Bougainville independence

March 2023

Rear Window

John Paulson was the sole largest beneficiary of the US subprime collapse.

Hedge fund titan John Paulson’s unlikely Bougainvillean bet

The billionaire investor is a major backer of a company run by bankrupt Australian Nikolajs Zuks.

Mar 6, 2023
Myriam Robin

February 2023

Rear Window

Rio Tinto’s massive and infamous Panguna copper and gold mine, a dispute over which led to a ten-year civil war with 15,000 casualties.

Nik Zuks, bankrupt, pans for Bougainvillean gold

Wyndale Resources has considerable ambitions on the island, contingent on the man running them paying off his Australian creditors in time.

Updated Feb 13, 2023
Myriam Robin

July 2021

Mining

Rio Tinto takes ‘first step’ towards Panguna fix

The miner has agreed with community leaders in Bougainville to help fund an investigation into the environmental and social impact of the abandoned copper mine.

Updated Jul 21, 2021
Peter Ker

December 2019

Pacific diplomacy

In Bougainville, people are casting their votes in a historic independence referendum.

Australia's PNG step-up in a tumultuous year

With 10 million people, a key strategic location, and its challenges of governance, Papua New Guinea's success is in Australia’s interest.

Dec 6, 2019
Shane McLeod and Jonathan Pryke

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/bougainville-independence-1nak