Papua New Guinea's Autonomous Bougainville region is opposing Australian plans to engage advisors in its government.
Australia through its international aid agency AusAid has put forward an advisory submission to the Bougainville government.
It wants Australian officials to be placed in advisory roles in the Bougainville government administration.
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Coconut Revolution shows the island of Bougainville fighting a revolutionary war for control of their own resources.
Bougainville has tremendous reserves of both copper and gold, and it has been at the hands of European colonialists for centuries. BBC Bougainville Timeline (only up to 2007)
Bougainville Copper's mine regains shine
Resources editor
Francis Ona, leader of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, with his troops. Mr Ona's death has helped spark renewed interest in the island's copper and gold mine.
In the 1970s, Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto) began exploiting the island's huge copper reserves. Resentment over the negative effects of the company's activities on the area and the lack of any tangible benefit to the islanders erupted into conflict in the 1990s. Attempts at proclaiming the independence of Bougainville (Republic of North Solomons) have occurred twice: in 1975 and 1990. In the second case the government of Papua New Guinea moved to put down what became a secessionist movement led by Francis Ona, a former surveyor for BCL. The PNG army received military aid from Australia and enlisted the support of SandlineInternational, a mercenary firm. The island was embargoed to weaken its people's resistance.However, they proved much more resilient than expected, designing their own weapons and converting engines to vegetable oil. Peace talks brokered by New Zealand began in 1997, leading to autonomy for the island.
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