Publisher's Synopsis
On the eve of Papua New Guinea's independence in 1975, there were many who predicted political anarchy, with the possibility of an army coup or authoritarian single-party dominance, and economic collapse. Such fears appeared to have been justified when in 1975 the North Solomons (Bougainville) and Papua unilaterally declared their independence. Fortunately, PNG underwent a smooth transition, and in its first decade as a new state enjoyed a high degree of political and economic progress. It remains one of the few postcolonial states that has maintained an unbroken record of democratic governance.;From the mid-1980s a number of adverse tendencies appeared, including a decline in government capability; increasing lawlessness; poor economic management; and, from 1988, a rebellion on Bougainville. PNG now faces instability on its western border with the Indonesian province of West Papua and on the east to the border with the Solomon Islands.;Topics covered in this survey of 25 years of PNG's independence include political economy; internal and external security issues; class, ethnicity, regionalism and political parties, micronationalism, decentralization and provincial government reform; and the changing role of the PNG Defence Force and its involvement in the "Sandline Affair", the emergence of "chiefs" in contemporary politics, the origins of the Bougainville crisis, and PNG's relations with Indonesia over their common border.
