My River is Poisoned! : $2,000-00 Acrylic on stretched canvas, strung and ready to hang. 76cm wide X 76cm high X 4cm deep. My depiction of a member of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army. In 1989 Panguna landowners on Bougainville in Papua New Guinea ordered Australian mining company BCL to pay what many considered a ridiculous demand of 10 billion Aus$ in compensation for damage done to the environment, particularly the Jaba River. BCL steadfastly refused to meet demands and out of the blue came raggle-taggle Bougainville Revolutionary Army, which at first no one took seriously. As 1990 approached, it was found that the unheard-of rebel group was indeed a force to be reckoned with, very much so as they perpetrated typical Rambo-type clandestine exploits to bring the mining operation to a close. As such, my 10-year stay on that beautiful island came to an end, and we relocated here to Perth.

Artist full name or pseudonym (used in search fields)

John Mason

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PNG, rebel, Australian mine, terrorist, mine closure, Papua New Guinea, environmental damage, compensation, pacific,