Bougainville Independence Consultation Heads to Historic Burnham, New Zealand

By BIM Corporate Author

Port Moresby, 10 April 2025— The next round of high-level political consultations between the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG) and the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) is set to take place at Burnham, New Zealand, a location steeped in significance for the Bougainville peace process.

Burnham played host to landmark negotiations in 1997 that paved the way for the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA), signed in 2001. Its symbolic role in the peacebuilding journey makes it a fitting venue for the third round of the current consultation series, which aims to determine Bougainville’s political future.

The announcement came as the second round of formal consultations concluded today in Port Moresby. Held from 7 to 10 April, the talks were moderated by Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae, GNZM, QSO, KtStJ, who described the dialogue as constructive and forward-looking.

This round is the second in a scheduled series of four consultations occurring between March and June 2025. It built on the outcomes of the first meeting, during which Prime Minister James Marape and ABG President Ishmael Toroama presented their visions for Bougainville’s future.

The Port Moresby meeting focused on identifying and agreeing on key issues necessary for progress toward a political settlement. Discussions were structured around four core pillars: Political, Institutional, Economic, and Parliamentary matters.

Topics covered included transitional timelines, fiscal arrangements, institutional readiness, constitutional considerations, and mechanisms for continued consultation and public awareness. Both parties emphasized the importance of mutual respect and sustained engagement throughout the process.

In the final session, Minister for Bougainville Affairs Hon. Manasseh Makiba and ABG Vice President Hon. Patrick Nisira reaffirmed their governments’ commitment to the BPA and the peaceful path it laid out.

Sir Jerry praised the efforts of both delegations, saying, “I commend both parties for their continued dedication to peaceful dialogue, and I remain honoured to support their efforts toward a lasting and meaningful resolution.”

As the process moves to Burnham, hopes remain high that the spirit of 1997 will inspire renewed progress toward a peaceful and lasting outcome.

Photos Credit: ABG Media Bureau

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Bougainville voters back independence by landslide

Voters backing Bougainville’s independence from Papua New Guinea have won a landslide referendum victory, according to results released Wednesday — a major step toward the troubled isles becoming the world’s newest nation.

Chairman of the Bougainville Referendum Commission Bertie Ahern declared 176,928 people — around 98 percent of voters — had backed independence with just 3,043 supporting the option of remaining part of Papua New Guinea with more autonomy.

The announcement prompted loud cheers, applause and tears as dignitaries soon burst into song, with strains of the islands’ anthem “My Bougainville” ringing out.
“Happy is an understatement” nursing graduate Alexia Baria told AFP, “you see my tears, this is the moment we have been waiting for.”

The historic vote caps a decades-long peace process and a long recovery from a brutal civil war between Bougainville rebels, Papua New Guinea security forces and foreign mercenaries that ended in 1998 and left up to 20,000 people dead — 10 percent of the population.

“Now, at least psychologically, we feel liberated,” said John Momis, the priest-turned-leader of the autonomous region’s government.

But independence will not be immediate, a long political process lies ahead and leaders face formidable financial and administrative challenges to turn a cluster of poor Pacific islands into a fully-fledged nation.

The result must first be ratified by Papua New Guinea’s parliament — where there is opposition to the move for fear it may spark other independence movements in a nation defined by disparate linguistic and tribal groups.

But the scale of the victory for the pro-independence side will heap pressure on Port Moresby to endorse the outcome.

“There’s no misinterpreting this result — Bougainville wants independence” said Shane McLeod of Sydney’s Lowy Institute. “The strength of the vote would seem to make it all but inevitable.”

“Port Moresby will need to quickly digest the result,” he said, “they’ll need to be ready to talk about the timetable for independence.”
Speaking in Buka, Ahern urged all sides to recognise a vote that was about “your peace, your history, and your future” and showed “the power of the pen over weapons”.
Puka Temu, Port Moresby’s minister for Bougainville affairs, said “the outcome is a credible one” but asked that voters “allow the rest of Papua New Guinea sufficient time to absorb this result”.

‘First hurdle’

In stark contrast to past internecine bloodshed, voting began on November 23 with ecstatic residents — some festooned in grass garlands — forming makeshift choirs that stomped through the streets, waving independence flags, blowing bamboo pipes and chanting in chorus.

The vote officially ended on December 7 and according to the Bougainville Referendum Commission it passed off without major incident.

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via IFTTT December 12, 2019 at 07:58AM

Former Bougainville president backs independence

Former Bougainville president James Tanis is calling for people to vote for independence from Papua New Guinea in the referendum which begins on Saturday.

Mr Tanis said he did not want people to listen to those who said Bougainville lacked the capacity to manage as an independent nation.

Bougainville is a resourceful region with resourceful people and a lack of capacity is not a permanent order in society, he said.

“But rather it is something that changes and it grows.

“The lack of capacity should not be used as an argument to discourage people from choosing independence because, from a personal level, what I know is that, yes, we do not have the capacity at the moment, but that should not stop the people from choosing independence.”

James Tanis, who was president from 2008 to 2010, has recently been working in various roles preparing Bougainville for the vote.

Souce: RNZ

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via IFTTT November 21, 2019 at 07:33PM

Bougainville veterans prepare for major summit

Two summits involving veterans of the Bougainville civil war are being held ahead of a bigger event next week.

The meetings come as the region continues preparations for the vote on independence from Papua New Guinea in October.

The Me’ekamui faction of the former separatist group is meeting in Panguna with other veterans meeting in Arawa.

New Dawn FM said the ABG member for Kokoda and chairman of the Central Bougainville members forum, Rodney Osioco, told the Me’ekamui the time for fighting is over and it’s time to complete the unfinished business of removing all weapons in preparation for the referendum.

Both groups will be brought together next week with the aim that a joint resolution on weapons disposal.

Source: RNZ

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via IFTTT July 19, 2019 at 10:57PM

Bougainville and PNG commit to collaborate on vote

The Bougainville President, John Momis, says he and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, have reached agreement on how they can work together on the referendum process.

In October, Bougainville is to hold a vote on whether to remain an autonomous region within PNG or become fully independent.

A meeting of the two leaders earlier this month, sitting as the Joint Supervisory Body, or JSB, agreed on funding and to allow more time to prepare. 

They also decided to push the date of the vote back from June to October.

Mr Momis told Don Wiseman he is now hopeful both governments can meet the requirements of the Bougainville Peace Agreement and work together.

Source: RadioNZ

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via IFTTT March 12, 2019 at 02:48AM

UN welcomes setting of Bougainville referendum date

The United Nations in Papua New Guinea has congratulated the governments of PNG and Bougainville for confirming a date for the independence referendum.

In a statement the UN said the referendum will give the people of Bougainville the opportunity to express their opinion on the future political status of the autonomous Region of Bougainville, as guaranteed in the 2001 Peace Agreement.

A meeting of the Joint Supervisory Body last week set the poll to start from 12th October this year.

The UN Resident Coordinator, Gianluca Rampolla, said the decision highlighted again the strong commitment of the two governments to work together to continue to support peace in Bougainville.

He has also welcomed the supervisory body engaging with the Post-Referendum Planning Taskforce.

The UN said it will continue to partner with both governments, recognising that the referendum is a very important step in the process, to be followed by a consultation phase between the two governments before the National Parliament exercises its final decision-making authority.

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via IFTTT March 07, 2019 at 06:12PM

Bougainville referendum vote delay not a surprise – MP

Bougainville South MP Tim Masiu says a four month delay to the Bougainville referendum was not unexpected.

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Bougainville is due to hold a vote on whether to become fully independent of Papua New Guinea.

It was tentatively set for June 15th this year but has now been moved, with voting to start on 12 October.

Mr Masiu, who is also PNG’s deputy opposition leader, was at Friday’s Joint Supervisory Body meeting in Port Moresby when the decision was made.

He said the chair of the Bougainville Referendum Commission, former Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern, told the meeting the update on the common roll was not going well.

“And there are still a lot of Bougainvilleans living outside of Bougainville and also in Bougainville who had not been registered. So in order for a majority of people to vote they needed to update the common roll. So that was one of the sticking issues.”

Tim Masiu said other factors include hold-ups in efforts to ensure the region is free of weapons, as well as issues with funding from the national government.

Meanwhile, the Post Courier reports that PNG’s government has committed to pay about 8.7 million US dollars to help Bougainville prepare for its independence referendum.

Friday’s meeting was told by Mr Ahern, that it needed 15.7 million US dollars to prepare for the vote.

PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill announced that the government has now sent $US2.9 million with the same amount due to released next week and a further instalment later this year.

Source: RadioNZ

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via IFTTT March 04, 2019 at 06:13PM

Bougainville independence referendum postponed

A meeting today in Port Moresby between the Papua New Guinea national government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government resolved to defer the referendum to 12 October.

The Bougainville Referendum Commission had requested the referendum be postponed due to a lack of funding for preparations for the plebiscite and incomplete voter registration.

Under the terms of the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement, the referendum must be held by June 2020.

Source: RadioNZ

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via IFTTT March 01, 2019 at 06:14PM