This island was once ruled by Australia. Now, it could become the world's newest country

The Panguna mine, once operated by Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, as seen from the ocean near Arawa, Bougainville’s former capital. Link copiedShareShare articleA tropical archipelago just 1,500 kilometres from Australia, rich in gold and copper, is preparing itself for nationhood next year. But as Bougainville moves towards independence, unresolved conflicts and memories of a bloody past are coming back to the surface. Dennis Kuiai says he never wanted to kill anyone. "But that really is the sort of legacy we are living with now," he says. "We continue to live with that trauma because we have killed." In his early 20s, Mr Kuiai was recruited to fight for Bougainville's separatist militia, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, in a brutal civil war over land, resources and identity. The conflict claimed up to 15,000 lives. But while weapons were laid down decades ago, the fight for Bougainville's independence is far from over. On a humid afternoon, Mr Kuiai shows us around a luscious rainforest landscape that looks like somewhere you might build a luxury resort. Instead, it's slated to become the main prison facility for the prospective nation. A group of veterans has been employed to prepare the site for construction. Mr Kuiai says it's a priority project because Bougainville's current prison facilities are extremely limited. But coming back here stirs up bitter memories. In 1990, during Bougainville's civil war, Mr Kuiai was involved in a dramatic plot to free separatist rebels held in an old prison at this very location. The operation ended with the facility being burnt down and seven people killed. The tensions behind Bougainville's bloody 1988–98 civil war began before independence in 1975, when Papua New Guinea was still under Australian administration. In the late 1960s, the giant Panguna copper and gold mine was developed by Australian company Rio Tinto, fuelling anger in Bougainville that outsiders, including the PNG government in Port Moresby, were reaping the benefits of Bougainville's wealth while locals bore the cost. The Autonomous Bougainville Government signs a secretive deal to reopen the huge Panguna gold and copper mine that sparked a catastrophic civil war three decades ago. These resentments grew and spiralled into conflict and war in 1988. The mine was shut down the following year, crippling PNG's biggest export earner at the time, and has remained closed since. Like many veterans, Mr Kuiai wants to see his homeland gain independence within his lifetime and won't settle for anything less. But although more than 97 per cent of Bougainvilleans voted for independence in a 2019 referendum, the result must be ratified by Papua New Guinea's national parliament in Port Moresby to take effect. Many PNG politicians fear Bougainville's independence could incentivise other separatist movements around the country. Negotiations between the two sides, which have turned hostile at times, are coming to a head, with a vote in parliament expected to take place next month. The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) says both parties are actively working towards agreed timelines. But, far from banking on PNG's approval, Bougainville is preparing to unilaterally declare independence if the vote fails. ABG president Ishmael Toroama, a former rebel commander, has set September 2027 as the deadline for achieving sovereignty. If Bougainville gains independence, it will be among the five largest countries in the Pacific after Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu. Located in the Pacific Ocean about 1,000 kilometres east of Port Moresby, it has a population of over 350,000. It's closer, both geographically and culturally, to Solomon Islands and is sometimes referred to as "North Solomon Islands Province". When the ABC travelled around Bougainville in April, support for independence was almost ubiquitous. "I want people to stay together as one people." — Lyneaesha Baranangko "A lot of us were desperate because of how long we have suffered after the crisis until now." — Essau Sihon "We want to be independent so we can manage ourselves. We believe that we have our resources. Our country of Bougainville can survive on its own." — Mathew Hatsu Solomon Semoso, captain of Bougainville's rugby union team, describes how Bougainvilleans see themselves as ethnically and culturally unique. A large part of his identity is the colour of his skin. "In other provinces you will not see other people who have the same skin colour as us. We are the only black people here in Papua New Guinea," he says. "I am proud. Black life matters. I am proud to be born black." Despite its troubled past, Mr Semoso describes Bougainville as a peaceful and welcoming place. "We are different from other [PNG] provinces where there are petty crimes," he says. "In Bougainville you can move freely as tourists, no-one will steal from you. We don't want that attitude of stealing to come in, that is

This island was once ruled by Australia. Now, it could become the world's newest country

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This island was once ruled by Australia. Now, it could become the world's newest country

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