This Month

• THE PACIFIC INTO A NEW CENTURY Dr David R. W. Jones, until recently reader in geography at the University of the South Pacific, looks at the future of the Pacific region. He sees increased diversity, rather than greater unity, in future relationships between the regional states 11 • NEW CALEDONIA Australian journalist Chris Ray reports on his recent talks in Noumea with leaders of New Caledonia's pro-independence party Union Caledonienne, and with a spokesman for the local Socialist Party, which has just split on the independence issue 13 • COVER STORY: THE $35 000 TATTOO A Polynesian traditional dancer goes from Hawaii to Western Samoa for a six-week operation which gives him a complete body tattoo 23 • THE MESS THAT IS MORUROA Two hurricanes in the course of 1981 drastically aggravated the radioactive pollution problems at the French nuclear testing site. Fed-up Moruroa technicians have gone public on just how the authorities are not coping with them. Marie-Therese and Bengt Danielsson tell the story 20 This month's cover picture: Sherde Lipton in Hawaii took this picture of loteve Puhetim. the 21-year old dancer from Tavana's Polynesian Revue who underwent a full body tattoo in the style of his ancestors. In the background is Matagialalua. the man who formed the Polynesian Revue and who took loteve to Western Samoa to be tattooed (p 23). • Daniel Tardieu's regular feature Noumea Notebook does not appear this month because of industrial problems which affected postal and telex services into Sydney. It will appear as usual in February.

American Samoa 39 Australia in the Pacific 10, 32 Books 39 Cook Islands 53 Deaths 65 Fiji 24, 29, 32, 53 French Polynesia 9, 20, 25 Guam 24 Hawaii 23, 31, 51 Irian Jaya 9 Islands Press 19 Letters 8 Marquesas Islands 23 Micronesia 43, 55 New Caledonia 13 New Zealand in the Pacific 8 Pacific Report 6

Pacific Region 11. 46 Papua New Guinea 25, 32, 53, 55, 57 People 36 Political Currents 31 Polynesian Labour Trade (historical) 44 Postmark Papeete 20 Shipping Services 60 Ships 55 Solomon Islands 33 Tonga 8, 53 Tradewinds 51 Tropicalities 23 Tuvalu 55 Vanuatu 33 Western Samoa 23, 54 Yachts 8, 57 Yesterday 46