Statement by the Chairman of the Panguna Landowners Interim Council

On behalf of the five customary landowning clans who are the traditional hosts of the Panguna redevelopment site, I wish to express our sincere apology to Lloyds Panguna Metals & Energy Ltd (LPMEL) for the deliberate burning and destruction of your machinery at B20, Panguna, in the early hours of Sunday morning .

We deeply regret that this criminal incident has occurred on our customary land and acknowledge the disruption, loss and concern it has caused to LPMEL, its employees and partners. We strongly condemn this act of arson and make it clear that the five landowning clans and the Panguna Landowners Interim Council do not condone, authorise or support criminal acts, destruction of property, intimidation or violence.

We respectfully distance the five landowning clans from those responsible for this criminal act. The legitimate interests of the Panguna landowners must not be confused with the actions of individuals who choose to break the law. Our customary land ownership carries with it a responsibility to protect the integrity of the land, the people and the future development of Panguna. We therefore call upon those responsible, and anyone who may have information about the incident, to cooperate with the appropriate authorities and allow the matter to be dealt with through the proper legal processes.

To the President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Bougainville Minerals Limited as the holder of LSML-01, and Lloyds Panguna Metals & Energy Ltd, we reaffirm the commitment of the five landowning clans to the responsible redevelopment of Panguna. We recognise the importance of Panguna to Bougainville’s economic future and remain committed to working constructively with the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), BML and LPMEL to ensure that the redevelopment proceeds in accordance with the Bougainville Constitution, applicable ABG laws, the LSML-01 framework, customary landowner processes, environmental and social safeguards, and all required regulatory approvals and compliance obligations.

Our commitment is to pursue our landowner rights and interests through lawful negotiation, consultation, clan processes and the institutions established by Bougainville law. We believe Panguna redevelopment must deliver meaningful and sustainable benefits to the customary landowners and the wider people of Bougainville, while maintaining strong environmental, social, governance and regulatory standards. We therefore encourage all parties to remain calm, maintain open communication and work together to resolve legitimate concerns without allowing criminal actions to derail the redevelopment process.

Finally, on behalf of the five Panguna landowning clans, the Panguna Landowners Interim Council reaffirms our full commitment to working with the ABG, President, BML and LPMEL to complete the necessary legal, regulatory, landowner and compliance processes so that Panguna redevelopment can commence in accordance with the agreed timelines. We believe the future of Panguna must be built on partnership, trust, law and responsible customary leadership. We extend our sincere apology to LPMEL for this incident and assure all legitimate stakeholders that the five host clans remain committed to a peaceful, lawful and successful redevelopment of Panguna for the benefit of current and future generations of Bougainvilleans.

Samson Kaissy

Chairman

Panguna Landowners Interim Council