By Norm Dixon

According to a report in the Port Moresby Post-Courier, Martin Miriori, the representative of the Bougainville Interim Government based in the Solomon Islands, has been forced to fly to the Netherlands, where he has been granted political asylum. Miriori's move follows intense political and military pressure on the Solomons Islands government by Papua New Guinea.

Post-Courier reporter Frank Senge Kolma reported that Miriori departed PNG on April 30. On April 14 on the Solomons village of Kariki was raided by PNG Defence Force troops and members of the pro-PNG Bougainville Resistance. This was the latest of several PNGDF raids over the past few years.

On March 26, PNG defence minister Mathias Ijape warned the Solomons to stop providing "refuge and haven" for Bougainville rebels or the PNGDF would launch incursions into the Solomon Islands.

In late April, the PNG government demanded that Honiara expel Miriori. After both the Australian and New Zealand governments refused him asylum, the Solomons government approached the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to find a third country that would accept the Bougainville leader. Miriori previously had refugee status in the Solomon Islands.

Miriori has been a thorn in the side of the PNG government and military as they have attempted to crush militarily the struggle of the Bougainville people for independence and maintain a tight blockade of the island. In the early hours of February 1, Miriori's home and office were fire-bombed by suspected PNG agents, destroying vital radio equipment.

Miriori was able to get news about the terrible effects of the blockade to the outside world and build a significant solidarity movement. He has also been instrumental in organising humanitarian supplies for the people of Bougainville.

Meanwhile, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army claimed that it had overrun a PNGDF base at Koromira, near Kieta. It said that this was the first time it had forced PNGDF soldiers to flee a fortified base. Some of the soldiers had sought safety by swimming to an island offshore.

The BRA report said that it had captured large quantities of supplies at Koromira.

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