The general election was the first since Bougainville voted overwhelmingly for ... of little economic progress after a decade-long civil war that claimed as many as 20,000 lives. Fighting between the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) and PNG government forces developed into a full-blown civil war, which saw an estimated 20,000 … The war has been described as the largest conflict in Oceania since the end of World War II, with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Bougainvillean dead. That will be our firm position". The mine began production in 1972 under the management of Bougainville Copper Ltd, with Papua New Guinea as a 20% shareholder. For Bougainville — an area with huge mineral wealth and 250,000 people — the vote also makes it much harder for Papua New Guinea to move slowly through the consultation period required under the 2001 peace agreement that provided a pathway to independence. “The P.N.G. Francis Onaresponded by unilaterally declaring independence. 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Follow our live coverage from day one of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, By PNG correspondent Natalie Whiting in Bougainville and Pacific Beat staff. Voting in the Pacific island of Bougainville's referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea (PNG) will be held between Nov. 23 and Dec. 7, the referendum commission said. SYDNEY, Australia — The region of Bougainville, a collection of islands in the South Pacific, has voted overwhelmingly to become independent from Papua New Guinea, aiming to become the world’s newest nation. What and where is Bougainville? However, the referendum result is not binding. Lockdown inspires mum's once-in-a-lifetime road trip, Aida's mum fled war to Australia. Conflict over the Panguna mine became the primary trigger for the Bougainville Civil War (1988–1998), which resulted in the deaths of up to 20,000 people. The mine has remained closed despite controversial attempts to reopen it in recent years. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. The Bougainville conflict, also known as the Bougainville Civil War, was a multi-layered armed conflict fought from 1988 to 1998 in the North Solomons Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG) between PNG and the secessionist forces of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), and between the BRA and other armed groups on Bougainville. About 85 per cent of eligible voters cast more than 181,000 ballots in two weeks of voting. In a referendum linked to a peace agreement that ended a civil war between separatists and Papua New Guinea security forces nearly 20 years ago, nearly 98 percent of those who voted supported becoming an independent nation. government could have found a way to justify really stretching this out and having a period of negotiation that could last years or decades. Death, even among neighbours, can mean very little. Central to the conflict that led to the vote was Bougainville's rich resources. Excited voters gathered in Buka to hear the results — and they cheered when the sheer scale of the victory became apparent. Bougainville Island (Tok Pisin: Bogenvil) is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea.It formed the main landmass of the German Empire-associated North Solomons.Its land measures 9,300 km 2 (3,600 sq mi). Photograph: … "It's been a long time coming," she told the ABC. Bougainville Referendum Commission chair Bertie Ahern said on Tuesday the vote was conducted "in an environment that was conducive to a free, fair and credible process". "We don't want to set a precedent for the other 21 provinces. The referendum is an important step in the peace process between groups on Bougainville and Papua New Guinea, following the bloody Bougainville Civil War. Follow our live coverage for the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic. Parliament, then I imagine China would be very quick to offer its support in many ways, with aid, trade and investment,” said Mr. Pryke. The deputy speaker of Bougainville's Parliament, Francesca Semoso, said she was emotional when she cast her vote last month. The results were met with celebration in Bougainville, where the results were announced in the city of Buka. The Bougainville Peace Agreement The civil war that subsequently broke out between the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, Papua New Guinean forces and other pro-PNG militias in Bougainville saw the mine shut down in 1989. The political structure of Bougainville as an autonomous region within Papua New Guinea reflects the important need, following the civil war, for parliamentary representation of different interest groups. It is the culmination of decades of work towards peace and reconciliation. At the time, Bougainville’s Panguna mine provided nearly half the entire country’s export income through gold and copper mining. An anti-war movement evolved on Bougainville during the mid-1990s, spearheaded by womens’ groups, NGOs, and the church. The relationship between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea was never good, and, in the late 1980s, environmental and economic concerns related to the mining industry on the island led to a revolt by the Bougainville Revolutionary Army against the national government of Papua New Guinea. The referendum holds huge emotional significance for many Bougainvilleans. CANBERRA, Australia, Sep 29 2020 (IPS) - Ishmael Toroama, a former revolutionary leader and fighter during the decade long civil war which engulfed the remote islands of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the 1990s, has been elected the autonomous region’s new President ahead of high-level talks about its political future. Observers have said that the clear result makes it difficult for Papua New Guinea to … "To see them back in their own village, to meet them and be part of what they see as the next step in their future was incredibly special.". Negotiations between PNG and Bougainville about the road forward will now begin and could continue for years, and the PNG Parliament will have the final say. Its economic grievances led the region to declare independence, or try to, in 1975. [8] PNGDF casualties during the fighting were believed to include more than 300 killed. "For me personally, it's my father who's always been a strong supporter of peace … and supporter of making sure everyone in the community were able to have a voice.". All or most of the voting was closely watched by several groups of observers, including a team of 11 sent by the Australian Government and led by the former Australian MP Jane Prentice, who has her own very personal connection to the region. Violence shut down the mine in 1989 and a nine-year war claimed the lives of 20,000 people. In a referendum linked to a peace agreement that ended a civil war between separatists and Papua New Guinea security forces nearly 20 years ago, nearly 98 percent of … The results are astonishing: 98.3 percent voted for independence (1.7 percent voted for more autonomy). Like many Bougainvilleans, I am relieved that the referendum has concluded, that we have honoured the memories of those lost to the conflict, and that we can now move forward in negotiating a lasting political settlement. Serahphina Aupong/United Nations in Papua New Guinea, via Associated Press. The autonomous region was once home to the world's largest open-cut copper mine at Panguna, which provided up to 45 per cent of PNG's export profits. The scheduled two weeks of voting ended earlier than expected, with many Bougainvilleans casting their vote just days after polling stations opened. The nearly unanimous results exceeded what regional analysts had expected and could accelerate the independence movement, complicating diplomatic relations across the region. “If the process plays out to a point where Bougainville is ceded its independence by the P.N.G. Assisted by moderate leaders on all sides, Bougainville’s burgeoning civil society was able to slowly develop a framework for peace. Up to 20,000 people, or about 10 per cent of Bougainville's population, died during the Bougainville Civil War, fought from 1988 to 1998. In May 1990, Papua New Guinea imposed a blockade on Bougainville. The discovery of vast copper ore deposits in Bougainville's Crown Prince Range in 1969 led to the establishment of a huge copper mine by the Australian company Conzinc Rio Tinto. Countries like Australia and New Zealand will also now find themselves squeezed — likely facing pleas for assistance from Bougainville to develop its institutions, and resistance from Papua New Guinea, which has never been eager to give up Bougainville’s bounty. "We've lost people that have worked so hard. “I can imagine they’d be very proactive.”, Bougainville Votes for Independence From Papua New Guinea. That special status was granted to the islands during negotiations that followed a bloody, decade-long civil war. Special arrangements were made to allow upes — boys and young men undertaking their coming of age initiations — to vote in Bougainville's historic referendum. The Bougainville civil war raged for a decade after indigenous landowners, incensed by environmental devastation and inequities associated with the Rio Tinto majority-owned Panguna copper mine, waged an armed campaign to shut the mine down. government in a pretty hard position,” said Jonathan Pryke, director of the Pacific Islands program at the Lowy Institute in Sydney. #Bougainville. Members of the Bougainville Women's Federation cheering Wednesday after hearing that voters in a referendum overwhelmingly supported independence from Papua New Guinea. “It puts the P.N.G. The command structure set up by the BRA seldom had any real control over the various groups throughout the island that claimed to be part of the BRA. A ten-year civil war was the result. He set up the Bougainville Interim Government (BIG), but it had little power, and the island began to descend into disarray. Out of a population of 160,000, as many as 10,000 died as a result of the blockade, or were shot—three times the number killed during the troubles in Northern Ireland. We had many of the key players come and stay with us in Brisbane," she told the ABC's Pacific Beat program earlier this month. While the vote is non-binding, there are indications from PNG that Bougainville may be granted its independence if it can demonstrate economic self-sufficiency (as indicated by the PNG Prime Minister, James Marape), although PNG wants to maintain a national ‘unity’, so most likely won’t give … Polling for Bougainville's independence referendum gets underway today. The referendum was a result of a 2001 agreement between the government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government that ended a civil war fought from 1988 to 1998. A peace agreement resulted in the creation of the Autonomous Bougainville Government. CANBERRA, Australia, Sep 29 (IPS) - Ishmael Toroama, a former revolutionary leader and fighter during the decade long civil war which engulfed the remote islands of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the 1990s, has been elected the autonomous region's new President ahead of high-level talks about its political future. That war saw the secessionist Bougainville Revolutionary Army … It provided over 45% of Papua New Guinea's national export revenue and was incredibly important to the economy. Voting was also made available to Bougainvilleans working on mine sites around PNG and those working in Australia and Solomon Islands. Tensions continued, and the subsequent Bougainville Civil War (1988–1998) resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, as the Bougainville Revolutionary Army sought to secure independence and was resisted by the Papua New Guinea Defence Force. The autonomous region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is entering a new phase in its quest for peace, almost 20 years after a peace agreement ended a 10-year civil war. The war has been described by John Momis, President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, as the largest conflict in Oceania since the end of World War II. That 10-year conflict, which raged from 1988 until 1998, saw the deaths of up to 20,000 people, or around 10 per cent of Bougainville's population at that time. Bougainville has voted overwhelmingly to seek independence from Papua New Guinea, with more than 97 per cent in favour of autonomy. 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The referendum was a key part of a 2001 peace agreement that ended a civil war in which at least 15,000 people died in the cluster of islands to the … That is like a quarter of a million New Zealanders dying in a civil war that lasted almost twice as long as World War Two. Ever wondered why we call today Boxing Day? At the time, the Panguna open cut mine was the largest in the world. With such a resounding vote for self-determination, Bougainville has become a visible inspiration for other independence movements in the Pacific, from West Papua, which is seeking to secede from Indonesia, to New Caledonia, which will hold a referendum next year about possibly breaking away from France. Later this year the island will vote in a referendum on greater autonomy or independence from PNG. This long-awaited referendum was at the heart of the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement, which marked the official end to a bloody civil war that lasted from 1988 to 1997. Up to 20,000 people, or 10% of the population at the time, lost their lives. "We don't want any part of Papua New Guinea to break away," Sir Puka told Pacific Beat last month. “Now with such a phenomenal majority, it’s much harder for them to do that,” he added. "I was a little girl as this was being talked about. The poll was a key part of a nearly 20-year-old peace agreement, which brought an end to a bloody civil war in the region. The referendum also responds to more historical ambitions by many Bougainvilleans to be independent. In 1997, negotiations mediated by New Zealand began between the PNG government and secessionist leaders. Out of 181,067 ballots, 176,928 votes were cast for independence. But Papua New Guinea ignored that push, and over the ensuing decades, tensions simmered and then exploded. Up to 20,000 people, or about 10 per cent of Bougainville's population, died during the Bougainville Civil War, fought from 1988 to 1998. PNG and Bougainville are now expected to hold negotiations and present an option for the PNG Parliament to vote on. Bougainville Civil War also known as Bougainville Conflict was a conflict that was fought from 1988 to 1998 in which autonomous region of Papua New Guineaball, Bougainvilleball on a failed attempt to be an independent country. government has squandered its opportunity,” said Wesley Morgan, a fellow at Griffith University’s Asia Institute in Queensland, Australia. Many felt mining profits were not being shared fairly between PNG and Bougainville — or even between different landowner groups at the mine site — while pollution from the Panguna operation also created tension. The population of the province is approximately 300,000 (2019 census), which includes islets such as the Carterets. 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