Just a few years ago these BRA rebels were easy pickings for the PNG Navy. Runs like this between the Solomons and the Bougainville were furtive affairs made under the cover of night.

Today they have a virtual Navy of their own. They fly their own flag and they’re heavily armed.

Militarily the BRA have never been stronger but today they’re ready to lay down their guns. Peace on Bougainville has never been closer.

Mark PTC:

We are going in to Bougainville.

Tony Ravio is a Captain in a coastal unit of the BRA. For the past eight years he's fought a professional army from Papua New Guinea, armed with little more than captured weapons, homemade shotguns and relics from the Second World War.

RAVIO GRAB – PIDGIN.

“We got the gun in a WW2 plane down in Buin. We brought it back here and cleaned it up in the workshop and now it works fine.”

For the first time since the war began and countless lives lost, there’s a chance that Tony’s fighting days will come to an end…

MW:

“Is this a Japanese bomb?”

Ravio:

“Yes, it is.”

Ravio listens to radio.

Today news is filtering through of the peace talks being held at Burnham in New Zealand – the most significant meeting ever held between the PNG government and the BRA.

Radio:

“Hello hello welcome to radio free Bougainville. You are hearing the voice of your old friend Jo Kabui. There is news today about the Burnham talks. There is talk of a ceasefire, PNG troops withdrawing and peacekeeping force coming in.”

For the first time all the options are on the table and all the major players are there – all except one, the BRA’s leader and founding father, Francis Ona…

Stills of ONA. Music.

From the beginning of the war ONA has been the BRA’s most hard-line commander…and today is no different. He’s totally rejected the overtures of peace that the New Zealand talks offered, but remarkably, almost his entire Senior command have left him behind and gone to the talks.

It appears that he is being side-lined, but Ona is undoubtedly still powerful enough to de-rail the whole peace process.

Back to Ravio with radio and Jacob.

Local chief, Jacob has been a supporter of the war of independence since Francis Ona first launched his uprising, but for him the time has now come for the fighting to end…

Jacob GRAB – PIDGIN.

“I’m of the war. Crisis has come to Bougainville. Too many people have died, I am really sick of it.”

Grace pounding?

The support of the chiefs like Jacob has been vital to the BRA. Like other guerrilla wars it’s been the villagers who’ve fed and supplied the soldiers – and it’s been the villagers who’ve borne the brunt of the PNG army’s attacks.

Jacob’s sister Grace has seen the worst of the war.

Grace walking or in garden.

Grace has seen her clan destroyed -  many of the young girls have fled Bougainville, the boys have all joined the BRA and her backyard has become a battleground.

TO BE TRANSLATED

Grace: “I cry for my Island of Bougainville”

The locals now call Bougainville the Island of Sorrow. There is a war weariness here, affecting everyone it seems, except Francis Ona.

MIRIKI GRAB IN ENGLISH

Francis Ona is negative, since we signed the first Burnham declaration, he maintains his dislike, but I believe that peoples power is more important.

Andrew is a communications minister in the rebel government, like other bougainvillians he’s been a long-time supporter of Francis Ona. But today he senses a chance for peace.

Choppers and happiness.

After 2 weeks at the Burnham talks, the BRA’s Senior Command are coming home.

So far only snippets of news about the talks have filtered onto the island and no one here could have expected the full extent of the deal that’s been struck…The UN will send a peacekeeping force and PNG will withdraw, on the sole condition that the BRA observe a total ceasefire.

Just a year ago only Francis Ona could have made a commitment like this. Today things have clearly changed…

Sam on radio. Crackle Crackle.

Immediately upon returning from Burnham, the BRA’s most Senior General, Sam Kaona sends the message out to his troops to lay down their arms. He hasn’t conferred with Ona and it now seems that it’s the BRA soldiers who are committed to making the ceasefire hold, not the BRA leader.

MIRIKI GRAB – PIDGIN.

“Bougainville is not a rascal island. It is not a rascal revolution. It’s a chance for Bougainville.”

Meeting.

The men in this room form the backbone of the war on Bougainville. Every Senior Commander of the BRA is here… and everyone is talking peace.

Same Kaona at the meeting GRAB – PIDGIN.

“Gentlemen, the lead is on our side. We must lead now. After the Burnham talks, I talked to senior officials of various governments. They said they feel that they want to put their hope and effort into the BRA to solve the Bougainville war from our side.”

Meeting.

To Sam Kaona, the Burnham talks offer the best chance that the BRA have ever had to end the war and he’s determined to stick with the deal.

SAM GRAB – ENGLISH.

“Francis is extreme. He is still our president. However, the people will have to decide after we go through the peace process, when another democratic process takes place.”

It’s the kind of news that Jo Kabui politician and former premier of Bougainville has waited years to hear.

KABUI GRAB – PIGIN.

“I was talking to our friend in Honiara the other night. And to my surprise the New Zealand high commissioner cane to the phone and said, Joe, tonight we area celebrating victory. Which means a lot. So, I thanked on behalf of the people of Bougainville.”

Market.

It’s market day at Kieta on the central coast. It’s the biggest event of the week for all the villagers for miles around and the BRA are here to spread the message of the talks.

BRA guy in blue shirt. GRAB – PIDGIN.

“This is not a ceasefire, it’s a truce, it’s a chance to catch some time, all the fighting men have stopped.”

BRA Ben. GRAB – PIDGIN.

“Now the market is full of people, the roads are open, to Buka island and the south, all because of this bit of paper.

This town is the frontline of the war on Bougainville. A large garrison of PNG troops are stationed just 5 miles down the road. Under the terms of the truce it’s vital that there are no BRA attacks for the next 60 days.

Man in crowd. GRAB – PIDGIN.

Q: “You have been at these truce talks and you say everything is okay, how come we have a roadblock up the road, Commander?”

BRA Ben. GRAB – PIDGIN.

A: “It is not a roadblock. It is a checkpoint.”

BRA Ben holds up truce papers.

Now the market is full of people, the roads are open, to Buka Island and the south, all because of this bit of paper.

BRA BEN.

“No arms of walking around with guns. Home brew and drinking is out. The peace keeping force is coming. They are not coming to fight, they are coming to help us get Bougainville again.”

After years of endless fighting and dashed hopes the coming months of are the best chance the BRA have ever had to end the war, and it seems they are taking no chances.

Rumours are circulating in the coastal areas that Ona is being deliberately isolated in his mountain stronghold. I’ve even been told that his satellite phone has been disconnected so that, for the next 60 days, he can make no comment, or contract, that could derail the truce.

Travel up mountain.

I’m travelling with captain Ravio from the BRA coastal command as we move up towards Francis Ona’s mountain base in the centre of Bougainville. I wanted to get Ona’s response to the truce that his generals have signed.

This is the Ona heartland – a remote area where cults, sorcery and suspicions prevail. It’s where the first BRA uprising began…and here, Ona’s word, is law.

Mark:

“What’s the story?”

Captain Ravio:

“He’s not here, he has gone to another village with his people.”

Mark:

“When will he be back? Who knows?”

With all the talk of peace down on the coast, at first, I thought it was unnecessary that Ravio carried a gun – but a different mood rules in Ona country…

Hold up scene. GRAB PIDGIN.

BANG BANG BANG.

“Give me the video, you PNG spy.”

For the next three days negotiations were held with Ona’s men to get my camera back. It was returned but we could go no further.

For the first time in his career it appears that Ona is increasingly isolated from the rest of the BRA. The mood amongst the people is immediately around him is paranoid and hostile. It remains to be seen whether they will abide by a truce that they no part in concluding.

Down on the coast the mood is more positive. For BRA fighters like captain Ravio the peace process has already begun.

Ravio. GRAB – PIDGIN.

MW: “Is it true that yesterday you shook hands with the PNGDF in Arawa?”

Ravio: “Yes we did that and talked with them, it is important to give this peace a chance. We have to start somewhere.”

Market at Kieta.

This desire for peace is clearly spreading along the coast and has created the apparent split between Francis Ona and the other BRA leaders. But it’s not the first time Ona has held out against a peace process and last time, his view prevailed. This time he does seem more isolated and the mood for peace is stronger but he remains an important wildcard that can’t yet be discounted.

Joseph Kabui – ENGLISH.

“We want to go this way, people are saying that. We want to go this way, this is the road we want to follow. Please listen to us. That is the important message they are giving to the President, Mr Francis Ona.”

Kids sing song at night.

“The BRA boys went from Panguna down to Arawa, to fight the PNG army in operation Rambo Three.

Now we bugger up in war, then some of us die in this war.”