However, he is adamant that reconciliation is the only way the next generation can enjoy a brighter future. “We had enough loss, sorrow and pain,” he said during a reconciliation ceremony this week on the neighboring island of New Britain, where he fled. Since the truce, armed groups have been laying down their weapons and holding reconciliation ceremonies, seeking forgiveness for atrocities of the past. Accompanying gun amnesties have so far netted thousands of weapons, but thousands more are believed to remain in circulation. In Bougainville’s old capital of Arawa, about 1,000 people gathered last week for a similar reconciliation ceremony.

Source: Taipei Times November 08, 2019 16:06 UTC