Voice Of Vanuatu

Above all for Vanuatu

Masthead of Christine Coombe’s newspaper Voice of Vanuatu. The paper was pub lished weekly, although there was a gap in continuity at one stage of its production life. The total number of issues pro duced was about 145, and the paper was first produced in 1979. Port-Vila has one other paper, the weekly Tam Tam which is published in English, French and Bislama by the government.

The appeal claimed the people of Vanuatu would have no outlet for freedom of speech if Voice of Vanuatu closed.

The appeal stated that I pub lished statements from a sacked minister and two ministers who resigned, and investigated all in formation provided by Melane sians without fabrication or dis tortion. I had merely exercised a democratic right, in no way

threatening security. Vanuatu’s

standing as a democracy would be thrown into question by my

deportation, the appeal stated.

In a letter dated March 24, Home Minister Molisa refused, and dismissed, the appeal.

On Friday, March 25, the court sat before Chief Justice Freddie Cooke. The following Melanesians brought action against the minister for home affairs claiming their freedom of speech would be lost with my deportation: MP John Naupa, MP Thomas Reuben Seru, MP George Worek, MP Kalmer Vocor, and Morrison Tangarasi.

The chief justice dismissed the preliminary hearing. On the Saturday morning the court sat again. An appeal against the chief justice’s decision to dismiss

the preliminary hearing was

heard by judges from Noumea and Tuvalu, present in Vanuatu

for the sitting of the tribunal which hears matters relating to the constitution. “Ingenious” was the way they described David

Hudson’s grounds for appeal.

They dismissed the case.

My attempts to contact the

immigration department, the

principal immigration officer and

home minister, who was also contacted by Hudson & Co., failed to establish that I might be

given a compassionate extension

of time to fix up business matters.

It seems the authorities kept the deportation time under wraps as they feared a truck convoy might attempt to block the air field if my departure time was known.

This idea came from readers who said they would block the airstrip to keep me in Vanuatu.

But when they came to buy what was to be the final issue of Voice of Vanuatu, I asked them not to break the law and they agreed.

Early on Sunday morning

police came to my home and I was told to pack a bag. The police helped me pack. I was told not to use the telephone. At police headquarters I was told I would be put on a flight to Brisbane.

Both staunch Presbyterians, my assistant, Allan Andrews, and reporter, Simeon Robert, had turned up at the .office on Sunday without being asked, to help me clear up the newspaper’s affairs. Police allowed them to come with us to the airport.

It can only be assumed that my deportation is a result of the prime minister’s embarrassment at my publishing statements from his former ministers claiming he was a dictator, and that they

feared a military dictatorship. He was also no doubt embarrassed by the revelation in Voice of Vanuatu of his reaching an ag reement, without consulting cabinet, with a bank to borrow SUS3SO million which would have financially crippled Vanuatu for generations, with interest payments alone exceed ing the country’s national income.

Significantly, in the five weeks of revelation on these and some other matters, readers’ let-

ters to the paper concerned the

immediate family problems of

the day, and the saga of “Veroni ca”, which revolved around the marriage of Melanesians to peo ple of other races, and the pros and cons of such relationships.

It was only when my deporta tion was ordered that the public

wholeheartedly supported Voice

of Vanuatu’s stand, apart from one letter written by Grace Mol isa, wife of the minister for home affairs. It amounted to a bitter

personal attack.

Whatever the consequences for me, I am confident that Voice

of Vanuatu preserved its

integrity.

It failed only in my dream of it being run by the Melanesians who read it.

Voice of Vanuatu was support ed totally by funds from the tourist service paper What’s Do ing in Vanuatu, and I earned a living from freelance work.

Voice of Vanuatu came a long way, but in a long time. When I first sold copies on the street, Melanesians would ask where I got the newspaper from. When I told them I made it they said “Don’t tell us lies”.

I never did.

Christine

Coombe.

John Naupa, an influential member of the parliamentary group claiming that speech freedoms are being put at risk.

Christine Coombe: “The only failure in the Voice of Vanuatu was that it did not achieve my dream of being run by the Melanesian people who read it”.