The Next Five Years Are Crucial for Bougainville’s Independence Bid

Bougainville Has Sought Independence for Decades

Bougainville, an autonomous region within Papua New Guinea, lies to the east of the country’s mainland, north of the Solomon Islands, and comprises two main islands and several outlying islands and atolls. In 1968, when Papua New Guinea was still under Australian control, Bougainville called for a referendum on independence…