90,000 starve in Bougainville camps

90,000 starve in Bougainville camps

Papua New Guinea's National newspaper reported on May 10 that more than 90,000 people in 35 "care centres" on Bougainville are at risk of starvation after food ran out on the weekend of May 6-7. These PNG centres are better described as detention camps.

A PNG Bougainville Affairs Ministry spokesperson said that unless the National Executive Council urgently approved the release of K10 million earmarked for Bougainville restoration and rehabilitation programs, the people in the centres would be hard hit.

"The NEC must approve the release of funds to avoid any suffering and deaths, especially the children in the care centres in the five interim authority areas on Bougainville", the spokesperson warned.

He also warned that villagers in other care centres would experience similar shortages and deaths as a result unless the PNG government acted promptly.

A week after the Australian parliamentary mission to Bougainville returned, the Australian government granted $53 million in humanitarian aid for the island to the PNG government. The Bougainville Freedom Movement suggests that these funds are being used to finance the nine-fold increase in troop deployment on Bougainville announced by Port Moresby at the same time.

From GLW issue 144