The only rule of law was a tribal pay-back system, Bougainville, 1994, courtesy of Australian Government Department of Defence

Evacuation by helicopter, Bougainville, 1994, courtesy of Australian Government Department of Defence

WILLIAM GRIGGS
AM, ASM, MBBS, PGDipAvMed, MBA, DUniv (hc), FANZCA, FCICM, FPA, FAICD
BOUGAINVILLE

In 1994 there was no government in Bougainville, no public utilities, and the only rule of law was a tribal pay-back system.

“I went to Bougainville as one of a five member Fly Away Surgical Team (FAST). Our task was to provide level 3 surgical support as members of the South Pacific Peace Keeping Force during planned peace talks in Arawa.”

Initially, they worked from the edge of the runway at Buka airfield, later moving to HMAS Tobruk in Arawa harbour. There were only five people to do everything needed and there had been no doctors on the island for years.

Griggs returned twice in 1998, once as part of the Truce Monitoring Group and later that year as part of the Peace Monitoring Group.

“Visiting Arawa to run clinics on a regular basis meant locals who had not seen a doctor in over 10 years could come to see us. The pathology mix was impressive, but we were limited in what we could offer.”