By Earl Makhanbetov

The autonomous region of Bougainville is a former constituent of Papua New Guinea (PNG), however, geographically belongs to the Solomon Islands. The Bougainville conflict has claimed the lives of up to 15,000 people and lasted from 1988 to 1998. Tens of thousands of people were left displaced and a scar was forever engraved in the history of the region. The dispute revolved around the Panguna Copper Mine: which served as PNG’s economic backbone. As a response to the environmental pollution that the mine was causing, local grassroots organizations and demonstrators demanded the Panguna Copper Mine be closed. Australian-backed Papua New Guinea Defense Forces (PNGDF) were dispatched to quell the protests; a direct response oversaw the formation of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA). The BRA fiercely opposed PNGDF forces and the ensuing 10 years of jungle warfare consumed critical infrastructure and eventually the objective turned into political ramifications of independence and statehood. The key highlights of the conflict revolve around transnational companies and their disregard for collective interests, more so, Australia supplied and trained PNGDF forces and stands as a major geopolitical player in the region that has the ability to sway major political decisions.

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