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Banabans may go to the United Nations

The Banaban people of Ocean

Island, still annoyed at what they

say is an unfair deal over phos phate royalties, may take their problems to the United Nations.

They have been advised to approach the Committee of 24 sometime before May, in an effort to get a greater share of the phosphate money.

Manager of the Rabi Island Coun cil, Tebuke Rotan, said in February that the advice to go to the UN was given to them by Mr. A. D. Patel, Fiji lawyer, who is also leader of the Fiji Opposition. Mr. Patel has been retained by the Rabi Island Council as its legal adviser. Rabi Island, in the Fiji group, has been the Banabans’ home since the end of World War 11.

Tebuke said the council felt Mr, Patel’s proposal was a good one, and Mr. Patel was now preparing a case for the UN, using information abtained recently when the Rabi [sland Council and about 40 land owners made a special 20-day round /oyage to Ocean Island and Nauru.

Very upset

“Mr. Patel accompanied our party md saw things for himself,” said rebuke. “The council paid him •FIOO a day to accompany us. We ilso took with us a surveyor from labaul, New Guinea, Mr. John Villiams, who checked our old land loundaries. It was all very interest ng what we found there. Our people i/ere very glad to go home after all hese years and see things for them elves.”

Tebuke said that the BPC workers

on Ocean Island had bulldozed an old cemetery and the Banabans were very u P set about this. They also found ! hat the BPC had built houses on land whlch had not been leased to them. The BPC had only recently applied for leases, but the houses had been built « for vears » * . * . , Rpr 1 ? e " W e lc Bot . thee we found the had ? ee F W u° r u in ? F hos l £ ” h ? f which had not ,^ ased ’ J. ebuke . said, and they a . workl . ng m B ht and day to but they f.T found them at U!” enough-we i-p . 1 , , , , , . 1 ebuke said that although the mam j°b of the party was to fix the vanous land boundaries, they were unable to locate a lot of them, and no records were left after the war. deci R d^- that 7t 50 Banaban * from R abi, m ke“

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being able to remain on the island without BPC help. They intended to take up this matter with the BPC T-Kn . • A D , ...

JjJuke said the Banabans did not e JPect the BPC to pay more for its P hos P h ate, as it had already agreed to pay the world pnce. Extra money for the Banabans had to come from the s h are now divided between the Banabans and the Gilbert and Ellice islands Colony. The Banabans got 7/. a ton and the GEIC 40/f d G f which 35/ ld was a spec i a i tax X bi^er share for the Banabans would thus have to come from the GEIC share. The position was very dif ficult.” « n ‘ r .. . . ... .. „

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* a ?£ ed :r ?*• 18 Wlth Britain. It I* about the division of the money.

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than five times what we are paid in r ° ya, "' eS f ° f ,he ph ° Sphate ”

Below, Rabi Island, unlike Ocean, is high and green. Rabi is pronounced Rambi.