Pacific Report

Washington’S Un Man In Port Moresby

Addressing a May meeting in Port Moresby, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Andrew Young, undertook to pass on to appropriate UN authorities charges from the audience of viol ation of human rights by Indonesia in Irian Jaya. Mr Young said that while many of today’s international boundaries were born out of a legacy of colonialism, excessive redrawing of bound aries often multiplied human problems. To a question concern ing US attitudes in the event of an Indonesian invasion of Papua New Guinea, Mr Young replied; ‘I believe Indonesia has all the ■troubles it needs on its own, and is not going to look for further trouble.’ Questions raised with Mr Young in bilateral talks with a PNG delegation led by Foreign Minister Ebia Olewale included tuna fishing, airline rights and super-power rivalries in the Indian Ocean. The PNG submissions accused the US of interfering in the rights of South Pacific Island nations to fish their own tuna resources in a regional fishing body. They also claimed that the US is frustrating attempts by Air Niugini to fly to Hawaii, although a formal agreement to the rights exists. In a general submission on regional affairs, PNG asked the US to withdraw from ‘escalat ing super-power rivalries’ in the Indian Ocean, Mr Olewale also asked for US support to ensure that the South Pacific is a nuclear-free zone. Mr Young’s two-day visit, made on his way to Australia for Australian-American Week celebrations, aroused keen interest in PNG. PIM correspondent Angus Smales reported on reaction among PNG citizens as being ‘He’s not black enough’. Smales quoted one person as saying: ‘We thought he’d be blacker and more militant.’

‘Elections First’, Says Vanuaaku

Inspector-General Jean-Jacques Robert, special delegate of the French republic in the New Hebrides, has rejected new demands by the Vanuaaku Party for the holding of elections before the establishment of a constitution. The Franco-British plan is for the constitution to be drawn up and voted upon in a referendum before elections are held. Mr Robert also rejected a VP call for a change in the designation of the present ‘government of national unity’. The VP wants it to be called a ‘transitional government’.

Tories To Re-Present Gilberts Bill

The Gilbert Islands Independence Bill had its first reading in the House of Commons shortly before the former Labour govern ment was defeated in a confidence vote. The new Conservative government will now have to reintroduce the bill. According to the Justice for the Banabans Campaign, about 200 MPs in the former parliament had pledged to oppose it. The campaign is designed to secure amendments to allow for the independence of Banaba (Ocean Island). Meanwhile, the Rev Tebaiti Tawaka, leader of the 3000 Banabans, has claimed that 400 Gilbertese police were now stationed on Ocean Island, and had turned the Island into an ‘armed camp’.

Muldoon On ‘Independent South Pacific’

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Robert Muldoon has spoken of the ‘growing difficulties’ faced by France in the South Pacific as ‘the major French colonies, New Caledonia and French p olynesia, become more and more restive in aspiring to ndependence’. He said New Zealand’s position was that it wished ‘to see in due time a wholly independent South Pacific, with the various small independent states conferring and work ng together to co-operate in maintaining political and economic stability throughout the region’.

Doubts On Giscard’S Noumea Trip

question mark has taken shape over the planned visit to New Caledonia in July of French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing.

Fhe possibility of a disturbed political scene in the territory ollowing the dissolution by Paris of the local government council s causing tour organisers to have second thoughts. (PIM Politi

cal Currents).

/Vake, Midway As N-Waste Dumps?

Make and Midway Islands have been named as possible sites

for a dump for spent nuclear fuel wastes (PIM Political Currents).

Search for a dumping ground for the radioactive material is being jointly conducted by the US and Japanese Governments.

Lawnmower Man Gaoled In Vila

An Australian businessman, David Neave, 33, is in gaol in Vila, New Hebrides, awaiting trial on charges of alleged illegal import ation of ammunition, illegal possession of firearms and cannabis seeds, and committing acts ‘injurious to public order’. While Mr Neave’s public activities centre mainly on selling Australian made lawnmowers, the French prosecutor has described him as an arms trafficker, ‘whose stock in trade could be used to set up a private army’. Neave told an Australian reporter who interviewed him in his cell: ‘This talk about me setting up a private army is a joke. The French landowners already have one.

They’ve got a hundred times more ammunition than I have. I know. I sold it to them.’ (For news of another Vila prisoner, see PIM Letters.)

‘No N-Test Pollution’ - French Hicom

Polynesians employed on the French nuclear testing site at Mururoa Atoll themselves affirm that French underground nu clear tests there cause no pollution of the ocean, according to a statement in Canberra by Paul Cousseran, high commissioner in French Polynesia. Mr Cousseran was on a courtesy visit at the invitation of the Australian Government. (PIM People.)

‘Leadership Code’ - Somare Stands Fast

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare, speaking at a Canberra ceremony at which an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred on him at the Australian National Univer sity (PIM People), has reaffirmed his determination to rein troduce his controversial ‘leadership code’. The code, which places severe limits on the business interests that may be held by those defined as ‘national leaders’, was withdrawn by Mr Somare last year when it proved a major factor leading to the withdrawal from the government coalition of his Pangu Party’s partner, the People’s Progress Party. Mr Somare said in Can berra: ‘For political reasons I was forced to shelve the code for the time being. But the aspiration and determination re mains as strong as ever.’ He added: ‘The code arose from a conviction that all was not well with economic nationalism . . . We did not want to follow the pattern of corrup tion of some Third World countries.’

HAWAII MAKES A BIT OF AVIATION HISTORY For the first time in the 50-year-history of Hawaiian Airlines an all-female crew has ‘manned’ one of its flights. Piloting the new 30-passenger SD3-30 on the Honolulu-Molokai flight was cap tain Sharyn Emminger, with First Officer Karen Squyres assisting her in the cockpit, and Flight Attendant Trude Asada in charge in the cabin. Hawaiian Airlines president John H. Magoon Jr said the flight was an ‘historic first’ not only for his airline ‘but for any certified scheduled American carrier’. . . . AND SO DOES AUSTRALIA Aviation history of another kind was made in May when a US airline for the first time ever purchased aircraft designed and built in Australia. A 16-passenger Nomad N24A commercial airliner was handed over at Sydney’s Bankstown airport to rep resentatives of the Guam-based Trans-Micronesia Airways. It was the first of the two purchased by-the airline in a deal worth SAI.S million. The Nomad is manufactured by the Australian Government Aircraft Factory. Regional distributor is Hawker Pa cific Pty Ltd.

Freak Storm Kills Five In Suva

Still reeling from the effects of hurricane Meli (PIM May), Fiji was struck in May by a freak storm which caused landslides and killed five people near Suva. Three were children crushed by thousands of tonnes of earth and rocks at Lami, on the outskirts of the capital.

Png Should Join Asean’ - Okuk

Leader of the opposition in Papua New Guinea’s parliament, lambakey Okuk, has urged that PNG should seek early associate membership of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a first step towards full membership. Mr Okuk said it was time PNG recognised its future role as a nation with interests in South-east Asia as well as the Pacific. He said PNG

had missed out on a ‘golden opportunity’ to develop an associ ation with ASEAN in the group’s dispute with Australia over air fares. ‘The reasons why Air Niugini refused to take up this oppor tunity have never been adequately explained,’ he claimed.

Steep Trade Deficit Worries Apia

The new and precariously placed government of Prime Minister Tupuola Efi (PIM Political Currents) faces a critical economic situation following a drop in export receipts and volumes and a spending spree on imports. Figures just published show a bal ance of payments deficit of $W52.24 million in 1977. Provisional figures for 1978 suggest that the deficit for that year will sky rocket to $32.21 million.

Canberra Sniffs Oil Off Norfolk?

Oil is the key to Australian Government attitudes to Norfolk Island, according to the Norfolk Island News. The paper claimed in May that geological information indicated that the Norfolk Ridge might be a fertile area for offshore oil exploration. It also claimed that the passage of the Norfolk Island Bill by the Aus tralian parliament in April meant the effective annexation of the island by Australia.

Fiji Poll Approves Coalition

Talk of a coalition government in Fiji (PIM May) has been further spurred by an opinion poll conducted by the Suva paper The Fiji Times. The poll showed 58% in favour, with most Indians and most general voters (neither Indians nor Fijians) supporting the idea. Fijians, however, recorded a 57% ‘no’ vote.

APIA BEATS FRENCH CHALLENGE ON ’Bl GAMES Western Samoa has been confirmed as the venue of the 1981 South Pacific Games, despite strong opposition from the French territories. At a meeting of the South Pacific Games Convening Council in Suva the French pressed for New Caledonia, saying they had seen no progress on sporting facilities for the games in Western Samoa. The Western Samoa delegates faced a bar rage of questions from the French territories. But the majority of delegates eventually came down in favour of Western Samoa after Fiji reported that its own developments for the 1979 games were started only eight months before the due date for their opening.

Guam To Attract Smillions?

A new law (Public Law 15-11) allows Guam banks to keep profits on loans made abroad tax-exempt. Millions of dollars could be attracted to Guam by this ‘offshore lending’ capability. Northern Marianas is considering a similar law, as well as its own develop ment bank.

DR WANG’ GETS SHORT SHRIFT IN APIA The Western Samoa Government soon got rid of an American citizen of Chinese descent who planned to sell Western Samoa passports to Taiwanese businessmen at SWSSOOO a time.

Instead of accepting the suggestion the government gave the man, said to go under the name of Dr Peter Wang, an order to leave Western Samoa by a particular day. He was told that Western Samoa had friendly relations with the People’s Republic of China, and would have no part of the scheme. The man repor tedly claimed that Samoan passports would enable the business men to travel more freely than they could these days on Taiwan

Nz Will Have Those Tongan Tomatoes

The New Zealand Government is standing firm against demands that it reduce its 1979 quota for Tongan tomato imports of 400 tonnes. The demands have been made by New Zealand glasshouse growers whose yearly production exceeds 20 000 tonnes.

Pig Stupidity’ Of Journalists Slammed

In a hard-hitting article titled Take the Third World Seriously’, Mike Field, editor of Savali, newspaper of the Western Samoa Prime Minister’s Department, writes in The New Zealand Journalist, published by the New Zealand journalists’ trade union: ‘lt can probably go without saying, but in case somebody hasn’t got the message, one thing that really bugs people in the Pacific is New Zealand court reporting. It is always “a Samoan rapist”, ‘‘a Tongan murderer”, or “an Islander assaults”. Never ‘‘a Pakeha beats up”, etc. Nine times out of 10 there is absolutely no reason for it. It’s just plain pig stupidity on the part of insensitive reporters and sub-editors . . .’

Japanese Help Solomons’ Phone System

Solomon Islands’ Minister of Communications and Transpor John Tapaika hopes to have on his desk this month the repor of a group of Japanese experts on the problems of upgrading the country’s still rudimentary communications system. Thi experts, sent by the Japanese Government, examined in par ticular the establishment of a national telephone network to con nect Honiara with the islands and eventually to link the island: with each other.

Niuean Brothers’ Big Plan For Homeland

Niuean brothers Sani Elia, Petala and Moheni Lakatani, who rur the Hawaii-based Lakatani Brothers Corporation Ltd, are plan ning big things for their tiny homeland. Their ‘multi-million dollar plan is for a farming venture incorporating passionfruit, limes pawpaw, taro, coconut, vegetables and honey, as well a: promoting a tourist and fishing industry, on Niue. Their business is funded by the American International Equity Company, whicl is also Hawaii-based. According to a report in Tohi Tala Niue the trio are confident that if their financiers are satisfied with the venture, they will expand it further. They say land is no prob lem - their family has assured them that land at Tapaiki on th< northern side of the island is available.

Bougainville Copper’S Bonanza

Bougainville Copper Ltd achieved a 32% profit rise in 1978 ove the previous year. Profit was K4B million, compared with K2B.f million in 1977. The company is the world’s fourth largest coppe producer and the twelfth largest producer of gold.

PONAPE GUEST LIST GIVES PAST ITS DUE The guest list for the inauguration of Leo A. Falcam as the firs elected governor of Ponape, Federated States of Micronesia took due account of the island’s history. It included King Juar Carlos of Spain, Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of West Germany Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira of Japan, and President Jimm> Carter of the USA. Also invited and probably more likely t( be able to respond were the heads of government of Fiji Tonga and Nauru. Officials of the South Pacific Commission alsc figured on the list.

Air Niugini’S Wait For New Boss

No announcement on the appointment of a new general man ager for Air Niugini was expected until late May or early June Air Niugini staff, lobbying for the appointment of officers already serving the company, said National Airline Commission membei Paul Bengo, had opened the doors to ‘greater lobbyists’. Aii Niugini executives being promoted by staff are acting genera manager Bart Philemon, or deputy manager Neils Brockdorff.

Hebrides: Wreck Survivors’ Long Drift

A 30-tonne coastal vessel, Nevehu, sank off Erromanga, New Hebrides, in April on a journey from Vila to Lenakel, on Tanne Island. The eight-man crew and two passengers drifted in a smal lifeboat for two days and three nights before reaching the shore at Dillon’s Bay on Erromanga. A marine court of inquiry is probing the incident.

Png Arrests Australian Couple

An Australian couple on a flying holiday were charged in Papua New Guinea in May with possessing marihuana. The couple were arrested on PNG’s Daru Island after a police search ol their single-engined Cessna aircraft had revealed about 20 kg of unprocessed leaf. The two, Wolfgang Klein, 34, and Ann Lepah, 19, gave their addresses as care of the Gold Coast City Council, Queensland.

Sydney’S First Maori Festival

The growing Maori community in Sydney, Australia, made its presence felt in May with the holding of the First Maori Festiva of Sydney, which launched a campaign to raise SA2O 000 foi the building of a marae (meeting house) in the city.

Chinese Envoy In Papeete

Chinese ambassador to Fiji Mi Guozhung in April paid a private visit of several days to Papeete. French Polynesia.

Xylotis To Keep Polynesian Teeth In?

A World Health Organisation mission has visited French Polynesia to study the effectiveness in reducing the incidence of dental caries of a form of sugar known as xylitol, which is claimed not to contribute to tooth decay.