The Bougainville Government is furious at statements by Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill that he has transferred his government's shares from Rio Tinto to the province's landowners.
The Rio Tinto shares had been controversially gifted to the national government in June by the multi-national, and on Wednesday Mr O'Neill told parliament he was transferring them on to Bougainville.
On Thursday he clarified this to say the shares would go to the landowners and people of Bougainville and that he had no intention of giving them to the Autonomous Bougainville Government.
The shares are in Bougainville Copper Ltd which had run the long closed Panguna mine and the ABG wanted them to give it a controlling interest in the mine.
The ABG President John Momis told Don Wiseman the future of Panguna is the most sensitive issue in Bougainville.
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