Pacific Report

Japan And The Pacific

The spread of Japanese influence in the Pacific, the subject of special investigations in this issue of PIM (see Japan and the Pacific, beginning on p 29), has gone a stage further with the recent signing of a fisheries agreement between the Gil bert Islands and Japan. The agreement was signed for the Gilberts by Mr Taimati luta, Minister for Natural Resource Development, and for Japan by Mr Shintaro Abe, Acting Foreign Minister. Mr Abe said later his country hoped to “contribute generously” to the economic development of the Gilberts.

Cooks’ Unhappy Historic “First”

Commonwealth constitutional history was made when the Chief Justice of the Cook Islands in July unseated the govern ment of Sir Albert Henry for what he termed “corruption of a magnitude unknown in the electoral history of New Zealand, Australia or Britain”. (Full report, p 11.)

Go-Ahead For Micronesian Constitution

Four of the six districts of Micronesia voted strongly in the July 12 referendum in favour of the proposed constitution of the Federated States of Micronesia. They were Kosrae, Ponape, Truk and Yap. The vote on Yap was 95% in favour “No” votes were recorded by the Marshalls and Palau, both of which are already involved in negotiations with the United States for separate status. The way is now clear for the forma tion of the FSM. Article 16 of the constitution provides that it will take effect a year after ratification unless the Congress of Micronesia “by joint resolution specifies an earlier date”.

Margaret For Tuvalu, Fiji

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, will represent the Queen at Tuvalu’s independence celebrations on October 1. (Full report, p 17.) She will later pay a two-day official visit to Fiji.

Jakarta’S Border Raids Worry Usa

Concern at Indonesia’s overkill tactics on the Irian Jaya- Papua New Guinea border rur\s all the way to Washington.

US Senator John Glenn, in Honiara for Solomon Islands independence celebrations in July, indicated that use by Indonesia of US-supplied OVFIO turbo-prop aircraft in border bombing raids could possibly lead to a congressional veto on the promised supply of FSE and Skyhawk aircraft to Indonesia. The OVFIOs were incorrectly described as jets in a report in PIM, August. (See p 18.)

Somare Survives Opposition Challenge

PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare, according to Opposition leader lambakey Okuk, could ‘resign with honour’ or meet defeat on the floor of the Parliament. That was before the August sitting.

Minutes after the new session began on August 7, Mr Okuk tested his numbers by moving that business on the agenda be set aside. When Speaker Kingsford Dibela ruled the motion had been defeated on the voices Mr Okuk protested. Mr Dibela asked those supporting the Opposition to stand. Mr Somare was still in control.

Tonga’S ‘South Sea Bubble’ Bursts

Tonga s Bank of the South Pacific, in so many ways reminiscent Df the eighteenth century’s South Sea Bubble, finally went bust n July. The ordinance for its establishment was first withdrawn

by ruling of the country’s Chief Justice, then revoked by Parlia ment. The defunct bank’s controversial American governor, Mr John Meier, was, meanwhile, having personal problems. He was arrested in Sydney on July 28 at the request of the US Embassy which sought his extradition to the USA to face tax evasion charges. Triumphantly producing a Tongan diplomatic passport, Meier succeeded in beating the rap, and the presiding magis trate ordered his release. But this handy “diplomatic immunity” was short-lived; word from Tonga is that Meier’s passport has been withdrawn. The problem of what the kingdom will do about a contractor’s claim for SA6OO 000 for work done, at Meier’s instigation, on Nukualofa’s international airport will take longer to solve.

Links Grow With North Korea

Western Samoa has established diplomatic relations with North Korea, following the example of Papua New Guinea and Fiji. The North Korean Government, for its part, in a message to Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Mr Peter Kenilorea, has announced its decision to recognise his newly independent nation.

Short Stint For Hebrides’ Pottier

After only six months in the post, the French Resident Com missioner in the New Hebrides, Mr Bernard Pottier, has been recalled to France. (See p 14.)

Hope High On Atea Kanada

Hopes remained high in early August that the cavers explor ing Papua New Guinea’s Atea Kanada cave system (PIM July) would achieve their goal of proving it to be the world’s deepest.

Petro-Dollars For Tonga?

Arab investment in Tonga was discussed in Wellington in July when the kingdom’s Minister of Labour, Baron Vaea, met the Egyptian Ambassador, Dr I. Z. Sorour. They talked about co operation between Tonga and the Arab countries as a whole, and Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states in particular. Pro jects discussed included a bulk oil depot in Tonga to enable Saudi Arabia to deliver refined oil direct to its customers.

BAD NEWS FROM FIJI FOR BART, FRANCIS The Fiji Court of Appeal has dismissed appeals by Bartholomew Ulufa’alu, Leader of the Opposition in Solomon Islands, and Francis Saemala, special secretary to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Mr Peter Kenilorea. The men were convicted in Honiara earlier this year on charges of disorderly behaviour and sentenced to two months gaol. The Fiji court has been empowered to hear appeals from court rulings made in Solomon Islands and a number of other territories since the days of the British High Commission for the Western Pacific.

Sports Glory For American Samoans

American Samoan sports personalities are hitting the high spots: 14-year-old Angie Langkilde won the world and inter national titles in the world and international junior golf cham pionship in San Diego, California she clinched the title by sinking a snaky 7 m putt to birdie the last hole; and American Samoan-born sportsman, Jim Kneubuhl, who went to Hawaii when he was nine, has been voted Hawaii’s greatest track and field athlete by the selection board of the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.

Nauru Blots Its Philatelic Copybook

“Nauru’s previously unblemished philatelic reputation is now in tatters,” according to a stamp expert writing in an Aus tralian newspaper. The writer posed a number of pointed questions about a Nauru set of overprinted stamps issued in late March. With a face value of 27C, some sets were selling for up to $4O just three months after issue.

Somare Shops For Low Technology Funds

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister, Mr Michael Somare, had a new industrial strategy well in mind during his July visit to Singapore. Noting that Singapore was moving out of some low technology areas into more sophisticated types of pro duction, Mr Somare was looking around Singapore for low technology investment in his country simple textile pro duction for instance that could provide high degrees of employment.

Air Niugini’S Underwater Plan

Air Niugini plans to be the world’s first airline to operate a submarine. The 40-passenger, $2 million undersea craft will be capable of diving to 50 m. Through its large circular win dows tourists will gaze at coral reefs, tropical fish and historic wrecks. Political opposition to the project was soon evi dent. (See p 88.)

Spc Focus On Pacific Education

Two main themes for discussion have been chosen for the eighteenth South Pacific Conference in Noumea in October; “Education for what? Preparation for real life are com munity high schools the answer?” and “The special problems of small Island countries”.

Un Women’S Meeting In Suva

The Pacific Women’s Resource Centre, Suva, hosted a meet ing in July of the United Nations Asian and Pacific Centre for Women and Development (APCWD). The centre seeks to identify the critical needs of women and ways of increasing their integration into the development process. $5O MILLION PLAN FOR VITI LEVU WATER The Fiji Government will spend more than SFSO million over the next five years to get water to the north and west of Viti Levu, the country’s main island. The drought-prone area is heavily populated, embracing Lautoka, Nadi and nearby Nadi international airport.

Shipping Take-Over In Png

Two Papua New Guinea statutory authorities the PNG Investment and Shipping Corporations have taken up a 76% interest in a major coastal shipping operation serving the country’s main ports. Mainport Cargoes Pty Ltd will lift 100 000 tonnes of cargo a year. The operation will also train Papua New Guineans as ships’ officers. The original private owners of Mainport, including Mr John Edwards of Port Moresby and a group headed by Mr Harry Brutnall of Rabaul, will hold the remaining 24% interest.

Suva Just Misses A Big Bang

A July fire in a tanker, the R. A. Emerson, which was discharg ing oil for the Shell Co in Suva, could have blown up the ship and destroyed the wharf, according to chief fire officer Harold Henderson. He repeated earlier pleas for a separate berth for oil tankers. On this occasion, prompt action by the Suva fire brigade and the Emerson’s crew prevented the blaze spreading.

Mr Gill On Polynesian Telltales’

New Zealand’s Immigration Minister, Mr Frank Gill, has told parliament that many prosecutions of Island overstayers

arose from the tendency of Polynesians “to tell tales on each other’’. It might be a Niuean “putting up the weights’’ of a Samoan, or a Tongan putting up the weights of a Fijian, he said. Most such information was passed to his department by telephone.

NO GRASS SKIRTS ON FIJI’S LEBANON MEN Fiji’s soldiers had impressed other army units in the United Nations peace-keeping force in Lebanon, according to their commander, Colonel Paul Manieli. Commenting on reports that some UN officials regarded the Fijians as “grass-skirted spearthrowers’’, he said; “You don’t want to believe all you see or hear.”

Solomons Chalks Up Un’S 150

Attainment of independence by Solomon Islands, and its ad mission as the 150th member of the United Nations, have been hailed by UN secretary-general Kurt Waldheim as yet another milestone on the road to decolonisation. A question; If Solomon Islands has brought the UN three-quarters of the way to a membership of 200, which country, if any, will turn out to be the 200th? And when?

Vanuaaku Party’S Hilda Lini In Usa

Miss Hilda Lini, prominent activist of the Vanuaaku Party in the New Hebrides, attended the recent United Methodist Women’s Assembly in Kentucky, US. She also attended a consultation on women political prisoners in New York, and visited Washington where she discussed the situation in her country with prominent American political figures.

Png, Aboriginal Youths Dance Together

Papua New Guinean and Australian Aboriginal youth dance groups were among participants in an arts festival in Adelaide, South Australia, in August.

New Zealand: The Bugs Are Biting

Tiny unwanted Pacific Island immigrants are still “bugging”

New Zealand. The latest picked up by officials include kumera weevils from Fiji and Samoa, and Mediterranean fruit fly from Noumea.

Australia To Use Png Hydro-Power?

Papua New Guinea wants to sell hydro-electricity from its planned giant Purari River scheme to Australia. Envisaged is the supply of power by undersea cable to the aluminium towns of Weipa and Gove, and perhaps even Darwin. All three centres now use expensive oil-fuelled turbines to generate power.

Hebrides To Have Its Eez

A 200-mile exclusive economic zone is to be set up around the New Hebrides, according to an agreement reached in Paris between the responsible ministers, Mr Paul Dijoud of France and Lord Goronwy-Roberts, Britain.

Sydney Honours Solomons’ Big Day

Solomon Islands independence was feted in July in Sydney, Australia’s major city, with an Inevana (traditonal Island feast) attended by 200 people.

Tanuli’S Last Fling

Samoan boxer Tanuli Mose finished his televised light heavyweight fight with New Zealander Lance Revill in Auckland in spectacular style. The July bout ended when Mose aimed a kick at Revill’s groin, then thumped the referee a couple of times before seconds and managers hauled the contestants apart. The melee brought a ruling from the South Pacific Boxing Association banning Mose from its rings in future.