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Date Posted: 18:26:40 03/23/00 Thu
Author: Anonymous
Subject: TO BOUGAINVILLE AND HER PEOPLE

To our Brothers and Sisters in the struggle for Bougainvilles freedom:

You are doing very well in your negotiations. I congratulate you! You have so many people like me who are on your side but must remain behind the scenes for various reasons. I for one have always wished that I could have played a greater role in your struggle.

You have given a way for PNG to save face and that is exactly what you needed to do. There are only a few hurdles left till the race is won. It seems PNG is willing to give you 99% autonomy right now. You have given them some leeway on the referendum by offering to postpone it until a later date. As I mentioned before this is to your advantage because it will require some years to rebuild your beautiful island.

Still, you must be very careful as to the route you accept for referendum. My suggestion in the past was to postpone referendum for 5 years. Somare will accept this because he is a procrastinator. But you need guarantees. You need CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEES for referendum. Constitutional guarantees that would require a majority vote by the people of BOUGAINVILLE to revoke. In other words, you don't want the PNG government using Parliament to change the constitution 5 years from now saying Bougainville can not have the referendum or delay it further then your people are willing to wait.

PNG may give you some trouble as to accepting a full Constitutional guarantee for referendum for Bougainville Independence. There is a way around this. If they refuse to do this out right then you can compromise in this way. Have the Constitution state that on a date of your choosing, say 5 years from now, the people of Bougainville will have the right to vote by referendum for a referendum on Independence. In other words, there would be two referendums. The first would say yes or no to a second referendum that would be the one that would determine the National status of Bougainville. I know it is a bit crazy but the truth is that a Constitutional amendment that would guarantee a "vote for a vote" as it were would be easier to swallow then just saying that Bougainville has the right to hold a referendum for Independence in say 5 years.

I hope I'm making myself clear. But I want to be sure so I'll say it again. Have the PNG government guarantee by constitutional amendment the right of the Bougainville people to vote by referendum for another referendum that would be for Independence. Again, two referendums. It is basically the same thing as one but I think the PNG government would fined two easier to swallow then one.

If I'm not being clear please let me know and I'll try it again. Also, I would also make the case that the Minister of Bougainville affairs should be a Bougainvillian up until the time of the referendum. This should be given to Bougainville as an act of good faith by the PNG government. I don't know if they will accept this and it doesn't really matter if they do but it is a distracter and a bargaining chip that can be used to get other more important provisions.

You are doing so very well! It's like surfing. Follow the wave! It will take you home and to Independence. Just remember how the mainlanders think. They'll bargain away the future even for the ILLUSION that the present is taken care of. I CAN NOT EXPRESS TO YOU HOW IMPORTANT A FACT THIS IS. Their track record is to give everything away in the future if their needs for the present are satisfied. Your true power is out five years from now. That is when you will be strongest. This will test your patience but in the end all will be worth it.

Finally, make sure the referendum guarantees are absolute and irrevocable. As long as you do this you will win in the end. Why? Because if PNG negotiates for you to stay in the country in the short term then they can declare victory. THIS IS THEIR WAY OF SAVING FACE. But the truth is that Bougainville will have won because in five years time your people will vote for a free Bougainville and you will be REBUILT and INDEPENDENT!

By now you know who I am so I don't have to sign anything. God bless you and I await the day when I can visit a free Bougainville and salute Independence with you.

Your Friend In Solidarity

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