In 1989 the Panguna mine was closed by local communities opposed to the devastation of their land, rivers, and traditional ways. A brutal decade-long civil war followed, during which an estimated 10,000 people died. Twenty-five years on, Rio Tinto subsidiary Bougainville Copper is considering reopening the mine; the Autonomous Bougainville Government recently passed legislation raising the possibility of large-scale mining in the region once again. With the Panguna Region closed to outsiders, voices of those most-affected by the mine have rarely been part of the current debate. These views will be presented in Jubilee Australia’s Report ‘Voices of Bougainville: Nikana Kangsi, Nikana Dong Damana (Our Land, Our Future)’, which will be launched at these events.
