NewsBite

Bougainville independence

Advertisement
The personal bodyguard of the sacked head of PNG's armed forces threatens another soldier during unrest in 1997.

PNG documents secret despite 'transparency' commitment

Details about Australia's relationship with PNG after the Sandline Affair have been kept out of the National Archives' annual release of cabinet papers.

  • Nick Bonyhady

Latest

"The Run", 1994.

Bougainville: the journey to the 2019 independence vote in pictures

Ben Bohane draws on his archive of photos spanning 25 years of Bougainville's history in times of war and peace and more recently, their vote for nationhood.

  • Ben Bohane
A man plants a Bougainville flag in his hair as he queues up to vote on the opening day of the territory's independence referendum.

From 'treasure island' to world's newest nation? What is happening in Bougainville?

One of Australia's neighbours is poised to become the world's newest nation. But there are still a few more forks in the road on the nation's long path to peace.

  • Patrick Elligett
Young men in their Upe initiation hats, the symbol of Bougainville, line up to vote in the country's independence referendum last week.

Bougainville votes overwhelmingly for independence from PNG

The final say will now go to lawmakers in the Papua New Guinea Parliament.

  • Ben Bohane
The people of Bougainville have waited 19 years for the chance to choose whether they want to stay part of Papua New Guinea.

Vote could help create world's newest nation

Experts believe people the 250,000 people of Bougainville will vote overwhelming in favour of independence.

Marilyn and Moses Havini met at an Australian university church conference in 1967.

Australian love story at the heart of Bougainville's push for independence

Marilyn met her husband Moses in 1967. From that moment her fate was fixed to Bougainville's fight for freedom.

  • Ben Bohane
Advertisement
China’s already active diplomacy and investment in the region could extend to assisting an independent Bougainville. 

'Where is Australia?' China makes a bold play for the south Pacific's 'Treasure Islands'

China is on the front foot across the south Pacific, as allegations of bribery emerge in the Solomon Islands and a leader on Bougainville reveals a Chinese “masterplan”.

  • Ben Bohane
GOV158C – the Kiribati government vehicle tailing 60 Minutes on its recent trip.

Followed, bitten by a dog, detained: what really happened to the 60 Minutes crew in Kiribati

When 60 Minutes applied to film on the island of Kiribati, the government, which is cosying up to China, changed the rules, then detained us.

  • Gareth Harvey
Bougainville Revolutionary Army guerillas stand next to a destroyed dump truck inside the captured Panguna mine in 1994.

Can Bougainville rebuild on the broken corporate dreams of the colonial age?

An Anglo-Australian copper and gold mine helped trigger a deadly civil war 30 years ago. Now Bougainville is poised to vote for independence.

  • Ben Bohane
Heavy trucks sit rusting on the edges of Panguna copper mine, closed in 1989 as a result of sabotage.

This derelict mine caused a bloody war. Now Aussie companies are fighting over it again

The people of Bougainville are poised to vote for independence and already Australians, including Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest, are hoping to exploit their resources.

  • Sarah Danckert and Ben Bohane

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