Grant B’ville independence

AS the second consultation between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea leaders progresses in Wabag, Enga, the people of Bougainville are wondering whether PNG will honour their wishes for an independent Bougainville.
The people unanimously voted for independence in the recent Bougainville referendum.
The right to determine a political destiny by the people is a human right, which is recognised under international law.
It is known as the right to self-determination.
Through that right, people can freely determine their socio-economic, cultural and political future.
Through that right, the people of Bougainville were given the opportunity to determine their political future of which they voted for separation from PNG.
PNG, on the other hand, as a sovereign state, will always want to safeguard its territorial integrity just as any other nation.
It does not wish to see disintegration.
In fact, as a general principle under international law, no territory within a sovereign state is allowed to disintegrate itself without the consent of the mother state.
However there is an exception to this.
Where the mother state conducts itself in a manner that is contrary to human rights practices or where the right to self-determination of a particular people within the mother state is being deprived, the mother state can no longer protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In the case of Bougainville and PNG, PNG lost its cause for protecting its territorial integrity and sovereignty when it declared war on Bougainville and used its military to kill 20,000 Bougainvilleans and caused thousands to suffer for 10 years.
Human rights atrocities in Bougainville committed by the PNG Government’s agents were serious that any state can cause to its own people.
The pain and suffering that the people went through is still fresh in the minds of the people.
About 20,000 Bougainvilleans who perished remain uncompensated while PNG compensated those soldiers that lost their lives in Bougainville.
The PNG Government needs to understand that it can no longer preach about protecting its national unity when it already lost its obligation to protect its territorial integrity over Bougainville.
Permanent peace on Bougainville and in PNG will only be attained when Bougainville gains independence.

Weko Tantanu,
South West Bougainville