Bougainville
Geopolitics, but what of other Pacific players?
A new Lowy Institute policy brief, Geopolitics in the Pacific Islands: Playing for advantage, by Meg Keen and Alan Tidwell argues for better coordination between Australia, the…
Bougainville – What’s next?
It has been more than three years since the people of Bougainville voted to decide their political future. The 2019 referendum, that saw 97.7 per cent of voters express a desire…
Seeking independence: three books to read this summer
In her book, Becoming, Michelle Obama revealed that her husband, former United States President Barack Obama, has about eight books on the go to read at any time. I’ve lived a…
Overcoming suspicion: reconciliation for Australia and Bougainville
During a visit to Papua New Guinea earlier this month by Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, a newspaper report on one of his press…
Bougainville independence: recalling promises of international help
After another year of global uncertainty and disruption, spare a thought for the people of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, the majority (97.7%) of whom voted for…
Bougainville independence: Pressure for PNG agreement builds
The second constitutionally mandated post-referendum consultations between Papua New Guinea and Bougainville leaders about independence for Bougainville are being planned for late…
Power politics lies behind how new countries are born – or not
Book review: Gëzim Visoka, John Doyle and Edward Newman (eds) Routledge Handbook of State Recognition (Routledge 2019)
At the school hall in Buka, in that heady hour after the…
A false start for PNG-Bougainville consultations
F.R. Stockwell was a British officer of the old school, the grandfather of a friend of mine who writes historical crime novels. Stockwell had a wonderful maxim about political…
Bougainville: A new captain at the helm
Following weeks of anticipation, the people of Bougainville woke on Wednesday to news of a new president-elect. Former Bougainville Revolutionary Army Commander Ishmael…
Consulting on Bougainville’s future: The what, who, how and when
Campaigns for presidential and parliamentary elections are underway in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. A three-week poll commences in mid-August with results expected by…