ABSTRACT
The South Pacific island of Bougainville was the site of a protracted conflict that lasted from 1988 until 1997, in which time up to 20,000 lives were lost. By framing violence this way, it becomes possible for transitional mechanisms with ostensibly laudable motives, to be conduits for a renewal of violence against the Nasioi, especially when antagonistic industrial vehicles are leaned upon to economically secure the peace. The initial impetus for large-scale mining on Bougainville can be traced back to the post-World War 2 shift in Australian colonial policy towards Papua New Guinea. For over 25 years Nasioi communities affected by the mine experienced violence in multiple forms. During 1988–89, the violence facing Nasioi communities transformed in character. Australia was also enmeshed in the violence. For the mine-affected Nasioi communities, the peace process has precipitated forces that indeed threaten to buttress a new episode in structural violence.
