The NZDF Hercules landed in Buka on 4 September to deliver humanitarian supplies. Photo: Autonomous Bougainville Government
The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) is criticising Aotearoa over the presence of a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) plane in the region.
The Hercules aircraft landed in Buka, in the autonomous region of Papua New Guinea, last Thursday to deliver humanitarian supplies. It is in the country for a range of military activities that were being co-ordinated by the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF), with ten countries participating in the military activities.
Bougainville Attorney-General Ezekiel Massat said the plane's flight and landing in Buka breached the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) as his government had no prior knowledge of it. The landing also occurred the day before the region went to the polls for its general election.
The BPA states that while the PNGDF may conduct activities in Bougainville, it must consult with both its government and the Bougainville government before doing so.
Massat said the tenet was fundamental to the agreement and reflected the dark history and trauma of Bougainville's ten-year civil war and crisis.
Ezekiel Masatt Photo: PINA
"What we saw in the crisis was the unilateral declaration by the PNG government for a state of emergency. And based on that, the military came into Bougainville, not only the PNG Defence Force, but using military apparatus from the Australian Government and it caused massive human rights abuse."
More than 20,000 people were believed to have died in the conflict. Many disappeared without being accounted for. Independence from Papua New Guinea remains a key issue for the region.
Massat said there was no excuse to override the Peace Agreement, and that New Zealand should know better because it has been involved in brokering and maintaining peace in the region for nearly 30 years.
"My sisters and daughters were raped. You know the famous human rights pictures in South Africa where... tires are doused in patrol and bent around [people's] necks, well that happened in Bougainville in my constituency," Massat said.
"I'm not going to sit around and accept some stupid explanation from the New Zealand government that they had permission to land.
"Of all the people, the New Zealand government should be the first ones to know about the Bougainville Peace Agreement. They were here. They've been here since day one. We had a moderator from New Zealand. The New Zealand police are still playing a big part on Bougainville."
In a statement, the NZDF said it obtained permission to fly in the Papua New Guinea airspace.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters also acknowledged the dissatisfaction of the ABG, and a spokesperson from his office reiterated the plane's humanitarian mission, which included the delivery of first-aid equipment, books and clothing.
"As the Attorney-General notes, New Zealand has a long, proud association with Bougainville," the spokesperson said.
"The Minister is aware of the Attorney-General's public comments on this matter. He would be pleased to re-connect with the Attorney-General, or another appropriate representative of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, at the right time to discuss this issue."
Massat said he was not dismissing the possibility that human error in a government department may have led to the lack of required consultation.
"The chief administrator has been instructed to get to the bottom of this."
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape did not respond to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, ballot counting for the Bougainville election is expected to be underway today.
The count was initially scheduled to begin on Tuesday but was delayed due to major flooding, which disrupted the transportation of ballot boxes.
