KAOTINANO IBUKIN KAMANOAN ABARA AE BANABA, KATOKAKIN TE KAMBWANA NI KENIKEN AE CENTREX AO KAKAEWENAKO NAKON TE RABI ADMINISTRATOR 

This petition is from all four chairmen of Tabwewa, Uma, Tabiang, and Buakonikai on behalf of their villages and communities on Rabi Island.

Who is impacted?

Banaba (Ocean Island) in the central Pacific has historically been one of the most lucrative and high-grade sources of phosphate rock for global markets. It was mined for 80 years by colonial phosphate interests, and the people displaced to Rabi in Fiji. Centrex, an Australian mining company that has been lobbying certain Banaban individuals for permission to prospect and re-mine Banaba for many months, recently released a story that they had obtained such permission from the Rabi Council of Leaders. The RCL is currently represented by a single, appointed, Fiji government administrator. Only a select few Banabans were consulted including the working group set up in Suva by the Rabi Administrator, Jacob Karutake, who signed off on the prospecting. None of the four village Chairmen and community members in Rabi who are the majority of the landowners reside were consulted or are aware of this agreement. The process by which he granted Centrex to conduct exploration lacked transparency and accountability to Banaban landowners and communities.

Antai ae ena rotaki? 

Banaba (Ocean Island) e mena i nukan te Betebeke ao e nang kinaki bwa teuana te aba ae e reke iai te phosphate ae te kabanea n tamaroa ao ni mwaiti kainanoana nte aonnaba. Ibukin tangiran ana phosphate ao e kenaki aon Banaba inanon 80 te ririki ao aio naba bukina ngke a kamwaeaki nakon abaia ae boou Rabi iaon Biti kain Banaba. Centrex, bon te kambwana ni keniken mai Aotiteria ae ea tia ni kaman anaa nanoia tabeman kain Banaba ibukin aia kariaia ni kona ni manga karaoa te kataratara ibukin manga kenakin Banaba. Nte tai aio, Centrex, ea tia ni kaotinakoa rongorongon reken te kariaia mai iroun te Rabi Council of Leaders. RCL e mena iaan ana tararua ti temanna te aomata are e rineaki iroun te Tautaeka ni Biti bwa te Administrator. Ti tabeman kain Banaba ake ata rongorongon te makuri aio n aron te kurubu are e kateaki bwa te working group iaon Suva ao Jacob Karutake, ngaia are e tiaaina te boraraoi ma Centrex. E ngae n anne ao bon akea naba te reitaki ma atakin te makuri aio ma Centrex irouia kometen kawa iaon Rabi ma kain ni kawa ake ngaia naba taan ababa iaon Banaba. Anganakin Centrex te kariaia bwa ena kona ni karaoa ana kataratara iaon Banaba e bon aki kiraati (transparent), eaki ataaki irouia angia kain Banaba ao eaki makuriaki raoi ni kawaina ae ae eti.

What is at stake?

Banaba experienced destructive phosphate mining for fertiliser markets by Australian, New Zealand and British mining companies and governments from 1900 to 1980. In the process they were placed under the jurisdiction of the Gilbert and Ellis Islands, and eventually the Kiribati and Fiji governments. Banaba is now in Kiribati while the Banabans were relocated to Rabi Island in Fiji. Global demand for phosphate has grown, not just for fertilisers but now for semiconductor industries. Such demand has put pressure on those belonging to Pacific phosphate islands such as Nauru and Banaba to continue the extractive practices that have already degraded their environments. At stake are the ancestral lands and oceans of Banabans, and an island that is an important source of heritage and identity, and a powerful symbol and lesson for human-induced environmental and climate catastrophe. The island needs healing and regeneration, not re-mining. 

We believe what you do to the land, you do to the people. What you do to the ocean, you do to the people. 

Prospecting, re-mining and further extraction are not the answer. At stake are our lands, seas, identities and dignity.

Tera te kanganga?

Banaba ea tia n rotaki nte keniken ibukin tangiran ana kuano ke te phosphate irouia ana kambwana aban Aotiteria, Niutiran ao Buritan man te ririki 1900 nakon 1980. Inanon te tai anne ao Banaba e karinaki bwa aban Kiribati ao nte bong aio ao ea tararuaki iroun Biti ma Kiribati. Banaba e mena n ana aona Kiribati nte tai aio ao angia kain Banaba a tia ni kamwaeaki nako Rabi iaon Biti. Kainanoan te phosphate nte aonnaba nte tai aio e nang korakora, tiaki ti ibukin kamaeuraoan te tano ma ibukia naba bitineti ma kambwana ake a karaoa tareboon, kombiuta ao a mwaiti riki. Ibukin kainanoan te phosphate nte tai aio ao a manga okirikaki naba kambwana ni manga kan katarataraa naba aba ake iai taian phosphate iaon abaia n aron Nauru ao Banaba ibukin manga tangiran naba te kani keniken are ena manga urua naba abara. Ngkana ena manga waaki aio ao a mwaiti kanganga ake ana kona n reke nakon abara ao ara marawa. Nte tai aio ao abara ae Banaba eaki kainanoa te manga kenaki. E kainanoa kaokan arona mai imwaaina ao eaki reke aio ni manga katarataraan te manga keniken iaona.

Tera ae e karaoaki nakon abara, e karaoaki naba nakoia aomata. Tera e karaoaki nakon ara marawa, e karaoaki naba nakoia aomata.

Te kataratara (prospecting), te manga keniken, ao uruan aon Banaba te bwai ae ena nang urubwai nakon abara. Ena rangi n rotaki abara, ara marawa ao rikiara ma aron taraara bwa ngaira kain Banaba. Aio bukina ae ngaira taan ababa tia riai ni bane n teiraki ibukin abara nte tai aio.

Why we need immediate action and now is the time to act

We call on all governments responsible for the current predicament of the Banaban people and Banaba island, to provide support for consultation, representative governance, and an ethical and transparent process for any current or future prospecting, and regeneration or rehabilitation plans. These governments include the original mining stakeholders - United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand; those responsible for governance and who received phosphate revenues since 1900- Gilbert Islands/ Kiribati; and the Fiji government who has been responsible for Banaban wellbeing since 1945. 

Banabans do not need to repeat the mistakes of history. Banaba, Rabi and the Banaban people need healing, care, restoration and regeneration.

Our call to action

We call for a halt to all Centrex activities and Banaba prospecting and scoping decisions. 

We call for the removal of the Rabi Administrator and reinstatement of the Rabi Council of Leaders with representatives from all villages and communities.

Instead of mining our island to rehabilitate Banaba, we must fight for reparations and stop all mining exploration. 

Stand in solidarity with us, please sign this petition and share it with your networks.

Tina takarua nakon Tautaeka ake a irekereke ma kain Banaba bwa ana riai ni boutokaira ni kaoka te maroro nakoia kain Banaba ni kabane iaon te waaki aio, katamaroa nakon anuaia taan kairiri ibukin abara nte tai aio ao iran raoi makuri ma waaki aika kiraati ao aika a eti ibukin iango ake a iangoaki ibukin te kataratara iaon abara ao manga kaokan aron Banaba mai imwaain ke te rehabilitation.

Kain Banaba nte tai aio, aki manga tangira ni kaoka te bwai ae ea tia n riki taai akekei. Banaba, Rabi ao I-Banaba a kainanoa manga kaokan aron abaia nakon are mai imwaina.

Ara tabeka:

1.   Katokan ana makuri ni kataratara Centrex iaon Banaba ao te babaire are e karaoaki n akean aia atatai angia taan ababa

2.   Kabwakaan ara Rabi Administrator are ngaia e tiaana te boraraoi ma Centrex n akea ara atatai

3.   Kaokan rabwatan ara Tautaeka ae te Rabi Council of Leaders ake ana rineaki man kawa inanon te waaki Tautaeka ae e transparent

Te kataratara ke te keniken ae e manga wakinaki naba ngkai iaon Banaba e riai n toki ao ti riai moa n uneakini nakoia aba ake a tia n urua abara ibukin aia kabomwi ke reparations.

Ko kona ni boutoka ara tang aio n am tiaaina ma ara bubuti bwa kama taiaoka n tibwaia nakoia aomata nako.