Pacific Report

U.S. Aid Being Cut

American aid to the Pacific Islands is likely to be reduced as a result of cuts in all US developmental assistance recommended by President Reagan. He’s proposed a 26% reduction in the current 1982 aid budget, and further reductions through 1983- 86. The agencies and programmes affected include payments to UN agencies, the Agency for International Development (AID) and the Peace Corps. Specific details will be released when the revised budget goes to Congress.

France-Vanuatu Tensions Ease

France and Vanuatu appeared in March to be inching towards a reconciliation following the expulsion from Port-Vila in February of French Ambassador Yves Rodrigues (PIM Mar p 5). Most obvious sign of the relaxation was the Vanuatu Government announce ment in mid-February that French schools would reopen on February 23, and an accompanying request to France to appoint a new ambassador to replace Mr Rodrigues. But there was still no clear indication of when or if the agreement on French aid would be signed. At one point earlier in the month it had seemed that the Vanuatu Government would take the plunge and decide to go ahead without French aid. But after what appeared to be a struggle within the Cabinet the above announcements were made. One high level source in the government said of the differences of opinion in Cabinet: ‘Some people’s hearts were ruling their heads at one stage. But at the end of the day the government realised that they needed aid from whatever source ’

Prime Minister Father Walter Uni appealed to French residents in Vanuatu to remain calm, and assured them that the government appreciated their contribution to national development and looked forward to their continued participation in it. The tone of newspaper comment in Noumea was indicative of the new situation. The daily Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes commented; ‘lt seems that this announcement (on the reopening the schools and the request for a new French ambassador) has to be seen as a denial of the rumours . . . that Walter Lini would reject French aid and co-operation . . . Vanuatu seems to be moderating its plans and wishes to limit the scope of its conflict with France

Five Png Opposition Mps Defect

Five members of Papua New Guinea’s parliamentary opposition including Deputy Opposition Leader Raphael Doa, defected to the government in February. The group, members of the United Party, crossed the floor of parliament to reunite with other members of their party who already support the government coalition. The party split in March 1980 during the political in fighting that led to the fall of the government led by Michael somare. Mr Doa said that although he respected the leadership Somare (now leader of the opposition) some members of Vr Somare’s Pangu Party were ‘trying to dig my grave’ ‘I intend o leave before I fall into it,’ he said. Mr Somare told parliament he United Party’s decision to reunite was a matter he had nurtured and at the same time encouraged’. ‘The party must be Jnited, whether in opposition or government,’ he said. Outside )arhament Mr Somare denied the loss of the five MPs was a blow 0 the opposition. He pointed out that his party was still the argest in parliament.

J.K. Minister In Fiji

Fhe closure of the big Tate and Lyle sugar refinery in Britain would lot cut Fiji s sugar exports to Britain, UK Minister for Overseas Development Neil Marten said in Suva in March. He said the efmery had only been closed because it was making ‘such a :o ossal loss’. But Britain’s commitment to taking Fiji’s sugar was ' t n h n ere - ‘ AH reived will be refined, though they will move >0 000 tonnes somewhere else to refine,’ he said. Mr Marten .poke to reporters at the end of a four-day visit during which he iiscussed British aid with government ministers and spent part of 1 day at Rabi Island looking at progress on a SFI.B million British nanced aid project for the Banaban people there. Mr Marten

said his trip to the South Pacific was to learn what changes governments wanted in their aid dealings with Britain. The fact that British commitments to the region totalled $56 million showed his country’s interest in it, Mr Marten said.

Ok Tedi Agreement Signed

As anticipated (PIM Mar p6l), the go-ahead agreement on Papua New Guinea’s giant Ok Tedi gold-copper mining project was finally signed in early March. The PNG Government has a 20% slice of the project, and is partnered by Australian, American and West German companies. Perched on the 2095 metres Mount Fubilan in the remote Star Mountains next to the Irian Jayan border in PNG’s Western Province, Ok Tedi boasts gold deposits of 34 million tonnes and copper deposits of 376 million tonnes. It has been likened to a giant gold-capped tooth with copper roots. The open-cut mine is expected to have a working life of 25-30 years.

Row Over Png’S Vip Aircraft

Papua New Guinea’s new multi-million dollar VIP jet would give the country a ‘banana republic’ image, the national parliament was told in February. Opposition front-bencher Barry Holloway made the claim during a fiery debate over the PNG Government’s controversial decision to buy the plane, a Grumman Gulfstream 2. Mr Holloway said the jet’s purchase would damage PNG’s standing and image overseas, particularly among lending organisations such as the World Bank and the Asian Develop ment Bank. The plane cost PNG K 6 million (SA7.B million). The opposition called on the government to sell the jet, but the move was defeated 57 votes to 36. Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan, describing the plane as a ‘mini-707’, said it was ‘a tremendous national investment’. It would place the PNG Government on an equal footing when dealing and negotiating with big business. ‘We’re talking about a lousy six million kina,’ he said. Opposition Leader Michael Somare said big companies like Conzinc Riotinto and Bougainville Copper could afford such a plane, but PNG could not.

Bokissa Island Auction

Australian newspapers in February and March carried display advertisements for an auction in Sydney on April 14 of a ‘Private Tropical Resort Island, Bokissa Island. Vanuatu’. An initial announcement by the public relations firm responsible described the island, just off Santo, as a ‘freehold island’. But it rapidly put out a disclaimer, pointing out that the island is not ‘freehold’ because ‘since independence in 1980 title to Bokissa Island is to be converted to long-term leasehold’.

Tonga-Israel Diplomatic Ties

The Kingdom of Tonga has established diplomatic relations with Israel. Israeli Ambassador Abraham Kidron presented his credentials to King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV in February in Nukualofa. Mr Kidron is based in Canberra.

Vanuatu Planes On Png Register?

France’s withdrawal of the French public servant who previously served as Vanuatu’s director of civil aviation has caused delay in establishing an aircraft register for the country, and to a request from Transport Minister John Naupa that aircraft operating in his country should be placed on Papua New Guinea’s aircraft register. PNG Transport Minister lambakey Okuk appeared favourably disposed to the idea.

Cyclone Cliff Didn’T Discriminate

Although their leading politicians may have sharp differences, Vanuatu and New Caledonia alike fell victim to Cyclone Cliff which in February caused extensive damage in both places The cyclone destroyed houses on Pentecost, Malakula, Ambrym, Epi, Efate and other islands in Vanuatu. Trees were blown down in the capital, and Port-Vila was blacked out for several hours. The Air Club hangar at Bauerfield had half its roof blown off and sheets of corrugated iron were flung on to a fence 50 metres away. In New Caledonia damage was most extensive in the Houailou and Bourail regions. A member of the Bouirou tribe was killed by a falling tree. The Council of Government on February 17 declared the communes of Houailou, Bourail, Canala (Kouaoua) and Ponerihouen ‘disaster zones’.

Death Of John Knight

Australian Senator John Knight, 37, died unexpectedly of a heart attack in Canberra in March. Senator Knight, Government Whip in the Senate, was well known in the South Pacific as a former member of the Australian High Commission staff in Suva, and as a member of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs

and Defence which made an extensive inquiry into Australia’s relations with the South Pacific in 1977. He contributed many valuable articles to PIM on the importance of continued Australian aid to the Islands.

Aid Bureau Retains Its Independence

Death of Senator Knight (above) came at a time when one of the Australian organisations whose work he espoused, the Australian Development Assistance Bureau, had just defeated an attack on its independence which threatened to destroy its capacity to distribute aid to the South Pacific quickly and efficiently. The bureau, which in the current financial year is distributing Australian overseas aid to the value of $A553 million, develops its own programmes under its own administrator, Mr Jim Ingram, who is responsible directly to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs. This enables the bureau to operate with a minimum of bureaucratic entanglements, and in the last three years it has built up a reputation in the South Pacific for being an entirely professional body, quickly able to supply the type of help the islands ask for, rather than what the donor thinks might be good for them. Because of internal jealousies in Canberra, the Australian Government was put under pressure to fully integrate the bureau into the Department of Foreign Affairs. The bureau’s defenders rushed to protest that this would curtail the bureau’s vital flexibility, and, after further representations at top level, the heat was turned off. One of the deciding factors in the battle was that although the aid programme has grown considerably, the bureau’s staff in recent years has dropped from 700 to under 500.

Introducing The Nauru Corporation

The Nauru Co-operative Society announced in February it had changed its name to Nauru Corporation. The change follows a resolution by Nauru’s Local Government Council that the organisation should be given a facelift in the commercial world.

In an editorial comment, The Nauru Post weekly said: ‘More can be read into Council’s decision to change the name to Nauru Corporation. It could be taken as Council’s intention to incorporate it under Nauru’s Company Act. Such a step is a clear indication on the part of Council to carry out the operations of trading on a more business-like footing. Then perhaps an annual balance sheet and other financial statements can be brought out.’

ISLANDS REPS AT OZ N-FREE PACIFIC WEEK Pacific Islands delegates took part in a Nuclear-free Pacific Week held in Sydney in March. They were Dorothy Levy from Tahiti, Bernie Keldermans from Palau, and Soli Niheu from Hawaii. The week included a concert, a candlelight procession through the streets of Sydney, and a public meeting. The week was designed to protest against the militarisation of the Pacific region. Calls were made for a Nuclear-free Pacific Zone, no nuclear weapons testing, no nuclear waste dumping, and closure of foreign military and nuclear bases in the region.

The Pope On Guam

In a prepared 10-minute speech on his arrival in Guam in February, Pope John Paul II three times switched to the Chamorro language. ’I am happy to see your beautiful island and you, children of God,’ was his first greeting in Chamorro. Later he told the huge cheering crowd in their language that he was happy to visit the Pacific Islands, and concluded with ‘Hu guiya todi hamyo’ ‘I love all of you.’ The pope spent 18 hours in Guam before leaving for Japan.

Rotuma Centenary On May 13

The Fiji Government will make a SF9O 000 contribution to Rotuma’s centenary celebrations in May. The celebrations will mark the cession of the island to Britain on May 13 1881.

Sanford On Polynesia’S ‘Luck’

French Polynesia’s Vice-President of the Government Council Francis Sanford said in a press interview in February: ‘I have confidence in the future. I say that Polynesia is the most developed of all the Pacific archipelagoes . . . We’re lucky in Polynesia. We shouldn’t complain too much, but we’re like spoilt children: the more we’re given, the more we want.’ On the matter of eventual independence for French Polynesia he said: ‘lt’s the mass of the people who must decide, not one man. It will have to be decided by referendum. Neither the Assembly nor the Council of Government can make such a decision, and I would refuse absolutely to have any part of it.’

Weak Turnout For Port-Vila Poll

Only 887 of the 5000 eligible voters took part in the February 11 election of the new Port-Vila municipal council. Locals put the low

turnout down to many people having left the capital because they were out of a job, weak electoral campaigning by most candidates, and the confusion as to their rights of many expatriates who were in fact perfectly entitled to a vote. The voters returned six Vanuaaku Party councillors, six members of the opposition ‘Moderate’ party, and two members of the Natatok Party.

Experts’ Green Light For Fiji Tv

A team of experts has recommended that television be introduced in Fiji in three languages English, Fijian and Hindi within the next three years. The team, from the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development, made the recommen dation in a report delivered to the Fiji Government in March. The report needs the Cabinet’s appraisal and approval before being tabled in parliament.

Gold On Santo?

Gold has been discovered on the Vanuatu island of Santo, according to a report in The Times of Papua New Guinea. Two companies had bought exploration rights. The gold is also associated with porphyry copper, as in the giant Ok Tedi project in PNG. If the reserves are proven, the Vanuatu Government is expected to negotiate a development agreement along the lines of the Ok Tedi agreement, with a substantial share remaining in government hands.

Japan-Marshalls Fishing Accord

An agreement between the governments of Japan and the Marshall Islands will call for about SUSI. 2 million paid by Japan for the right to fish within the exclusive economic zone of the Marshall Islands, according to the February 20 issue of The Marshall Islands Journal. The paper added that Japan had agreed to increase the annual fishing access fee from $9OO 000 to $1 000 000 in cash. There is also another $175 000 to provide goods and services to the Japanese, mainly in the fishing area.

Guadalcanal Bus Service Up For Grabs

The Guadalcanal Bus Service has been advertised for sale.

Manager Mark Lewis said it had been decided for some time that the company would close, and a strike by its workers launched on February 10 provided the opportunity. Mr Lewis said two Solomon Islands groups had already approached him as prospective buyers. On the union side, a spokesman for the National Union of Workers was concerned to see that all employees received their due in severance pay and benefits based on their years of service to the company.

Marshallese-Language Bible Near

The 15-year project of translating the entire Bible into Marshallese is nearing completion. Final review sessions were held in February at the Marshalls Theological College. Jornadrik Jelke, off Ebeye, has been in charge of the file of each word used in the translation. There have been 3000 Marshallese words used, and 200 English words borrowed.

Jewellery Tops Sales In Fiji Duty-Frees

Jewellery has become the biggest line of business in the Fiji duty free trade. Sales of perfumes and pocket calculators are proving to be growth business also, but sales of radio and other electronic goods, cameras and photographic equipment are stagnant or falling, according to the 1979 trade report, published in March.

Duty-free imports cost SF2O 079 000 and jewellery imports accounted for $5 066 000 of the total.

Air Hostesses Barred From Hotel

A number of Air Nauru hostesses were asked to leave Melbourne’s Southern Cross Hotel in February. The high-class hotel is next door to Nauru House, and is frequently used by Nauruan officials visiting Melbourne. Riotous and drunken behaviour appears to have been the reason. The Nauru Post commented: ‘According to a reliable source, windows were broken, furniture was smashed, and the room flooded. Damage done was more akin to the work of vandals and certainly could not have been imagined to be the handiwork of a refined young girl holding down a responsible position such as an air hostess.’

33 Fishermen Presumed Dead In Storm

Thirty-three Taiwanese fishermen have been lost and are presumed dead off Manua in- the worst storm to hit American Samoa since 1966. Tropical storm Esau struck Manua in the evening of March 2 after sparing Savaii, Upolu and Tutuila, and caused damage estimated at SUS 4 million, not counting agricultural losses. The search for the fishermen’s two boats was abandoned after a small amount of wreckage had been found.

Joseph Theroux.