Editing Sandline affair (section)

==Background==
After coming to power in mid-1994, Prime Minister Chan made repeated attempts to resolve the Bougainville conflict by diplomatic means. These attempts were ultimately unsuccessful due to the repeated absence of Bougainvillean leaders Francis Ona, Sam Kauona and Joseph Kabui at scheduled peace talks, arising from a deep mistrust of the PNG government and citing unresolved security concerns.<ref>{{cite book|last=Londey|first=Peter|title=Other People's Wars: A History of Australian Peacekeeping|year=2004|publisher=Allen & Unwin|location=Crows Nest, New South Wales|isbn=1865086517}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade|title=Bougainville: The Peace Process and Beyond|year=1999|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia|location=Canberra|isbn=9780642366122}}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In November 1994, Chan attempted to set up the Bougainville Transitional Government, under a moderate Bougainvillean, [[Theodore Miriung]]. However, this too was doomed to failure, as Ona, Kauona, Kabui and others all chose not to take part. This was the last straw for Chan, and he decided to resolve the conflict using military force.