".

Australian connection

Into this situation has now flown a Cessna aircraft belonging to 
Tasman Australia Airlines and its pilot Peter McGee. On board was 
a Mr Noah Musingku and a cargo of high-powered weapons. The 
aircraft landed at the decommissioned and disused Aropa airstrip. 
Another Australian, Andrew Reid is the owner of Tasman Australia 
Airlines and he is reported to have directed the flight and 
landing at Aropa.

The National commented: "Many will question the sanity of 
a man [Mr Musingku] who arrives illegally at Bougainville's 
disused Aropa air strip with high powered weapons, while the rest 
of the population heads towards the disarmament and destruction 
of the many guns still on the island. Does Mr Musingku wish to 
re-ignite the Bougainville Civil War?

But is it a case of insanity or is it more likely the action of 
some nefarious forces (including some in Australia) who would 
like to see the peace process come tumbling down so that they can 
more effectively fish in the conflict that could follow a break-
down of the peace process?

Mr Musingku is wanted in PNG for a pyramid scam that fraudulently 
ripped millions of dollars from unsuspecting people there. He is 
wanted for corruption and money laundering, yet, says The 
National, "The National Government [of PNG] appears powerless to 
apprehend Mr Musingku and bring him to trial for massive fraud."

Meanwhile, the PNG Government has arrested the Cessna aircraft 
and charged the airline and its owner for breaching the rules and 
regulations of PNG's Civil Aviation Act in that they operated an 
aircraft in a careless manner and were engaged in dangerous 
activity involving an aircraft.

Into these strange happenings comes the name of Francis Ona who 
helped to initiate the struggle of the Bougainvillean people for 
independence but parted company with his own people when he 
refused to join the peace process.

The National commented: "like a bad penny, Mr Musingku 
reappears, apparently posing as some latter-day saviour of 
Francis Ona and his long-sidelined Meekamui Defence Force".

The newspaper goes on: "The interference of Mr Musingku in this 
situation must be terminated by whatever means can be found, and 
as rapidly as possible".