Joseph Kabui
Encyclopedia
Joseph Canisius Kabui was a secessionist leader and the first President
of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, off the coast of Papua New Guinea
, from 2005 to 2008. He was also the leader of the Bougainville People's Congress
.
Kabui was a commander in the Bougainville Revolutionary Army
during the war in Bougainville in the 1990s. In June 2005, after the island gained autonomy within Papua New Guinea, he was elected as President of Bougainville by a large majority, winning 38,000 out of 69,385 votes.
While in office, he granted a Canadian company, Invincible Resources, access rights to 70% of Bougainville's mineral resources, and he was widely criticized for this decision. This was announced in 2008 with no prior discussion in Parliament, and shortly before Kabui's death it was expected that a motion of no-confidence would be presented against him. In an interview shortly before his death, he said that his dream was "to see Bougainville [become] a Kuwait
of the Pacific".
Kabui went to Brisbane
for medical treatment prior to his sudden death on 7 June 2008 at a hospital in Buka
. United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
called Kabui a "skilled mediator and peacemaker who had a genuine interest in the future of his people", and according to Australia
n Foreign Minister Stephen Smith
, Kabui played a "key role in restoring Bougainville to peace following the bitter conflict on the island". A state funeral was held for Kabui at the St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Boroko in Port Moresby
on 10 June. His body was returned to Buka on 11 June, and a funeral mass was held for him in Buka on 12 June. His body was planned to be taken to Arawa
, Panguna
, and finally the village of Padorima in Central Bougainville. The Bougainville government declared a public holiday to mourn Kabui.
Kabui was believed to have died of a heart attack. In an interview with the Port-Courier, a newspaper in Papua New Guinea, that he gave 12 hours before his death, Kabui said that he had stopped taking his heart medicine four months beforehand and was taking a water tonic instead because the medicine was too expensive. He dismissed suggestions of seeking help, saying that "I am not a man that would ask for things that concern me", and he also said that he had missed a medical check-up because he was too busy with work. His next check-up was scheduled for later in June, but he noted that the necessary trip to Australia was expensive as well.
Vice-President John Tabinaman
became Acting President following Kabui's death. The existing method for filling a vacancy in the presidency is to hold a new popular election, and Tabinaman described this as likely, while also noting the possibility of a constitutional amendment that would instead allow Parliament to elect one of its members as President. Planning for a new popular election subsequently began.
President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville
The President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville governs the island, which is an autonomous entity within Papua New Guinea.The first President of Bougainville was Joseph Kabui, who was elected in June 2005, following the 2000 peace agreement which ended the Bougainville War...
of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, off the coast of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, from 2005 to 2008. He was also the leader of the Bougainville People's Congress
Bougainville People's Congress
Bougainville People's Congress is a political party in the autonomous region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. The party president was Joseph Kabui, premier of the province in 1987-1990 and the first President of Bougainville from June 2005 until his death on June 7, 2008....
.
Kabui was a commander in the Bougainville Revolutionary Army
Bougainville Revolutionary Army
The Bougainville Revolutionary Army was formed in 1988 by Bougainvilleans seeking independence from Papua New Guinea .BRA leaders argue that Bougainville is ethnically part of the Solomon Islands and has not profited from the extensive mining that has occurred on the island...
during the war in Bougainville in the 1990s. In June 2005, after the island gained autonomy within Papua New Guinea, he was elected as President of Bougainville by a large majority, winning 38,000 out of 69,385 votes.
While in office, he granted a Canadian company, Invincible Resources, access rights to 70% of Bougainville's mineral resources, and he was widely criticized for this decision. This was announced in 2008 with no prior discussion in Parliament, and shortly before Kabui's death it was expected that a motion of no-confidence would be presented against him. In an interview shortly before his death, he said that his dream was "to see Bougainville [become] a Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
of the Pacific".
Kabui went to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
for medical treatment prior to his sudden death on 7 June 2008 at a hospital in Buka
Buka, Papua New Guinea
Buka is situated on Buka Island, Bougainville Province, Papua New Guinea. It has been the capital of the province during the Bougainville civil war...
. United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
called Kabui a "skilled mediator and peacemaker who had a genuine interest in the future of his people", and according to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Foreign Minister Stephen Smith
Stephen Smith (Australian politician)
Stephen Francis Smith , is the Australian Minister for Defence. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1993, representing the Division of Perth, Western Australia....
, Kabui played a "key role in restoring Bougainville to peace following the bitter conflict on the island". A state funeral was held for Kabui at the St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Boroko in Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
on 10 June. His body was returned to Buka on 11 June, and a funeral mass was held for him in Buka on 12 June. His body was planned to be taken to Arawa
Arawa, Papua New Guinea
Arawa is the disputed capital and largest settlement in Bougainville Province in Papua New Guinea. The land where Arawa is now situated was previously a large expatriate plantation....
, Panguna
Panguna
Panguna is a town and a copper mine on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea. By the end of its operations on May 15, 1989 it was the largest open-cut mine in the world; it was also a major catalyst in the unrest in Bougainville in the 1970s and 1980s.- See also :* History of Bougainville*...
, and finally the village of Padorima in Central Bougainville. The Bougainville government declared a public holiday to mourn Kabui.
Kabui was believed to have died of a heart attack. In an interview with the Port-Courier, a newspaper in Papua New Guinea, that he gave 12 hours before his death, Kabui said that he had stopped taking his heart medicine four months beforehand and was taking a water tonic instead because the medicine was too expensive. He dismissed suggestions of seeking help, saying that "I am not a man that would ask for things that concern me", and he also said that he had missed a medical check-up because he was too busy with work. His next check-up was scheduled for later in June, but he noted that the necessary trip to Australia was expensive as well.
Vice-President John Tabinaman
John Tabinaman
John Tabinaman was the Acting President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea, from 7 June 2008 to 6 January 2009.-As Vice President:...
became Acting President following Kabui's death. The existing method for filling a vacancy in the presidency is to hold a new popular election, and Tabinaman described this as likely, while also noting the possibility of a constitutional amendment that would instead allow Parliament to elect one of its members as President. Planning for a new popular election subsequently began.