Editing History of Papua New Guinea (section)

==Independence==
Elections in 1972 resulted in the formation of a ministry headed by Chief Minister [[Michael Somare]], who pledged to lead the country to self-government and then to independence. Papua New Guinea became self-governing on 1 December 1973 and achieved independence on 16 September 1975. The country joined the [[United Nations]] (UN) on 10 October 1975 by way of [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 375|Security Council Resolution 375]] and General Assembly resolution 3368.

===Political instability===
The 1977 national elections confirmed Michael Somare as Prime Minister at the head of a coalition led by the [[Pangu Party]]. However, his government lost a [[vote of confidence]] in 1980 and was replaced by a new cabinet headed by [[Sir Julius Chan]] as prime minister. The 1982 elections increased Pangu's plurality, and parliament again chose Somare as prime minister. In November 1985, the Somare government lost another vote of no confidence, and the parliamentary majority elected [[Paias Wingti]], at the head of a five-party coalition, as prime minister. A coalition, headed by Wingti, was victorious in very close elections in July 1987. In July 1988, a no-confidence vote toppled Wingti and brought to power [[Rabbie Namaliu]], who a few weeks earlier had replaced Somare as leader of the Pangu Party.

Such reversals of fortune and a revolving-door succession of prime ministers continue to characterize Papua New Guinea's national politics. A plethora of political parties, coalition governments, shifting party loyalties and motions of no confidence in the leadership all lend an air of instability to political proceedings. Under legislation intended to enhance stability, new governments remain immune from no-confidence votes for the first 18 months of their incumbency.

===Bougainville Island revolt===
A nine-year [[secession]]ist revolt on the island of [[Bougainville Island|Bougainville]] claimed some 20,000 lives. The rebellion began in early 1989, active hostilities ended with a truce in October 1997 and a permanent ceasefire was signed in April 1998. A peace agreement between the Government and ex-combatants was signed in August 2001. A regional peace-monitoring force and a UN observer mission monitors the government and provincial leaders who have established an interim administration and are working toward complete surrender of weapons, the election of a provincial government and an eventual referendum on independence.

The government and rebels negotiated a peace agreement that established the Bougainville Autonomous District and Province. The autonomous Bougainville elected [[Joseph Kabui]] as president in 2005, who served until his death in 2008. He was succeeded by his deputy [[John Tabinaman]] as acting president while an election to fill the unexpired term was organised. [[James Tanis]] won that election in December 2008 and served until the inauguration of John Momis, the winner of the 2010 elections. As part of the current peace settlement, a [[Independence referendum|referendum on independence]] is planned to be held in Bougainville sometime before mid-2020. Preparations were underway in 2015.<ref>"[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/20/australias-interest-in-bougainvilles-independence-is-far-from-locals-wishes Australia's interest in Bougainville's independence is far from locals' wishes"], ''[[The Guardian]]''. 20 May 2015</ref><ref>"[http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/20175037/bougainville-makes-first-preparations-for-referendum Bougainville makes first preparations for referendum]". ''[[Radio New Zealand]]''. 17 April 2015</ref>

===Ethnic tensions===
Numerous Chinese have worked and lived in Papua New Guinea, establishing Chinese-majority communities, and Chinese merchants became established in the islands before European exploration. [[Sinophobia|Anti-Chinese]] rioting involving tens of thousands of people broke out in May 2009. The initial spark was a fight between ethnic [[Overseas Chinese|Chinese]] and Papua New Guinean workers at a [[nickel]] factory under construction by a Chinese company. Native resentment against Chinese ownership of numerous small businesses and their commercial monopoly in the islands led to the rioting.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Callick|first=Rowan|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/news/looters-shot-dead-amid-chaos-of-papua-new-guineas-anti-chinese-riots/story-e6frg6no-1225715006615|title=Looters shot dead amid chaos of Papua New Guinea's anti-Chinese riots|journal=The Australian|date=23 May 2009|access-date=30 June 2014}}</ref><ref>"[http://www.economist.com/node/14207132 Overseas and under siege"], ''The Economist'', 11 August 2009</ref>

===2000s to present===

Also in 2009, Papua New Guinea asked various southeast Asian nations for their support for [[Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations|Papua New Guinea's full membership bid]] in the [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations|ASEAN]]. [[Indonesia]] supported the bid after Papua New Guinea supported Indonesia's hold on [[West Papua (region)|its Papua]] region. However, Christian-majority [[Philippines]] and Buddhist-majority [[Thailand]], [[Vietnam]], and [[Cambodia]] have expressed displeasure over Papua New Guinea's anti-LGBT laws, stating that equality-friendly [[Timor-Leste]] would most likely be a more feasible ASEAN member state in the future.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

From February to March 2018, a [[2018 Papua New Guinea earthquake|chain of earthquakes hit Papua New Guinea]], causing various damages. Various nations from [[Oceania]], including [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]], immediately sent aid to the country.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Ainge Roy |first1=Eleanor |title=Papua New Guinea earthquake: UN pulls out aid workers from violence-hit region |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/05/papua-new-guinea-earthquake-un-pulls-out-aid-workers-from-violence-hit-region |access-date=14 November 2018 |work=The Guardian |date=5 April 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= Ainge Roy |first1=Eleanor |title=Papua New Guinea earthquake: anger grows among 'forgotten victims' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/08/papua-new-guinea-earthquake-anger-grows-among-forgotten-victims |access-date=14 November 2018 |work=The Guardian |date=8 March 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

In May 2019, [[James Marape]] was appointed as the new prime minister, after a tumultuous few months in the country's political life. Marape was a key minister in his  predecessor [[Peter O'Neill|Peter O’Neill]]’s government, and his defection from the government to the opposition camp had finally led to O’Neill's resignation from office.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/30/papua-new-guinea-james-marape-next-prime-minister|title = Papua New Guinea MPS elect James Marape to be next prime minister|website = [[TheGuardian.com]]|date = 30 May 2019}}</ref> In July 2022, Prime Minister James Marape's [[Pangu Pati|PANGU]] Party secured the most seats of any party in the [[2022 Papua New Guinean general election|election]], meaning James Marape was elected to continue as PNG's Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite news |title=James Marape returned as PNG's prime minister after tense election |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-09/papua-new-guinea-election-results-james-marape-to-govern/101311978 |work=ABC News |date=9 August 2022 |language=en-AU}}</ref>

On 10 January 2024 a [[riot]] broke out in Port Moresby where shops and cars were torched and supermarkets looted.<ref name="al1">{{cite news |last1=Mao |first1=Frances |last2=Kelly |first2=Ng |date=11 January 2024 |title=Papua New Guinea: At least 15 dead after major rioting and looting |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67942289 |work=BBC |access-date=12 January 2024}}</ref> Riots also occurred in the city of [[Lae]]. 22 lives were lost in the riots.<ref name="psd">{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Jack |date=15 January 2024 |title=PNG soldiers deployed after payroll error sparks deadly riots |url=https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/geopolitics-and-policy/13427-png-soldiers-deployed-after-payroll-error-sparks-deadly-riots |work=Defence Connect |access-date=15 January 2024}}</ref> They arose after police and members of the public sector protested over pay.  The prime minister, James Marape, declared a 14-day state of emergency.<ref name="al1"/>