Bougainville
A crowded house on the Bougainville ballot
There’s been little rest for democracy in Bougainville.
After a break of a few months, the Autonomous Region of Papua New Guinea is plunging back into politics, with elections…
Bougainville: Ringing in the change?
Bougainville’s president John Momis has long been a towering figure in local politics. President for two consecutive terms since 2010, he was a leading instigator of the…
The Bougainville referendum: Celebrations turn to sadness and hope
In a referendum to decide on a future political relationship with Papua New Guinea, a 97.7% majority of Bougainvillean voters have chosen independence. The referendum voting…
The celebratory Bougainville referendum – stories from Siwai
Piled into the back of an overcrowded ute – appropriately named the “Highway Slave”, although formally known as a Public Motor Vehicle – we made the nine-hour expedition across…
An upbeat mood in Buka as Bougainville waits for a result
“Joyous” and “excited” aren’t the first adjectives I normally reach for to describe Buka town, but they are the ones that best encompass the mood here these referendum days.
Buka…
Bougainville referendum: Not the last word
For two weeks from this Saturday, Bougainvilleans will exercise their right to say whether their autonomous archipelago on the eastern edge of Papua New Guinea should become an…
Analyses
The Bougainville referendum and beyond
As Bougainville prepares for a referendum on independence, Australia must navigate a policy response that acknowledges the history of conflict and colonialism there,…
Bougainville’s predicament, independence or not
The referendum to take Bougainville a step closer to full independence finally looks set to start on 23 November, after the issuing of the writs late last month. Voters will have…
The Pacific and a “third option” to the independence question
The Pacific Islands is in a period of transition, with two new potential independent states on the horizon. In New Caledonia and Bougainville, referenda on self-determination are…
Bougainville: A nation in waiting?
On 23 November this year, Bougainvilleans will vote in a referendum to decide whether they wish to stay part of Papua New Guinea or become an independent nation.
It is perhaps…