Veteran warns of ratification instability

A former Bougainville veteran is warning that the region could face renewed instability if the National Parliament fails to ratify the 2019 referendum result, in which 97-point-7 percent of Bougainvillean's voted for independence.

Steven Kopana of Buin District, Secretary of the South Bougainville Veterans Association, says any deliberate move by the PNG Government to ignore or delay the clear will of more than 370 thousand Bougainvillean's will be seen as a serious provocation.

His comments follow nationwide consultations by the PNG Parliamentary Bipartisan Committee on Bougainville Matters, which held hearings in Goroka, Lae, Port Moresby, Kokopo, Buka, and Arawa, all streamed live by the National Parliament Media.

Kopana says the dominant message from Papua New Guineans across the regions showed strong support for Bougainville's push for full independence.

He pointed to examples such as the Mataungan Association in Kokopo publicly backing Bougainville’s aspirations, and leaders in Lae highlighting the region’s long-standing grievances, the civil war that claimed an estimated 20-thousand lives, and the overwhelming referendum result.

Kopana also reflected on early peace negotiations, recalling that former Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer helped both sides agree to a non-binding referendum.

Downer had reportedly assured PNG that rebuilding Bougainville would persuade its people to remain, while telling Bougainville leaders the arrangement would help unite the population behind independence.

Kopana says PNG ultimately failed to rebuild the region, while Bougainville succeeded in uniting its people – leading to the near-unanimous vote for independence.

He warns that Bougainvilleans are resilient and will look elsewhere for support if the referendum result is not honored.

He stresses that the vote represents a binding moral commitment and must be implemented to avoid future instability.