Panguna mine reopening to proceed after arson, leader says

Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama said violence would not stop efforts to reopen the dormant Panguna mine after heavy machinery was set ablaze at the site in Papua New Guinea's autonomous Bougainville region.

Toroama said in a statement on Sunday that Bougainville's government and people would not be intimidated by individuals or factions trying to undermine the mine's redevelopment. He described the violence as intended to cause division and distract from Bougainville's political and economic plans.

Images posted to social media appeared to show rows of mining trucks and heavy machinery burning at Panguna over the weekend.

Toroama has brokered a deal for Indian resources company Lloyds Metals and Energy to lead efforts to restart mining at Panguna. He said most Bougainvilleans supported the project, while accusing opponents of trying to undermine the government's authority.

Samson Kaissy of the Panguna Landowners Council said the mine was crucial to Bougainville's economic future and said the five land-owning clans distanced themselves from those responsible for what he called a criminal act.

Panguna contains one of the world's largest copper deposits and has been closed since civil war broke out in the late 1980s. The mine was operated by Rio Tinto from 1972 to 1989 before anger over environmental contamination and the distribution of profits helped trigger an uprising that forced it shut.

The ensuing civil war left as many as 20,000 people dead. Bougainville, an island region of about 300,000 people east of Papua New Guinea's mainland, is seeking to declare independence. About 97 percent of Bougainville voters supported independence from Papua New Guinea in a 2019 referendum.

Lloyds Metals and Energy did not respond to a request for comment.