Bougainville referendum explainer article. From the bloody war that raged in the early nineties, the fight has now turned political. How the situation is handled will have major implications for regional stability, particularly as China aims to pull Bougainville as a new independent nation into its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). On September 1, 1975, however, just … Le vote découle de l'accord de paix de 2001, qui a mis fin à dix années de conflit armé sur ce territoire. The thing is that if Bougainville turns into an independent state then a precedent will come into existence that separatist forces can draw from who are speaking out for the Indonesian provinces of West Papua and Papua, … The process of becoming a separate nation could take years to achieve. It’s not huge. "That's a serious matter because Bougainville has chosen to be independent." The referendum has been a long time coming. The final decision lies with the PNG government, which must ratify Bougainville’s claim after a period of negotiation that would determine what an independent Bougainville would look like for both countries. "That's a serious matter because Bougainville has chosen to be independent." Bougainville? Bougainville’s estimated $58 billion in remaining copper and gold reserves has caught the attention of international mining companies and world governments. The war was brought to a close by a peace agreement, which Mr Toroama signed. It mainly covers the eastern half of The island of New Guinea and more than 600 islands in the South Pacific. On September 16, 1975, Papua New Guinea (PNG) gained independence from Australia and became an independent state. The republic failed to achieve any international recognition, and a settlement was reached in August 1976. Bougainville, formerly an Australian colonial territory, has had a fractious relationship with Papua New Guinea since joining the country in 1976. There were failed attempts at independence then, before simmering discontent erupted into a nine-year civil war that left thousands of people dead. The autonomous region of Bougainville has voted overwhelmingly in favour of becoming independent from Papua New Guinea, paving the way for the group of … Following a bloody civil war that ended two decades earlier, 98% of some 250,000 Bougainvilleans voted for independence in December 2019 in a historic but non-binding referendum. SYDNEY, Australia — The region of Bougainville, a collection of islands in the South Pacific, has voted overwhelmingly to become independent from Papua New Guinea, aiming to … However, if the outcome is a ‘no’ vote, or a ‘yes’ vote with a negative confirmation from the PNG parliament, then Bougainville may settle with the option of ‘greater autonomy’, which will allow Bougainville to continue its special autonomous status with greater powers as discussed earlier. The present Bougainville Constitution provides a blueprint for an independent constitution. 4 Zhang Part B Viewpoint Papua New Guinea, known as the Independent State of Papua New Guinea or PNG for short, is located in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Il doit être suivi d'un débat au Parlement de Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée, … Imagine this future: Bougainville as an independent state would have a population close to 300,000 people, based on the last PNG census in 2011. Major political unrest and environmental concerns over the island's mining operation have crippled efforts to effectively build up the economy through internal revenue generation. Even without Bougainville, PNG would still have a population of 8 million people. As a PNG province, it blew apart over the big open-cut Panguna mine, producing copper, silver and gold. However, if the outcome is a ‘no’ vote, or a ‘yes’ vote with a negative confirmation from the PNG parliament, then Bougainville may settle with the option of ‘greater autonomy’, which will allow Bougainville to continue its special autonomous status with greater powers as discussed earlier. There have long been concerns China will seek to curry influence with an independent Bougainville. The referendum to take Bougainville a step closer to full independence finally looks set to start on 23 November, after the issuing of the writs late last month. ", Eddie Mohin has been campaigning for independence for years, and hailed the day as a victory. The people of Bougainville voted overwhelmingly vote for independence from Papua New Guinea, but the path ahead is pocked with pitfalls. When will we know if Bougainville is getting independence? In the meantime, those who campaigned for independence are looking forward. The prospect of an independent Bougainville, with all the wealth from the mine kept for itself alone, was an alluring prospect. That is around the same as nearby Vanuatu and just under half that of neighbouring Solomon Islands. Next, the Bougainville and Papua New Guinea governments will need to meet and negotiate details for a new relationship. The vote is a significant indicator of public sentiment, but is non-binding, and will now need to be approved by the Papua New Guinea parliament before Bougainville can become its own country. The Pacific Islands have long been the subject of intense competition between China and Taiwan for diplomatic recognition, and an independent Bougainville would likely be courted by both. Acknowledging the result … So five months later, is Bougainville a country now? Updated 0737 GMT (1537 HKT) December 11, 2019. The Pacific provides a range of unconventional forms of intra-state relationships and hybrid constitutional arrangements. What’s that? Discussions about an independent Bougainville had been held as early as 1968. Bougainville (in red) is currently part of Papua New Guinea. Un référendum sur l'indépendance de la Région autonome de Bougainville est organisé du 23 novembre au 7 décembre 2019 dans cette région de Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée. Updates on the world's countries and borders, Copyright © 2011-2020 Political Geography Now. However, no vote was held. Le rouge et le noir de la Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée qui flottaient sur les édifices du pouvoir local sont récemment devenus bleu métal, couleur de Bougainville. Le 11 décembre 2019, les électeurs de Bougainville ont voté à plus de 98 % pour l'indépendance. The 10-year conflict, which raged from 1988 until 1998, saw the deaths of up to 20,000 people, or about 10 per cent of Bougainville's population at that time. Australia understands very well the depth of pro-independence feeling in Bougainville. Indeed, some independent minded Bougainvilleans prefer the term, North Solomons. Australia understands very well the depth of pro-independence feeling in Bougainville. As Papua New Guinea became independent of Australia in 1975, Bougainvilleans began to ask whether or not Bougainville would fare better on its … If Bougainville becomes independent, the mine could be reopened and provide a valuable source of export revenue and make the island a destination for resource hungry investors. A group of islands comprising a semi-autonomous region that is part of Papua New Guinea. Late last year, the South Pacific island region of Bougainville voted overwhelmingly for independence from Papua New Guinea, in a carefully-planned and agreed-upon referendum. "People have been waiting for the opportunity to cast their vote for a long time. Australia won’t push PNG to deliver independence to Bougainville. Voting information pamphlets at a polling station in the Bougainville capital Buka on November 22, 2019. This week, voting will begin in a referendum that could lead to the creation of the world's first widely-accepted new country in almost a decade . It was organized by the independent Bougainville Referendum Commission, led by former Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern. "This referendum has been on people's minds for 20 years," said Peake. Following a meeting in Port Moresby between the two Bougainville MHAs (Paul Lapun and Donatus Mola) and around 25 Bougainvilleans, a proposal was put forward in the House of Assembly to hold a referendum to decide whether the island should remain part of Papua New Guinea, join the Solomon Islands, or become independent. SYDNEY (Reuters) - The South Pacific islands of Bougainville have overwhelmingly voted to be independent from Papua New Guinea, the referendum commission said on Wednesday, in … There have long been concerns China will seek to curry influence with an independent Bougainville. It is chaired by former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern. For the Papua New Guinea government, the debate over Bougainville's … Bougainville Votes to Become Independent. The secession of Bougainville from the PNG that could take place soon cannot be perceived dispassionately by Indonesia, which is watching what is happening with alarm. A special two-week vote was held, and the results were clear. The Bougainville War, or ‘Crisis’ as the locals understate it, claimed an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 lives between 1988 and 1998. … Spectators at the scene whooped and cheered, and a group of women broke into song, said Gordon Peake of the Australian National University, who attended the announcement. Discussions about an independent Bougainville had been held as early as 1968. Is Bougainville Independent Yet? It was organized by the independent Bougainville Referendum Commission, led by former Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern. Dr Anthony Regan, a constitutional lawyer at the Australian National University and a long-time advisor to the Autonomous Bougainville Government, said there was a lack of … Yet there’s few outward signs of PTSD. Mr Toroama said he wanted to potentially see Bougainville become independent within five years. Starting Nov. 23, people had … It has its own parliament, its own borders and its own laws allowed under its status as the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. welcome-president-xi.jpg. The mine had made Bougainville PNG’s richest prov­ince—a cornerstone of the country’s economy. "That's all.". Bougainville to become world’s newest nation after independence vote. The Autonomous Region of Bougainville is comprised of Bougainville Island and several other nearby islands in the Solomon Islands archipelago. Many factors will need to be considered -- for instance, the terms of trade, travel, and residence. Bougainville poised to become … Close to 98% of the 181,000 voters chose to become independent. On September 16, 1975, Papua New Guinea (PNG) gained independence from Australia and became an independent state. If Bougainville becomes independent, the mine could be reopened and provide a valuable source of export revenue and make the island a destination for resource hungry investors. 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