𝟮𝟱 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗘: 𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗧, 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗙𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘

 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗜𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘

𝟯𝟬 𝗔𝗨𝗚𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧

𝟮𝟱 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗘: 𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗧, 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗙𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘

Today, as we commemorate 25 years of peace, I extend my deepest gratitude to the United Nations and all our international partners who have accompanied the people of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea throughout this historic journey.

This achievement belongs first and foremost to our people.

It belongs to the mothers who protected their families and sustained their communities during the darkest years of the conflict. It belongs to our churches, chiefs, women, youth, former combatants and community leaders who found the courage to choose reconciliation over revenge, dialogue over division and hope over despair.

It also belongs to the people and leaders of Papua New Guinea who joined Bougainville in pursuing peace through consultation, constitutional processes and the true Melanesian spirit of resolving even the most difficult matters through dialogue and mutual respect.

Our peace was not freely given. It was purchased through sacrifice, protected through patience and sustained by ordinary people who were determined never to return to conflict. We remember with solemn respect all those who lost their lives, those who were displaced, those who continue to carry the wounds of the crisis and every family whose future was permanently changed.

To the people of Bougainville, this anniversary is not only a celebration. It is also a reminder of our sacred responsibility.

Peace must mean more than the absence of weapons. It must bring justice, dignity, healing, opportunity, good governance and a future in which no person, family or community is left behind.

We honour those who sacrificed by ensuring that our children inherit something better than the suffering endured by previous generations.

To the people of Papua New Guinea, Bougainville’s aspiration should not be viewed as a rejection of our shared history or relationships. It presents an opportunity for Bougainville and Papua New Guinea to demonstrate to the world that even the most complex political question can be resolved peacefully, constitutionally and honourably.

The 97.7 per cent referendum result is the peaceful and democratic voice of the people of Bougainville. It was expressed through an internationally recognised process established under the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the Constitution of Papua New Guinea.

That voice must now be treated with the seriousness, dignity and good faith required by our peace agreement and constitutional commitments.

Honouring the referendum result through responsible consultation and parliamentary decision-making will not weaken the peace. It will fulfil and strengthen the peace that Bougainville and Papua New Guinea have built together.

I receive the generous acknowledgment of my leadership with humility. Whatever contribution I have made has only been possible because of the courage, wisdom and resilience of our people—particularly our young people, whose future must remain at the centre of every decision we make.

I thank the United Nations for standing alongside Bougainville and Papua New Guinea as a trusted partner, witness and friend. Your continued presence reminds us that the Bougainville peace process is not only important to our people; it remains an example to the world of what can be achieved when former adversaries choose peace.

Twenty-five years of peace proves that reconciliation is possible.

Our responsibility now is to transform that peace into a just, honourable and lasting political settlement—one worthy of every life sacrificed, every commitment made and every hope entrusted to this process.

May God continue to guide the people and leaders of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea as we walk this final historic distance together—peacefully, faithfully and with mutual respect.

Hon. Peter Tsiamalili Jnr, OBE, MP

Regional Member for Bougainville