Pacific Report

Soviet N-Sub Sunk In Pacific?

A Soviet nuclear-powered submarine sank in the North Pacific in June, United States intelligence officials said in August. New York Times reporter Philip Taubman wrote that the officials said the US did not know whether the submarine, which is built to carry cruise missiles, was armed with such missiles when it sank or whether there were any nuclear warheads aboard. They said that most, if not all, of the 90-man crew died in the accident. The Soviet Government, according to the officials, conducted an elaborate and difficult salvage job that ended in recent weeks when the submarine was floated to the surface. American intelligence agencies, according to the officials, inferred from the salvage effort that nuclear missiles might have been aboard.

They also concluded that the salvage operation was conducted in part to prevent the United States from trying to recover the submarine as it attempted to do with a sunken Soviet submarine in the early 19705. That effort, which was managed by the Central Intelligence Agency with the assistance of Howard Hughes, the financier, used a specially constructed salvage ship called the Glomar Explorer. Intelligence officials said they did not know the cause of the latest sinking. They said the Soviet submarine, which belonged to a class code-named Charlie by the Western allies, sank in the Pacific off the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Soviet Navy operates a base at Petropavlovsk on the peninsula.

Mochtar Confident Of Timor Support

The Indonesian Foreign Minister, Dr Mochtar Kusumaatmadja, said in Port Moresby in August he was confident South Pacific countries would vote the same way as they did last year when the East Timor question was raised in the United Nations. He was speaking before departing for Singapore at the end of a tour to Western Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and New Zealand.

Western Samoa abstained in the last vote and Vanuatu was the only South Pacific nation to vote against Indonesia. “Most of them voted for us, and Western Samoa abstained, because I think they were not sure of the facts,” Dr Mochtar said at an airport press conference. “To make sure of the real situation, I have asked the Foreign Minister (of Western Samoa) to come to Indonesia. The plan is that he comes in September.”

French N-Test Arrogant’ Namaliu

Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Rabbie Namaliu, summoned the French Ambassador to his office on August 11 to protest against France’s latest nuclear blast in the South Pacific. “The French Government’s arrogant insensitivity threatens the health and environment of the people of the Pacific,” he said. The test had been detected on August 5.

Cooks Crisis: Queen’S Man Acts

The Queen’s Representative in the Cook Islands, Sir Gaven Donne, on August 14 gave local political leaders until August 17 to resolve the crisis which had left the country without a government since August 4. Prime Minister Geoffrey Henry on that date stepped down after the Appeal Court had ruled he had failed to abide by the constitution and get confirmation in parliament following the elections he won in April. Sir Gaven in his August 14 statement said he was proposing that Mr Henry remain as prime minister until two by-elections were held. One was due on August 19, and the other about two months later.

But, he said, if the leaders could not resolve the crisis by August 17, he would dissolve parliament, call a general election, and instal a caretaker government. The deputy leader of Mr Henry’s Cook Islands Party, his cousin Tupui Henry, had been trying to form a coalition government with the opposition Democratic Party. By August 17 the parliament was still deadlocked and Sir Gaven dissolved it. He installed Geoffrey Henry as caretaker Prime Minister pending a general election in November. Mr Henry and his caretaker ministry will have limited powers.

Fiji Inquiry: Alliance On The Run

The ruling Alliance Party in Fiji in August withdrew a claim that a former leader of the opposition, Siddiq Koya, signed an agree ment with the Soviet Union before last year’s general election.

The Alliance Party told a Royal Commission into the election that it had no evidence to prove the allegation made last May by

Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. According to the allegation, Mr Koya had signed documents agreeing to grant the Soviet Union facilities in Fiji in return for financial aid to his National Federation Party in last year’s election campaign. Mr Koya was alleged to have agreed to allow the Russians to set up an embassy in Suva if his party won. A lawyer representing the Alliance Party told the Royal Commissioner, Sir John White, that he had been instructed to withdraw the claim. He also told the inquiry the Alliance Party was withdrawing an allegation that a former Indian High Commissioner to Fiji had actively supported the opposition party during her term. Sir John White adjourned the inquiry until August 16 when he was to hear final submis sions. Before the adjournment the inquiry had heard nearly 70 days of evidence on various allegations of Australian, American and Soviet interference in the election last July which was won by the Alliance Party with a reduced majority.

Russian Rifles’ Claim Sparks Png Probe

An investigation was launched in mid-August into a claim that Russian-made rifles were smuggled through Papua New Guinea to rebels in the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya. The Queensland Labor MP and former Opposition Leader, Ed Casey, has said he was told about the racket by PNG Foreign Affairs officials. A report in the Niugini Nius said Mr Casey was told three packages containing a total of 60 rifles had been seized near Dam in the Western Province. The Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister, Rabbie Namaliu, said an investigation had been ordered.

Irian Jaya: Geneva Group Hits Indonesia

The Geneva-based Anti-Slavery Society claimed in August that it has evidence of widespread human rights abuses by the Indonesian authorities in Irian Jaya. The society said it had received reports of as many as 200,000 murders of West Papuans since Indonesia annexed the territory in 1962, of aerial bombardment of civilians and large-scale arrests, and of deten tions and executions by the Indonesian security forces. It called on the United Nations to initiate an independent inquiry.

Fiji Policy Shift On N-Ship Visits

Fiji’s Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara has announced a major change of policy which will in future allow nuclear powered ships and ships carrying nuclear weapons to enter Fiji waters and call at Fiji ports. All relevant government authorities have been directed to prepare new regulations to control the visits of such ships. Entry will have to be applied for on an individual basis. Fiji banned the entry of nuclear-powered ships and those carrying nuclear weapons in 1980, but Ratu Mara said the change in policy was in line with international law, particularly the law of the sea convention and Fiji’s marine spaces law. He said it also took into account a number of important political and economic considerations, and the ques tion of national defence and security. Ratu Mara said his government was fully aware of the opposition by some regional governments to nuclear weapons testing and re-affirmed Fiji’s concern about the dangers of pollution from such tests and the dumping of nuclear waste in the Pacific.

SAIPAN SPC TO LOOK AT ’47 CHARTER?

The South Pacific Conference in Saipan in October is to discuss a proposal for revision of the 1947 agreement which established the South Pacific Commission. Last year’s conference in American Samoa directed the secretary-general of the commis sion to review the work of the organisation. This followed a campaign by some Melanesian countries to have the commis sion and the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation (SPEC) combined into one organisation. Secretary-General Francis Bugotu recently completed the review and has cir culated it to commission member countries. Among Mr Bugotu’s suggestions is believed to be one for the original agreement, signed in Australia in 1947, to be revised and brought up to date.

Vanuatu-Cuba Diplomatic Ties

The Vanuatu Government in late July established full diplomatic relations with Cuba. The Cuban ambassador in Tokyo, Jose Armado Guerra Menchero, presented his credentials to presi dent Ati George Sokomanu in Port-Vila. The two republics had

agreed to establish full diplomatic relations in discussions at this year’s summit of non-aligned nations in New Delhi. In presenting his credentials, Mr Menchero conveyed president Castro’s best wishes to the people of Vanuatu. He added that Cuba hoped to work more closely with Vanuatu in the future. President Sokomanu asked the ambassador to convey his greetings and those of the people of Vanuatu to Dr Castro.

Coming Up, A Samoan National University

Western Samoa has taken steps to establish its own national university. Education Minister Lemame Ropati has held talks on the matter with officials of the University of the South Pacific, Suva. Prime Minister Tofilau Eti said an ad hoc committee appointed to study the question had unanimously recommended the establishment of a fully-fledged national university. He added that his government was now dedicated to making the university a reality.

Home-Grown Parliament In Kiribati

The Kiribati Parliament began a new session on August 8, and for the first time all 37 members of the House were Kiribati nationals. This follows the swearing-in of new Attorney-General Michael Takabwebwe. Previously, responsibility for legal duties in the Kiribati Parliament has been held by someone from outside the country. Under the constitution of Kiribati, the attorney general is an ex-officio member of parliament.

Fiji Exporters Eye A U.S. Market

A study has begun in Fiji to find locally manufactured products having potential for export to markets on the American West Coast. The study is being made by a Canadian firm of marketing consultants and financed by the London-based Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation. The consultants will also recommend ways to attract North American investment to Fiji.

Fiji: Uphill Fight With Drug Syndicates

A senior police officer in Fiji has said there is no doubt that the country’s international airports and seaports are being constant ly used by big-time drug-pushers as staging points for various markets around the world. The head of Fiji’s police narcotics bureau, Govind Raju, said his officers were doing their best to stamp out the problem. He said police were already seizing large amounts of drugs. A senior government lawyer, Suresh Chandra Maharaj, said that Fiji police officers did not have the manpower or the equipment to tackle the drug problem properly.

He called for the installation of more sophisticated detection equipment at airports.

Regional Information Centre At U.S.P.

A regional information centre has been set up at the University of the South Pacific in Suva. Called the Pacific Information Centre, it will be mainly concerned with collecting, recording and disseminating publicised material relating to the region. Em phasis will be on subjects related to development such as agriculture, rural developmental studies, marine science and public health. The centre will be run by an advisory committee which met recently for the first time in Suva to draw up a work program.

W. Samoa Vetoes Taiwan Rugby Tour

The Western Samoa Government has turned down a proposed tour by a Rugby team from Taiwan. Sources in Apia said the local embassy of the People’s Republic of China had opposed the Taiwan tour on the grounds that the team was said to be a national side. The Taiwan team had been in Western Samoa for three days in the course of a Rugby tour of South Pacific countries, including Fiji, Tonga and Solomon Islands.

Hayden Circumspect On New Caledonia

Australia’s Foreign Minister Bill Hayden has said that recent talks in France on the future of New Caledonia had reflected important gains for the Melanesian people. Mr Hayden said the outcome of the talks, called by the French Secretary of State for Overseas Departments and Territories, Georges Lemoine, had yet to be fully evaluated. He said the talks had recognised the colonial situation of New Caledonia and reflected the legitimacy of the claims of the Kanak people to independence. Mr Hayden said in a statement issued in Canberra that the talks had served to underline the determination of the French Government to promote the process of dialogue on the territory’s future. The foreign minister said that the Australian Government was fully

aware from recent talks, including those with French Govern ment ministers, of the complexity of the situation the socialist government of President Mitterrand had inherited in New Caledonia. He said the Australan Government supported inde pendence in New Caledonia, but the process would have to take into account the wishes of those living in the territory.

Loyalty Islanders Remember Monique

In the Loyalty Islands, off the east coast of New Caledonia, 400 people have attended a memorial service on the 30th anniver sary of the disappearance of the ferry Monique, with the loss of 126 lives. The ceremony was held at Tadine, on Mare Island, where there is a monument to the tragedy, in which no trace was ever found of the boat, passengers or crew. The ferry disap peared during the night of July 30-31, 1953.

Tuvalu Winds Up An Air Service

In Tuvalu, an internal seaplane service financed by an aid grant from Britain has been wound up after a trial period of two years.

Apart from internal flights, the 10-seater plane used for the service has also made charter flights between Tuvalu, Fiji and Kiribati, and monthly flights to Tokelau, Wallis and Western Samoa. However, the Tuvalu Government is reported to be unable to afford to continue the service, or to buy the seaplane, which belonged to a New Zealand firm.

Hammer Deroburt In Noumea

In what amounted to a landmark visit, the President of Nauru, Hammer Deßoburt, was in New Caledonia in August for close discussion with local authorities about collaboration between the soon-to-be-born Air Caledonie International regional airline and Air Nauru. Previously relations between Nauru and the French territory have been virtually nil, with all airline business being handled chiefly between Nauru authorites and UTA French Airlines. A high-level delegation from Vanuatu was also in New Caledonia at the time, and its spokesman expressed the wish that relations between the Nauru-New Caledonia-Vanuatu “triangle” would flourish.

Kiribati Takes Stand For Forum Line

The Kiribati Government has issued a directive that only ships of the Pacific Forum Line will be allowed to trade between Fiji and Kiribati. It warned that cargo arriving on other ships would not be landed. The directive was issued through the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation (SPEC) in Suva. It said the move reflected growing support among regional governments for the Forum Line. A Radio Australia correspondent in Suva says that this means that the Moanaraoi, now on charter to the Forum Line, will carry all Tarawa-bound cargo from Fiji.

Palmyra Murder Trial Delayed

A Honolulu court hearing to set the date of the murder trial of two people accused of murdering a woman on Palmyra Island has been delayed until October. Lawyers in the case said pre-trial motions by the defendants have caused the delay. The two, Buck Duane Walker and Stephanie Stearns, are accused of murdering Eleanor Graham. Graham and her husband disap peared from the Pacific atoll in 1974. Walker and Stearns have been convicted of the theft of the Grahams’ yacht, the Seawind.

They were charged with murder in the case when Mrs Graham’s remains were found on the island in 1981 (PIM Aug P4O).

Noumea Marathon To Alain Lazare

New Caledonia’s biggest sporting event ever took place on July 24 the first New Caledonian International Marathon. About 150 entrants from Japan, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Britain, La Reunion and New Caledonia competed in the 42 km race, and 1500 took part in the 14 km Friendship Race. The marathon was won by South Pacific champion Alain Lazare in 2 hrs. 20 mins., five minutes over his recent Auckland marathon figure. Lazare attributed the differ ence to unseasonably warm weather for the Noumea run.

Second was Bernard Bobes from France (2 hrs. 22 mins.), and third was Japanese entrant Eiji Matsuda (2 hrs. 23). Australian Colin Neave came fourth with 2 hrs. 23.59 mins. Dutchman Cor Vriend had to drop out after 26 km with a pulled leg muscle. The marathon, which brought 150 Japanese runners, spectators and officials to New Caledonia, was unanimously hailed as a big success. At almost all points of the course Noumeans lined the

streets to cheer on the contestants.

Helen Fraser.