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PoliticalPapua New Guinea·Unpinned26 Aug 2026 · 11d ago

PNG parliament to consider Bougainville region's bid for independence

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The Papua New Guinea parliament began consideration of a 2019 referendum in which 97.7% of voters in the autonomous region of Bougainville supported secession. This process followed years of negotiations between the national and regional governments to address the independence movement's long-standing grievances regarding revenue from the Panguna copper and gold mine and a past decade-long civil war. Bougainville leaders targeted greater self-government by September 2027 and full sovereignty by 2030, though the national parliament has not announced a date for a ratification vote.

Consequences

The national parliament must ratify the non-binding referendum result for it to take effect. The timeline for potential sovereignty remains dependent on this parliamentary process and continued negotiations between the regional and national governments.

Sources

Straits Times
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