AXEL G STURM
EUROPEAN SHAREHOLDERS OF BOUGAINVILLE COPPER
THIS VIDEO WAS POSTED on YouTube by a Dr David Martin, the CEO of a minor financial service provider called M-CAM, based in Charlottesville, Virginia in the United States of America.
Over the last a couple of months, Martin has been in Bougainville organising so-called landowner awareness meetings.
Everywhere Martin appears he refers to his academic “Dr” degree to impress locals. Usually Americans don’t usually do this unless they suffer from inferiority complexes.
Martin has neither a stake in Panguna nor is he, as far as we know, a Bougainville Copper (BCL) shareholder. Without any insider knowledge he presents himself as the landowners’ saviour.
His experience is influenced and supported by jobless former Me’ekamui rebels who pose with guns, and some few other people.
His latest “coup” has been to publish the video on YouTube. Like a jumping jack he runs around on the road to the Panguna mine site and accuses BCL and its shareholders “of being ignorant and not respectful to the people’s voice”.
It is obvious that Martin has never heard of BCL’s and the ESBC’s hard work to reconcile with all parties concerned.
He also is not aware of the widespread jealousy in Bougainville and has not read about money that has been embezzled by PNG officials in the past.
On the ground, Martin is accompanied by Lawrence Daveona, who was on ESBC’s payroll for many years.
Just recently, Daveona was ousted as landowner secretary and spokesperson, allegedly because of disrespectful behaviour. Daveona is also known for pursuing his own agenda, which has had the effect of undermining the work of his fellow landowners. Sad, but true.
Nobody really knows Dr Martin’s real intentions. There is some feeling he might be connected with interested American investors.
Just before the Bougainville crisis started, the US Pritzker Group had shown interest in taking over BCL.
It can be assumed that Martin does not work just for nothing. So who is behind all this? Who funds all his travel to PNG? Who pays for his activities on the ground?
Is Dr Martin a lucky charm or is he one those folks on Bougainville who appear and disappear from time to time?
One thing is unlikely, that David Martin is the Panguna landowners' Mother Theresa.
As a missionary priest I walked over those mountains before they were scarred by the big hole in the ground.
The comments by Axel are right on. As an American and former Education Officer who travelled the length and breath of Bougainville in the 60's and was aware of the controversy over the idea of the mine, I have been following the latest developments.
Radio New Dawn has been a good source to see how John Momis is trying to get the people to see themselves in the light of possible nationhood.
All I can say is "Good luck" and may the Lord be with you.
Posted by: Patrick (Pat) Mallinson | 22 June 2012 at 12:44 AM
I hope Dr Dave encouraged that Mekamui security detail to hand in those automatic weapons, or at least demonstrate to everyone's satisfaction that they have been rendered inoperable. That would be the neighbourly thing to do.
I might add that Dr Dave's innovative proposal to use intangible assets (e.g. idea for a search engine, say, ) as collateral for capital (regulatory capital no less) by securitizing and rating said intangible assets sounds a lot like what I have read of Mekamuinomics.
That being the case, I hope he has put in place suitable arrangements to incorporate this apparent traditional knowledge transfer in the perpetual contract framework of an established Trust so that his use of said knowledge occurs within the licence environment created by that Trust. Hmmm? I reckon that's what Moses would do. :-)
Posted by: Michael Lorenz | 14 June 2012 at 01:05 AM