Waihi police Sergeant Craig Thorne left New Zealand three weeks ago for a one-year deployment in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Here he shares his experiences in the autonomous region where he is helping police.
"For those of you who don't know, I am currently on a deployment to Bougainville in a town called Buin which is as far south as you can go and is the most remote part of the country. Bougainville is situated just above the Solomon Islands. Without going into too much detail, NZ Police are here to assist the Bougainville Police Service and advise them on policing matters. This will eventually have them being self-sufficient and enabling them to police without our influence. Three NZ Police are based in Buin.
"The country is still rebuilding from the civil war of 1988-1998 which ended with 15-20,000 Bougainvilleans dead. This all started over the Panguna Mine which in its day was the largest open cast mine in the world, it is rich in copper, which is what was being mined but also has a large gold deposit.
"I am now a month into my 12-month deployment - so what do I miss after a month? It is not the material things or peanut M&Ms (well, I do but can live without). It is my partner, close family and friends. I have learnt very quickly here that, at the end of the day, that is all that really matters.
