Bougainville independence not a 'plaything' for foreign media, PNG leader says Read moreBougainville is currently an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea and home to almost 300,000 people, most of whom are gearing up to vote for either total independence or greater autonomy within PNG. In 2001 the Bougainville Peace Agreement formally ended a decade-long war and blockade in which an estimated 10,000-15,000 people died, mostly due to preventable diseases and medication shortages. It established the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) in 2005, mandated weapons disposal, and set a 2020 deadline for an independence referendum. Central to the Bougainville conflict was the Panguna copper mine, operated by Rio Tinto-owned Bougainville Copper Ltd (BCL). Writs for the referendum were formally issued to the Bougainville Referendum Commission at the end of last month, officially declaring the polling date and closing the rolls.

Source: The Guardian October 10, 2019 16:52 UTC