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  • 2 May 2024
    • Pacific Islands
    • Bougainville
    • Papua New Guinea

    Bougainville’s future: The hard questions

    Oliver Nobetau
    There are good reasons to take time before Bougainville cuts loose from PNG.
  • 23 Feb 2024
    • Climate change
    • Bougainville
    • China and the Pacific
    • Papua New Guinea

    Geopolitics, but what of other Pacific players?

    Nic Maclellan
    Politics is a missing element of a new Lowy Institute assessment.
  • 29 Jun 2023
    • Bougainville
    • Papua New Guinea

    Bougainville – What’s next?

    Joseph Nobetau
    The 2019 referendum saw an overwhelming vote for independence, but the outcome is still unclear.
  • 21 Dec 2022
    • Aid & Development
    • Timor-Leste
    • Australia
    • Public Diplomacy And International Broadcasting
    • Bougainville
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Review

    Seeking independence: three books to read this summer

    Jessica Collins
    From Timorese history and Bougainville’s dreams to Australia’s regional stories, catch up on essential background.
  • 31 Oct 2022
    • Australia
    • Bougainville
    • Papua New Guinea

    Overcoming suspicion: reconciliation for Australia and Bougainville

    Anthony Regan
    The angry reaction to Richard Marles’ comments should be a warning to Canberra about the need to settle past grievances.
  • 19 Nov 2021
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    Bougainville independence: recalling promises of international help

    Kylie McKenna , Emelda Ariku
    The pandemic has blown the referendum result off front pages – but that doesn’t make the challenge any easier.
  • 18 Jun 2021
    • Bougainville
    • Papua New Guinea

    Bougainville independence: Pressure for PNG agreement builds

    Anthony Regan
    Setting goals for independence by 2025, UN membership and a sustainable economy signal Bougainville’s resolve.
  • 28 Apr 2021
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville
    • Review

    Power politics lies behind how new countries are born – or not

    Gordon Peake
    History shows a resounding referendum – like recently in Bougainville – is not alone in deciding future independence.
  • 2 Dec 2020
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    A false start for PNG-Bougainville consultations

    Gordon Peake
    The post-referendum process stalled after a delegation arrived in Port Moresby, only to have the meeting cancelled.
  • 24 Sep 2020
    • Bougainville
    • Papua New Guinea

    Bougainville: A new captain at the helm

    Leanne Jorari
    Ex-combatant Ishmael Toroama hopes to reward people’s patience and finally steer the island to independence.
  • 8 Jul 2020
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    Consulting on Bougainville’s future: The what, who, how and when

    Gordon Peake
    Making progress after the overwhelming independence ballot is as much a question of bureaucratic mechanics as politics.
  • 25 Jun 2020
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    A crowded house on the Bougainville ballot

    Shane McLeod
    With independence negotiations looming, hundreds of candidates are running for house seats, and 25 for president.
  • 27 Feb 2020
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    Bougainville: Ringing in the change?

    Annmaree O’Keeffe
    John Momis towered as a figure in both PNG on Bougainville, but his time as president seems to be fast running out.
  • 30 Jan 2020
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    The Bougainville referendum: Celebrations turn to sadness and hope

    Kylie McKenna
    The emotional responses to the vote offer a more nuanced picture than an emphasis on hypothetical worst-case outcomes.
  • 9 Dec 2019
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    The celebratory Bougainville referendum – stories from Siwai

    Kylie McKenna , Augusta Ariku , Emelda Ariku , Lieberth Sam , Anthony Siniku
    Bamboo bands, drums, and groups of women singing and dancing are the backdrop as Bougainville decides its future.
  • 4 Dec 2019
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    An upbeat mood in Buka as Bougainville waits for a result

    Gordon Peake
    With civic joy fuelled by nothing stronger than coconuts and Coca-Cola, the independence ballot is only the first step.
  • 20 Nov 2019
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    Bougainville referendum: Not the last word

    Annmaree O’Keeffe
    If predictions of a vote for independence are right, figuring out the mechanics of statehood will be a struggle
  • 9 Oct 2019
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    Bougainville’s predicament, independence or not

    Annmaree O’Keeffe
    Whatever path Bougainville follows after next month’s referendum, human development is its most urgent priority.
  • 26 Sep 2019
    • Pacific Islands
    • New Caledonia
    • Bougainville

    The Pacific and a “third option” to the independence question

    Kerryn Baker
    Bougainville or New Caledonia could chart their own course with “flexible sovereignty” – but that might not be enough.
  • 22 Aug 2019
    • Australia
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    Bougainville: A nation in waiting?

    Ben Bohane
    With an independence referendum looming, Australia’s interest is seeing this long-running issue resolved peacefully.
  • 23 Apr 2019
    • Pacific Islands
    • Public Diplomacy And International Broadcasting
    • Bougainville

    Simplistic and wrong to say the ABC is missing from Pacific coverage

    Kellie Mayo
    So often the ABC asks questions to provide answers other media outlets run with.
  • 15 Apr 2019
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    Australian media: missing in action on Bougainville

    Annmaree O’Keeffe
    But you can count on New Zealand – again!
  • 21 Dec 2018
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    Bougainville’s Panguna – “a challenging opportunity”

    Annmaree O’Keeffe
    Opportunities in Bougainville won’t be easily or quickly realised, and certainly not without community support.
  • 11 Oct 2018
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    Facing ghosts of the past in Bougainville

    Catherine Wilson
    Post-war justice has been elusive, but until grievances are confronted, the consequences of impunity can be deadly.
  • 21 Aug 2018
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Bougainville

    The new battle for Bougainville’s Panguna mine

    Catherine Wilson
    Mining, without peace, won’t contribute to a longing for successful self-government and equitable development.

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