8 . ▁Following ▁a ▁meeting ▁in ▁Port ▁M ores by ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁B oug ain ville ▁M H As ▁( Paul ▁Lap un ▁and ▁Don atus ▁M ola ) ▁and ▁around ▁ 2 5 ▁B oug ain ville ans , ▁a ▁proposal ▁was ▁put ▁forward ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Assembly ▁to ▁hold ▁a ▁refer endum ▁to ▁decide ▁whether ▁the ▁island ▁should ▁remain ▁part ▁of ▁Pap ua ▁New ▁Guinea , ▁join ▁the ▁Sol omon ▁Islands , ▁or ▁become ▁independent . ▁However , ▁no ▁vote ▁was ▁held . ▁After ▁Pap ua ▁New ▁Guinea ▁became ▁independent ▁from ▁Australia ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁B oug ain ville ▁was ▁given ▁provincial ▁status ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁t ension ▁er upt ed ▁into ▁a ▁civil ▁war ▁between ▁the ▁B oug ain ville ▁Revolution ary ▁Army ▁and ▁Pap ua ▁New ▁Guinea ▁government ▁forces . ▁One ▁key ▁issue ▁of ▁conflict ▁was ▁the ▁P ang una ▁mine , ▁which ▁was ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁The ▁civil ▁war ▁ended ▁with ▁a ▁ce ase fire ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁that ▁was ▁followed ▁with ▁the ▁B oug ain ville ▁Peace ▁Ag re ement ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁The ▁agreement ▁established ▁the ▁Aut onom ous ▁B oug ain ville ▁Government , ▁and ▁mand ated ▁a ▁refer endum ▁on ▁the ▁independence ▁of ▁B oug ain ville ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁ 1 0 - 1 5 ▁years ▁later ▁than ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁the