About Bougainville

Bougainville is politically an autonomous region within Papua New Guinea (PNG), but  geographically a part of the Solomon Islands Archipelago. It is the biggest island in the north of the Solomons chain and is a mere eight kilometres from the arbitrary sea border of the independent state of the Solomon Islands. 

Bougainville has been colonised and invaded a number of times over the past few hundred years. The history is set out in Bougainville: the long struggle for freedom by the late Moses Havini.

Inspecting a Bougainville ceremonial axe in the Australian Museum: L to R Jenitha, Dorcas Gano, Chief Jessie Kevana 

Disputes concerning the Panguna mine, culminating in actions by landowners that forced the mine to be shut down, resulted in the 'Bougainville Crisis' of the 1990s. A presentation outlining the impact on women of the 1990s conflict and its aftermath was delivered to the Pacific Side Event at the UN HRC meeting of 4 May 2011 by Marilyn Havini.

Autonomous Bougainville Government 

At the end of the civil war of the 1990s a Peace Agreement was negotiated between PNG and representatives of Bougainville groups, providing for autonomous government, a referendum on independence, and a weapons disposal plan. This was followed by the enactment of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville Constitution and the election of the inaugural Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) in 2005.

Opening of the ABG Government 15 June 2010, showing women MPs: the Hon. Elizabeth Burain (Nth), Hon. Rose Pihei (Sth, Minister for Culture & Tourism), Hon Joane Jerome (Central) on their way to the swearing in ceremony.

A general election for the ABG was held in May 2015. 

Referendum on independence

The new ABG will be responsible for negotiating with PNG concerning the terms of the referendum on independence, due to be held between 2016 and 2020. 

Preparations for the referendum have seen a resurgence of debate about the Panguna mine, whether it should be re-opened and if so on what terms. A number of consultation events have been held across all parts of Bougainville, but it is not clear how effective these have been in getting a representation of the range of community views. 

Jubilee Australia conducted its own project to seek out the views of the people most severely affected by the mine: the communities living around it in the area known as Mekamui. Many of the people continue to live with the effects including illness and birth defects; loss of livelihood as they can no longer grow food or catch fish in the rivers; and the destruction and poisoning of their traditional lands. You can access the report here. 

In November 2015 Jubilee Australia published a further report, The Devil in the Detail, analysing the Bougainville Mining Act.

The Jubilee Australia website also contains extensive information about multinational activities in developing countries, including the history of the Panguna copper mine.