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Pirate Radio Struggles During Bouganville War
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Pirate Radio Struggles during Bougainville War
International Freedom of Expression eXchange Clearing House
IFEX Communique #4 - 20 (15 May, 1995)
The coconut tree has become a source of free information on the
island of Bougainville in Papua-New Guinea, reports Reporters
sans frontieres (RSF) in the May issue of its monthly bulletin, La
Lettre. Max Watts and Boris Adam write that the rebels fighting for
independence must often resort to coconut oil to run the generator
that powers their pirate radio station, Radio Free Bougainville. The
oil of forty coconuts provides power to the station for one hour.
But RSF says the price is heavy. A supporter of the station who
himself survived an attempted summary execution recounts that the
army caught four of his friends who were harvesting coconuts for
the station and executed them. The article describes how the six-
year war between the army of Papua-New Guinea and the
separatists has taken its toll on the islanders. Censorship of the war
on Bougainville continues, with the country's media ignoring it.
Independent journalists are also prevented from visiting the island
by a blockade, with the government allowing access to only
"acceptable" journalists.
The IFEX Communique is published weekly by the IFEX Clearing
House, Toronto. The facility is operated by the Canadian
Committee to Protect Journalists in partnership with the member
organizations of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange
(IFEX). Material for the Communique may be submitted to the
CCPJ, 490 Adelaide Street West, Suite 205, Toronto, Ontario,
M5V 1T2, CANADA; E-mail: [email protected]; Tel: (1-416)
703-1638; or Fax: (1-416) 703-7034. Editor this week: Kristina
Stockwood. Subscriptions are available by e-mail and surface mail.
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