What next for Bougainville?

I WRITE to share my thoughts regarding the Bougainville referendum.
Bougainville’s journey to greater autonomy was propelled by Papua New Guinea’s historical civil war that claimed many innocent lives some years ago.
In every place on Earth, people protest and cry for redemption, peace and freedom because of mistreatment at the hands of the authorities.
Their land and resources were exploited and selfishly manipulated.
Their rights were violated, suppressed and trampled upon.
Laws passed seemed to have less human consideration and no room for people to exercise their freedom of expression.
They live like strangers in their own land.
This is how Bougainvilleans see themselves, so here they are pressing the Papua New Guinea government to give them greater autonomy so they can stand on their own two feet.
The ABG leaders have taken into account what happened to their land and their people and the exploitation that triggered a civil war that resulted in much blood shed.
The same aspirations that drove our founding fathers to seek PNG’s freedom from colonial rule is also driving the leaders of Bougainville now.
After the civil war came the peace treaty then the firearms disposal programme and now the referendum. What follows we don’t know, but it is possible that Bougainville will break away from her motherland.
We have come to this point because of bad decision-making by our leaders of the past.
If separation should happen, new border laws will be enforced and our brothers and sisters from across the sea will no longer be part of us.
They will become foreigners.
I think this is what will happen, now or later.

Hanam Bill Sandu
Lae