Wollongong academic receives Bougainville peace process plaque

Aug 22, 2003

The Papua New Guinea Government recently presented plaques expressing its appreciation for the contributions that the United Nations, the neutral regional Peace Monitoring Group (PMG), and others had made to the Bougainville peace process.

Professor Edward (Ted) Wolfers, who has been on leave from his post as Professor of Politics at the University of Wollongong to act as Adviser to the Papua New Guinea Government on the Bougainville peace process, was among the individuals to receive a plaque from the Papua New Guinea Minister for Inter-Government Relations, the Hon Sir Peter Barter.

Recipients included the Director of the United Nations Observer Mission in Bougainville, the Commander and Ministers from the PMG countries, leaders of the main representative bodies and former combatant groups in Bougainville. A small number of individuals were also recognised for their personal contributions.

The occasion was a ceremony held at the former provincial headquarters in Arawa, Bougainville, to mark the PMG's withdrawal from an active operational role. The PMG, which had been on the ground since the Ceasefire Agreement was signed on 30 April 1998, was made up of unarmed civilian and military personnel, both women and men, from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Vanuatu. A number of University of Wollongong graduates have served with the PMG over the years.

Having been preceded by a similarly composed Truce Monitoring Group, the PMG has now been succeeded by the Bougainville Transition Team (BTT), with fewer personnel (all of whom are unarmed civilians from the same countries) and a more limited mandate. The BTT is expected to complete its assignment at the end of 2003.

The plaques, which are based on the PMG's insignia, depict a stylised map of Bougainville and Buka islands, with the dove of peace flying overhead with an olive branch in its beak. The map, the bird and the olive branch are made of silver mined and refined in Papua New Guinea.