John Bika (died 11 September 1989) was a

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

and Bougainvillean politician. Bika was the North Solomons Provincial Assembly MP for Nasioi-Pirung and Minister for Commerce and Liquor Licensing in the provincial administration of North Solomons Premier

Joseph Kabui Joseph Canisius Kabui (1954 – 7 June 2008) was a secessionist leader and the first President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, off the coast of Papua New Guinea, from 2005 to 2008. He was also the leader of the Bougainville People's C ...

in 1989, at the beginning of the Bougainville Civil War. He had chaired a provincial committee into the issue of Bougainvillean secession that had recommended that Bougainville remain within Papua New Guinea but with increased autonomy. He was assassinated at his home in Toboroi village by

Bougainville Revolutionary Army The Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) was a secessionist group formed in 1988 by Bougainvilleans seeking independence from Papua New Guinea (PNG). The leader of the BRA was Francis Ona who led the BRA against the Papua New Guinea Defence Force ...

militants on 11 September 1989. He had been due to fly to Port Moresby the following day as one of the signatories to a proposed "peace package" to end the conflict. Bika was shot dead in front of his wife, Helen Bika, and was survived by five children. In the aftermath of the assassination, the Papua New Guinean government announced a 200,000 kina reward for the capture of BRA leader

Francis Ona Francis Ona (c. 1953 – 24 July 2005) was a Bougainville secessionist leader who led an uprising against the Government of Papua New Guinea as part of the Bougainville Civil War. He and his followers were concerned about the environmental and ...

. Bika's family have campaigned for compensation from the

Autonomous Bougainville Government The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG; tpi, Otonomos Bogenvil Gavman) is the government of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Structure The Constitution of Bougainville specifies that the Autonomous Bougainville Gove ...

in recent years.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bika, John Bougainvillean politicians People from Bougainville Island Assassinated Papua New Guinean politicians 1989 deaths Oceania politicians assassinated in the 1980s Politicians assassinated in 1989