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Recent News

22 Dec 2004	PNG Prime Minister looks forward to economic independence "...2004 has been a year of achievements as the government endorsed the final Bougainville Constitution allowing for elections for an autonomous government to be held next year."
21 Dec 2004	Bougainville: Autonomous Bougainville a step closer Papua New Guinea's Governor-General, Sir Paulias Matane, signed the constitution for an autonomous Bougainville as approved by the PNG government and the island's constituent assembly on Tuesday.
30 July 2002	Rio Tinto Court Case On 25 March this year, Judge Margaret Morrow of the Federal District Court of California dismissed the claim for environmental damage and human rights abuse brought against mining giant Rio Tinto by the people of Bougainville.The claim, arising from the operations of the Bougainville copper mine, was dismissed by Judge Morrow following intervention by the US State Department on behalf of the Papua New Guinea government (PNG).
18 Apr 2002	U.N. Wants Faster Disarmament In Bougainville The U.N. Security Council yesterday urged stepped-up efforts to complete the weapons disposal program on the Papua New Guinean island of Bougainville, a required part of the political settlement of the 10-year civil insurgency there.
June 2001	Bougainville: towards a new autonomy status Following the signing of the Bougainville Peace Accord in January 2001, negotiations between the parties have been focussing on the details and implementation of its articles. It has already been agreed upon that all government functions should be transferred to Bougainville, except for defence, foreign affairs, international shipping and aviation, and the supreme court, furthermore the Panguna copper mine, that sparked the violent conflict in Bougainville will not be reopened. Bougainville Copper Limited, the owner of the Panguna mine, is leaving Bougainville and will sell all its assets.
6 Sep 2000	Rio Tinto sued over Bougainville: Oceanic Islanders Use Federal Law to Sue British Mining Giant Rio Tinto for Alleged Ecocide and Human Rights Crimes. - Business & News Editors/Legal Writers, San Francisco - 6 September 2000.

Major Groups and Individuals Involved with the Conflict

Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL)
BCL is owned 53.9% by Rio Tinto, 19.1% by the PNG government and 27.3% by public shareholders.

Bougainville People's Congress

Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) - Ishmael Toroama - commander of the BRA. Joseph Kabui - political leader of the BRA, and also leads the Bougainville People's Congress.

Bougainville Resistance Force (BRF)

Mekamui Defence Forces (Defence Forces of the Sacred Land) - Francis Ona is the leader of the Mekamui Defence Forces (Defence Forces of the Sacred Land). Francis was the leader of the original Bougainville rebellion and a member of the landowning clan that rose up against the Panguna copper mine in 1988. Ona is advised by a team that includes William Nakin and Michael Poposan, two businessmen from Buka.

Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) - Armed forces of the State of Papua New Guinea.

Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) - The PMG played a crucial role in facilitating the peace process and supervise the ceasefire. It comprised a mix of unarmed military and civilian personnel from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu. The group ceased activities in mid-2003 handing over to the Bougainville Transition Team.

Bougainville Transition Team (BTT) - The BTT was a small, unarmed team of civilians from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu deployed for a six month period in the second half of 2003 on the withdrawl of the PMG. The team helped maintain confidence and facilitate the peace process.

Historical Time Line

End WWII	Bougainville placed under Australian administration as a United Nations Trust Territory.
1960	Australian geologists find copper in Naisioi land, Bougainville.
1963	BCL is formed as a joint venture between Broken Hill Corporation and Conzinc Rio Tinto Ltd and begins exploration.
1968	Elections held throughout PNG. Bougainville calls for a referendum for secession.
Dec 1973	Self Government granted to PNG.
1 Dec 1975	Bougainville declares its independence from PNG for the first time.
Dec 1975	PNG gains independence from Australia and Bougainville is placed under PNG authority.
1976	Agreement signed to grant Bougainville limited Autonomy as a province of PNG with its own provincial government.
15 May 1989	Mine operations cease following attack by rebels on a bus carrying workers to the mine site.
24 Mar 1990	Complete withdrawal of BCL company personnel.
1990	PNGDF forced to withdraw from the island.
April 1990	Blockade of island commences, enduring until 1998.
17 May 1990	Bougainville declares its independence from PNG for the second time and the Bougainville Interim Government (BIG) is established.
April 1991	PNGDF return to Bougainville.
Aug 1991	Bougainville Interim Government (BIG) becomes a member of UNPO.
Nov 1994	The Margini Charter is signed leading to a ceasefire and the establishment of the Bougainville Transitional Government (BTG)
1996	BTG President assassinated.
1996	New military offensive launched by the PNG Government.
1997	The PNG Government hires British-South African mercenaries from Sandline International. Domestic and International pressure leads to the resignation of the PNG Prime Minister and new elections.
Oct 1997	A truce between PNG and Bougainville is announced in New Zealand. The Truce Monitoring Group (TMG) is deployed to Bougainville.
30 April 1998	Signing of the Ceasefire Agreement in Arawa Township.
1998	Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) deployed, replacing the Truce Monitoring Group (TMG).
6 Sept 2000	Class Action Suit is filed in the USA against Rio Tinto for environmental and human rights violations caused and precipitated by the mining operations to the Bougainville people.
Jan 2001	PNG and Bougainville reach an agreement for a referendum on independence. Elections for an autonomous government are to be held within 12 months and a referendum between 10 and 15 years after.
1 May 2001	Rio Tinto announces it will be putting the mine up for sale.
May 2001	PNGDF Agrees to a gradual withdrawal from island in return for the disarmament of BRA and BRF forces.
1 June 2001	Acceptance and signing of Final Peace Treaty by major parties, providing Bougainville with an autonomous government and leading to a future referendum within 10 to 15 years on independence.
21 Dec 2004	Papua New Guinea's Governor-General, Sir Paulias Matane, signed the constitution for an autonomous Bougainville as approved by the PNG government and the island's constituent assembly.

Links to Further Information

Eco-Action - Bougainville Updates

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) - Bougainville - Background information, news, and documents.

Australian National University (ANU) - State Society and Governance in Melanesia - Some of the publications and conference/workshops deal with Bougainville.

Rio Tinto - History

Related Bibliography

The following selection of publicationson Bougainville Island provide information on the conflict and/or background to the mining operation and other causal factors. Many of these are not available on the Internet and can only be sourced as hardcopies. The University of Queensland library in Brisbane, Australia has been used to identify the publications. The publications are listed in chronological order based on the publishing date.

The listing was prepared in late 2001 and cannot be regarded as comprehensive. It is provided as an indication of the resources available in relation to this conflict.

A bulldozer through heaven [motion picture] , BBC T.V., Bristol, UK, 1971.

Bougainville: the establishment of a copper mine, edited by H.H. Stephenson, Construction, Mining, Engineering Publications, St. Kilda, Australia, 1973?.

The regional economy of Bougainville: growth and structural change, M. L. Treadgold, Development Studies Centre, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, 1978.

Aspects of modernization in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, Douglas Oliver, Center for Asian and Pacific Studies; Social Science Research Institute, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 1981.

Mine rehabilitation workshop : Bougainville, 10-13 May, 1982. Bougainville Copper Ltd.

The effect of mine tailings disposal on shallow coastal benthos and tropical demersal fish assemblages, J.H. Powell. PhD Thesis, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, 1986.

The developmental impact of Bougainville Copper Limited on the Papua New Guinean economy, Richard Field, Economics Thesis, University Of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld, Australia, 1986.

The geology and mineral resources of Bougainville and Buka Islands, Papua New Guinea / R. J. Rogerson, et al., Port Moresby, P.N.G. : Geological Survey of Papua New Guinea, 1989.

Bougainville : the mine and the people, Paul Quodling,
Centre for Independent Studies Ltd, St. Leonards, N.S.W., Australia, 1991.

The Bougainville land crisis of 1969: the role of moral re-armament, Nigel Cooper., Christchurch, N.Z. : Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury, 1992.

A deal may be a deal, but fair's fair -- so the mine's mine : extra-deal renegotiations in the case of the Bougainville copper agreement, Jill Lauren Jamieson, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Mass., 1992.

Bougainville campaign diary, Yauka Aluambo Liria,
Eltham North, Vic. : Indra Publishing, 1993.

Bougainville: a Pacific solution: report of the visit of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Bougainville, 18 - 22 April 1994.

Two treaties tabled on 26 May 1998: the Bougainville Peace Monitoring Group Protocol and treaties tabled on 11 November 1998, Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1999.

Interim report : visit to Bougainville 15-18 March 1999, Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Australian Parliament. Canberra : Commonwealth of Australia, 1999.

Completed Inquiry: Bougainville: The Peace Process and Beyond, Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Australian Parliament. Canberra : Commonwealth of Australia, 1999.

Bougainville Copper: a case analysis in international management, Graeme R. Tonks and Peter J. Dowling, University of Tasmania School of Management, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, 1999.

The Bougainville conflict: perspectives from Nasioi, Eugene Ogan, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, 1999.

Ecocide: the case of Bougainville: industrial chemical contamination and the corporate profit imperative, Rosemarie Gillespie, Me'ekamui Publications, Lyneham, A.C.T., Australia, c1999.

Enemies within: Papua New Guinea, Australia and the Sandline Crisis: the inside story, Mary-Louise O'Callaghan, Doubleday, Sydney, Australia, 1999.

Getting under the skin: the Bougainville copper agreement and the creation of the Panguna mine, Donald Denoon, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Victoria, Australia, 2000.

The Bougainville crisis: an Australian perspective, Alexander Downer, Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra, Australia, 2001.

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