Pacific Report

Aid Guarantee For Air Niugini

The Papua New Guinea government has decided to provide guarantees of up to K 5 million (about SUS 7 million) to help its national airline Air Niugini resolve its financial problems, but while the guarantee remains in force the airline will lose its autonomy. Instead it will be fully accountable to the government in its day-to-day finances. The provision of the guarantee, which will be effective for six months, was approved at a meeting of the PNG Cabinet and announced by the Prime Minister, Sir Julius Chan. Sir Julius disclosed that the airline had lost K 2.1 million since January this year. (See other references to Air Niugini in Tradewinds section). Meanwhile the Australian airline TAA seconded one of its top executives, Mr Ralph Conley, to act as general manager of Air Niugini as an interim measure at the request of the PNG government. Mr Conley was the air line’s first manager until his departure four years ago.

New Cable Across Pacific

A cartel of nine countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, has been formed to build the new Anz can submarine cable system which will link Australia and Canada across the Pacific. Other countries in the group are Canada, UK, West Germany, France and the Philippines. Aus tralia is the major shareholder with a majority interest of 57% in the $350 million project. Anzcan, with a capacity for 1000 circuits, will link Australia to Canada through Norfolk Island, Fiji and Hawaii and is expected to be in operation by 1983. It will replace the 80-circuit Compac cable which will end its 21-year design life in 1983.

Fiji Affirms Economic Zone

Fiji has affirmed its right to maintain a 200-mile economic zone over its seas in the face of US refusal to recognise the validity of such zones where migratory species of fish are concerned.

The Fiji attitude, which supports that taken by most Pacific Island countries, was reaffirmed in parliament recently following ques tions from the floor. Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau, acting for the Prime Minister, told members that formal declaration of a 200-mile zone had yet to be made but the government intended to go ahead with its plans. The declaration would be fully consistent with modern international law, he said.

Assistance For Png Census

The Australian government is helping Papua New Guinea con duct a national census which has already begun and will con tinue until October. The present phase of the operation includes a widespread training course for government officers and others who will conduct the census. Part of the Australian aid is the provision of a Hercules transport aircraft to carry huge quantities of census materials to major centres and to some of the more remote parts of the country. The census is expected to reveal that PNG’s population has well passed 3 000 000.

Cyclone Destroyed 700 Houses

Latest estimates of the damage caused by Cyclone Tia which hit parts of Fiji in April indicate that more than 700 houses were destroyed. The figure was reported by the secretary of the Prime Minister’s Relief and Rehabilitation Committee which has been carrying out assessments of damage in more than 100 village areas. Many school buildings had also been damaged or de stroyed, he said.

Australian Attitudes Criticised

The National Director of Australian Community Aid Abroad, Mr Harry Martin, claims that Australia is effectively ‘at war’ with countries in the Third World including its regional neighbours in the Pacific. In a recent statement announcing a national edu cation campaign on Third World problems he accused Australia of being in league with the developed world to produce aggress ive trade and foreign relations policies which were causing hard ship and harm in Third World countries.

Women Want Tougher Laws

About 2000 women last month marched on the government offices in Port Moresby and handed a petition to the Papua New Guinea-Prime Minister, Sir Julius Chan, demanding new laws to reduce urban crime including murder, rape and theft. The march was held following the rape and murder of a young mother and the release of statistics showing an increase in crime. The government is studying the petition which requests firearms for police, curfews, identity cards and public lashing as punishment for crimes of violence.

Missile Tests Concluded

China completed two missile tests in the South Pacific in May and then announced that its current tests were completed. (PIM June plO). Both missiles landed in the announced test area 1300 km north-wet of Fiji, and Australian and Fiji observers made reports to their governments. The tests created wide spread criticism from Island countries, particularly from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. China has de nied that the tests interfered with the sovereignty of any country or that the missiles passed through any country’s air space.

Footballers Go Home

A Tongan rugby union tour of Western Samoa came to a sudden end last month on the eve of the second and final test after a series of incidents had strained relations on both sides. For two weeks the Tongan team had complained it was not being prop erly treated, and shortly before the final test was due to start the team announced it was going home. There were suggestions that the recommendation to return had come from the govern ment of Tonga. The withdrawal of the team led to a new contro versy in which Western Samoa officials claimed they would not pay the fares home for the visitors because contract arrange ments had been broken. The visitors missed the aircraft which was to have carried them because of a series of arguments over their tickets, but flew home on a later flight. Latest reports have not indicated who eventually footed the bill for the tickets. During the tour Tonga won the first test but lost the other three non-test games.

Extensive Losses From Fire

Extensive losses were caused in Port Moresby in May when fire swept through a block of shops and offices in the suburb of Boroko. The fire burnt out the electrical appliance retail shop of Brian Bell and Company, and spread to other businesses in the same complex including a furniture shop, sports goods shop and music shop. Poor water pressure resulting from current water shortages hampered the efforts of urban and civil aviation fire tenders which were called to the fire.

Tribal Fighting Causes Concern

Renewed outbreaks of tribal fighting in the Papua New Guinea highland provinces are causing concern to the government. Last year in the face of some political opposition the government tem porarily gave sweeping powers to its police by declaring a state of civil emergency in some of the worst-affected provinces. After the emergency was lifted a measure of peace returned to the troubled clans, but the situation is now deteriorating again. In the latest outbreak in the Chimbu and Enga Provinces there have been at least 12 deaths, and more than 100 houses have been burnt down and food and commercial crops have been de stroyed.