The number of people who went missing in the Bougainville civil war nearly twenty years ago is unknown but is estimated to be in the hundreds. Photo: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
A Council of Elders representative in the Autonomous Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville wants a commission of inquiry into alleged human rights violations by PNG soldiers during the civil war.
The Pacnews reports a Bougainville chief, Joe Pais, saying a lot of human rights violations occurred between 1990 and 1996, have not been properly investigated, mainly due to inaction by the PNG government.
The chief wants the Bougainville government to bring in human rights monitors to re-open full investigations into the violations to ensure those responsible are held accountable.
"This negligence by Papua New Guinea authorities has allowed offenders to continue to stay in freedom from facing penalties," he said.
The chief wants the Bougainville government to bring in human rights monitors to re-open full investigations into the violations to ensure those responsible are held accountable.
One outstanding case that needs to be investigated is the murder of the former Bougainville Transitional Government Premier, the late Theodore Miriung, who was murdered in October 1996 while visiting his wife's village of Kapana in Southwest Bougainville.
The initial commission of inquiry findings, conducted by a Sri Lankan judge at the request of then PNG prime minister, Sir Julius Chan, was that Miriung was shot dead by members of a local para militia group with the involvement of PNG soldiers.
PNG authorities have since failed to prosecute those implicated over the murder.