| Accession Number | P04580.085 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Film original negative 120 safety base |
| Maker |
Bohane, Ben |
| Place made | Pacific Islands: Solomon Islands, Bougainville |
| Date made | 1994 |
| 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. |
From a hilltop position, Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) guerrillas observe the Papua New ...
Description
From a hilltop position, Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) guerrillas observe the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) garrison at Koromira. This vantage point has been the scene of several gun battles between the two sides during the civil war in Bougainville. The PNGDF garrison has tried to stop the BRA speedboats which routinely run the naval blockade of the island between Solomons Islands and the southeast coast of Bougainville. The BRA is the main separatist force in Bougainville, declaring independence from Papua New Guinea (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 Bougainville Resistance Force (BRF), aligned with Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the PNG Defence Force, was founded to oppose the BRA. 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.