Pacific Report

Hurricane Hits Rarotonga

Rarotonga’s harbour at Avarua was badly damaged by Hurricane Charles at the end of February. Seafront buildings and tanker facilities were badly damaged but there was little damage inland. Palmerston, Aitutaki, Mltiaro, Mauke and Atiu islands reported severe damage to crops. RNZAF planes flew emergency fuel oil to Rarotonga to keep the island’s electric power generators running.

Malaria Upsurge In Png

Malaria is reported on the upsurge in Papua New Guinea because the Health Department has been forced to curtail patrols and a drug-resistant strain of the disease has appeared.

The number of cases confirmed by patrols in 1977 was double the 1976 total. The drug-resistant strain was worst in the Western Province, resistance at Kiunga being as high as 40%.

A New Nius

A new newspaper appeared in Papua New Guinea on February 17, Hailans Nius, stable companion to Ray Thurecht’s Lae Nius and Ailans Nius. The new Nius says that it intends “to fill a real need in our highlands regions ... Hailans Nius hopes to play a part in breaking down these communications barriers”. Home of Hailans Nius is at Mt Hagen, Ailans Nius at Rabaul and Lae Nius at Lae.

Tuvalu’S Golden Handshake

Tuvalu will get $ll million as a “farewell” gift from Britain when the nine islands (only eight occupied) become an independent country on October 1. Talks between Britain and the Tuvaluans in London ended with what, Chief Minister Toalipi Lauti said, "we had hoped for”, a special $4.7 million development grant a $4.9 million general development aid grant for a three-year period and budgetary aid for 1979/80 of $1.7 million. Come 1980, there’ll be further talks on the level of aid from 1981 Tuvalu had sounded out Britain over chances of getting a share of the reserve fund built up from Ocean Island phosphate revenues as a nest-egg for the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony when the phosphate ran out but Britain said no When Tuvalu (ex-Ellice) opted out of a future independent GEI the Tuvaluans were told they would lose their share.

Leader Ousted

Mr Naboua Ratieta, Chief Minister in the last Gilberts aovernment has lost nomination for the leadership, and, sventually, for Prime Minister. Five candidates were nominated, ane more than the constitution allows. A secret ballot of members ousted Mr Ratieta. Candidates for election on March 17 were Mr leremia Tabai, Mr Babera Kirata, Mr Ronti Teiwaki and Mr Taomati luta.

Port Moresby Commotion

PNG's Government faced a threat of a split early in March Amen Prime Minister Somare announced moves to force national leaders” to dispose of their business interests. The loldi ng of shares and business interests by leaders and their amihes will be banned if legislation goes through. Mr Julius an, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the People’s regressive Party, said he would oppose the measure.

Gilberts’ Governor Going

Mr John Smith, Governor of the Gilbert Islands since leaving ne Solomon Islands, where he was Financial Secretary, will eave the Gilberts in May on retirement, on the eve of the colony’s independence. His appointment in 1973 was for three 'ears and, when he arrived in Tarawa in July of that year, he emarked that there was something both unreal and out of time n being appointed a colonial governor in 1973. “Some of you

may have noticed,” he said, “that I acn not boasting the plumage under which a governor customarily puts into port.

Happily, there is little demand for such splendour these days and those once responsible for its manufacture have passed with empire.”

Came To Grief On Tokelau Reef

A Korean fishing vessel was said to be a total loss after it ran aground on a reef at Atafu, Tokelau, in February. The Tokelau Affairs Office in Apia, Western Samoa, said there were no fish on board the wrecked ship.

Pacific Adult Education Hives Off

A South Pacific office to oversee adult education in the region will be set up following a conference jointly sponsored by the South Pacific Commission and the Asian-South Pacific Bureau for Adult Education. Held in Noumea in February, the conference decided that because of special problems in the Pacific Islands, a separate adult education office should be set up, headquartered in Suva. Among priorities would be the training of community radio producers, and exchange of tapes throughout the region.

Guam’S Ricky To Pressure Jimmy

Guam Governor Ricky Bordallo flew to Washington late in February in an effort to persuade US President Carter to reconsider his decision not to build a new navy ammunition wharf in Guam’s Apra harbour. Carter cut the SUS4O million wharf request from the 1979 federal budget. The present wharf is near Guam’s commercial port. Within the blast zone, should an explosive accident occur at the ammunition wharf, are SUS4SO million in property, and 4 600 workers not employed at the ammunition wharf. Nearest facilities to the present ammunition wharf are Mobil and Esso fuel storages

Making It To Manila?

Ten Papua New Guinea politicians from the Eastern Highlands Province who were planning an $lB 000 “study tour” to the Philippines late in March ran into trouble from their constituents early in the piece. In a February statement, protesters threatened to sit on Goroka airstrip to prevent their plane taking off because they regarded the tour as “a junket”.

The Philippines, with two airlines running direct flights from Port Moresby, is fast gaining a reputation in PNG as a holiday bright spot.

A By-Election In Fui

Mr Koresi Matatolu is Fiji’s newest MP after winning a by election caused by the sudden death of Ratu Julian Toganivalu.

Mr Matatolu was put up by the flower faction of the deeply divided National Federation Party. He polled 5 227 votes against 4 409 by Alliance Party candidate Mr Navitalai Raqona and 2 835 by dove faction NFP candidate, Mr Apisai Tora, who is at present in gaol. Mr Matatolu is secretary of the Electricity Employees’ Union. The by-election was for the North-West Fijian National Constituency, which failed to get warmed up by the contest. Only 39% of the voters turned out a little more than 12 000 out of more than 30 000 eligible.

Samoan Students Riot

Almost 100 students of the Teachers Training College in Apia rioted late in February as a protest against alleged strict measures imposed by the school’s disciplinarian, Fuimaono Faatitipa. The riot, which had apparently been simmering for some time, erupted when Fuimaono allegedly assaulted a student in front of a school gathering. The students threw stones at windows, breaking the glass, and, storming inside, damaged chairs, tables and other furniture. The police were called to restore order. Eighty-one students were taken to the police

station, where some were detained till next day, while others were taken to prison. They were all charged with rioting.

Fuimaono was charged with assault.

Sir Albert: “I’Ll Sue...”

The spirited run-up to the Cook Islands elections of March 30 was further enlivened by a threat of legal action by incumbent Premier, Sir Albert Henry, against Dr Tom Davis, leader of the Opposition Democratic Party. Dr Davis had charged that Sir Albert was using New Zealand aid funds to finance the election campaign of his Cook Islands Party.

Chief Minister Goes “Cargo”?

Chief Minister of the New Hebrides. Mr George Kalsakau. attended celebrations by the John Frum cargo cult movement on Tanna Island in February. He was accompanied by the new French Resident Commissioner in the New Hebrides, Mr Bernard Pettier.

Fiji: Australian Union Will Talk

Mr Tas Bull, an official of the Waterside Workers’ Federation of Australia, said in February his union would be keen to take part in discussions designed to clear the air on alleged intervention by Australian and New Zealand trade unions in the internal affairs of Fiji. The allegations arose from events during Fiji’s 1977 dock strikes.

New Dockers’ Union In Fiji?

Application has been made in Fiji for the registration of a new dock workers’ union in the main sugar port of Lautoka, the Port Workers’ and Seamen’s Union. The move follows the deregistration of the former Fiji Waterside Workers and Seamen’s Union for failure to produce its accounts. The leader of the old union, Taniele Veitata, freed in February after a six months gaol term for Trade Disputes Act offences in Fiji’s 1977 dock strikes, has vowed he will revive his organisation.

Paying For World War Ii

The Pafsua New Guinea National Parliament in February established a committee to investigate damage, responsibilities, and compensation claims to be made against the governments of Australia, the United States and Japan the three countries which “brought World War II to the country Committee members said outside the House the greatest long term damage caused by the war had come from the removal of topsoil for the building of airstrips and installations. This had ruined large areas of land for agriculture. Two other attempts to look into war damage compensation in PNG have been made in recent years but produced no formal action.

More On Miraculous Mr Meier

Mr John Meier, controversial governor of the Bank of the South Pacific, slated to start operations soon in Tonga, was once a business associate of former US President Nixon s younger brother, F. Donald Nixon. Donald's business activities had more than once embarrassed the President in the past, and his association with Meier was abruptly ended on the President’s orders in 1973. Go-between was the president’s close personal friend, millionaire Charles G. (Bebe) Rebozo, who put pressure on senior members in the organisation of billionaire recluse, Howard Hughes, Meier’s then employer, to keep him away from Donald.

Air Niugini’S Chief Stays

Mr Bryan Grey, general manager of Air Niugini, is back at work after running foul of Papua New Guinea’s stringent “national leadership’’ code through lateness in submitting a statement of his financial affairs. Mr Grey was first suspended from membership of the country’s Airlines Commission in

February, and immediately resigned both from that job and from Air Niugini. After days of busy political manoeuvring, a three suspended on the same grounds as Grey. They are Dr Akotoua Toua, chairman of the Electricity Commission, and secretary of the Department of Works and Supply, Mr Leo Morgan.

Dowiyogo In New Zealand

Nauru’s President Bernard Dowiyogo paid a goodwill visit to New Zealand in February. Topping the agenda for the visit were New Zealand’s sagging purchases of Nauruan phosphate, and a request for landing rights in New Zealand for Air Nauru. The President said phosphate exports declined by sll million last year. It was the second deficit recorded and another, but smaller, one was expected for 1978.

The Forum Sails

The Pacific Forum Line will start operations in May with three services. They will be: A, New Zealand-Fiji-Western and American Samoa-Tonga-NZ; B. NZ-Fiji-Gilbert Islands- Solomons-Papua New Guinea; C, Melbourne-Sydney-Fiji-W. and A. Samoa-Tonga-Melbourne. Captain G. R. Dewsnap, general manager of the Forum Line, said that initially the ships would carry a mixture of unit loads, break bulk and some container. Early in 1979, new ro-ro container ships would be progressively introduced.

Corned Beef As Catalyst

The flavour of a particular brand of corned beef in their rations was the spark for a strike by Gilbertese and Tuvaluan workers employed by the Nauru Phosphate Corporation. Following a flying visit to Nauru in February by a high-level Gilbertese Government delegation, not only were workers’ taste buds mollified, but other strike issues were settled and work was resumed. The corporation’s use of non-union labour during the strike is, however, likely to leave a lingering bad taste.

Horse-Racing In Fiji

Hofse-racing may be resumed in Suva at Vatuwaqa, barely steeplechase jump from the old Suva Point racecourse, where the sport thrived in the days before World War 11. The course wil also cater for greyhound racing. Mr Karsangi Bhindi, of Bhind Bros Ltd, is planning the horse-racing project with a Canadian company, which is providing financial backing. He plans to use 43 ha (106 acres) of land for the project, and to include twc hotels, a beer garden, a mini golf-course and a car park. M Bhindi ran into two snags plans for the hotels were rejected and the Methodist Church voiced a strong protest. Mr Bhind hopes to be able to remove objections to the hotels by the Town and Country Planning Department and the Suva City Council.

Vanuaaku Party Calls For New Poll

Among major decisions of the leadership of the Nev\ Hebrides’ Vanuaaku Party at its February 13-20 meeting (PIN/ March, p 29), was to call for “new elections as soon a possible’’. This call was explicitly supported by.the Australia Minister for External Affairs, Mr Peacock, in Parliament o Febtuary 28. Mr Peacock said fresh elections in the Nev Hebrides could help “to take the process of reconciliation step further”.

A Deliberate Intruder

A Japanese fishing boat after squid had deliberately intrude inside Australia’s 12-mile limit, a Devonport (Tasmania) cou was told in February. Captain Mitsuyoshi Nakame, master of tb Eikyu Maru 71, was fined S3OO and the fishing maste Matsutaro Omichi, S2OO. The magistrate also ordere confiscation of all fishing equipment and fish found on boaro He was told the Japanese Government had expressed regret the ship’s intrusion and intended to suspend the master certificates and the ship’s licence.