Broken Promises
Bougainville secessionists fight Papua New Guinea forces
On the Pacific island of Bougainville, 500km from the eastern shore of Papua New Guinea, a man lies dying from gunshot wounds. The war has been going on for six years, originally over resentment of Papua New Guineans and Australians mining the island's vast copper ore reserves. Now, despite a ceasefire having been declared, conflict continues and casualties keep on rising.
The violations in the cease-fire between Papua New Guinea's Government forces and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army are many. The BRA's struggle for independence claimed the lives of over 3,000 people, but they remain determined to fight on. Using a mix of weapons, some of which date back to the WWII Japanese occupation, the BRA continue to hold out against PNG's superior forces. Meanwhile, the Bougainville people, whose villages face indiscriminate destruction, are under a PNG blockade which has cut off food and medicine supplies. "Independence is the only way that will solve the Bougainville war", says Francis Ona, self-appointed President of the Bougainville Interim Government.
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