A new independent country, the Bougainville archipelago

Bougainville, today formally known as the Autonomous Region of Bougainvillem which  previously was known as North Solomons, is an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea that is trying to become the newest independent country. 

The largest island of the Autonomous Region is Bougainville Island (9,318 km2 and a population of 140,000). It also includes Buka Island (500 km2 and population of 110,000)  where the capital of the region (Buka) is located and assorted outlying nearby islands.

Bougainville is ecologically and geographically part of the Solomon Islands archipelago but is not politically part of the nation of Solomon Islands. Buka, Bougainville, and most of the Solomons are part of the Solomon Islands rain forests ecoregion. The region's biodiversity is heavily threatened by mining activities, mostly conducted by foreign investors.[

Most Bougainvilleans use the language Tok Pisin as a lingua franca, and at least in the coastal areas Tok Pisin is often learned by children in a bilingual environment. Bougainville's constitution, written in English, does not specify an official language, but calls for constitutional literature to be translated into Tok Pisin and as many local languages as possible, while also encouraging the "development, preservation, and enrichment of all Bougainville languages".

There are many indigenous languages in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, belonging to three language families. None of the languages are spoken by more than 20% of the population, and the larger languages such as Nasioi, Korokoro, Telei and Halia are split into dialects that are not always mutually understandable.

The languages of the northern end of Bougainville Island, and some scattered around the coast, belong to the Austronesian family. The languages of the north-central and southern lobes of the island belong to the North and South Bougainville families.] The most widely spoken Austronesian language is Halia and its dialects, spoken in the island of Buka and the Selau peninsula of Northern Bougainville.

History

The island was named after the French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville, who made expeditions to the Pacific. In 1885, the island was taken over by a German administration as part of German New Guinea. German forces in the territory surrendered to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Forces shortly after the outbreak of World War I, in September 1914. After the war the territory was designated as a League of Nations mandate, which was administered by Australia as the Territory of New Guinea.

The Japanese occupied Bougainville in 1942, after the outbreak of the Pacific War. Allied forces recaptured the island in the Bougainville campaign from 1943 to 1945.

Australia resumed its civilian administration of the island when World War II ended in 1945. In 1949, the Territory of New Guinea was placed in an administrative union with the Territory of Papua to the south, forming the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. The territory gained its independence in 1975.

Bougainville is rich in copper and gold. A large mine was established at Pangunainin the early 1970s by Bougainville Copper Limited, a subsidiary of Rio  Tinto. Disputes by regional residents with the company over adverse environmental impacts, failure to share financial benefits, and negative social changes brought by the mine resulted in a local revival for a secessionist movement that had been dormant. Activists proclaimed the independence of Bougainville (Republic of North Solomons) in 1975 and in 1990, but both times government forces suppressed the separatists.

In 1988, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) increased their activity significantly. The Papua New Guinea army (PNGDF) try to put down the rebellion, and the conflict escalated into a civil war. The PNGDF retreated from permanent positions on Bougainville in 1990, but continued military action. The conflict involved pro-independence and loyalist Bougainvillean groups as well as the PNGDF. The war claimed an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 lives.

The Bougainville conflict ended in 1997, after negotiations brokered by New Zealand. A peace agreement was completed in 2000 and, together with disarmament, provided for the establishment of an Autonomus Bougainville Government. The parties agreed to have a referendum in the future on whether the island should become politically independent.

On 25 July 2005 rebel leader Francis Ona died after a short illness. A former surveyor with Bougainville Copper, Ona was a key figure in the secessionist conflict and had refused to formally join the island's peace process.

A non-binding independence referendum was held in Bougainville on 23 November 2019.

Recent news 

Bougainville votes on independence from Papua New Guinea

The former German colony could become the world's newest nation if the vote passes. The island's vast mineral wealth could make it a target for investors.

Voters on the Pacific archipelago of Bougainville began casting ballots on Saturday in a referendum on independence from  Papua New Guinea.

If the vote for independence passes, the autonomous province with 206,000 people could become the world's newest independent nation.

The referendum is part of a peace deal in 2001 that ended a bloody civil war between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea that left at least 15,000 people dead.

The referendum presents two options, either greater autonomy from Papua New Guinea, or complete independence. From the few reliable opinion polls, supporters of full independence are expected to win.

However, the referendum is nonbinding and a vote for independence would require ratification from the Papuan Parliament.

Although there are fears that an independent Bougainville could set a precedent for other independence movements in tribally diverse Papua New Guinea, rejecting the referendum could risk destabilizing the peace process.

Results of the referendum are not expected until at least mid-December, as many communities on the island are isolated, and some live on smaller surrounding islands.

Indonesian imperialism in West Papua

A slow genocide

The second largest island of the World (785,753 km2)  complex and highly diverse humid ecosystems, some of the oldest cultures, the richest language diversity (1,000 languages), abundant natural resources, New Guinea has became a target for colonial occupation from early times.

During the last three centuries was occuppied by the Dutch (western half), Germany and Britain (eastern half).

After the First World War (1918) Germany was forced to withdraw and together with the British colonial territory (already under Australian control) the League of Nations  awarded it to Australia. In 1965 the country became independent the name of Independent State of Papua New Guinea

When the Dutch were forced to abandon the western half due to the military and political pressure of Indonesia, West Papua was occupied by the Republic of Indonesia in 1962.

Since then, Indonesia, which is a densely populated archipelago,  endeavoured to fully control the territory through military occupation and started carrying out policies of settlement by Indonesian colonists.

The West Papuan population resisted the occupation and a long struggle has been under way afted the Indonesian take over. This struggle has been repressed with many casualties among the Papua civil population.

What is taking place in West Papua (New Guinea) is a slow genocide of the native population by the Indonesian colonial imperialism.

D.A.

About the Papua genocide and the struggle for independence

The word genocide is simple enough to understand, whether in Nazi Germany, Rwanda, Bosnia, Palestine, Pol Pot’s Cambodia or in West Papua.

The stories and intent are the same, a policy to annihilate the people considered the enemy of those in authority. Describing the horrifying methods used in these countries to eliminate people by state-sponsored activity is mind-boggling.

The genocidal activities of the colonial government of Indonesia against the people of West Papua is benign to the level of subjugation and will take time to achieve maximum effect but will produce the same result, the obliteration of the Papuan people.

The program is called Operasi Tumpas or Operation Annihilation. Spearheaded by the military, it is an operation of total obliteration of not only the people but also the resources that sustain their existence as a social unit. In the long run these methods will alter or destroy the social infrastructures that maintain the existence of the people.

The current military operations in Nduga District in the Highlands of West Papua (West New Guinea) is yet another “tumpas” because there have been many during the past 57 years.

Crimes Indonesia wants hidden

It is well established that there is an undeclared war of resistance against Indonesian occupying forces.

The indiscriminate use of chemical weapons dropped from helicopter gunships against fleeing Villagers of the Nduga region in the Highlands of West Papua indicates the intensity of the war. The colonial army is using these banned weapons in desperation to terrorise the Papuans and reduce resistance. The tactics are well rehearsed. If the resistance does not create an incident the army will produce one as a pretext to launch a major operation.

Such pretexts have included, firstly, the death of so-called “civilians”. It is well-known that the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) has long been involved in businesses in West Papua. This is part of their strategy to monitor and defeat the OPM (West Papua Independence Movement). Dressing as civilians is part of their concealed strategy to secure success.

Secondly, the people in the Nduga area are opposed to the decision by Indonesian President Joko Widodo to grant a permit to a TNI contractor to build the Trans Papua Highway. The highway will run through Nduga District — a stronghold of the TPN (West Papuan Liberation Army).

Tensions have been high since they entered the area and conflict of this magnitude was bound to happen. In late November the contractor was advised in writing by the regional commander of the TPN to cease activities on December 1 [the anniversary of the first raising of West Papua’s flag of independence, the Morning Star] and advising that employees should not interfere with the activities of people celebrating December 1, including the flag-raising ceremony.

In spite of this advice, a company employee made a video of the flag-raising ceremony — an action considered very serious by the TPN. The people asked him to stop and even followed him to their camp demanding that he delete the video, but he refused to do so.

The action by TPN troops on December 2 was a surprise to the people of Nduga but they accepted the rationale of self-defence by the TPN, because the video would have been used by the military as evidence against the people. The making of the video proved beyond doubt that employees of the company are members of the military. Some even carry weapons.

Tensions in this district have remained high ever since the massacre in Mapenduma in 1996. In the Mapenduma case, TPN commander Kelly Kwalik reached agreement with church leaders to release hostages, including foreigners, which were being held by his group. The people came together to witness a traditional ceremony on the day of the release. People, especially children, gathered excitedly to welcome the Red Cross helicopter that they thought would be bringing an official to receive the hostages. But there was no official, instead the military arrived with machine guns blazing, mowing down unsuspecting women and children. The incident was documented in a 1999 ABC Four Corners report, “Blood on the Cross”.

Repressive military operations are a government policy of annihilation. Whether armed or not, Papuans must be eliminated.

UK-based Amnesty International documented in its 2018 report, Don’t bother, just let him die: Killing with impunity in Papua; the abuses, arbitrary arrests and unlawful killings that have been carried out by members of the Indonesian military against the people of West Papua. This has been going on for the past 57 years and with the current instructions issued by the president, who is the highest commander of the armed forces of Indonesia, we are expecting the worst.

Rex Rumakiek

February 20, 2019

[Rex Ramakiek is the Secretary of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.]