| Accession Number | P04580.064 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Negative |
| Maker |
Bohane, Ben |
| Place made | Pacific Islands: Solomon Islands, Bougainville, South Bougainville |
| Date made | 1996 |
| Conflict |
Period 1990-1999 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright |
| Copying Provisions | Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction. |
A smoke grenade goes off as armed members of the Bougainville Resistance Force (BRF) patrol with ...
Description
A smoke grenade goes off as armed members of the Bougainville Resistance Force (BRF) patrol with soldiers from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) in the Nagovis district, southwest Bougainville, during the civil war. The militia soldier in the foreground has graffiti on the back of his helmet which reads, 'CULTIST LAND. STARLITE CHARLIE ONE '97.' The BRF was founded to oppose the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), the main separatist force which declared the independence of Bougainville from PNG in 1990 after PNG forces withdrew from the country. Following a period of anarchy the PNG forces returned to areas of Bougainville where they had local support. The BRF opposes the idea of a future independent Bougainville dominated by the BRA, which is comprised mostly of members of the Nasioi ethnic group. Australia became involved in peacekeeping activities on Bougainville in 1994, when it provided logistic support to the South Pacific Peace Keeping Force (SPPKF) whose role it was to provide a secure environment for the Bougainville Peace Conference.