Island of Bougainville overwhelmingly votes for independence in blow to Papua New Guinea
- More than 176,000 of the 181,000 voters who took part in the two-week referendum that concluded December 6 supported independence
- The referendum does not guarantee the advent of a new nation, as any split needs to be approved by an act of parliament in the PNG capital Port Moresby
Bougainville moved a step closer to becoming an independent nation on Wednesday after results from a referendum showed an overwhelming majority want the province to cut its ties with Papua New Guinea.
More than 176,000 of the 181,000 voters who took part in the two-week referendum that concluded Friday supported independence, with about 3,000 choosing greater autonomy under Papua New Guinea, the Bougainville Referendum Commission said.
The result will bolster independence advocates who live on the small group of islands in the South Pacific and encourage mining interests that want to reopen the massive Panguna copper resource; it will also dash hopes within the PNG government that the poll would see support of the status quo through voters opting for greater autonomy.
Still, the referendum does not guarantee the advent of a new nation, as any split needs to be approved by an act of parliament in the PNG capital Port Moresby.
At the junction of the Pacific and Southeast Asia, and halfway between Brisbane, Australia, and the US military base on Guam, Bougainville holds a strategic interest as well as being a potential source of contracts for mining and construction companies.
