Stages I and II continued. Following several thefts, the procedure was modified to double locking of the small containers in stage I, which were then deemed to be at stage II. Early in 2003, the PMG command appealed to women, chiefs, and church leaders to convince their community men to disarm.
According to a report of the Secretary General to the Security Council on the UN Political Office in Bougainville, “At the end of February 2003, 80.2 per cent of Bougainville had reached stage II, and two districts had fully completed the process of disarmament. Of the total number of collected weapons, 7.4 per cent have been destroyed in advance of the formal launch of stage III.” The report highlighted the obstacles to achieve a reasonably complete weapons disposal in Bougainville, primarily the non-involvement of Mr. Francis Ona and his MeÕekamui Defence Force (MDF) in the peace process. According to a news report, the Australian Defence Force said that the Bougainville disarmament process had gathered 1,621 guns. The Bougainville Revolutionary Army had secured 1,025 of the guns and the other 596 were from the Bougainville Resistance Force. The Australian military spokesman in Canberra, Brig Mike Hannan, said that more than half the weapons have been moved from villages to centralized steel containers with United Nations observers.
“The PMG worked within the defined steps of the BPA and the PMG’s agreement to support the UNOMB in weapons disposal. The PMG provided large, lockable plastic containers for Stage I and large steel shipping containers for Stage II. It transported the containers across the island via helicopter and provided experts to catalogue and count the weapons. The PMG transported ex-combatants around the island to encourage the disposal of weapons and attend the disposal ceremonies, which often attained ritualistic significance, symbolizing an end to the conflict and a return to civilian life.” By the end of 2002, the PMG convinced the PNG Parliament to pass legislation indicating the beginning of the end of the disarmament process.
On May 9 the Peace Process Consultative Committee endorsed the Resolution on Weapons Disposal of the BPA. Stages I and II of the weapons disposal program commenced. Stage I consisted of placing weapons in small containers. Stage II involved placing those small containers into larger shipping containers. Factional unit commanders, verified by the UNOMB, controlled containers. The Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) also monitored them regularly.
No further developments observed.
No further developments observed.
No further developments observed.
No further developments observed.
No further developments observed.
No further developments observed.
On January 14, 2004, the National Government handed over the Constitution to the Autonomous Bougainville Government in Arawa. The new Autonomous Bougainville constitution has a specific provision on the Bougainville Police Service. “[S]ection 148(2) of the Constitution for the Autonomous Region of Bougainville adopted by the Bougainville Constituent Assembly in November 2004 provides for a Bougainville Police Service, not a police force — the term ‘forceÕ in relation to police was rejected quite explicitly. The Constitution also calls for the Bougainville police to ‘develop rehabilitatory and reconciliatory concepts of policingÕ, and to ‘work in harmony with communities and encourage community participation in its activitiesÕ, and ‘support and work with traditional chiefs and other traditional leaders to resolve disputes and maintain law and order in communities.'”
