Pacific Report
pp. 7-8 · Read in the full issue
Dissecting Sir Albert Henry’S Reign
Cook Islands Politics: The Inside Story, from a small new pub lisher, Polynesian Press of Auckland, released in January is re quired reading for Cook Islands politicians many of whom won't like what it says. The book published in association with the South Pacific Social Sciences Association of Suva, from a study co-ordinated by Professor Ron Crocombe of the Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific comprises chapters from 20 Cook Islanders involved in some way with Cook Islands politics during the reign of Sir Albert Henry, but particularly with his sudden demise. Most pull no punches as they outline their experiences of Sir Albert’s personal style of administration, which mainly seems to have involved putting his family and friends in plum jobs. Writes Dr Joe Williams who re signed from Sir Albert’s cabinet in 1978: ‘I could no longer sup port Sir Albert Henry as premier of this country and allow him to continue destroying the heritage of my country, my fore fathers and my children.’ PIM will be printing extracts next month.
Danielsson Loses Diplomatic Status
Bengt Danielsson has had his exequatur official consular recognition as honorary consul for Sweden withdrawn by the French authorities in French Polynesia. Danielsson and his wife Marie-Therese, PlM’s accredited correspondents in French Polynesia, have been unpopular with the French for years because of their journalistic activities. The French found their book Mururoa, mon amour, dealing with nuclear testing on Mururoa atoll, particularly irritating. The Danielssons report that the French move will not stop them writing but indicate that it is possible 'that they will one day expel us’. At the end of last year the Danielssons wrote an open letter to French President Giscard d Estaing defending their right to express opinion freely even here in a colony’.
Australia And Png Sign Border Pact
Neither side saw any serious problems in achieving ratification from their respective parliaments for the Torres Strait border treaty signed in Sydney on December 18. The signing marked the end of six years of negotiations, triggered from the Papua New Guinea side and started by Australia’s then prime minister, Gough Whitlam. Australian Foreign Affairs sources admitted that PNG had shown a sympathetic understanding toward Australia’s complicated constitutional position on federa;-state relations on the issue (page 13).
South Pacific Games Souvenir Programme
A souvenir programme for the sixth South Pacific Games in Fiji in August-September this year, providing a wealth of infor mation, historical and current, and selling at SFI plus postage, has been produced by the games organising committee. The programme has a four-colour cover and appears to have r eceived encouraging business support. Copies can be obtained Dy writing to PO Box 8, Suva, Fiji. (SP Games preview, page .9.)
(Vest Germany To Help Western Samoa
Western Samoa and West Germany have signed an agreement or technical co-operation which provides for the establishment )f research and training centres, preparation of studies and re ports, the secondment of specialists, training of personnel and he supply of materials and equipment to Western Samoa. >pecific projects include a rhinoceros beetle eradication pro jramme a marine training centre and an agricultural complex it Salelologa in the island of Savaii.
*H Teachers Disillusioned
eachers in English-speaking schools in the New Hebrides mgio-French condominium are reported to be ‘disillusioned and inxious at events since their one month strike for pay and con rtions last August. The strike followed a year of inconclusive tegotiations in which teachers sought a 25-30% pay increase
improved housing and an acceptable compensation scheme which they said would bring them into line with conditions avail able to public servants generally. The strike ended with a 12% salary increase and some assistance with housing costs.
Christmas Windfall For Micronesians
The US Government handed out SUSI 2.6 million in war claims to Micronesians in December. This Christmas windfall, writes Paul Addison in Agana, came after controversial discussions stretching back a decade. The payments were for use of Micronesians’ land by the US military after the Pacific War.
Micronesians are still claiming millions of dollars for deaths, use of land and destruction of property during and before’ the war.
Banabans Look To Australia And N.Z.
The Banabans, continuing their fight for independence from the Gilberts, are likely to put pressure on the Australian and New Zealand governments. The Banabans argue, according to their legal adviser, K. C. Ramrakha, MP, of Fiji, that, as Australia and New Zealand have benefited for years from cheap phosphate they got from their homeland, Ocean island, they now have a moral responsibility to stand by the Banabans, who were told in London at the constitutional conference between the UK Government and the Gilbertese that Ocean Island (Banaba) would remain part of the Gilberts. Warned Mr Ramrakha: ‘By insisting that Banaba be part of their country, the Gilbertese will be undermining their future stability’ (See page 21).
Major Cabinet Reshuffle In Nauru
Two new ‘old’ faces are in the Nauru cabinet following President Hammer Deßoburt’s big reshuffle in December. Lagumot Harris, who was in former president Bernard Dowiyogo’s cabinet and, for a few days last year, actually became president of the repub lic before Head Chief Deßoburt took over again, comes in as minister for works and community services, taking over from Totouwa Depaune, The other returnee is Kenas Aroi, prominent in Dowiyogo’s ‘young turks’ era, who has been given the justice portfolio. Robidok Buraro Detudamo has relinquished justice for finance, taking over from James Bop. The president made no changes in his own portfolios and Joseph Detsimea has kept his job as health and education minister.
Polynesian Airlines To Get Nomad
A 12-seater Australian Nomad aircraft is to be used by Polynesian Airlines on its route between the Western and American Samoan capitals early this year. The Britten Norman Islander, which has been making occasional Apia-Pago Pago flights will then go back onto the internal service between Upolu and Savaii islands in Western Samoa.
Torres Separatists Petition Pm
Separatist leaders in Australia’s north Queensland Torres Strait region were planning in December to petition Prime Minister Mal colm Fraser for a federal royal commission to inquire into claims that voting in elections in the islands had been rigged. They are also seeking a United Nations investigation of the claims.
New Home For Fiji Visitors Bureau
Fiji Visitors Bureau is now in its new Suva city centre premises after spending two years in temporary offices. Minister for Tour ism Tomasi Vakatora, calling for business support for the FVB warned: ‘Do not sit back and reap profits hoping that government will continue to foot the bill.’ FVB chairman Mahendra Patel at the same time announced that board meetings would once again be open to the press, having been closed to the press for a three-month period. The FVB’s marketing and promotion budget for the coming year is $F325 000.
Png Passes Copyright Law
Papua New Guinea now has a copyright act to protect the work of Papua New Guinean artists, composers and writers, and to
prevent PNG from becoming ‘a centre for the production of pira ted material,’ said Deputy Prime Minister Ebia Olewale. It also means that PNG will have to pay for foreign copyright works.
The act apparently does not cover material appearing in the printed news media.
Cooks Newspaper In Contempt
A Morningstar, Cook Islands, cartoon had suggested that Mr Justice Donne, who overturned last year’s general election re sult in the Cooks, had not acted impartially, said Mr Justice Beat tie after hearing charges of contempt brought by the Cook Islands Advocate-General against Morningstar editor Tupui Ariki Henry and the publishers, Cook Islands Publications Ltd. The cartoon depicted two boxers in a ring with a referee, a caricature of Mr Justice Donne, holding either a gavel or a mallet. Mr Jus tice Beattie in his written judgement, said the ‘sting’ in the car toon ‘comes when one examines the picture and finds that there are lines in the drawing connecting the mallet or gavel with a strong swinging motion, and directly above the head of the recumbent CIP (Cook Islands Party) boxer appears a star with the word “Wham”.’ The inference, he said, was that the judge was not impartial and had descended into the fighting arena.
In a second charge, Mr Justice Beattie said an article reprinted in Morningstar from People's Voice, a New Zealand communist paper, was ‘a one-sided scurrilous attack’ and its effect was ‘to lower the integrity and reflect on the impartiality of the court . . .’ Mr Henry was fined SNZ 150 and Cook Islands Publi cations $250.
Internal Self-Rule For Kosrae And Yap
Headed by its first governor, Jacob Nena, Kosrae (ex-Kusaie) in the eastern Caroline Islands began the new year as a full, internal self-governing district of the United States Trust Terri tory. Seven days later, in northern Palau, Yap Island’s new government with Senator John Mangefel as governor was inaugurated.
Floating Oil Stores In Pacific
The Japanese Government is stockpiling crude oil on 200 000-tonne tankers drifting to the east of the Bonin Islands and Iwojima Island, southeast of Japan. Ryozo Doi from Tokyo reports that at the end of 1978, 20 tankers were in the area, each with a crew of 28. They return to port every three months to replenish fuel and supplies. The stockpiling is planned to con tinue for two years until permanent land storage facilities are constructed. Although the tankers’ engines are kept ready for use at all times experts are worried about what may happen if a typhoon hits the area. The Japanese Government’s intention is to help the recession-hit Japanese shipping industry and to reduce Japanese dollar holdings by buying more crude oil.
Tonga’S Bank Gets New Backer
The privy council in Tonga has agreed to re-charter the Bank of the South Pacific with John Lister, as governor, and with a subscribed capital of $T 10 million. The bank is expected to have a five-man board with directors from the United States, Switzer land, Canada and Japan. Mr Lister is described in the Tonga Chronicle as an Englishman with a bank in Australia.
Australian Surveillance Initiatives
Ten Australian designed and built Nomad aircraft are to be used on coastal surveillance activities. Announcing initiatives in coastal surveillance, Minister for Transport Peter Nixon also revealed that contracts had been won by two aviation companies for aerial patrol work. Trans West Air Charter of Western Aus tralia will patrol the coastline from Geraldton to the Kimberleys (about 3200 km) and Executive Airlines of Essendon, Victoria, will partrol the 3200 km from Thursday Island to Gove. Tenders for the stretch from Gove to the Kimberleys are being called.
Mr Nixon said the performance of the Nomads would be closely monitored and their effectiveness will be assessed as part of ‘the major review of coastal surveillance. . . before mid-1980’.
Png Call For Pacific Decolonisation
Although supporting Papua New Guinea Deputy Prime Minister Ebia Olewale’s call for Pacific colonists to accelerate the decolonisation process, Opposition Leader lambakey Okuk said it was hypocritical ‘for the prime minister and his deputy to talk
about breaches of human rights in Africa and in the Pacific as a whole while they neglect cleaning their own backyard’ Mv Okuk, referring to the jailing of West Papua leader Jacob Prs and Otto Ondawame, said that ‘if the government is to be hones: and true to its principles . . . then the West Papua people ought to be treated with dignity, not only because PNG has a regard for the basic human rights but also because they am an oppressed and colonised Pacific people’.
Nz Concern Over Shipping Services
Inadequate shipping to Cook Islands and French Polynesia ha:£ led to the New Zealand Export Institute setting up an action corrrr mittee charged with finding ways of improving the services Exporters are claiming there is less capacity on the NZ-Tahili run than there was a year ago and that goods can be shipper from Australia to Tahiti (a greater distance) at 10 cents a kiUI less (sometimes 16 cents) than from New Zealand.
Beefing Up Pago’S Tv Image
Three new transmitters, increasing the strength of visual trans mission from 40kW to 72, are to be installed in American Samo.c this year on Mount Alava, broadening station KVZK-TV’s coven; age. Aural transmission will also be improved. KVZK’s signs is also received in Western Samoa.
Help For Refugees In Png
The Committee for the Assistance of Refugees in Papua New Guinea (CARP), set up in Sydney in December, is ‘compilinor a record of past and current events that have affected the well being of the West Papuan people since the UN ceded the terrir tory to Indonesia'. CARP has links with Community Aioi Abroad.
SI PM SITS TIGHT AFTER BUDGET DEFEAT Solomon Islands Prime Minister Peter Kenilorea, commentinor on the defeat of his government’s ‘rural growth budget’ in December, said he would resign only if there were a vote oo no-confidence. While a new budget is being prepared the parlias ment has approved the use of money from consolidated fundi for a period of four months. No developmental projects can b*c funded from this source. The budget was defeated 19-18 wittt one member of parliament absent. It seemed all agreed thas more money had to be put into rural areas but agreement wa:£ not forthcoming on how this should be done.
Cma Sees Upturn In Fiji Economy
The Central Monetary Authority in Fiji reports that ‘economioi conditions during the third quarter (of 1978) indicate a moderate] recovery in business activity ... the brightest spots being thei pick-up in tourist arrivals, the increased activity in the buiidinoi and construction trade and the recovery in world sugar prices’
It says that, with a good sugar cane crop in 1979 and the possi-i. bility of an increased quota under the international sugar agrees ment, ‘the economy seems poised for an upturn in 1979’.
Making The Crown Of Thorns Pay
American Samoa has paid out USS3O 000 in bounty money to: people who have collected and killed the alamea or crown otc thorns starfish which is blamed for damaging reefs arounoi Tutuila Island. Since the programme began in January last year£ 486 000 alamea have been collected. Bounty money has nowv run out and the government is seeking new means of coping: with the problem.
Process Your Own, Islands Told
The best industrial prospects for a number of Island groups liei in processing their own agricultural and forestry products,a reported an Australian trade and development survey mission which visited Fiji, Tonga, Western Samoa, Nauru and Solomon Islands late last year.
Solomons Rejects Death Penalty
By 19 votes to 11 the Solomon Islands Parliament rejected s private member’s bill to restore the death penalty. Early last yeaiE a motion supporting the death penalty was passed 17-16. Primer Minister Peter Kenilorea argued that punishment for crimes was£ meant to teach as well as being a corrective measure.