The island with the largest Deposit of copper on the planet declared independence
the Voters supporting the independence of Bougainville from Papua New Guinea, won a landslide victory in the referendum, according to results released Wednesday.
the Chairman of the Commission on the referendum on Bougainville Bertie Ahern said that 176 928 people - about 98 percent of voters supported independence, and only 3043 upheld the option of maintaining a single state of Papua New Guinea with greater autonomy.
Historic vote concluded a ten year peace process and a long recovery after a brutal civil war between rebels of the Bougainville security forces of Papua New Guinea and the foreign mercenaries, which ended in 1998 and led to the deaths of up to 20,000 people - 10 percent of the population of the island.
"Now, at least, psychologically we feel liberated," said John Momis, the priest became the leader of the government of the Autonomous region.
the result of the vote must still be ratified by the Parliament of Papua New Guinea, where there is opposition to the separatist movement, fearing that it may encourage other regions to advocate for independence in the country, defined, heterogeneous linguistic and tribal groups.
the Puka temu, Minister Port Moresby for Bougainville Affairs, said that "the credible", but asked voters to "give the rest of Papua New Guinea enough time to digest this result."
Official voting ended on December 7 and, according to the Commission of a referendum on Bougainville, it passed without major incidents.
ever Since the French Explorer Louis de Bougainville arrived in this Melanesian archipelago of over two hundred years ago, control of the island passed from Germany to Australia, then to Japan, then to Nations and finally in Papua New Guinea.
However, many bougainvilleans feel a closer cultural proximity to the neighbouring Solomon Islands with strong provincial identity, which differs from tribal groups in other regions of Papua New Guinea.
War 1988-1998 was unleashed in the fight for revenues from the now closed copper mine Panguna, which at the time accounted for over 40 percent of exports of Papua New Guinea.
it is estimated that the mine will still be kept more than five million tonnes of copper and 19 million ounces of gold worth billions of dollars at current market prices.
Adapted to the regional competition, high-ranking representatives of the movement for the independence of Bougainville tried to start a bidding war, warning that the nascent nation would unfold face to Beijing, if the Western countries don't play your cards right and does not offer financial support.