Pacific Report
pp. 5-6 · Read in the full issue
Nosedive in France-Vanuatu relations Vanuatu-France relations took a nosedive in the first days of February, with Vanuatu declaring French Ambassador Yves Rodrigues persona non grata and giving him 24 hours to quit the country, and a senior French spokesman threatening to cancel completely promised French aid to the infant republic. The trouble began when, on February 1, Barak Sope, arriving at Noumea’s Tontouta airport to attend a congress of New Caledonia’s Independence Front, was told that his visa (granted to him by the French Embassy in Port-Vila the day before) had been withdrawn, and that he would be unable to attend the congress. Two other delegates travelling with him were permitted to take part. The official French explanation was that Mr Sope, who as well as being secretary-general of the Vanuaaku Party is first secretary in Vanuatu’s Prime Minister’s Department, should not attend the meeting, ‘because of his official functions’. The French statement added: ‘But he could hold talks with French authorities in Noumea on matters of common interest. During his stay, Mr Sope met officials at the French High Commission, as planned.’ The next day, February 2, Mr Rodrigues was declared oersona non grata. A government spokesman explained that the action was taken ‘with much sadness’, but ‘was the only means af protest in the government’s power’. It sought to demonstrate that ‘the dignity and integrity of its representatives must be 'espected’. The government also announced that personnel at :he French Embassy would be reduced to the same number (five) as those staffing the British and Australian High Commissions. On r ebruary 3 in Paris, Olivier Stirn, a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that France had decided to withdraw its aid aersonnel from Vanuatu following the action against Mr Rodrigues. (There were almost 200 French teachers working in /anuatu.) Referring to the fact that an agreement on co operation between the two countries had been due to be signed, Mr Stirn declared; ‘lt is hard to see France signing an agreement on co-operation with a country with a First Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Department who attends meetings of people hostile to he presence of France in one of its own territories.’ The igreement would therefore not be signed. The sequence of ivents, with a Foreign Ministry official granting the visa in Vanuatu one day, and Overseas Department and Territories officials withdrawing it in New Caledonia the next, immediately touched off speculation that there had been a lack of liaison between hese two arms of the French bureaucracy. Some observers said i ‘furious quarrel’ had erupted between the two. A Papeete lewspaper quoted sources close to the Vanuatu Government as aying: ‘The French Embassy knew perfectly well why Mr Sope /as going to New Caledonia and raised no objections at all’, idications of a possible Australian initiative to ease the situation ppeared in an editorial in The Sydney Morning Herald on ebruary 16. An editorial in that paper reported that a February 7 meeting of the Australian Cabinet would discuss a proposal to rant Vanuatu special aid of about $7 million over and above the nnual Australian grant now running at slightly over $4 million. It aid: ‘What Vanuatu needs now is not the blessings of French ivilisation, which apparently can only be had on humiliating 3rms, but a period of peace and political stability in which the ountry’s Melanesian people can draw closer together. If the rench make good their threat (to withdraw aid), Vanuatu will in ict be able to move more quickly towards its plan ultimately to -place the dual education system with a unified curriculum he net cost of finding about 80 Australian teachers preferably 'ith French language qualifications in addition to the loss of ?venue caused by the departure of 180 very highly paid French jachers will run out at about $7 million annually. This is a small jm. We can afford the money and it is very much in Australia’s -gional and strategic interests to do so if the French carry out ieir threat . . .’ (See earlier interview with Father Walter Lini, 13.) Monumental conspiracy’ in PNG fire 3 art of a monumental conspiracy’ involving arson, murder and lisappropriation such is the finding of a commission of inquiry ito a fire which two years ago destroyed most of the Papua New
Guinea Government’s finance department. A copy of the still unreleased report was obtained in January by The Sydney Morning Herald. ‘We are of the opinion that the fire was deliberately lit, with malicious intent,’ the commissioners concluded in their report. ‘However, after months of investigation, we are still unable to prove who did it or why.’ The fire, which occurred on January 19, 1979, on the sixth floor of the central government building at Waigani in Port Moresby, destroyed most of the finance department, including its files. The report was handed to the then prime minister Michael Somare in January 1980, but has still not been made public. The commissioners expressed the belief that David Balagaize, the building manager and a key witness, was murdered to silence him. Mr Balagaize was found dead in a Port Moresby house on November 2, 1979, three days after he began giving evidence to the commission. A coroner found that he committed suicide. The commissioners said they felt they were getting closer to the truth after eight months of investigations, but stopped work under pressure from the government to produce the report. They said a plausible explanation for the fire was that it had been lit deliberately to prevent a prosecution. The auditor-general has already reported that there are vast sums of money being syphoned off annually from the nation’s treasury by way of false accounting, misappropriation and so on,’ their report said. Following publication of newspaper reports, PNG Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan said that government’s failure to act on the report was due to ‘administrative oversight’ within his department. He pledged that the report would be tabled in the February session of parliament, adding: ‘I will ensure that all matters revealed in the report are followed up and appropriate action taken.’
Four PNG ministers fall foul of law Four ministers have been dropped from the Papua New Guinea Cabinet following court convictions or pending court action against them. John Jaminan, 38, minister for health, was sacked by the Prime Minister, Sir Julius Chan, when he refused to resign.
He had been convicted of drink-driving and assault. The three others resigned. They were Ibne Kor, 40, minister for environ ment, who is to stand trial on a rape charge; Gabriel Bakani, 33, minister for energy, who was convicted of obstructing police: and Mark Ipuia, 33,minister for works and supply, who was convicted of drink-driving. Late in February the Chan coalition government, weakened by conflicts in cabinet and factional issues, was due to face a test of its solidarity. The pending test was a parliamentary no-confidence motion in Police Minister, Warren Dutton. There were indications that the government itself could be divided over the vote.
Islands reps at Socialist Gabfest Representatives from Fiji, New Caledonia and Palau were among foreign observers who attended a conference of the Asia-Pacific Socialist Organisation in Sydney, Australia, in February. Fiji was represented by its parliamentary Opposition Leader Jai Ram Reddy and James R. Raman, national secretary of the Fiji Trades Union Congress. From New Caledonia came three representa tives of the Independence Front: Frangois Otanari, Henri Bally and Suzanne Ounei. The conference gave full backing to their call for independence for New Caledonia. Senator Moses Uludong came from the Republic of Palau, which had only a week before (on January 29-31) celebrated the inauguration of its consti tutional government. The senator said that his country had achieved only limited independence from the United States, but hoped to obtain full independence in the next two years. He told the conference he believed his country’s constitution was the first in the world to address the issue of nuclear arms and waste.
Representatives also attended from Asian countries such as Japan and Malaysia. The newly formed Asia-Pacific Socialist Organisation is an offshoot of the Socialist International, the umbrella organisation of the world’s labour and social democratic parties. The conference was officially opened by Neville Wran, Premier of the Australian Labor Party government of the Australian State of New South Wales.
President Reagan and the Islands Anxiety about the new Reagan Administration’s attitude to United States Pacific territories was voiced in a recent editorial in the Honolulu Advertiser. The editorial said in part; ‘One of the areas where the Carter Administration can claim a good record is in its relationship with America’s Pacific territories. The region, often relegated to backwater status in the past, was given increasingly high visibility over the last four years . . . What
direction Reagan takes in dealing with our Pacific territories will not be clear for a few more weeks. But the choices facing the administration are clear. The Republicans can choose to further develop a policy which recognises the uniqueness of the islands and which gives their problems high bureaucratic visibility. Or they can return to a time when these far-flung islands were thought of as being no more than curious political appendages and actual or potential military bases, and when official oolicv reflected that.’
Fiji soldier killed in Lebanon A Fiji soldier serving in the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Lebanon died late in January from wounds suffered during an attack by Palestinian guerrillas. He was Corporal Lemeki Yabia, 40, a member of the Royal Fiji Military Territorial Forces and a farmer of Vuci, Toktoka, in Tailevu. Cpl Yabia was shot in the head while working outside the kitchen of the Fiji Battalion HQ in Cana. Rushed to hospital, he did not regain consciousness.
Fiji opens Tokyo Embassy
The Fiji Embassy in Japan was formally opened in Tokyo on January 19. In a supplement on Fiji published in the Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun to mark the occasion. Fiji Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara has a message noting that Fiji’s purchases from Japan had increased by 18% in two years, from SF46 million in 1977 to $56 million in 1979. He went on: ‘As Fiji is a small country totally reliant on a healthy level of external earnings for its economic well-being, it is our fervent hope that your country will reciprocally and favourably offer Fiji the opportunity to supply Japan with essential raw materials and other requirements in increasing quantities.’ He pointed out that Japan had bought from Fiji s3l million worth of sugar and $1 million worth of timber last year. Japan was also an important source of tourists to Fiji, Ratu Mara said. He expressed the hope that more tourists would visit Fiji now that there was a direct air service between the two countries.
Vanuatu cabinet reshuffle Vanuatu in February saw its first Cabinet reshuffle since independence. Prime Minister Father Walter Lini announced the changes, effective from February 9. Former Minister of Lands, Sethy Regenvanu, becomes Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Thomas Reuben Seru, former Minister of Primary Industries, gets the Lands portfolio: George Worek, former Health Minister, becomes Minister of Social Affairs; Willie Korisa, former Minister of Social Affairs, takes the porfolio of Health.
Fiji resort official fined Peter Batey, 31, finance and development manager at the Plantation Island resort on Malololailai in Fiji, has been fined SF2O 000, in default six months in prison, for attempting to smuggle S3O 000 out of Fiji, in breach of the country’s currency laws.
Suva’s duty-free trade slumps
Suva’s duty-free stores have been hit by the worst slump in their history, with sales down at least 25% on previous years. One reason is that the port has lost most of its formerly thriving Christmas and New Year cruise ship trade. Competition from other countries with duty-free shops, New Zealand import restrictions, and a slump in Australian and New Zealand tourist traffic are other reasons, according to traders. President of the Suva Duty-Free Dealers’ Association Mohan Musadilal said; ‘Many of my members are stocking and selling non duty-free goods to stay in business.’ Mr Gokal said the immediate cause of the slump, the worst in the trade’s 25-year history, was the withdrawal of Russian ships chartered by Australian companies for cruises from Sydney due to an Australian Government ban on them in retaliation for the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.
Crime waves ebb and flow Crime is on the increase in Tonga, according to Police Superintendent Paula Vivili who appealed in a statement in January for public co-operation in the prevention of crime. The value of goods stolen or destroyed in the period December 23 1980 to January 5 1981 had increased by a third compared with the same period in 1979-80. Crimes committed in Nukualofa exceeded those in all the rest of the country. In Fiji, Police Commissioner John Orme reported in January that there had been a 15% drop in violent crime in Fiji in 1980 compared with 1979. There had also been a drop of 24% in the number of juvenile offenders. For his part, Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan said in an open letter to an Australian newspaper in February that in the second half of 1980 Port
Moresby s crime rate, which had climbed dramatically earlier im t i h Q e Q n oar^ d o° P, ? e 1 d Sl 9 nificant| y- Christmas in Port Moresby in 1980, said Sir Julius, was the most trouble-free for 15 years.
Bid for V.C.’s bones fails again Fiji has again asked for and been refused permission to exhume 1 the remains of World War II Victoria Cross hero Corporal Sefanaia Sukanaivalu from the Bita Paka war cemetery near Rabaul Papua New Guinea. The matter was first raised some years ago’
The Minister for Home Affairs Ratu William Toganivalu revived it in discussions he held in February with the visiting Director- General of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, A. K.
Pallot. But Mr Pallet reiterated the commission’s stand, which is written into the Commonwealth War Graves Convention’, refusing permission to exhume remains of any war dead. He said the commission was strongly against such exhumations, and had refused requests from governments and wealthy relatives of dead soldiers remains. He said the commission was of the view that ‘if the dead soldiers were to have been asked where they wanted to be buried, they would prefer to have been buried with their comrades-in-arms’. He said the war graves served as an ‘historical monument where descendants of the dead soldiers could visit and recite to their children the sufferings and miseries encountered’. Mr Pallot visited the war cemetery in Suva, and expressed the commission’s gratitude to the Fiji Government for constructing and maintaining it without charge. Making his annual South Pacific tour, Mr Pallot headed for Noumea after his visit.
Tupuola takes over broadcasting
Western Samoa’s Prime Minister Tupuola Efi has taken over the portfolio of Broadcasting. This brings under the PM’s direct control the second of the country’s two tax-funded media, the radio station 2AP and the fortnightly newspaper Savali.
Murdered MP’s seat is filled Jacob John Olaf Jack Netzler has won one of the two Individual Voters’ seats in Western Samoa’s Legislative Assembly. The late January by-election was made necessary by the death by murder of sitting member Ron Berking (PIM Dec p 73). Like Berking, Netzler represents the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP).
Netzler’s vote was 354, Ricky Schwalger’s 261 and Peter Paul’s 236. Only 11 votes were informal.
Irian Jaya ’quake kills 263 An earthquake which struck Irian Jaya on January 20 caused a minimum of 263 deaths. The ’quake, registering 6.8 on the Richter scale, was centred in the far west of the Irian Jaya mainland. An indication of its severity is that it caused a large number of casualties, despite the sparseness of population in the area.
Palau deadlock broken The deadlock in attempts to elect the vice-president and floor leader of the Senate of the Republic of Palau (PIM Jan p 5) was broken on January 12, only one day before the due date for the holding of the legislature’s first formal session. After a long succession of tied votes, George Ngirarsaol was elected vice president (defeating Joshua Koshiba), and Johnson Toribiong was elected floor leader over John Tarkong. 31 000 in Marshalls A census of the population of Marshall Islands has turned up a tentative figure of 31 000, excluding Kwajalein Island.
Australian pilot dies in PNG A 25-year-old Australian pilot was stabbed to death in Port Moresby in February when he went to the aid of his Papua New Guinean girlfriend. Peter Cousins, a pilot with the PNG domestic airline Talair, was attacked outside a party early in the morning of February 9. A police spokesman said a Papua New Guinean had tried to molest Cousins’ girlfriend, and when Cousins intervened the man pulled a knife, stabbed him several times, and ran off.
Malaria: Solomons try Fenitrothion Solomon Islands is experimenting with a new insecticide in its efforts to cut down on the incidence of malaria in the country. The product, Fenitrothion, is said to have two advantages over DDT, which is, also in use in Solomon Islands: the malaria mosquitoes don’t avoid the walls sprayed after feeding and so are killed, and it has a fumigant action, releasing an invisible vapour which kills flying mosquitoes within a few hours. The experiment with Fenitrothion is financed by the World Health Organisation with the assistance of a Japanese company which supplies the insecti cide.