ConflictBarometer_2015

ASIA AND OCEANIA
members in Khyber. On October 25, elders of the Utmankhial
and Tharkani tribes reiterated their will to cooperate with the
government at a jirga, a traditional assembly, in the village
Khar, Bajaur, announcing to monitor ''suspicious activities'' in
the area.
In KP, at least five lashkar members were killed in a minimum
of six targeted attacks. An elder of a peace committee died
and two others were critically injured in gunfire when their
vehicle was attacked in Tank district on March 31. On September
14, one lashkar member and one civilian were shot dead
in Swat district. On October 1, alleged militants shot dead a
peace committee member in the same district. Three days
later, an IED killed a tribal elder and injured another relative
in Bannu district. cga
PAKISTAN INDIA
Intensity: 3 | Change: | Start: 1947
Conflict parties:
Conflict items:
The conflict between Pakistan and India over international
power, usage of the Indus river water, and the status of the
Indian state of Kashmir de-escalated to a violent crisis.
Between January 2 and November 17, Indian and Pakistani
soldiers violated the 2003 ceasefire agreement at least 77
times along the contested Line of Control (LoC) and the International
Border (IB) of Jammu and Kashmir state (J&K), leaving
a total of 66 people dead, among them ten Indian soldiers,
20 Indian civilians, three Pakistani soldiers, and 33 Pakistani
civilians. At least 170 people from both sides were injured.
In 49 of these clashes both armies used heavy weapons such
as mortar shells and RPGs.
Between January 2 and 13, heavy cross-border firing erupted
along 13 border outposts of the IB, killing three Indian soldiers,
one Indian civilian, three Pakistani soldiers, five Pakistani
civilians, and injuring twelve people. Subsequently,
around 10,000 civilians fled the Indian border area according
to Indian media reports. On January 24, the UN military observer
group UNMOGIP visited the affected border area along
the IB in Punjab, Pakistan. Between July 5 and September
17, cross-border firing erupted in several locations along the
LoC and IB. In at least 40 skirmishes involving heavy firing
with mortar shells, rockets, and RPGs from both sides, five
Indian soldiers, 17 Indian civilians, and 25 Pakistani civilians
were killed. Additionally, five Indian soldiers, 81 Indian civilians,
and 65 Pakistani civilians were injured. According to
Pakistani newspapers, hundreds of residents fled the border
areas. UNMOGIP visited the affected border region in
Pakistan-administered Kashmir on July 20, August 18 and 29.
Despite India calling off peace talks between National Security
Advisors of both countries on August 22, the following
months a series of bilateral talks were held, including
meetings between military officials along the LoC and IB on
September 10 and 21 as well as December 22. Furthermore,
both prime ministers briefly met along the sidelines of the
climate summit in Paris, France, on November 30, followed
by a National Security Advisor meeting in Thailand's capital
Bangkok on December 6. They discussed security and
terrorism-related issues with a particular focus on J&K and
the situation along the LoC and IB. Three days later, Indian
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, her Pakistani counterpart
Sartaj Aziz, and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met at
the sidelines of the Heart of Asia conference in the Pakistani
capital Islamabad. On December 25, Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi unexpectedly visited the Pakistani city of Lahore,
Punjab state, to meet Sharif in order to strengthen ties
between the two countries. This was the first time an Indian
prime minister had visited Pakistan in twelve years. Furthermore,
they agreed on another meeting to take place between
the National Security Advisors on 01/15/16 in order to discuss
the status of Kashmir, the Siachen glacier, ''cross-border
terrorism'', and water-related issues. jam
PAPUA NEW GUINEA (BOUGAINVILLE)
Intensity: 2 | Change: | Start: 1964
Conflict parties:
Conflict items:
Pakistan vs. India
territory, international power, resources
civil society groups, MDF,
Bougainville Hardliners vs. Meekamui
Tribal Government, PMALA, MGU
vs. ABG, BCL, government
autonomy, resources, other
The conflict over the conditions for the reopening of the
Panguna Mine in Bougainville escalated to the level of a
non-violent crisis. In 1988, the mine had been closed over
tensions which had evolved into a ten-year civil war. A peace
agreement signed in 2002 granted the island province autonomous
control over its resources and the right to hold a
referendum on independence between 2015 and 2020. With
Bougainville entering the referendum period, the question of
the copper mine's reopening returned to the center of politics.
While the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG),
led by President John Momis, and the national government in
Port Moresby continued to advocate a reopening, a coalition
of civil society groups and civil war veterans rejected both the
proposal and the ongoing discussion. They strongly opposed
the pending Bougainville Mining Act passed by the ABG on
March 26. As a condition for talks over the mine's potential reopening,
the ABG sought to pursue a ''Bel Kol'' reconciliation
ceremony between the Panguna Mine Affected Landowner
Association (PMALA) and former mine operator Bougainville
Copper Limited (BCL). Informed by the Nasioi customary principle
of reconciliation, known as Domang Miita, the ceremony
was originally put forward by the Panguna landowners as a
non-negotiable condition to reopen the mine. The Meekamui,
factions of civil war veterans who were in control of different
areas around the mine, remained split over the issue. While
the Meekamui Government of Unity (MGU), led by Moses
Pipiro, and the Meekamui Tribal Government expressed their
support for Momis during the ABG election in May, the Meekamui
Defence Force (MDF), led by Chris Uma, which controlled
the ''No-Go-Zone'' around the mine, remained in staunch opposition
to it. In May, Momis was re-elected as president of
the ABG with an absolute majority despite losing votes in the
area around the Panguna Mine.
On March 13, the Tinputz community filed a petition signed
by 700 people against the passing of the Bougainville Mining
Act. Several NGOs expressed their concerns. Jimmy
Miringtoro, Member of Parliament for Central Bougainville
in the national government, criticized the passage of the
law for being rushed before the ABG general elections and
for not being subject to sufficient consultation with local
communities. Objections were also raised by Sam Kauona,
former leader of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA).
On August 24, chairman of the Central Bougainville Council of
Elders John Dona demanded Momis to halt the negotiations
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