Letters

In Defence

Of Guam

Response from readers is a sign your magazine is being read.

On Guam, PIM is being read.

Unhappily.

In your April issue, a chap who spent perhaps a day here, wrote an article about us in the tone that Guam was an un pleasant place indeed. I doubt if, in his few hours, he ventured farther than a mile from his hotel.

In June PIM hit us with an unreasonable report on the new obscenity law and again on local drug problems.

If you were deliberately attempting to discredit us as a

good neighbour among Pacific

islands I question whether you could have selected a better trio of discouraging articles.

Guam is, in fact, one of the

more progressive and delight

ful islands of all the Pacific. We think your readers deserve to know this rather than be sub jected to cute and quaint flash stories based on partial facts for isolated situations.

Martin Pray

General Manager Guam Visitors Bureau Agana

Beware Of

The Bull

The firm stand taken by Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara of Fiji and Michael Somare of Papua New Guinea,

against obvious US political

manoeuvres at the recent South Pacific Forum in Niue, de serves the admiration of all citi zens of the Pacific region, likewise other regional leaders of Tonga, Nauru, the Gilberts and the Solomons who stood

by them.

I refer to their determined stand against US pressures for membership ‘on its own terms’ in a regional fisheries agency.

In his address for ‘Pacific Week’ at the University of the South Pacific, US ambassador

John Condon referred to the Pacific as the ‘last frontier’. US actions of late show, or at least clarify, what he really meant by this reference in his strictly ‘diplomatic’ address; but more

interestingly, they explain the

real motives behind the mask.

The American stand which created the first serious rift within the Forum, clearly illus trates the principle upon which ‘aid’ to developing countries has often been, if not always, ‘given’. I recall the words of an American educational consult ant who visited the Cook Islands last year: ‘Aid is a mis nomer; in reality it is just another technique generated

by donor-nations to justify

their economic exploitation of

recipient countries.’

The essence of these words aptly explains much of the re cent increase in American in volvement in the Pacific, not to mention similar Soviet inten tions. But this is not to deny the fact that US aid has ben efited the Pacific region. On the contrary, it has helped advance technology in certain fields. The recent US grant of $705 000 for expansion of sat ellite communications through out the region is an example.

What is questionable how ever, are the real motives which suddenly generated a renewed ‘determination’ to offer aid.

Ironically, what we now see is the picture of certain ‘doctors’ anxious to cause bodily harm on a family of fairly healthy individuals, in order to treat

them and thereby increasing

the doctors’ earnings a million tiffies over.

For Pacific nations, small and limited as we are in some resources, our leaders must

guard against masked inten

tions. It is tragic that Niue, the Cook Islands and Western Samoa succumbed to exploita tive manoeuvres. The fact that the ‘American government will not recognise Pacific Island claims on tuna stocks, except on its own terms’ (Fiji Times

September 28), clearly demon

strates where American interest really lies. In essence, it reveals the falsehood of heart in American foreign aid pol

icy.

It is time that Pacific nations

followed the example of the PNG leadership, where foreign aid is accepted only on terms dictated by and acceptable to the recipient country. Like Americans and like Russians, we have every right to safe guard the interests of our own peoples, and to decide for our selves.

It is time that America recog nised by word and deed the political independence of Pa cific nation states.

Let us as a small family of nations make regionalism a liv ing reality. Let us all stand as one. but neutral against the invading ideological monsters.

It is our only hope of maintain ing our independence and con stitutional sovereignty. What ever the cost, the right of Pacific peoples to self-determination must never be sacrificed.

Let each Pacific leader, as the elected representative of his country, remain the ‘master’ of his family, of his people and of his country.

Suva

John J. Herman

Fiji

How Fair

Australia?

Why is Australia so ill disposed towards people from the Pa cific Islands? We admit Indo- Chinese refugees by the score - rightly in my view in most cases though criminals and tor turers of the former corrupt regime in South Vietnam may be among them yet we throw the whole weight of the federal

immigration department, com

monwealth and state police against any unfortunate Pacific Islander who finds his or her way to these shores and who transgresses even in the most minor or technical way.

We look after former offi cers and officials from South Vietnam yet Fijian nurses

helping old people in Sydney

are ruthlessly deported, a Pa cific Island-born woman is de ported or threatened with deportation when her marriage to an Australian-born husband breaks up and the police spend countless hours searching for the few hapless Islanders who may be illegal migrants.

The immigration minister does not appear to be racist

when dealing with Indo- ■ Chinese yet is undoubtedly so when it comes to Pacific i Islanders. Is it because Aus tralia still has a guilt conscience about the days of ‘blackbird ing’ and the genocide Australia continued to practise against

the Aborigines by plying them

with alcohol or whatever?

Australia has done very well out of the Pacific Islands in the past. Surely the time is long overdue for a more Christian and understanding attitude to Pacific Islands peoples.

It is all very well to give economic aid and toast high officials at diplomatic recep tions but the effect is destroyed totally when such a blatant racial bias is shown against many Pacific Islanders who find their way here.

Ballarat

Bruce Turner

Victoria Australia

Cruelty To

Children

A family institution such as that of the Indian, which is cen turies old, must certainly have some good aspects for it to have survived the test of time. Yet

your correspondent, in looking

at the family institution among Fiji Indians (PIM September), mentions nothing commend able about how it has uniquely modified itself in Fiji. Instead reference at length, and to excess, is made only of pit falls in the Indian family institution.

Because of this, your readers have been presented with a misleading view, in that, for example: • thousands of Indian parents use ‘children as emotional beds’; • arranged marriages exist as ‘cruelty extending into later stages of a child’s life’.

Certainly there have been isolated cases of child-bashing by parents in the Indian com munity, but no worse in num ber than in any other society, and certainly not to the extent your correspondent makes out.

Otherwise our courts and our papers would be filled with such cases. This is not the case.

Arranged marriages in the past have, at times, been cruel, but they are much less today,

primarily because both parties

have more say in their choice of partners than in the past.

Finally, naturally the ‘afflu ent Gujarati society will furi ously and firmly deny’ all the cruelty that is extended to the teenage daughters-in-law mainly because cruelty, as reported, does not take place.

Because many Gujarati homes have servant-girls, the teenage daughters-in-law do not be come ‘house-girls’. Most are so well and expensively dressed, it would be hard to imagine that mothers-in-law had purchased

their daughters-in-law’s

clothes, underwear etc. Though de-facto relations exist in the Indian community as a whole (and where does not this exist?), none so far from the

Gujarati society has been

brought to trial.

In brief, the correspondent

has erred badly in presenting a

grossly misleading picture

today of the ‘Family Institution among the Fiji Indians’ in

Fiji today.

Suva

Hari K. Narsey

Fiji

Liberte

I was intrigued by the letter of Kaliou of Noumea, New

Caledonia, in July PIM

advocating a free Micronesia.

What Kaliou says may well be

true. Imperialism and dis

guised neo-colonialism should be ended. America’s continued occupation of eastern Samoa is a case in point. However, one is left wondering what Kaliou would advocate as the future for New Caledonia, Tahiti, Wallis, Futuna, etc?

Bruce Turner

Ballarat, Victoria Australia

Spellbound

Viumber Two

Ve have had continual inquir es from various parts of the vorld from friends and ac

[uaintances regarding

ncidents aboard a vessel,

Spellbound, in the Society

slands early this year. Several >eople were reported to have lied and I believe the police in were called in to inves igate.

We are living aboard a fin ish yacht named Spellbound /, 15.8 m, sorrel-coloured top ides, ketch rigged, and have

been based in Fiji since 1976.

My husband has been employed by the Fiji Govern ment as divisional veterinary officer since April 1975. We are now commencing a second tour of contract in Fiji after cruising to New Zealand with our respective families from England also a coincidence.

I know of no other yacht named Spellbound and therefore would be grateful if you could publish these details.

Suva Fiji

Carol Irwin

The Stamp

Of Authority

It has been brought to my attention, as Premier of the Cook Islands, that your publi cation has carried on its pages articles concerning the postage stamps of the Cook Islands which contain factual mis statements.

So that you and your readers will have no misunderstanding of the procedures governing the issuance and sale of Cook Islands postage stamps I here with officially advise you of the

following facts:

The Cook Islands postal sys tem was originally set up by the New Zealand GPO and the New Zealand GPO presently handles its international accounting under Universal Postal Union procedures.

The chief postmaster of the Cook Islands is a New Zealander. The issuance of new stamps is completely under the control of the Cook Islands Government. Every order for new stamps is a government matter and sent over my signature or that of the postmaster general directly to

the same security printers

which are used by the New Zealand Government.

Upon completion of the

printing all produced stamps

are shipped to the Cook Islands Post Office and sold in the islands by the post offices. To assist overseas philatelists a Post Office Philatelic Bureau was established in the Cook Islands which advises overseas residents of new stamps to be issued and fills orders properly prepaid for the face value and return postage.

The philatelic bureau is a

Cook Islands operation, com

pletely staffed by Cook

Islanders and it is under the directorship of a Cook Islander. For maximum efficiency and economy in its services the government em ploys experienced inter national technical guidance, but such guidance is solely ad visory, as the philatelic bureau is fully under government con trol and it has no authority of its own.

The procedures for the sale of stamps in the post offices are strictly controlled, as is the sale of stamps by the philatelic bu reau which is just a subordinate unit providing services to

philatelists.

Recommendations for new stamp issues may originate with individuals in the Cook Islands, with officials of the government, with the philatelic bureau, or with the postmaster.

But the final decision rests with the government and any new stamps issued have denomi nations which conform to

postal rates.

In the interests of fair play to philatelists, to your readers, and to this government, we trust that you will publish the above official facts in your publication so that any incor rect conclusions which may have been formed by material

previously appearing on your

pages can be clarified or cor rected.

Thomas R.A.H. Davis

Premier Cook Islands

Archives On

The Move

Re the article on the Western Pacific Archives by C. Guy Powles (PIM, September), Mr Powles has been misinformed.

The Western Pacific archives are being transferred to their countries of origin.

In the case of Solomons Islands, 55 cases containing the archives have already been received from Suva and are

being held in safe custody by

the Ministry of Youth and Cul tural Affairs, pending the com pletion of a new archives

building and the appointment

of an archivist and staff.

S. W. Hockey

Library Adviser Honiara

Australian

Obscenities

Unabashed racist statements by some Australians working in Papua New Guinea while I was there lead me to agree with

you (Tropicalities, September)

that MP John Jaminam has a point. Imported dress stan dards for PNG licensed prem ises do constitute an unwritten colour and/or class bar.

I report one personal instance of these inappropriate

regulations being applied in a

colourblind fashion. Having enjoyed a stimulating double feature at a Mount Hagen cin ema The Annapolis Story and Wind A cross the Everglades as I recall a friend and I de cided to repair to a local hos telry. As nothing stonger than coffee had passed our lips along the dusty road from Goroka, a beer seemed in order.

The Hagen Park was recom mended and there we headed.

We had got no closer to the bar than 10 metres when we were pushed backwards all the way to the door by the European manager and his national as sistant. When we asked the reason for this unexpected bum’s rush, my friend’s thongs were cited. We both wore clean longs and sports shirts. My friend’s pants were brown dress denim.

Nonplussed by this inhospi

tality but still thirsty we ad journed to the main street.

Spotting a warm glow from a second storey window, we headed up the stairs to find a cozy bar-cum-billiard room.

Hearing our tale of woe, the burly Ockers perched at the bar said ‘Good on ’em’ and sug gested that we push off from their premises as well. Un gracious? Yes. Boorish? Cer tainly. But free of racial

prejudice.

Which brings me to an ex amination of this propriety in dress which seems to pre occupy the antipodean male Caucasian.

The main criteria for accept able tropical dress, whether for office or club, seem to be the übiquitous white knee socks.

Never mind that the shorts above are worn because it’s hot. One must, as with Vic

torian table legs, cover any

potential immodesty. With the

exception of socks with toes, this leaves the inexpensive and cool thongs or sandals out of the running. Plastic New Zealand Kay-Dees or school issue Roman sandals are ac ceptable however.

The supreme irony lies in lining up the Aussie in proper gear to the ‘scruffy native’. In profile the pendulous Aus tralian beer gut and alcohol veined nose are the ultimate obscenities when compared to the fit Melanesian physique.

Knee socks fall a little short of distracting the eye from the monuments built up by 30 years of Foster’s. I say good on Mr Jaminam and his Discrimi natory Practices Amendment Bill.

Neiafu Vavau

Tonga

Bill Gusen

Charitable

Questions

As a regular reader of PIM, I commend you upon the new layout of the magazine but I feel that in your Political Cur rents section you are in grave

danger of taking a particular

political slant. Maybe this is deliberate.

As perhaps a minor aspect of this view, I must admit to feel

ing that the appellation

accorded to me, as a former British supermarket mogul, has unjustifiable connotations in view of the fact that I was, some seven years ago, the managing director only of a compara tively small, by British and other standards, supermarket chain. I certainly never regarded myself as either Mon golian or a tycoon, which I be lieve to be alternative definitions of a mogul.

Perhaps more importantly,

in your correspondent’s article on the visit of Paul Dijoud to New Caledonia, your corres pondent, Andre Chaville writes, and I quote: ‘ln fact, there never was a cocktail party with Rotary, the Lions or any other expensive charitable or ganisations favoured by the

local aristocracy.’

As a member of Rotary, and one who sees how much the Lions Clubs are doing, I can only say that the motto of

Rotary is ‘Service above Self and the motto of Lions is ‘We Serve’.

As a past president of the Rotary Club of Norfolk Island, and one who has seen over .the years Rotary in action in many parts of the world, I can only feel this is a very unfair and biased outlook towards these two service clubs. I certainly believe that both these service clubs have contributed greatly by their efforts to both the bet terment of all members and of the community in which they exist, and indeed understand ing throughout the world, re gardless of race, creed or walk of life. I am sorry that Andre Chaville has such a poor

understanding of the principles

of these two service clubs.

I would hope that although clearly some of your comments must be of a political nature, you do not allow your corre spondents to show personal and unwarranted political bias.

Paddock Wood Norfolk Island

B.K. Nunn

Of Henry

And Davis

It was disturbing to find that September PIM covered the advent of the new Democratic Party Government in the Cook Islands with such inaccuracies and emotion.

Surely, when a new govern ment is elected by the people and a major Pacific magazine has a cover story, the newly elected premier should feature, not only on the front page, but also in the feature article! PIM chose instead to feature the old leader, one who had commit ted acts of a questionable nature during his tenure'as our country’s leader.

PIM also calls the event ‘Cooks’ unhappy historic “first” ’. ‘Unhappy’ for whom?

The majority of residents of Rarotonga certainly felt jubi lant after the July 24 court de cision that declared the fly-in votes invalid. It is obvious from the election results that they had voted for a new govern ment at the outset. If PIM had read the judgement which in cluded the results you would have noted that the people voted for the Democratic Party

candidates, not the Cook Islands Party.

PIM describes the events following the decision as a

‘stunning’ take-over, implying

that it was done in a hasty dic tatorial manner. In fact, it was all planned well in advance.

Your allegation that Chief Jus tice Donne ‘handed back power to a new government so swiftly that he probably crea ted some sort of constitutional record’ is unfair and mislead ing. It is a normal procedure that once a new government is declared duly elected, they take over the reins immediately.

The events described in such detail in your account would have taken place on March 31 if the illegal fly-in votes had not been included in the initial election results.

No one will disagree that Sir Albert Henry is a South Pacific personality and one whom many admire as a charismatic person. However, the evidence against him and members of his former cabinet are serious.

They have been charged with unlawful conduct of ‘monumental dimensions’ and this can’t be overlooked.

As a Cook Islander who was in Rarotonga during the elec tions and the court decision I feel that you have sorely mis

represented what happened

politically in the Cook Islands.

The general feeling in Raro tonga after July 24 was one of relief, not from the court proceedings but relief from 13 years of corruption and nepot ism. Our new government has the difficult task of guiding a country that has suffered econ omically in the past because of careless spending. Surely you could give them some support and encouragement.

Pamela Takiora

Ingram Pryor

Honolulu

Hawaii USA • Stuart Inder, who wrote the September cover story, com ments: Sorry, but I reject the view of my friend Pam Pryor (nee Ingram) that there are any inaccuracies in my report. I invite her to name them. As to its objectivity, clearly this is a matter of opinion, in which emotions play their part.

PIM reported not on the appointment of a new govern ment but on the dismissal of an

old one in unique and dramatic i

circumstances. Premier Henry I

for 13 years was the most con troversal political figure in the South Pacific and my story con- I centrated on the way of his pol ideal demise, which stunned the electorate in the real sense of the word, whether voters were for j him or agin him.

His picture was chosen for

PI M’s front cover before we knew in Sydney the result of Chief Justice Donne’s decision, for we knew he would be a focal point of the news that month.

Of course PIM read the judg ment. If Mrs Pryor re-reads her own copy of it she’ll see that, without the banned fly-in voters, the CIP on Rarotonga still has significant electoral support, with a handful of voters deter

mining the final result. I found

on Rarotonga joy and relief at

the court decision and I said so in my story. I also found ‘shock, puzzlement and bitterness’, and I added that I didn’t know, not even after being a week there,

‘what proportions of each of

these varied ingredients make up

the final recipe’. Pam Pryor

clearly is in no doubt. Half her luck!

In suggesting that the events

surrounding the changeover of

government were merely pro cedures that would have oc curred anyway, I find Mrs Pryor breathtaking. There was nothing normal about the

despatching of police from NZ

in case of violence, about the ban on radio broadcasts for two days, about the police locking and

guarding the door of the Legis

lative Assembly to prevent any

body entering.

These and other measures

were painstakingly planned by

the Queen’s representative (in advance, as Mrs Pryor says) and carried out with commendable speed, to avoid what he con sidered to be the possibility of civil disorder and violence. That this didn’t occur was a tribute to Mr Justice Donne’s planning and the basic good sense of Cook Islanders and their leaders, cer tainly of Tom Davis and, not the least, A Ibert Henry. PI M’s story I thought, paid tribute to this in its approach. We will have to wait for Mr Justice Donne’s memoirs to hear the full story of that anxious and historic time, if he can be encouraged to tell it.