Bougainville has voted to become a new country, but the journey to independence is not yet over
- Written by Anna Powles, Senior Lecturer in Security Studies, Massey University
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, a chain of islands that lie 959 kilometres northwest of Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, has voted unequivocally for independence.
The referendum saw 85% voter turnout during three weeks of voting, with 97.7% of voters choosing independence from Papua New Guinea over the second option, which was...