Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama has struck back at the Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles's comments in support of Papua New Guinea last week as an attack on Bougainville's aspirations for independence.
Mr Marles told journalists after talks with Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape on Thursday that Australia would support PNG and decisions it will make with Bougainville.
"As a witness to the arrangements that were put in place in respect of Bougainville more than 20 years ago, our job is to support Papua New Guinea. And that's what we're going to do," he said.
Mr Marles also flagged that he wanted to significantly expand defence cooperation across the Pacific, starting with an "ambitious" bid to expand military ties and sign a security treaty with Papua New Guinea.
Mr Toroama criticised Mr Marles's statements as “veiled threats" to Bougainville as he "boasts about the military cooperation between the two countries”.
History
Bougainville is a series of islands to the east of Papua New Guinea and the north-east of Australia that won a referendum to become independent in 2019.
The referendum followed the Bougainville Civil War between 1988 and 1998 that killed 20,000 people, or around 10 per cent of Bougainville's population at that time.
Currently, Bougainville is an autonomous region within Papua New Guinea with its own constitution, government, public service and controls — a key part of the 2001 peace agreement signed after the conflict.
Mr Toroama said Mr Marles's comments were the first time since the end of the civil war and signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement that Australia had "made clear" a change from its neutral position.
“It has become clear now why our requests for resources and assistance for independence preparatory related activities such as the Bougainville Constitutional Planning Commission have been ignored,” Mr Toroama said.
“What we are witnessing right now is simply history repeating itself where the Australian government throws its support behind the government of Papua New Guinea to destabilise, yet again, Bougainville’s right to self-determination.
Mr Taroama said the comments suggest that Australia would no longer remain impartial in implementing the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
Richard Marles offered comment stating that as a witness to the Bougainville Peace Agreement more than 20 years ago, Australia supported Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville Peace Process.
"There has been no change to our long-standing policy on Bougainville," a spokesperson for the Mr Marles told the ABC.
"Australia's role is to support the peace process and decisions around future arrangements which the parties have to negotiate.
He said Australia will support whatever political settlement is agreed to by the parties, but it is not Australia's role to articulate views about those arrangements.
Mr Marles last visited Bougainville in 2011.
