TOWN AND LAGOON; DISPUTED VILLAGE; TEMPORARY BUILDINGS AND VEHICLES WORKING ON SITE; TRUCKS AT MINE; MINE WORKER; VILLAGERS.




Initials AH/A/PNG/OS



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: FOR THE LAST FORTNIGHT, VILLAGERS ON BOUGAINVILLE -- ONE OF THE SOLOMON ISLANDS -- HAVE DEFIED THE ADMINISTRATION IN NEW GUINEA BY OPPOSING ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST COPER MINING PROJECTS AT ISSUE IS 175 ACRES OF LAND NEEDED BY THE MINING COMPANY FOR A CONSTRUCTION BASE AND HARBOUR FACILITIES.

TWICE THE VILLAGERS OF ROROVANA ON BOUGAINVILLE'S EAST COAST HAVE TAKEN ACTION IN AN EFFORT TO PREVENT WORK AT THE SITE. WHEN THEY TRIED TO OBSTRUCT WORK BY BULLDOZERS ON AUGUST 5, POLICE DISPERSED THE VILLAGERS WITH TEAR GAS AND BATON CHARGE.

EARLIER, WOMEN WRESTLED WITH POLICE AROUND A CONCRETE BOUNDARY MARKER -- WHICH THEY FINALLY SUCCEEDED IN DRAGGING FROM THE GROUND.

THE AUSTRALIAN MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL TERRITORIES, MR. CHARLES BARNES, SAID THAT HE REGRETTED THE INCIDENTS, BUT ADDED THAT EVENTS AT ROROVANA REFLECTED THE PROBLEM OF THE ISLAND'S TRANSITION INTO THE MODERN WORLD. HE SUGGESTED THAT, IN THE INTEREST OF THE TERRITORY AS A WHOLE, THE MINING PROJECT MUST GO AHEAD.

WHILE THE MEMBER FOR SOUTH BOUGAINVILLE, MR. PAUL LAPUN, FLIES TO AUSTRALIA TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION, THE MINING COMPANY -- CONZINC RIOTINTO OF AUSTRALIA -- IS PRESSING AHEAD WITH ITS MULTI-MILLION POUND PROJECT.

THE COMPANY PLANS TO START THE HYDRAULIC STRIPPING OF THE NINE SITE NEXT YEAR. AND WHEN IN FULL PRODUCTION, THE COMPANY EXPECTS TO WIN 80,000 TONS OF COPPER ORE FROM THE LAND A DAY. THIS MAKES IT ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST MINES, WITH ESTIMATED RESERVES OF 765 MILLION TONS OF ORE.