Is Bougainville on the Brink of War Again? [Video]
Publisher: Journeyman Pictures
Author(s): Ian Bickis & Maggie Zelaya
Date: 2014
Topics: Extractive Resources, Livelihoods
Countries: Papua New Guinea
Bougainville is on the brink of reopening the controversial mining operation that sparked its civil war. With a heavily armed population and a generation of unemployed youth, conditions are ripe for violence.
15 years after the end of the war, Bougainville has barely recovered."There are hundreds and hundreds with no formal employment", says development worker, Agnes Titus. Yet the government is pushing a radical solution to reopen the mining operation that is alleged by some to have funded and orchestrated the conflict. "Nobody's talking about the human rights violations", says Philip Miriori, one of many locals demanding compensation from mining giant Rio Tinto. Despite strong opposition, many islanders are also desperate for the economic boost the mine could bring to Bougainville's bid for independence. With as little as a year to go until the independence referendum, the island is fast running out of time.