Noah Doko absentmindedly touches a scar on his forearm. The ex-rebel fighter sits among the ruins of Panguna village in Bougainville, near the hills where he once hid and fought as a young man.
As a teenager, he was shot by Papua New Guinea’s military—by someone who was supposed to be his ally. After the civil war, he was elected to parliament to advocate for veterans.
Now, he reflects on the possible revival of a mine he and his fellow fighters once sought to destroy.
Abandoned by Rio Tinto decades ago, the unrestored Panguna mine remains not just a scar but an unresolved wound for Bougainville.
Amid the rusted debris of the mine's massive structures, signs of life persist—families, including children, digging by hand for traces of valuable minerals in harsh conditions.
Yet, within this tainted crater lies Panguna’s paradox. The same foreign project that once divided the island, buried villages, and polluted rivers now represents hope for Bougainville’s unity, prosperity, and independence.
“Panguna mine should reopen,” Doko says, gesturing to the vast pit. “The wealth needed for Bougainville’s independence is right there.”
He dismisses concerns about global powers eyeing his homeland. “[Our] independence must be supported by our own wealth, by Bougainville’s resources,” he insists.
Though he may not live to see it, Doko believes Bougainville’s independence is unstoppable. “No one can deny us. I stand for this now so my descendants will see freedom and prosperity.”
The Push for Independence
The world’s newest nation has a target.
“We are at the final stage,” Bougainville’s president, ex-rebel Ishmael Toroama, told Papua New Guinea’s leader earlier this year. “My people chose 1 September 2027 as independence day.”
Toroama, once a celebrated guerrilla leader known for defying PNG’s superior forces, remains more comfortable in battle gear than formal wear. Over two decades, he has shifted from warrior to negotiator, quietly advocating for independence abroad.
In 2019, Bougainvilleans voted nearly 98% in favor of breaking from PNG. But the mandate also brings pressure—Toroama must deliver.
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