Bougainville update
Published by MAC on 2007-06-21
Bougainville update
21st June 2007
As representatives of Rio Tinto/BCL flew to Bougainville last week (presumably to discuss issues associated with the closure and possible re-opening of the Panguna copper-gold mine) the autonomous government said that it would call the shots in future.
The mine, it says, could re-open - but only " under the direction of an acknowledged and proven operator with an outstanding environmental and stakeholder rights record."
Some might consider that, if this condition were rigorously adhered to, then the re-opening of Panguna will never occur.