Bougainville News Webinar Alert : The use of mobile technologies in the 2019 Bougainville referendum presents both opportunities and challenges for the future of democracy in the Pacific, post-referendum negotiation process now taking place, Bougainville News Alert : WEBINAR – Mobile telephones on for public messaging: Did the Bougainville referendum information hotline make a difference? The referendum is nonbinding, and a vote for independence would then need to be negotiated by leaders from both Bougainville and Papua New Guinea. The new country – should it happen – would be small, with a land mass of less than 10,000 sq km (slightly larger than Cyprus, and slightly smaller than Lebanon). He said that this significant relationship between our three countries have grown over the years and continue strengthen our friendship. Despite these challenges, it was perceived that referendum awareness had been thorough. The referendum is part of a peace agreement that has been under way for some time. There was much discussion about the need to improve mobile network coverage, which participants said was weak and inconsistent, with no coverage in some villages. While 79,285 calls were made to the hotline over the eight-week pilot, overall, the knowledge of the telephone hotline amongst research participants was generally low. Nana Buba from New Dawn Reports on visit to Bougainville. This indicated that the strategy fell short of its promise, which reduced uptake of the service. The 1975 momentum for secession was dealt with by granting the region more autonomy. Nothing is more certain than the dire consequences that befall a people whose leaders turn a blind eye, a deaf ear and who play mute to the evils of corruption. [5] The referendum was delayed again to 23 November at the request of the Bougainville Referendum Commission to ensure the credibility of the referendum roll so more people can vote, most of the promised funding not having been sent by the national government. A crowd of people in Bougainville watching the handover of the agreed definitions for the two questions for the Independence Referendum. Also, this week a survey of more than 1,000 Bougainvilleans found people still need to know more about the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the referendum. Along with Japan, New Zealand and the U.S., Australia has committed to a 10-year $1.7 billion electrification project in Papua New Guinea. In late 2019, Bougainville held a A team of ANU researchers observed the 2019 Bougainville referendum and found it offered valuable lessons for future elections. Adherence to good governance must be the message delivered in unison by the people to their representatives in the House of Representatives and to Leaders in Government. The smooth conduct of the referendum was a result of the high community engagement, locally led … But mining has been crippled by the war – and the distribution of revenue was one of the factors behind the conflict. [2], According to the Bougainville Peace Agreement, a referendum which includes the option of independence must be held at the latest by June 2020. We have not learnt enough. Momentum for Bougainville to secede from Papua New Guinea grew as PNG itself declared independence from Australia in 1975, while retaining the Queen as its monarch. The referendum was approved by the Papua New Guinea government, but the result is non-binding. Eight group interviews were conducted with local community leaders, women and youths in a mix of rural and urban settings across Bougainville. Now there is a call for it to be delayed further, with the Bougainville Referendum Commission, which is in charge of preparing the region for the vote, saying more time is needed to ensure the integrity of the electoral roll. This is a war between industrial civilization versus the natural world. At the international level, Australia will be keen to ensure that whatever the outcome of the Bougainville referendum, stability is maintained in Papua New Guinea, if only to counter China’s growing interest in offering aid and economic benefits as it builds a Pacific presence. The legacy of Damien Dameng, the father of Meekamui. Bougainville had a nine-year separatist war that began in 1988, fuelled by economic grievance. The documents released by Australia’s national archives shed new light on the royal attitude to the secessionist movement in Bougainville. He said that the people have spoken through the votes and the outcome will not be different. While China gives most of its aid to PNG and Fiji, the region’s two biggest economies, Jubilee’s Fletcher says China giving aid to an independent Bougainville was “feasible.”, Geoff Hiscock is a Sydney-based journalist with a focus on international business. He said nearly 98 percent for Independence is a huge testimony of what the people of Bougainville want for their future. [5]. Regional, International Eyes on October Referendum. Independence option wins in Bougainville referendum Three weeks ago we reported on Bougainville's independence referendum - a non-binding vote on whether to split from Papua New Guinea and become a separate country. Papua New Guinea, which fought a decade-long civil war with Bougainville rebels ending in the late 90s, is trying to convince. Bougainville President Fails Victims of Brutal Resource Conflict. PNG playwright and poet, Nora Vagi Brash, in her five plays,  “Which Way, Big man?”, reflect  dramatic changes taking place in PNG and difficult decisions  that Papuans must make about their history, lives and future as they struggle to juggle between the two worlds – the world of their ancestors colonised and the new modern world of coloniser. After two weeks of voting, the results are finally in: More than 98% of Bougainvilleans have voted in favor of independence. Watson is a Research Fellow with the Department of Pacific Affairs at Australian National University. Rio Tinto gave up its share in BCL in 2016, and ownership now rests with the government of PNG and the Bougainville government, each with 36.4%. The two governments must consult and we must develop a road map that leads to a lasting political settlement that the National Parliament can consider. “This cannot be done legally,” Kerr wrote. [10]. She said people want to know more about what the two options – greater autonomy and independence – mean in practical terms, and to understand what happens after the vote. But the newly appointed PNG Minister of Bougainville Affairs, Sir Puka Temu, said the BRC needed to make a formal request if it wanted to delay the referendum. Melanesia at stands at a crossroads, Which Way? Simon Pentanu MHR GCL “There are good reasons from Australia’s point of view why a united Papua New Guinea would be desirable though achievement of this is probably not essential to Australia’s national interest,” he wrote. Marian Movements and Secessionist Warfare in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Bougainville’s people will vote on October 17 to either become an independent state or to have greater autonomy within PNG. Australia also had good reasons for opposing the secession, he said. [online] Asiapacificreport.nz. Copyright 2020 - www.emtv.com.pg. It allowed Bougainvilleans to ring a free-call number and hear pre-recorded messages about the referendum and the two other pillars of the Bougainville Peace Agreement – autonomy and weapons disposal. The research will also be presented in a webinar on 27 October 2020. It was implemented by the Autonomous Bougainville Government with the support of the PNG, Australian and New Zealand governments, and operated by Digicel. (USA NEWS ). The vote is not binding and the Government of Papua New Guinea has the final say on what becomes of Bougainville in the event of voters choosing independence. Of those: Adriana SchmidtAdriana Schmidt is the Director of the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s Directorate of Media and Communication, the agency responsible for whole of government communications. Despite the overwhelming desire for autonomy, Bougainvilleans require political support and good faith from the PNG national government in Port Moresby before a new sovereign state can be established. This Sunday, a special #60Mins investigation revealing the communist superpower’s soft invasion of Australia’s island neighbours. Dates for this weeks BRC Bougainville Roadshow announced, 3. Blown conch shells and bamboo wind pipes reverberated in the air. Bougainville is a 21st century tragedy with the potential to be extinguished under the Western capitalist system or live as a spiritual-based, nature centric civilization. (2019). Australia will work to ensure the integrity of the Bougainville referendum later this year, and won’t cast judgment on the result, Foreign Minister Marise Payne says. And Bougainville Referendum Commission chairman Bertie Ahern urged all sides to recognise the result and said the vote was about “your peace, your history, and your future” and reflected “the power of the pen over weapons”. Almost 40 years ago, Bougainville’s Panguna mine was the biggest contributor to Papua New Guinea’s export income and the largest open-cut in the world. We were fighting for our rights, to get rid of all these bad companies and their effects. “The revenue for Bougainville is only 20 million kina ($8.6m) per year,” Sir Puka said. Kerr also lamented Australian aid cuts to PNG at the same time, saying they were “most unfortunate … on the very eve of independence”. The future course of the island could ripple across the region, as the question of Bougainville’s independence will touch on a complicated mixture of business concerns, environmental worries and geopolitical interests stretching from Australia and New Zealand to China, Japan and the United States. Masono acknowledged the work of the BRC and thanked the ABG, GOPNG and donor partners for their support from the very first day up until now. If there are broader lessons to be learnt, it is that an engaged and informed population, reached through a range of mediums, can make a positive contribution to the process. “Our commitment is to never again bring the military ever again onto the island – that’s our commitment.”. In the nearby French overseas territory of New Caledonia, voters rejected independence from France by a 56 percent to 44 percent margin in November 2018. Both governments said this delay would be the last. Apart from any foreign aid it may receive, Bougainville’s future prosperity may well depend on whether it can restart the mine, which contains copper and gold worth an estimated $50 billion. Claudio said that giving Upes a chance to vote at male-only polling stations was one of many referendum firsts. It is not the national government or the ABG, it is a JSB decision. ( See full story Part 2 ). The BRC announced the result on 11 December, and returned the referendum writ to the Governor-General of Papua New Guinea on 13 December 2019. Pacific island of Bougainville is moving a step closer to potential independence from Papua New Guinea as preparations begin for a long-promised referendum later this year. Careful consideration of ‘mobile telephone literacy’ is needed in the design and promotion of future innovative services. [3] PMC Editor (2016). “The conduct of the vote was excellent. This was followed by subsequent weekly text messages announcing the availability of new recordings. The Directorate is under the Department of President and the Bougainville Executive Council. Copper Mine Underscores Doubts over Bougainville’s Economic Viability. They’ve taken the bark, the leaves and the branches, until the tree no longer resembles its former greatness. Their claims of developing the Pacific Islands are a mere smokescreen for their true ambitions of a regional and global hegemony, as they strategies how to carve up the Pacific region pie. The result of the referendum is not binding (even if the referendum result favours independence this does not mean Bougainville will immediately gain independence); If the two Governments agree, the referendum result will be tabled to the National Parliament (but the Parliament is not required by the BPA or PNG Constitution to make a decision on the result). Invisible capitalists, whose whole philosophy is based on Scottish Capitalist Adam Smith’s book “The Wealth of Nations”, are cashing their cheques amidst the slaughter of innocent Melanesian, Polynesian, Micronesian, Indigenous Australian and other ancient people across the world. We know this from the countless examples of developing countries that have been turned into pariah states by their own Leaders in power. Having observed those preliminary conditions, Bougainville duly conducted the referendum on independence. Available at: https://www.pngattitude.com/2014/03/the-legacy-of-damien-dameng-the-father-of-meekamui.html [Accessed 7 Jan. 2020]. The Minister for Bougainville Affairs, SIR PUKA TEMU has told the visiting Australian and New Zealand delegation that since the change of the government two weeks ago, Prime Minister, JAMES MARAPE has announced that the PNG Government is 100 percent behind the implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement. He says the challenge for any mine operator would be developing a project that is environmentally safe, yet still deliver an acceptable return to shareholders and to the government. The so-called palace letters, a trove of previously secret royal correspondence, shows the Queen’s private secretary Martin Charteris responded by comparing Bougainville to Scotland and its hopes that oil reserves could fund independence. The women had representatives that came all the way from North,Central and South Bougainville for this meeting. [6] Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyst Karl Claxton said there is a wide expectation Bougainville will vote to become independent. The region is home to the vast Panguna mine, then the world’s biggest open-cut copper mine, owned by Bougainville Copper Limited, which then had Conzinc Rio Tinto as major shareholder. The decade-long civil war led to further autonomy for the region, and last year it voted overwhelmingly to become independent from PNG in a non-binding referendum. Approved for the Post Referendum Task Force to identify facilitators/moderators to assist in the Post referendum negotiation period. “Given the new strategic landscape, and not to mention the huge reserves left in Panguna (copper) mine, I would expect an independent Bougainville would have a number of potential international suitors to help them with their financial challenges,” Mr Pryke said. In total, 181,067 ballots were cast. It is a period when serious negotiations and consultations between the government of Papua New Guinea and Bougainville will begin, based on the result of the Bougainville Referendum. Let us not tire of talking about good governance, honest and transparent leadership, common sense, and not being above or beyond reproach. This provided about an hour’s worth of audio information in total. Australia financed and provided personnel and logistics for several major peacekeeping operations on Bougainville over the years, beginning with … In the pre-referendum period, there was a strong emphasis on the need for widespread voter education to enhance the credibility and legitimacy of the vote itself, and to maintain unity and peace. With a projected vote on independence from Papua New Guinea just three months away, suddenly Bougainville is the centre of a lot of activity. 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