Pacific Report

A Dike Around Moruroa?

The French Government is seeking tenders for a CFP3OO million (about $A2.5 million) project at its sensitive nuclear testing site of Moruroa Atoll in the Tuamotu Islands group, French Polynesia. The project is believed to involve the design and construction of a protective dike-type structure around the atoll to protect it from wave damage during storms. Moruroa has been lashed several times reportedly severely damaged by this year’s extraordinary series of cyclones in the area.

“Fake” Document In Fiji Inquiry

Siddiq Koya, a former leader of Fiji’s parliamentary opposition, has branded as “faked” a document allegedly signed by him committing any National Federation Party government in Fiji to “co-operative” and “friendly” relations with the Soviet Union.

According to the document, the party would adopt this policy in return for “help” given by the Soviet Union in the campaign for the July 1982 elections. Among steps that would be taken, according to the document, were Fiji’s granting of permission for the organisation of Soviet scientific experiments in Fiji territory, and the establishment of a “USSR Embassy for the South Pacific” in Fiji. The ruling Alliance Party distributed copies of the document to media offices in Suva late in May, just two days before a commission of inquiry into the conduct of the July elections (PIM Jun p 29) was due to resume hearings. In a statement accompanying the copies of the document, Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara expressed concern about the length and cost of the inquiry, but added that “efforts by counsel for the principal parties to abbreviate the hearings had proved fruitless.” The Fiji Times reported that NFP leader Jai Ram Reddy had turned down an offer by the Alliance Party to shorten the inquiry by discarding the remaining four issues to be dealt with by it. These included the allegations about NFP links with the Soviet Union. Mr Reddy was insistent that Alliance Party charges on this matter should be aired at the inquiry. Release of the alleged secret document followed.

Png, Solomons, Confront Soviets At Escap

Fallout from last year’s oceanographic research cruise in the South Pacific of the Soviet vessel Kallisto (PIM May 'B2 p 6) was thick at the annual commission session of the United Nations body ESCAP in Bangkok in April. Soviet representative Ernest Obminskiy attempted to have read into the minutes the fact that oceanographic data collected by Kallisto had been made available to ESCAP’s committee on offshore areas, which is known internally as CCOP/SOPAC. The Hong Kong-based weekly Asiaweek reports: “This met immediate resistance, notably from the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea delegations. They protested that they had not been informed about the Kallisto’s ‘research’ activities, and they reminded fellow delegates that a similar offer of access to this information had been ‘thrown out the window’, as one delegate put it, during an earlier CCOP/SOPAC. Therefore, they said, the Soviet offer was ‘irrevelant’ to the ESCAP report. The Solomon Islands and PNG members accused the Soviets of ‘trying to force this offer down the throat’ of the South Pacific states in order to give the Kallisto’s activities an aura of respectability. (The Kallisto is, of course, a highly sophisticated intelligence-gathering craft). A mood of confrontation developed as the Soviet delegation, led by Mr Obminskiy, adopted what even the most charitable witnesses describe as a bullying and hectoring attitude towards the Solomons and PNG delegations. As a consequence, the meeting’s closing ceremony had to be put off for four hours while the Bangladeshi chairman sought a compromise. In the end, the paragraph with which the Soviets were so obsessed was accepted. But an additional note recorded the majority’s regret that the USSR had persisted in pressing its offers of marine research on CCOP/SOPAC members (though) these offers were clearly unwelcome’.”

Breaud Killers Sentenced In Tahiti

Two men who three years ago kidnapped and murdered the son of a wealthy French banker in Tahiti (PIM Jun ’BO pl 9) were sentenced to jail for life at hard labor in May. Yves Le Goff and

Daniel Chelle were convicted of the unlawful abduction and murder of 26-year-old Olivier Breaud. They had demanded a ransom of $1.5 million for him, but, according to prosecution lawyers, had panicked after the kidnapping, beaten Breaud to death, burned his body, and thrown the remains over a cliff. Le Goff’s wife Claudine was found guilty of helping the two and was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.

Cooks Pm Speaks Out On Adb

Cook Islands Prime Minister Geoffrey Henry told the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank in Manila in May that he was “disturbed” to see ADB aid to South Pacific countries fall last year to $U525.5 million from the level of $37.7 million the year before. He said the ADB was the South Pacific’s bank as much as it was that of the Asian member countries. Mr Henry said he was pleased that the ADB planned to open a regional office in the South Pacific, and immediately offered the Cook Islands as a home for the office. He added that he expected nationals of South Pacific countries to play a part in running the regional office, pointing out his concern that among the 1400 employees of the ADB at present there was not one national of a developing South Pacific country.

Nakayama, Olter Elected In Fsm

The third Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia unanimously re-elected Tosiwo Nakayama as FSM president in May. Mr Nakayama, from the Truk group, became first FSM president when constitutional government was introduced in 1979. Elected as vice-president was Bailey Olter, from Ponape.

Mr Olter stood successfully against the outgoing vice-president, Petrus Tun of Yap.

Outs And Ins Of President Deroburt

Nauru’s President Hammer Deßoburt was out of office for four days in May. He resigned on May 16, and was re-elected by the parliament by 11 votes to four on May 20. Unsuccessful candidate for the presidency was the member for Übenide, Derog Gioura. Reason for this latest manifestation of the Byzantine character of Nauru politics was ostensibly a differ ence over the timing of the next sitting of parliament. But some observers see Mr Deßoburt deliberately testing his support in view of a rumored serious challenge to his position later in the year. Back in the presidential chair, Mr Deßoburt immediately reappointed his former Cabinet.

New Caledonian Students In Fiji

Fourteen high school students from Lifou Island, in New Caledonia’s Loyalty group, arrived in Fiji in May for a three-week course to improve their English and their knowledge of neigh boring countries.

France S 70-Kilotonne N-Test

Following a blast of an estimated 50 kilotonnes in April (PIM June p 5), France detonated a 70-kilotonne nuclear device at Moruroa, French Polynesia, in May. The explosion drew strong protests from a number of quarters, including Australian Foreign Minister, Bill Hayden, who, as well as protesting against the test, reiterated his government’s commitment to the idea of a nuclear-free southwest Pacific. His Papua New Guinean coun terpart Rabbie Namaliu said Pacific nations should protest more strongly about French nuclear testing and consider trade as a means of bringing pressure on France. Mr Namaliu said the issue was certain to be raised at the South Pacific Forum meeting in Australia later in the year.

Bugging Charge Png Note For Australia

The Papua New Guinea Government in May lodged a diplomat ic note with the Australian Government concerning allegations of telephone-bugging. The country’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs Paulias Matane called Australian High Commissioner Ron Birch to his office to hand over the note, whose text was not disclosed. The move followed reports in an Australian weekly newspaper, The National Times that the Australian High Com mission building at Waigani housed sophisticated electronic monitoring equipment capable of listening in at will to telephone calls anywhere in PNG. The day before the note was handed to Mr Birch, PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare told parliament

that he believed assurances from the Australian Government that there was no eavesdropping equipment in the High Commission, but that the government would still be lodging a diplomatic note expressing its concern. He planned to discuss the matter with Australia’s Prime Minister Hawke when he visited PNG in June.

Absent Quarter Of A Million

Almost 250,000 Pacific Islanders are estimated to be no longer living in their countries of origin. Seventy-five per cent of these no longer live in the Islands at all, but in the metropolitan countries of New Zealand, the United States, Australia, Canada and France. The figures are contained in the South Pacific Commission’s monthly newsletter for May, 1983. The SPC’s Dr John Connell says in an accompanying article that present trends in the economies of the South Pacific region suggest that migration to metropolitan countries fringing the Pacific will continue. He said this was especially true for the Polynesian countries. According to the figures, about 90,000 Pacific Islan ders live in New Zealand and a similar number in the United States

Western Samoans In U.S. Uniforms?

A senior U.S. coastguard official was in Apia in June to discuss with the government of Prime Minister Tofilau Eti problems associated with surveillance of Western Samoa’s exclusive economic zone. Earlier, Tofilau had held talks in Hawaii with U.S. military authorities on questions of technical assistance to Western Samoa, defence, and the surveillance problem. Tofilau also had an exploratory discussion on the sensitive issue of recruitment of Western Samoan citizens into the U.S. armed forces. He told a Radio Australia reporter in Apia that while he had got a sympathetic hearing on this matter, there were still some problems to be ironed out.

Png’S Crackdown On Crime, Group Fighting

Papua New Guinea has introduced stiffer prison sentences in an attempt to reduce tribal fighting and urban crime. From now on those convicted of breaking and entering will be jailed for at least three years. Those taking part in group fighting in which someone is killed are to be jailed for at least four years. The changes went through the PNG parliament in May with almost unanimous support from government and opposition members.

Government member Thomas Negints, who introduced the measures, said rapid changes in PNG had brought an ever increasing breakdown in law and order. Police Minister John Gehino said that many people in urban areas were now so afraid they will not go out at night.

September Cut-Off Date For Fishermen

From September 1, any foreign fishing vessel operating in the 200-mile exclusive economic zones of South Pacific Forum countries without being registered with the Forum’s Fisheries Agency will be liable to arrest. Announcing the date, a spokes man for the agency said from its Honiara headquarters that South Korean, Taiwanese and American tuna fishing com panies had expressed willingness to comply with the registration requirement. But Japanese companies were proving noticeably reluctant to recognise the agency, preferring as they do to make agreements with individual countries. Ships registered with the Forum will be required to report to it by radio each Wednesday on their position and their catch.

Solomons Told “Cut Birth Rate”

Governor Tony Hughes of Solomon Islands Central Bank has warned of lower living standards if the country does not cut its population growth rate which is now running at three and a half per cent a year, one of the highest in the world. Mr Hughes said in his annual report released in May that real income per head will drop unless the birth rate is reduced. He said that in 1983 a quarter of a million people in Solomon Islands were sharing cash income of $lOO million, or about $4OO per head. He said a reasonable assumption about real economic growth, and a continued population increase of three and a half per cent, would mean a fall by one quarter in the level of welfare over the next 20 years.

Money: San Juan Raps Marshalls, Palau

The Marshall Islands Republic’s Chief Secretary Oscar deßrum has told the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington that

his government is “critically confronted with a serious financial crisis, created in large part by a series of unfulfilled expectations based on calculated projections of funds under the Compact of Free Association, approval of which has been unexpectedly delayed.” Explaining that his government based its borrowing on the pledge of a previous U.S. administration that the United Nations trusteeship would terminate in 1981 when compact level funding would be available, Mr deßrum said they obtained overseas loans to build badly needed infrastructural projects basic to the development of their economy. The government now found itself with SUS37.I million in disbursed long-term debt, and inadequate resources to meet loan repayments during this fiscal year and subsequent years. Debt service payments would range from $2.7 million in this fiscal year to $9.5 million in 1984, obligating 93 per cent of their local revenues. The Marshalls Attorney-General Carl Ingram told the U.S. committee that the Marshall Islands Government wants the United States to help defer the payments to the Midland Bank (England) for the power plant. The power plant referred to was installed by the British firm of Ipseco International Power Systems with a loan package guaranteed by the British Government and banks on a similar deal to one negotiated with Palau. Pedro Sanjuan, assistant secretary of the interior for territorial and international affairs, told the Marshallese delegation that Britain had been advised through the U.S. State Department that the U.S. would not bail out the Marshalls or the Midland Bank. U.S. auditors began a review in April of the Marshall Islands’ financial transactions after a U.S. Congress sub-committee meeting at the end of February had expressed concern at the size of the Marshall Islands’ debts. Mr Sanjuan told the U.S. House of Representatives’ committee that the Marshalls and Palau had proved they were not prepared to make sound financial deci sions. The Marshalls had bought aircraft and electrical generat ing equipment far in excess of the islands’ needs and ability to pay. Palau had entered into an over-designed project (power station), and Palauan leaders had admitted Palau may not be able to repay the loan. He added that the American Samoa Government was experiencing a very severe financial crisis brought about, completely, he said, by local mismanagement.

Jaf To Jaws, Journalists Get Organised

Journalists in Western Samoa have formed their own associa tion, the Journalists’ Association of Western Samoa, or JAWS.

The first of its kind in the country, the association aims to raise professional standards and to improve relationships for example, with exchange programs with journalists in other countries. A constitution has been approved and the publisher of The Samoa Times, Faalogo Pito, has been elected president of the association. Formation of the Journalists’ Association of Fiji, JAF, was announced earlier this year (PIM May p 44).

SIX AUSTRALIANS DEAD IN PNG AIR CRASH Six Australians died when a light aircraft crashed about 70 kilometres from Port Moresby in May. Papua New Guinea’s Air Search and Rescue Centre said the bodies of three men, two boys and a girl were winched out of the jungle by helicopter near the Kokoda Gap. The Australians, all from Newcastle, New South Wales, had borrowed the plane for a holiday in PNG.

Mitterrand’S Oui To Scientist’S Visit

New Zealand Prime Minister Robert Muldoon announced in May on his return from a visit to Paris that French President Mitterrand had agreed to his proposal that a New Zealand scientist be allowed to visit the French nuclear testing site at Moruroa Atoll, French Polynesia.

Introducing Umaenupnae And Umaeneag

Vanuatu has demonstratively underlined its claim to the islands of Matthew and Hunter (PIM Jun p 7) by issuing a series of six stamps featuring the islands, which are identified as Umaenup nae (Matthew) and Umaeneag (Hunter) Islands. The stamps also highlight the notion of Vanuatu’s exclusive economic zone, and show a number of fish species found in the area. (See also Tropicalities.)

Chinese Ping Pong Coach In Apia

Ren Guo Ji, a table tennis coach from the People’s Republic of China, has arrived in Apia to help coach Western Samoa s table tennis team for the South Pacific Games in Apia in September