Pacific Report
pp. 5-6 · Read in the full issue
Top-Secret Island Invaded
Omelek, a tiny island in the heart of the American top-secret missile range on Kwajalein in the Marshalls, was invaded and occupied before Christmas by 21 Marshallese who claim ownership of the island. A court battle has been going on for over 10 years over compensation for the island’s use but there is still no decision. Early in January, leader of the invaders, clan-leader Handel Dribo, agreed to leave the island on a promise by the authorities to settle the issue. It is reported that Kwajalein is now testing the Cruise missile, the pilotless drone President Carter said the United States would rely on instead of the B-1 bomber.
Marianas Has A Governor
Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Carlos Camacho, beat the Territorial Party challenger, Jose C. Temorio by 125 votes in the December election for the first governor of the Northern Marianas in the new Commonwealth Government. Comacho’s running mate, Francisco C. Ada, beat Senator Olympic T. Borja for the vice-governorship. The Territorial Party won most of the seats in the House of Representatives but in the mayoral race the Democrats captured three out of four, Saipan, Northern Islands and Tinian. The Territorial Party won the mayoralty for Rota. Democrat Edward DLG Pangelinan had a runaway win from Territorial Party challenger Juan T. Lizama for the post of Washington Representative.
Evil Work Of Anne And 808
Nature blew out the old year and blew in the new— with two hurricanes, Hurricane Anne and Hurricane Bob. Hurricane Anne swept through Ha’afeua in the Ha’apai group of Tonga on December 28 leaving flattened houses and damaged crops in its wake. One school was destroyed in the high winds which reached 70 km an hour. In January, Hurricane Bob hit the Isle of Pines in New Caledonia gusting up to 200 km an hour, after leaving a trail of destruction in Fiji where a man was killed at Wailoko, near Sabeto, Nadi. The man’s house, along with those of neighbours, was ripped apart by the huge storm. Although Hurricane Bob caused extensive flooding on the Isle of Pines and on the main island of New Caledonia, other damage was reported to be slight. In the New Hebrides a village of about 100 homes on Emae Island was washed away.
Fiji Gold Miners Fired
The Emperor Gold Mining Co sacked about 1 000 workers in January. The company has been told by the Fiji Government that it will get no more financial aid and was accused by Labour Minister, Ratu David Toganivalu, of intending to "gut" the mine and run. The company said it was investigating a plan to reduce mining operations until gold prices rise. The Fiji Pine Commission will employ 300 of the dismissed men and it was hoped to obtain employment for 200 more in New Zealand, Hopes for the latter plan were faint.
Skin Flicks For Png??
PNG Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Ebia Olewale, has put the cat among the pigeons by proposing to liberalise censorship regulations. He told reporters in Port Moresby that he was going to be very liberal over censorship but expected criticism from conservative clergy. Many people believe that his liberalisation will allow girlie magazines and R-rated films into the country.
Oil Search In Fiji
Pacific Energy and Mineral Ltd, of Colorado. US. has been Di ®. xclusive rights to start extensive exploration for oil in oligh Water, Fiji. The exploration area covers 764 000 ha. The area was previously explored by Southern Pacific Petroleum Ltd with Amoco Exploration Co between 1969 and 1975. This search in spite of encouraging surveys, was given up because 0T world economic conditions.
Bougainville Expels Squatters
Twenty squatters, who come from PNG's Eastern Highlands and Chimbu provinces, have been sent home from Bougainville by the North Solomons Province Government. Their expulsion comes after complaints of immigrants causing trouble on the island. The Eastern Highlanders and Chimbus have retaliated by threatening to expel all Bougainvilleans living in the two provinces. "The North Solomons Provincial Government has just made enemies by removing five Chimbus and 15 East Highlanders," Highlands Premier, James Yanepa, told the returned squatters. He added that the North Solomons Government had played a dirty game on them and they were not going to sit back and let them carry on. Silence still reigns however, over similar action by the New Ireland Province which in the past two years has sent 500 squatters home, the majority from the Sepik and Morobe provinces
A Problem In The Solomons
A woman doctor visiting the Solomon Islands recently found that the major problem that many Solomon Island women have is that they can’t have babies. They are too embarrassed to be examined by a male doctor and the Australian Government sent Dr Del Pulflett, a woman specialist gynaecologist, to the Solomon Islands. Dr Pulflett, after examining 52 women at Kira Kira Hospital, found that many needed to have surgery to cure their barren state, mainly caused by blocked tubes.
"Unfortunately this could be very hard to arrange," said Dr Pulflett. "as it could also involve their husbands " However, six women travelled to Honiara recently to receive further treatment.
Tongan Goes To The Gallows
A convicted murderer, 'Otenili Fisilau, 31, was hanged in Tonga on December 27. It was the first hanging in the kingdom since April, 1971.
Price Control In Png
Papua New Guinea is to introduce formal price control machinery to cover all industries and services in an effort to control inflation. Announcing this, Finance Minister, Mr Barry Holloway, told business leaders in Port Moresby in January that lack of effective competition had contributed to laxity in con trolling price rises and the blame was shared by the govern ment and the private sector. "The government has not worked hard for wage restraint only to see private business take unfair advantage by making excessive profits or by compensating for poor management," he said.
A “Summit’ In Sydney
Prime Ministers Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara (Fiji), Prince Tu’ipelehake (Tonga), Tupuola Efi (Western Samoa), Mr Rob Muldoon (New Zealand) along with Nauru’s President Bernard Dowiyogo are expected in Sydney in February for a two-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting (Feb 13/14) hosted by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser.
Other leaders will come from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lankar, Malaysia and Singapore. They will have talks on "matters of mutual interest" and may be expected to support the South Pacific Forum’s plans for 200-mile economic and fishing zones.
‘Aid’ To The Islands
The New Zealand authorities searched about 50 Pacific slanders at Auckland airport just before Christmas and found hey were carrying about $l5 000 in NZ currency. There is a limit of $5O a head. Ten of the Islanders were given "belated" approval tp take the money after they were referred to bank officials, and Jn the case of the remainder they were allowed to take the money because in the long run, approval would probably have been given. Anyway, NZ claims it has a "fairly generous” policy relating to remitting money to the Islands.
Look What Santa Brought.
The Western Samoa Government treats Head of State Melietoa Tanumafili II proudly. For a Christmas present it gave him a SW23 000 brand new Ford Lincoln car, specially imported, well equipped to remove discomforts associated with motoring. Before it was sent to Western Samoa, the car was cut in half in Chicago and a further metre was added to the length, just enough to house a small refrigerator, a portable TV set and a radio. At the back seat there is a small cocktail bar.
Tonga Renews A Treaty
Tonga and West Germany have ratified a treaty of friendship between the two countries. The original treaty of friendship was signed in 1876. The latest signing was followed by feasting and dancing at the royal residence at Kauvai.
No To Tv In Png
If recommendations from a government committee are ac cepted, there will be no broadcast television in Papua New Guinea and duties and taxes are likely to rise sharply on all closed-circuit television equipment. Such equipment is now finding ready sale in the Islands. The only television station in the South Pacific outside Australia, New Zealand and the French Territories is in Pago Pago. The committee which has been investigating the possibility of television broadcasting claims broadcast television could be “counter-productive to development".
62 Missing At Sea
An air search failed to find a Tongan 20 m wooden ship, the Tokomea, carrying 45 passengers and 17 crew, which failed to arrive as scheduled at Niuatopatapu in the Tonga group while on the way from Vavau to Pago Pago. There was no radio contact with the Tokomea after she left Vavau on December 29 and an RNZAF Orion searched in vain. The only lifesaving equipment on board were a 2.4 m x .9 m liferaft and 16 old lifejackets. The Fiji Director of Civil Aviation, Mr M. Varley, said the Tokomea had a good battery, but that was bad news. If the radio was as good as it was said to be, the search-rescue authorities would have expected to make some contact with the Tokomea if she was still afloat.
Later, debris, believed to be from the Tokomea was washed ashore on widely-separated islands.
Samoan Governors In Reverse
Mr Peter T. Coleman was sworn in on January 3 as the first elected Governor of American Samoa. Personal representatives of President Jimmy Carter at the ceremony were his son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Annette Carter, and others present in cluded Mr Al Stern, Assistant Director for Domestic Affairs at the White House, Interior Undersecretary James A. Joseph, Mrs Ruth Vancleve, Director of the Office of Territorial Affairs and Cardinal Pio Taofinuu, Bishop of Samoa and Tokelau. The ceremony was a reversal of one which took place in 1961 Then, as retiring Governor, he handed over to Governor H. Rex Lee. In January retiring Governor Lee handed over to incoming Gover nor Coleman.
Fiji Claims Its Sea Bed
By a simple act of parliament Fiji has increased its area to about 16 541 300 ha, including a land area of about 1 829 835 ha. Fiji was one of the first countries to take advantage of a recent international agreement to allow it to claim all the sea area between islands. Before that sovereignty reached out only 12 nautical miles from the coast of each island.
Tongan Fly-Away Tax
Tonga has imposed an airport tax of $2.50 on passengers leaving the country by air. It applies to all persons from the age of two. The new tax will help Tonga to meet the increased costs of civil aviation. In recent years New Zealand, Fiji, Western Samoa and the Solomons have introduced airport departure taxes.
Gilbertese At The Polls
As a preliminary to independence the Gilbertese were scheduled to go to the polls for a general election on February 1. For the first time each inhabited island will be a single constituency, including Banaba (formerly Ocean Island) which will return one member. In all 35 members will be returned from 23 constituencies. A special feature of the Gilbert Islands’ electoral procedure is that a successful candidate must obtain more than half the total votes so provision has been made for second elections to be held within seven days.
Fiji Hicom For Nz
The Fiji Government expects to set up a high commission in Wellington by March, to make the fifth Fiji overseas mission.
The others are in London, New York, Canberra and Brussels.
The Wellington office will be staffed by four Foreign Office officials, one of whom will be High Commissioner, and office staff recruited in NZ.
Sir Alberts Strategy?
The Cook Islands will go to the polls in a general election in April. The Premier, Sir Albert Henry, in a surprise announce ment, called the election six months before it was due. A report from the Cook Islands said the opposition Democratic Party was divided by a leadership struggle, with younger members eager for more power. This may have prompted Sir Albert, leader of the ruling Cook Islands Party, to capitalise on the division among his opponents.
Flaming Wreck
The Sayandra, the ex-Fiji pleasure cruise ship which was a familiar sight in the Yasawas, burst into flames and sank in Mele Bay, five miles from Vila, on Christmas Eve. What caused the fires is unknown but it is thought there could have been an electrical fault in the engine room.
Backed The Wrong Dollar
Several Australians working for the Png Government decided nearly three y'e&rs ago that they wanted their pay in Australian dollars. It has turned out to be a bad choice for, at today’s cur rency levels, they are 20% worse off than if they had taken their pay in PNG kina. Long-term Australians in PNG thought, a few years ago, that the value of the new kina would fall when it was unpegged from the dollar but several Australian devaluations and some Png revaluations have boosted the kina.
Fiji’S Sugar Cake
Fiji finished a bumper cane harvest in January with enough sugar to meet all Fiji’s contracts and with some to spare. In ad dition Fiji was able to meet al5 000 tonne order from the Unitec States and another 40 000 tonnes was being stock-piled tc meet any shortfall, as the next cane crop has been endangerec by the drought.
Mr Lus, The Sole Rescuer
PNG Minister for Commerce, Mr Pita Lus, took off his shoes one night in January to help three people trapped in a lift. He used the shoes to wedge the doors apart a couple of inches to allow the trapped people to get fresh air in the central govern) ment office building at Waigani. Two men and a woman trappec in the lift, and the minister’s shoes, were released an hour late; by a technician.
Storm Tragedy In Port Moresby
Port Moresby, the PNG capital, was hit by a severe electrics storm on the night of January 15. A boy was drowned when thi streets became like fast-running rivers which took short cutt through shops, houses and other buildings, causing muc: minor damage. In 1V? hours 190 mm of rain fell, a record for thf city. The boy and his mother were swept into a storm drain bu the mother, who jumped into the culvert to rescue the bo' escaped with cuts. There were many landslides, blockim roads, and three cars were almost buried by debris at the Yacn
Club.’