Celebrations to commemorate the Bougainville Remembrance Day began in Arawa on Monday 18th May 2026 with a dawn service and a peace and unity walk from Arawa Peace Park to the independence oval.
President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ABG), His Excellency Ishmael Toroama, was part of the service and led the peace and unity walk supported by ABG Ministers and Members of Parliament, Bougainville Police Service, ABG Public Service, international partners, educational institutions in Arawa, Arawa town rangers and general public.
“Today is the time to honour those people who sacrificed their lives for us to continue that journey to sovereignty,” President Toroama stressed.
“I welcome you to this sunrise where we acknowledge our leaders who gave that spiritual baton to the current leadership.”
He acknowledged and saluted the veterans and civil societies that lost their lives serving the people of Bougainville during the ten-year blockade, further saluting the Revolutionary Leader Late Francis Ona for defending the people of Bougainville.
“I salute Supreme Commander Late Francis Ona for your stand to defend the people of Bougainville. We stand to witness our reason to commemorate this day to bring comfort, realign ourselves with political and economic independence, and to realign civil societies with our dream for independence.”
The Remembrance Day which falls on the 17th of May is gazetted by the Autonomous Bougainville Government as a public holiday to commemorate the thousands of lives that were lost during the Bougainville crisis.
“The Bougainville crisis remains one of the most significant chapters in Bougainville history where thousands of lives were lost, communities were torn apart, and an entire generation endured unimaginable hardship.”
“From this hardship emerged a people united in their desire for peace in which the Bougainville Peace Agreement of 2000 marked the beginning of a new era – one built on dialogue, forgiveness and self-determination.”
President Toroama acknowledged the veterans for taking that bold step in creating the weapons disposal program that enabled the formation of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) which eventually led to the referendum in which citizens of Bougainville exercised their right to decide their political destiny.
He stressed that their decision caused the Papua New Guinea National Government to make amendment to Part IV of the National Constitution to allow Bougainvilleans to choose their future destiny.
“I want to urge you all the young generation, the veterans and citizens of Bougainville to take ownership of this process as the ABG stands ready to declare Bougainville’s independence on the 1st of September 2027,” he said.
President Toroama reminded the citizens to be prepared and support the ABG as it prepares for independence declaration on the 1st of September 2027.
