The Bougainville Civil War or the Bougainville Conflict was an armed conflict fought between Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), who were fighting for independence. The war has been described as the largest conflict in Oceania since the end of World War II. Approximately 15,000 to 20,000 Bougainvilleans were killed in the war.

1. Papua New Guinea
- Bougainville Conflict
By Arundathie Abeysinghe
Lecturer in English
International Aviation Academy
SriLankan Airlines
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2. Introduction
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Bougainville Civil War, also known as
the Bougainville Conflict - an armed conflict
fought between Papua New Guinea and
the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA),
who were fighting for independence
Largest conflict in Oceania since the end of
World War II
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3. Background
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Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) , a multinational
company started operations in the world’s largest
open – cut copper mine in Bougainville
Influx of workers from PNG alienated and
marginalized natives of Bougainville
Revenue of mine was distributed between PNG
and BCL
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4. Background….
Disappointed land owners attacked
employees of the mine and sabotaged
operations
 A civil war broke out in 1988
 The conflict passed stages of escalation and
resulted in the most disastrous civil war, the
world has ever experienced

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5. Background….
International community including United
Nations (UN) and the New Zealand
government intervened to solve the conflict
 Through a series of negotiations natives of
Bougainville the Bougainville Peace
Agreement was signed in 2001
 Autonomous Government (Bougainville) was
established within PNG in 2005

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6. Conflict Analysis Tool – C.R.SIPABIO
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C – Contextual factors
R – Relationship factors
S – Sources
I – Issues
P – Parties
A –Attitudes
B –Behaviour
I – Interventions
O- Outcome
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7. Contextual
• An island in the eastern part of PNG
• 200 km long and 40 km wide
• Surrounded by Buka and many small
islands
• Population of the group around 150,000
-160,000
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8. Politics
• Politically separated since 1800s through
an agreement between UK and Germany
• After World War I became part of the
League of Nations mandated territory of
New Guinea, administered by Australia
• In 1946, the UN appointed trusteeship of
PNG including Bougainville to Australia
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9. Politics….
• PNG chartered a legislative council in 1949
and a House of Assembly in 1964
• From 1950 – 1960 PNG agitated for
independence
• PNG gained independence in 1975
• Bougainville refused to be a part of PNG
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10. Politics….
• Presence of the mine created a dual
economy financially (from employment,
consumption) and traditional sector
(mostly islanders’ earnings)
• Panguna mine was the second largest
source of income for the new government
of PNG after foreign aid
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11. Socio cultural
• Women – custodians of the land
(Matriarchal Society)
• Mineral rights were with the state
• Historical, cultural and trading links to
the Solomon Islands
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12. Economic
• Semi commercial system after World War II
• Prime agricultural lands taken over by
European interests and used to produce
export crops, mainly copra (dried coconut)
• Discovery of huge copper and gold
deposits in 1960
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13. Relationship Factors
Power
– Power of extended families
– Power of women
– Wealth, infrastructure development and
job opportunities enabled BCL to expand
its power
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14. Patterns
• Sabotage of operations of BCL by
Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA)
• Violent reactions by Papua New
Guinea Defense Forces (PNGDF)
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15. Patterns….
• Emergence of a pro-independent group –
Bougainville Resistance Force (BRF)
• Absence of key figures such as Francis Ona
(Leader of the BRA) for important
occasions
• Lethargic attitude of law enforcement
authorities
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16. Bonds
– Copper mine - cause for BCL to get
attracted to Bougainville
– Strong attachment of natives of
Bougainville to the island and each
other
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17. Sources
Inequality in participation and distribution of
economic activities
 Impact of mining, plantations and other
related activities on the natural environment,
(impact on wildlife, ancestral land and sacred
places)
 Social effects of economic development
(arrival & settlement of outsiders on native
land)

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18. Attitudes
Respect towards women by the society
 Demanding fair and justifiable compensation
for the damage caused by the BCL
 Reluctance of the armed forces to accept the
outcome of withdrawing prematurely
 Strong belief of the BRA that they could win
the war

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19. Behaviour
Women used status in the family to
negotiate peace in their communities
 Used influences to maintain constructive
dialogues
 Collapse of every agreement in the early
period - followed by escalation of violence

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20. Behaviour....
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Genuine and honest efforts of PNG government to
prevent the conflict were undermined by its own
law-enforcement body
BRA forced withdrawal of the police and soldiers
from the area
PNG Government withdrew public servants, all
bank offices, services, communication links,
resulting in collapse of all government authorities
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21. Interventions
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New Zealand Intervention
– Endeavour Accord
– Burnham Declaration
– Burnham Truce
– Lincoln Agreement
United Nations
– UN Observer Mission
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22. Interventions....
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Australian Intervention
– Peace Monitoring Groups
• Multinational Un-armed Truce Monitoring
Group
(New Zealand, Australia, Vanuatu and Fiji)
United Nations
– UN Observer Mission
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23. Outcomes
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2nd March 1990 - The Bougainville Ceasefire Initiative
5th August 1990 – The Endeavour Accord
5th October – Kavien Agreement
23rd January 1991 – Honiara Declaration
August 1994 – Tambe Accord
October 1994 – North Nasioi Agreement
25th November 1994 – Mirigini Charter
18th May 1995 – Waigini Communique
October 1997 – The Burnham Truce
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24. Outcomes....
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24th November 1997 – Cairns Commitment on
Implementation
rd
23 January 1998 – Lincoln Agreement
th
30 April 1998 – The Lincoln Agreement annex –
Agreement covering Implementation of the Ceasefire
April / May 1999 – The Matakana and Okataina
Understanding
29th June 1999 – The joint Bougainville Negotiating
Position
10th July 1999 – Hutjena Minute
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25. Arundathie Abeysinghe
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26. • Thank
you!
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