SUMMARY
Bougainville is an island located Far East of the main territory of Papua New Guinea. In 1989 the rebels, BRA, initiated their armed struggle to get independence, claiming vast environmental degradation was produced by a mine operating in the Panguna region without the government providing sufficient compensation to the locals. Both sides of the conflict have violated human rights and have committed atrocities agianst the civilian population. Several attempts of negotiations occurred throughout the conflict, usually with the help of regional neighbours. The 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement imposed large-scale autonomy for the island, and a referendum in the future on possible independence. Still, large areas of the Bougainville island, including those located around the old Panguna mine remain fully outside government control as "no go areas".
IN DEPTH
Background to the civil conflict
Bougainville is an island located Far East of the main territory of Papua New Guinea, and has always had more in common with nearby Solomon Islands. Bougainvilleans traditionally referred to Papuans as "red-skins" and deliberately protected their distinct local culture. After a colonial history mainly involving British and German interests, Bougainville became part of the Australian colony of New Guinea after the First World War.
In the 1960s, huge amounts of copper were discovered on Bougainville and the colonial Australian government instigated a large-scale mining operation by the newly formed Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL), jointly owned by the British-Australian company CRA and the state. Locals in Bougainville complained of not being compensated for their land, and resented the influx of foreigners to the island that followed the mining project, making up two-thirds of the work force. In 1988, the BCL supplied around 17 per cent of Papua New Guinea government revenue in taxes, royalties, and profit.
When Papua New Guinea (PNG) became independent in 1975, the Bougainville provincial government voted for the formation of a separate state, but both the Australian administration and the PNG government blocked any such development.
In 1988, a disgruntled Bougainvillean called Francis Ona quit his work as a surveyor at the BCL and formed the New Panguna Landowners Association (NPLA). They then demanded 10 billion PNG kina in compensation for the impact of the mine, considering it to be a just payment for the land for future generations. The NPLA also criticised environmental practices at the mine and a dual-wage structure that paid less to locals. This was not even discussed and in November 1988, the first bomb attack on company infrastructure was executed, and Ona started to recruit what later became known as the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA).
Armed struggle over Bougainville
After initial military successes by the rebels, the Papua New Guinea (PNG) military withdrew and settled for a blockade of the island. Elements of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) then committed atrocities against the civilian population, leading to the formation of factions (with the support of the PNG military) that opposed the declared independent Republic of Bougainville. These anti-BRA guerrillas called themselves The Resistance and invited the PNG army to return to the island. As the PNG military managed to reclaim territory, there were grave violations of human rights, as reported annually by, among others, Amnesty International.
Due to a blockade (which was heavily criticised internationally), civilians on Bougainville suffered severely. The only connection with the outside was through Solomon Islands, where the public opinion firmly supported Bougainvillean independence. Throughout the conflict, Australian programs supported the PNG for defence cooperation and arms transfers. After several years of military failures, the PNG in 1997 contacted the private military company Sandline International to support an armed operation to end the conflict. This news led to major civil unrest in PNG, and the effects of the Sandline affair served to renew interest in the peace process.
The total troop size and technical possibilities of the PNG military were superior to the BRA, who mostly depended on leftover weapons from the Second World War. The financial instability of PNG, however, made it impossible for the government to deploy more than a third or possibly half of the army into the Bougainville operations at any one time. This led to the actual fighting forces being almost evenly matched, especially considering the BRAs better knowledge of the dense jungle terrain and the low morale of the PNG soldiers.
Negotiations, agreements and status quo
Several attempts of negotiations occurred throughout the conflict, usually with the help of regional neighbours such as Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. After the Papua New Guinea government pulled out in 1990 and resorted to the blockade, there were no negotiations until 1994. The peace process seemed to lose steam again in 1996 but low-level contacts by mediators early the following year led to a decrease of fighting, and formal negotiations resumed in July 1997. Conflict activity decreased 1997, and following the signing of a truce in October 1997 where the parties agreed to immediate positive measures, almost no clashes were recorded. The peace process continued in the coming years through another ceasefire signed in January 1998, and several meetings where different aspects of the future status of Bougainville were discussed. In 2001, these were settled within the framework of the Bougainville Peace Agreement, a comprehensive settlement that imposed large-scale autonomy for the island, and a referendum in the future on possible independence.
Successful elections for the Bougainville Autonmous Government (ABG) were held through May and June 2005, with former rebel Joseph Kabui winning the presidential seat. In the Presidents office three seats had been designated to be held by ex-combatant representatives. With the inauguration of the ABG the UN proclaimed the full implementation of the United Nations Observer Mission to Papua New Guinea.
A small group, under the leadership of former BRA leader Francis Ona, decided to not participate in the peace process. Swathes of land under the control of this and other groups continue to be fully outside the control of the government or of the ABG, being labeled as "no-go areas" for governmental troops and officials. These include the former mine at Panguna and the former capital of the province at Arawa.
However, despite the lack of control over large parts of land, no fighting has taken place between troops opposing the peace agreement and governmental soldiers, and, indeed, Ona and his successor Noah Musingku recognised the authority of the BAG over some issues such as education or sanitation in a complicated arrangement based on traditional law.
