Bougainville Tent Embassy

Bougainville Tent Embassy

CANBERRA — Medicines donated by organisations, doctors and hospitals were delivered to the Bougainville Tent Embassy in front of Parliament House here on November 4. Alan Coe, representing the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, personally delivered the medicines to Moses Havini, representing the Bougainville Interim Government. "Being Aboriginal, I understand both the struggle by the Bougainville Interim Government for independence and self-determination, and the pain imposed on the Bougainville people by the blockade", said Coe. Human rights lawyer Rosemarie Gillespie has also been in residence at the Embassy. "I have seen with my own eyes the sufferings of the people who are denied medicines because of the blockade." According to the Bougainville Interim Government, more than 5000 people have died so far from preventable diseases such as malaria, and bacterial infections. According to the Arawa Red Cross, more than 2000 children have died as a result of lack of medicines and vaccines caused by the blockade. Pictured (l. to r.) are Coe, Havini and Gillespie. Photo by Kristian Whittaker.

From GLW issue 123