Pacific Report
pp. 5-6 · Read in the full issue
Doings Of The South Pacific Forum
Heads of government at the 13th meeting of the South Pacific Forum in Rotorua in New Zealand, in August, agreed not to push France on the subject of the decolonisation of New Caledonia, as they were satisfied she was genuine in her current efforts to bring about reforms. But they “urged” France to work closely with the Kanak people for a peaceful transition to independence.
The Forum rejected a call by the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Father Uni, to have New Caledonia listed as a colony in the UN so as to make sure that world pressure is kept up on France. It was decided that such a move, while France was working on New Caledonia’s problems, would be “counter-productive”. The question has been put on the agenda for the next Forum meeting to be held in Australia next year, but meanwhile Vanuatu has said that it might unilaterally put on pressure to have New Caledonia listed at the UN. On other matters the Forum also agreed to supply the Pacific Forum Line with another $U.5.12.6 million to allow it to meet conditions for a European Investment Bank loan so that it can buy containers instead of leasing them; decided to arrange for a study of civil aviation needs in the islands so that proper regional plans can be drawn up that might help the Islands airlines out of their economic downturn; attacked the United States for not signing the Law of the Sea convention and asked for that country to revise its policy on highly migratory fish species; and decided to put aside the question of whether there should be one regional body in place of the South Pacific Commission, SPEC and the Forum. A full report of the meeting will appear in the October issue of PIM.
Marshall Islands Poll Deferred
As forecast by U.S. journalist Giff Johnson on page 30 of this month’s PIM, the U.S. has deferred the August referendum in the Marshall Islands. The referendum is to seek opinion on the Compact of Free Association which is to be established between the two countries. The contentious issue in the referendum is whether questions about independence should be included. The U.S. now wants the referendum postponed to October 1 at the earliest. Marshallese Foreign Secretary Tony deßrum responded by saying he would lead a delegation to Washington to invoke the aid of Congress and the White House, and to the United Nations Decolonisation Committee in New York. Back in June, the U.S. had asked for a postponement, because, it claimed, the August date did not allow enough time for public education concerning the proposals. Speaking at a meeting of the UN Trusteeship council in May, Mr deßrum had named October 1 as the day on which the Marshalls would become independent, if the people rejected the compact, or the U.S. failed to ratify it. At that time the raising of the independence issue was seen as merely a Marshallese attempt to force the hand of the Americans. John Carter.
NOW IT’S SOVIET MEDDLING IN FIJI POLL Allegations of Soviet intervention in Fiji’s July election through secret funding of the opposition National Federation Party (NFP) are to be the subject of a judicial inquiry. The allegations, made by Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, also link Indian Government officials with the funding, and have thus thrown considerable strain on India-Fiji relations. The charges of Soviet intervention came on the heels of NFP charges of Australian interference in the elections (see Robert Keith-Reid’s report this issue). These charges will also be investigated. In the wake of the KGB slush fund claims, the Fiji Government clapped a ban on all visits by Soviet ships to Fiji ports a move which will cost the country $F500,000 a year, according to the managing director of the company handling the docking and re-supplying of Soviet vessels visiting Fiji.
70-Kilotonne Blast At Moruroa
A nuclear test at Moruroa Atoll on July 25 was in the range of 70 kilotonnes, more than three times the power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945, according to New Zealand scientists. An observatory in the Netherlands had earlier estimated the blast at 50 kilotonnes. A Radio Australia
report said that altogether 52 blasts have been recorded at Moruroa. The tests have been underground since 1975, with the biggest, of 140 kilotonnes, being recorded in 1979. The original Dutch reports said that the July 25 explosion triggered a tremor registering 5.9 on the Richter scale. It said the blast was the strongest in the past two years, and the fourth for the month of July.
U.N. Mission Head In Micronesia
A United Nations mission, on an inspection tour of the United States Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Micronesia) (PIM Aug. P 5), assured a welcoming group on Yap that the termination of the trusteeship would be simultaneous in all Micronesian states. The assurance was given by Trusteeship Council President Paul Poudade, of France, in reply to Yap leaders who had expressed concern at recent trends in the negotiations, saying that U.S. Ambassador Zeder appeared to be offering the Marshall Islands a different deal from those offered to the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Belau. Outlining the program leading up to trusteeship termination, Mr Poudade said intensive political education on the compact would follow completion of the negotiations. A plebiscite would then follow and, if approved, the compact would go to the legislatures for endorsement and then to the U.S.
President and Congress. If sanctioned, the compact would go to the UN Security Council for final approval. Asked about a possible veto of the compact by the Soviet Union, Mr Poudade said he could not comment until the compact reached the Security Council. It was a sensitive issue since the Trust Territory was a strategic area. Mr Poudade promised to convey to the Japanese Government’s Ambassador at the United Nations “strong” Yapese opposition to Japan s proposal to dump low-level nuclear waste in the Pacific Ocean.
“Fiji Soldiers Spying’’ Israel
Fiji soldiers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were among those accused of selling intelligence about Israeli attack plans to Palestinian guerrillas.
The charge was made by Israel's Military Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Raphael Eytan. An Israeli military spokes man claimed that UNIFIL soldiers from Ireland, France, Senegal and Fiji had taken part in the traffic. The charge was based on documents allegedly written by captured Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) personnel. Denying the charges, UNIFIL commander Major-General William Callaghan told Eytan in a letter that he was “frankly surprised by your evaluation of these extremely primitive, inaccurate and amateur documents, and I find nothing in them to support your contention”. The Fiji Times in an editorial dismissed the charges as “laughable”, pointing out that not even Israel’s closest allies knew what it was going to do next. The editorial said the charges were “a red herring to divert world attention from the horrendous punishment Israel has inflicted and is continuing to inflict on Beirut and other Lebanese towns and villages in which thousands of civilians have died”.
Oz Scientists Oppose French Uranium Stake
Two leading Australian scientists have joined in urging the Australian Government not to allow French interests into the Australian uranium mining industry, saying Australia’s credibility in the Pacific would be “seriously undermined” if they were permitted to join. The scientists are Bob Robotham, formerly with the British Atomic Energy Commission, and Dr Don Hutton of the Physics Department, Monash University, Melbourne.
Radio Australia’s Melbourne office reported in August that the French Government is negotiating for an equity stake in the Yeelirrie uranium deposit in Western Australia.
Solomon Wins Through In Solomons
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Solomon Mamaloni beat off a late-July challenge to his position when parliament voted on a motion of no-confidence in him 20 against, 12 for, and five (including Mr Mamaloni) declining to vote. The motion was brought by former Foreign Affairs Minister Ezekiel Alebua, who resigned in June (PIM Jul. P 5). His motion alleged misbehaviour by some ministers. A by-election held at about the same time
was won by the National Democratic Party, junior partner in the ruling coalition. Party numbers in parliament are now: Alliance Party (Mamaloni) 11, NDP four, the opposition United Party 12, and Independents 11.
Lafleur Election Dates Set
The election in New Caledonia made necessary by the politically-inspired resignation of Rightwing Deputy to the National Assembly, Jacques Lafleur, has been set for Septem ber 5 (first round) and September 12 (second round). Claiming that the new Government Council in the territory is unrepre sentative of majority opinion, Mr Lafleur claims that his new election will have the character of a “referendum”. He is virtually certain of re-election in his west coast constituency with its large concentration of European voters. But the main significance of the affair will lie in the size of the vote he receives in comparison with the last time he stood. If it is up, he will claim to have proved his point. If it is down, his whole exercise will be seen to have backfired.
Fsm. U.S., To Talk Again
The Federated States of Micronesia Truk, Ponape, Yap and Kosrae and the U.S. plan to resume talks in September on subsidiary agreements to the Compact of Free Association. The talks had been suspended since October, 1981. Chief FSM negotiator Andon Amaraich said in August that problems associated with the transition issues and unfulfilled U.S. commitments remain to be solved. Transition issues included aid for upgrading communications, construction of a new FSM capital (probably at Palikir in Ponape) and a new community college, land claims, a capital improvements program, and the maintenance of utilities. Subsidiary agreements are pending on the status of military forces, military use and operating rights, federal programs (including postal and weather services), federal aviation administration and civil aviation, extradition and law enforcement, transfer of property, telecommunications, disaster control and mutual security.
Filling Out Vanuatu Parliament At Last
After a long delay, nominations were called for in July for by-elections in the four parliamentary seats in Vanuatu that have been vacant since independence on July 30,1980. Three of the seats were won in the 1979 elections by candidates of the opposition so-called 'Moderate” parties. These have been vacant since one of the three MPs, Alexis Yolou, was shot dead in pre-independence trouble on the island of Tanna in June 1980, and the other two were deported to New Caledonia after the collapse of the secessionist revolt on Santo in August 1980.
The fourth seat was held by the Vanuaaku Party, but fell vacant when the incumbent MP. George Kalkoa, resigned from parliament to take office as President Ati George Sokomanu.
Vanuatu's electoral office announced that two of the by elections for Port-Vila Urban and Efate Rural were to be held on August 26, the one for Luganville on August 31, and that for Tanna on September 2.
Kolone. Muldoon Huddle On Citizenship
Western Samoa's Prime Minister Va'ai Kolone held talks in Wellington in August with New Zealand Prime Minister Muldoon on a recent ruling by the Privy Council in London that some Samoans automatically have New Zealand citizenship. Mr Muldoon said after the talks that legislation would be introduced in New Zealand to circumvent the ruling, but ruled out any hasty action on the part of his government.
OZ FURY AT U.S. OVER LAW OF SEA Rumblings from the U.S. refusal to sign the Law of the Sea Convention (PIM Aug. P 5) continue to be heard, with unnamed Australian officials in particular expressing fury at the U.S. action. One official involved with the negotiations told The Sydney Morning Herald’s correspondent in New York, Paul Sheehan, that the Americans “are behaving like a bunch of clowns.” He added: “The decision by the U.S. was a sledgehammer blow. This conference is a landmark because it does so much and the difficult negotiation of it over many years was a triumph for world diplomacy. U.S. diplomacy has been of a deplorably low quality since the Reagan administration took over. One of President Reagan’s first acts on taking office was to sack the entire American delegation to the conference. The
deputy U.S. negotiator in the Reagan-appointed team is Leigh Ratiner, a former legal adviser to the Kennecott Corporation, which has significant interests in deep-sea mining. Mr Ratiner claims to have been a main mover in having the U.S. refuse to sign the treaty, which among other things declares the moon to be “the common heritage of mankind”.
VANUATU GETS A NEW PARTY, THE VIAP Breakaway elements from Vanuatu’s ruling Vanuaaku Party have formed a new party, the Vanuatu Independent Alliance Party. Speakers at its first rally in Luganville in July were dismissed government ministers Thomas Reuben Seru (Santo) and George Worek (Banks), supported by Kalmar Vocor, John Tari, and Morrison Tangarasi. According to a French-language report in the government newspaper Tam-Tam party supporters at the rally numbered no more than 30, the rest of the sparse crowd being made up of curious onlookers. Mr Seru said that the VIAP would attempt to position itself between the government and the opposition “to try to give new directions in the functioning of the government”.
WORLD WAR II REMEMBRANCE DAY IN PNG An Australian naval patrol boat, HMAS Warrnambool, was in Papua New Guinea for Remembrance Day, July 23. Remem brance Day has been designated a national holiday by the PNG Government in commemoration of Australian, American, New Zealand and Papua New Guinean soldiers who died in the country during World War 11.
Typhoid Outbreak In Fiji
More than 30 typhoid cases were being treated at Suva’s Colonial War Memorial Hospital in early August. The epidemic was mainly confined to the Central Division of the main island of Viti Levu. But on August 12 doctors said that it appeared to be spreading to the western half of the island, with a 25-year-old woman being admitted to the Lautoka Hospital for treatment for the disease. A major campaign of inoculation was mounted in the affected areas.
Nauru’S “Yes’’ To Sparteca
Nauru announced in August its readiness to join SPARTECA, the South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Agreement under which Australia and New Zealand permit duty-free access to a range of goods from member countries of the South Pacific Forum. Nauru was the last Forum country to join.
Back At Spec: Mahe Tupouniua
The founding director of the South Pacific Bureau of Economic Co-operation, Mahe Tupouniua, has been reappointed to the post, a move foreshadowed by PIM when he stepped down earlier this year as Tonga’s finance minister (PIM May PI 5). The former director, Papua New Guinea’s Dr Gabriel Gris, died in office in March.
Solomon Islands’ Devaluation
Solomon Islands devalued its currency by 10 per cent from August 13. The devaluation meant that the SSI exchanged at about U.5.95c, and A97c. Finance Minister Bartholomew Ulufa’alu said the move would help local producers to compete against imports. Other measures included an increase in depreciation allowances on investments in production and manufacturing, and a cut in import duties on goods required to boost performance by local exporters and manufacturers.
Wellington Meeting For Democratic Union
The first executive meeting of the newly formed Pacific Democratic Union (PIM July P 6), is expected to be held in Wellington in November or December. New Zealand’s National Party President, Sir George Chapman, brought back the news from the union’s inauguration in Tokyo. The party’s general director Barrie Leay has been appointed conference secretary.
The union a sister body to the European Democratic Union was a political structure of Centre-Right parties in the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, Sir George said. The aim was to bring both unions together as the International Democratic Union that would balance the Socialist International.
The Pacific Union was committed to free enterprise, democracy, and peace and freedom in the region, said Sir George, who added that the objective was to bring other Pacific countries into the union. William Gasson in Wellington.