Rio Tinto And Bougainville – A Fatal Connection. A Mine, A War, And An Uncertain Future

Abstract

At the end of 2019 in Papua New Guinea's Autonomous Region of Bougainville, a referendum was held on the region's future political status, in which almost 98 per cent voted for independence. Bougainville will now undergo a transition process, during which the issue of the Panguna mine is bound to resurface. The mine was at the core of a ten‐year war in the 1990s, ceasing operations because of it, and has remained closed ever since. Peace on Bougainville can only be sustained if the Panguna problem is resolved, and on Bougainville, the former mine owner Rio Tinto is widely seen as having an obligation to contribute to a solution, particularly in regard to the clean‐up of environmental degradation caused by the mine. This article brings historical depth to the current debates, exploring Rio Tinto's involvement in the causation and escalation of the war, and the human rights violations and war crimes committed in its course. Rio Tinto's post‐war attitude is briefly discussed and some generalising conclusions drawn regarding corporate accountability and the inclusion of external business actors in local traditional reconciliation processes.