Word: ona
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...coronation of Ona might appear comic, but it is a sinister scene in the tragedy that looms over the beautiful but ravaged island. For more than 14 years, Ona and his band of rebels in the Bougainville Revolutionary Army have occupied a no-go zone around the vast Panguna copper mine. The villagers who fall inside his territory are denied essential services, and face a fragile security situation. Blundering by corporate jet into this dysfunctional society came an eccentric Australian businessman. His arrival brought hollow promises of multi-million-dollar business deals and benign health programs, and coincided with Musingku...
...light rain drizzled onto more than a thousand people, Musingku held up a crown of shells and placed it upon the head of Ona, the new King of Mekamui. In turn, Musingku - alleged to have defrauded thousands of Papua New Guineans of their savings in a disastrous pyramid scheme - was crowned Prince of Papala, with special responsibility for managing the government's finances...
...gathered on a plateau. After a procession of traditional dancers swaying to the music of pan pipes, marching militia and strutting chiefs, two men mounted a stage in the center of the clearing. Bare-chested, in a floral head-dress, grass skirt and neatly cleaned tan boots was Francis Ona, leader of the region's independence fighters; alongside him stood one of Papua New Guinea's most wanted conmen, Noah Musingku...
...island traces its troubles to protests in 1989 against Bougainville Copper Limited's mine. A local landowner, Ona led others in demands for compensation and tighter environmental controls. The P.N.G. military was brought in to suppress the revolt, and the conflict evolved into a secessionist rebellion that eventually claimed the lives of between 12,000 and 15,000 people, according to the U.N. While other elements of the original independence fighters signed a ceasefire in 1998, Ona has vowed to occupy the mine and surrounding regions until Bougainville is granted independence...
...chalkboard sign invites the shopper into this space chock full of clothing, accessories, jewelry, and artifacts discovered by its proprietress, Aziza. Paintings by Parsons School of Design student, Maple Turner III are prominently on display and jewelry designed by Ona can be purchased...