The BRA, which Ona founded in 1989, escalated into a guerrilla movement fighting for Bougainville's secession from Papua New Guinea.
He insisted that Bougainville, a nation he called Me'ekamui, was already separate, based on an unrecognized unilateral declaration of independence issued by the rebels in 1990.
In his village, Guava, on the area which would be leased for the future Panguna mine, Ona inherited secondary land rights from his father.
[2] Ona got employed as a pit surveyor for Bougainville Copper (BCL), who operated the Panguna mine, in November 1976.
[3] Ona was at one time employed by Bougainville Copper at the mine, but he became increasingly critical of its operations' adverse effect on the environment and what he claimed was the low level of royalties paid to the landowners.
Most of the profits left Bougainville Island, but its society was disrupted by thousands of workers from Papua New Guinea, as well as Australians.
By early 1988, Ona and his associates, including his cousin Pepetua Serero, had formed the New PLA, supported by both mineworkers and the traditional opponents of the Panguna mine, Damien Dameng's Me'ekamui Pontuku Onoring.
The PNG Government set up an independent inquiry which dismissed the claims about the environmental impact but was critical of other parts of the mine's operation.
Ona became the acknowledged leader of the BRA after the death of Serero in 1989; Sam Kauona, a former soldier in the army, led military operations.
The number of complaints increased about human rights abuses by PNG forces, which initially strengthened support for the BRA.
The island descended into anarchy, as several armed factions and clans struggled for power with the PNG Government supporting these militias.
During Prime Minister Paias Wingti's term, the PNG Government renewed military efforts and their troops captured Arawa, the provincial capital, in 1993 and recaptured the Panguna mine.
A ceasefire was arranged later in 1997 between new Prime Minister Bill Skate and Joseph Kabui, with a multi-national Peace Monitoring Group commencing operations on the island.
He was crowned "King Francis Dominic Dateransy Domanaa, head of state of the Royal Kingdom of Me'ekamui".
[8][9] During elections for the Autonomous government in 2005, which he opposed, Ona came out of his safe haven into the public eye for the first time in 16 years.