Pacific / Papua New Guinea

Bougainville seeks international help for referendum

15:35 pm on 22 September 2015

There is a call from Bougainville for international help to support the Papua New Guinea region's referendum on possible independence.

Under the Bougainville Peace Agreement, the region is due to hold the independence vote before 2020.

The Autonomous Bougainville Government has set up the Department of Referendum, Veterans' Affairs and Peace, with former President, James Tanis, as the interim secretary.

Mr Tanis says they will prepare the region for the vote but to do that they need assistance, and he wants the international community to pitch in.

"Bougainville peace process survives so far and to keep this success we continue to invite the investment of the international community to invest in it, because it has already gone through the major parts of the Peace Agreement and the referendum itself is the final pillar."