Bougainville News
Bougainville is an island that lies 7km west of the Solomon islands. Originally colonised by the Dutch, then the Germans, it came under Australian rule after World War 2. Despite close cultural and geographical links to the Solomon islands it was governed as part of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and when PNG was given independence in 1975 Bougainville was included as part of PNG territory.
In 1969 CRA, an Australian subsidiary of British mining company Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ), forcibly established a copper mine on Bougainville. From the outset the people of Bougainville resisted this mine. Finally in 1988, after years of failed protest, people on the island closed down one the largest opencast copper mines in the world. Following the closing of the mine the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) was established to defend the land and environment from further damage. This expanded into a struggle for independence from Papua New Guinea (PNG) and for 8 years the BRA, despite being heavily outgunned and out numbered, have been winning and pushing PNG military forces off the island.
PNG’s solution came to light in February when news that mercenaries from various countries, predominately South Africa, had been sent into Bougainville to assist the PNG military. The British company Sandline International, based in the Kings Road, London, is one of the companies also involved in sending the mercenaries out there. These mercenaries are highly experienced and probably some of the best soldiers in the world. If they go ahead and engage the BRA it is most likely that they will win.
To highlight the situation a demonstration was held outside the Papua New Guinea High Commission in London, (which coincided with one in Australia) on Wednesday 5th March. A number of people climbed the statue opposite and as well as hanging a banner saying ‘MURDERERS’ and ‘BRITISH HITMEN OUT OF BOUGAINVILLE’, one activist dangled himself from the scaffold around the statue with a chest harness, so resembling somebody who had been hung by the neck. This attracted considerable attention from passers by and most were shocked when informed as to what is going on out in Bougainville.
For more information about Bougainville contact: Bougainville Freedom Movement (UK), c/o SDEF! To receive the latest news on the situation in Bougainville, subscribe to the newsletter Garamut. A year long subscription costs AUS$20. Make cheques payable to the Bougainville Freedom Movement, PO Box 134, Erskineville, 2043 Australia. They also have a web page at: http://www.magna.com.au/~sashab/ and E-mail contact at: sasha@magna.com.au Oh Yeah... Victory to the BRA!