Landowners from the Panguna mine area and the Autonomous Bougainville Government, which governs an au-tonomous region of Papua New Guinea, have reached a joint resolu-tion to re-launch the Panguna copper mine.
The signing took place during a summit held for Panguna landowner groups. Speaking at the event, Ishmael Toroama, the autonomous government’s president, said the landowners made a bold move to re-open the Panguna mine, and the joint resolutions signified the be-ginning of a new chapter for Bougainville.
“Today marks the ending and the beginning of a new chapter, a chap-ter to realize Bougainville’s independence,” he said, as quoted in a statement released by the autonomous government.
Toroama told the landowners that the autonomous government will protect the people and their resources through relevant laws that are to be passed through the region’s parliament.