Pacific Report
pp. 5-8 · Read in the full issue
Pacific Nations On London ‘Rescue’ List
Nauru, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu are on the list of small Commonwealth nations said to have been drawn up as possible recipients of help from a British commando-style strike force in the event of internal or external threats to their political stability. An Australian newspaper reported in January that the force would be drawn from Britain’s elite Special Air Services (SAS) unit, and its naval counterpart, the Special Boats Squadron (SBS). The report said that SAS men posing as tourists had been active over the past year “mapping out landing sites on more than a dozen ‘micro-states’ and have charted politically sensitive buildings such as radio stations and police stations where arms may be stored”.
Suharto-Somare On Irian Java , Cuba
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare said on national radio on December 20 that he had been impressed with Indonesian assurances of determined efforts to develop and improve the lives and conditions of Melanesians in Indonesia’s Irian Jaya province. Mr Somare said that, as a Melanesian, he had been concerned about the situation in Irian Jaya before his week-long visit to Indonesia earlier in the month. He said; “I made it clear to President Suharto that we recognise that Irian Jaya is part of the Indonesian nation. At the same time we are concerned about the fate of Melanesians in that province.” The prime minister said that the Indonesians had told him that more than 80 per cent of government officials in Irian Jaya are Melanesians. “They (Indonesian officials) gave me the impression that lhe y are making a determined effort to ensure that the Melane sians of the province are not left out of the race for development With
that, we will have to be satisfied.” But Mr Somare warned that PNG had to be careful not to meddle in the affairs of another independent country. The line was fine, and he was out to make sure that PNG did the proper and responsible thing at all levels. In a separate statement following his return to Port Moresby, Mr Somare revealed that President Suharto had expressed his concern at the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vanuatu and Cuba. Mr Somare said he had told him that Vanuatu was an independent country in charge of its own foreign relations, but that PNG and other pacific Islands nations were also concerned. Mr Somare said he told President Suharto that, at the South Pacific Forum meeting in Canberra in August, Pacific Islands leaders had met informally with Vanuatu Prime Minister Fr Walter Lini to tell him about their concern. Mr Somare added that anywhere Cuba went there were always problems.
Australian Labor Man Stirs Gallic Gall
The Australian weekly, The National Times, reports: The French, a touchy people at the best of times, are in high dudgeon over a recent unofficial visit to their Pacific territories by one of the high-ranking brothers of the Australian Labor Party. The South Australian State ALP Secretary, Chns Schacht, spent four days in French Polynesia last November en route to a Socialist International Bureau meeting in Europe. Schacht, who is also chairman of the ALP’s international committee, immediately made contact with Jacqui Drollet, who heads the Te Mana Te Nunaa (Power to the People) Party the only pro independence party in French Polynesia. Monsieur Drollet’s group now has only a small base in the Tahitian assembly but is working actively with other Pacific groups outside French Polynesia to end
French rule in the region. To the chagrin of local security police, Schacht and Drollet seem to be cementing a firm political friendship.
Schacht outraged local establishment types with references in speeches to “French-occupied Polynesia” and his tub-thumping against nuclear testing in the region. A number of the local gendarmerie turned out to “note” his departure when he flew on to Europe, and the Power to the People Party has been warned by local security that Schacht could have some difficulty gaining entry to the territory next time round. (See also “Postmark Papeete” column, this issue.)
Sages Look At Future Of U.S.P.
A conference in Suva in December on the future course of the University of the South Pacific called for a study to assess the region’s educational requirements, and how best to meet them. The four-day conference of specialists in various fields issued a statement saying that due to economic constraints, consideration should be given to the university reducing and consolidating its activities in areas no longer felt to be necessary. The statement said there were two broad areas of common need which the USP could look to strengthening. These were applied studies, and business studies, with a program incorporating economics, accounting, commercial law, computers and administra tion. The conference also called for a review after five years of a number of courses, and of the continued need for them. These included diploma courses in education and fisheries, and the advanced teaching certificate in agriculture. USP Vice-Chancellor Geoffrey Gaston said the university senate would respond with interest and enthusiasm to the recommendations and proposals, adding that he regarded the conference as having been highly successful. Mr Gaston said the university would be enrolling Bachelor of Science students at the Alafua campus in Western Samoa in 1984. He said it would see them through the course, whatever happened with the development of a Western Samoan national univeristy.
Png: Namaliu Defends French Ship Visit
Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister Rabbie Namaliu has defended his government’s decision to permit a Christmas visit to Port Moresby by the French warship Doudart de Lagree. Replying to an attack by Opposition Leader lambakey Okuk, who said that the government was using “double standards” in permitting the visit while it condemned France’s nuclear testing in the Pacific, Mr Namaliu said that PNG had a range of options for registering concern over the nuclear testing, and that not all of them had yet been used. He said it was important to keep a channel of communications open with Paris so that PNG’s concern on other matters, such as independence for New Caledonia, could be conveyed to the French Government.
New Year’S Honors In Png, Fjjj
Papua New Guinea’s education minister was made a knight in the Queen’s New Year’s Honors. Australian-born Sir Barry Holloway went to PNG as a patrol officer in the days of the old Australian administration, and became one of the leaders of the Pangu Party. He was a Speaker of the PNG Parliament in 1972-77. He became a naturalised PNG citizen at independence in 1975. Heading the list of 17 Fiji citizens honored in the list is Minister for Agriculture Jonate Mavoa, who becomes a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for his distinguished career in the Fiji public service.
Png Govt., Judiciary, In Dispute
Papua New Guinea’s government and judiciary are in dispute over a law that obliges judges to jail people for a range of offences. The law, in effect since July 1983, sets minimum sentences, such as three years for breaking and entering. PNG’s judges, in their 1983 annual report, say they believe the law will not improve law and order in the country. They say the real problem lies in areas such as weaknesses in criminal investigation, poor preparation of prosecution cases, and the large number of arrest warrants issued but not followed up by police.
However, PNG Justice Minister Tony Bais says parliament stepped in because the courts had been too lenient.
Bikini Still “Off Limits” Scientists
U.S scientists say that Bikini Atoll, used for nuclear weapons tests until 25 years ago, is still not fit for human habitation. The scientists say that local fish and rain water are safe for eating and drinking, but that more than SUSIOO million would have to be spent before food
grown on the islands could be eaten. They say that, without the clean up, any food grown on the islands would be dangerously con taminated for the next 100 years. The islands were chosen by the U.S.
Government for the tests in the late 19405. By 1958, 23 atomic or hydrogen bombs had been detonated over the atoll. Some islanders went back to Bikini in the 19705, but were moved out again in 1978.
The Bikini Islanders are now living on Kili island, nearly 700 kilometres south of their home islands.
Niue Gets Drought Aid
Drought assistance of $15,000 has been given to the government of Niue by the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation (SPEC). A one-month state of emergency was declared in Niue in December, and authorities were considering extending it. Drought on the island has lasted for nearly two years. Niue has also asked the United Nations and Australia for assistance.
FORUM LINE OPTIMISM AGAIN THANKS TO PNG Director of the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation (SPEC), Mahe Tupouniua, said in December that the Pacific Forum shipping line was now in a position to buy most of its own containers.
He said this followed confirmation he had just received from Prime Minister Michael Somare of Papua New Guinea that his country would be contributing SAI.4 million to the line. Mr Tupouniua said the payment would meet conditions laid down under a loan agreement with the European Investment Bank which will make funds available to the line to buy the containers. Mr Somare’s announcement fulfilled an undertaking given at the 1982 South Pacific Forum meeting in New Zealand. A number of Forum governments have contributed a total of almost $8 million to the line since the New Zealand meeting.
A Million Indonesian Families To Move
It has been announced in Jakarta that, under the nation’s fourth Five- Year Plan, between 800,000 and a million families will be resettled.
To accommodate them, the Indonesian Government has reclaimed a total of 800,000 hectares of land in a number of islands outside Java and Bali, including the Riau and Natuna groups, and Irian Jaya. He said that in the Natuna group and in areas bordering foreign territory (such as Papua New Guinea) re-settler communities would consist mostly of members of the armed forces. Indonesia’s transmigrasi (transmigration) program has now been going 15 years and has so far moved two million persons in about 600,000 families. Transmigrant numbers have been increased in each five-year period.
A.C.P. COUNTRIES CHANGE TACK ON SUGAR PRICE In an exchange of letters, the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries have now agreed to accept an increase of four per cent in sugar prices for the 1983-84 season. The price for raw sugar shipped to the European Economic Community (EEC) within the 1983-84 quota is 443.4 ecu per tonne, or 5tg274.31. The rate of increase was established when prices were set earlier in 1983 for EEC domestical ly-produced sugar quota. The rise was not immediately accepted by the ACP countries, but they have now changed their minds. The European sugar market remains difficult for cane-producing coun tries, particularly because of continued high productive of beet sugar.
The total beet production for the EEC is now expected to be 700,000 tonnes higher than the August, 1983 forecast. Production in Poland and the USSR is also expected to be considerably higher than early estimates. The EEC total production in 1983-84 is now expected to exceed 11 million tonnes, raw sugar. Meanwhile, sugar industry experts remain gloomy about prospects for a new International Sugar Agreement being negotiated in any atmosphere of flexibility among delegates from the EEC. General belief is that the atmosphere at the last EEC Heads of Government meeting in Athens was so uneasy that no new policies can be expected to come easily, though compromise, even on Common Agricultural Policy items, is probably inevitable.
Suva To Have Its Malaysia House
Suva is to get a brand-new multi-storey Malaysia House, which will serve as the headquarters of the new thnist of Malaysian interests into the South Pacific. The new building will be the property of Malaysian Overseas Investment Corporation (MOIC), and as well as serving as MOIC regional headquarters, will lease office and retail space. MOIC - which represents the spearhead of the Malaysian Government inspired push into the Island countries of the South Pacific is a
newly-created trading and investment house formed in line with the policy of Prime Minister Mahathir of supporting the creation of Malaysian trading houses along the lines of Japan’s sogo shosha.
James Clad, writing in The Far Eastern Economic Review , states that it has 10 shareholders, each owning 10 per cent of MOIC. They include the Guthrie group, the Kuok brothers, Malaysian United Industries (MUI), Multi-Purpose Holdings (MPH the trading arm of the Malaysian Chinese Assocation), and Sime Darby-Pemas.
According to Clad, the main idea behind MOIC is that it should oversee the investment of several million dollars in plantation-crop development in some of the larger Island countries particularly Papua New Guinea, Solomon Island and Fiji. Clad writes: “Although the details of MOIC’s proposals remain privileged, the Review understands that it may begin insurance and banking operations in Fiji, using MUI and MPH expertise. This initiative has reportedly caused some consternation among long-established branch offices of Australian and New Zealand banks in Suva. After the first flush of enthusiasm, however, implementation of investment ideas may proceed at a slower pace than politicians might wish.”
Tuvalu Stakes 200-Mile Claim
The Tuvalu Parliament has approved a bill establishing the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone and extending its territorial sea limits from three miles to 12 miles.
Irian Java Highway Work
About 37 kilometres of the planned 350 km long Abepantai-Obruk- Oksibil trans-Irian highway has so far been completed by the Indonesian ministry of works. A further 27 km have been cleared and consolidated sufficiently for cars and trucks to use, and another 17 km has been cleared to rough-track status. The highway is planned to stretch along the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border from north to south, and will link with the Merauke-Tanamerah highway stretching from the south coast to the north.
Islands Sailboats For Oz Market?
South Pacific Trade Commissioner, and keen amateur yachtsman Bill McCabe believes there is an opportunity for someone in, say, Fiji, or elsewhere in the Pacific, to capitalise on the upsurge of interest in sail boating in Australia. Yachting has always been a major sport in Australian and New Zealand, but with the resurgence of economic activity, and the impetus given by Australia’s great win in the 1983 America’s Cup series, conditions have seldom been better. “The cost of building a hull in Fiji is probably half what it is in Australia,” he said. “Also, they make some very good boat fittings in New Zealand.
If a boat was built in Fiji, probably to an established design, under licence, to take New Zealand fittings which can come into Australia under the Closer Economic Realtions (CER) concessions, then a good craftsman should be able to find a ready market. I’m not talking about mass production but of one-off hulls in the 40 ft. range, steel or fibreglass. There’s definitely a market here for those . . low volume, high quality, known design, nice Pacific timber fittings. If something like that could be landed in Australia at half to three quarter of Sydney-made prices, you’d really have something.
Tax/Plant Expansion Trade-Off In Pago
Van Camp Seafood, one of two tuna canneries operating in American Samoa, has announced the conclusion of an agreement with the territorial government for a 10-year tax exemption in exchange for the company’s investing SUS3.S million in plant expansion. Under the agreement, full tax will be paid on the first 25,000 tonnes of annual production, but no tax on the next 25,000. The company is also reported to have settled a claim by the territorial government for tax arrears.
Four Islander High-Flyers In W.C.C.
Church leaders from the Pacific Islands how hold four places on the central committee of the World Council of Churches. The 145member committee sets policies for the W.C.C. The four Pacific Islands members ar the Rev. Inoke Manoulivou, president of the Methodist Church of Fiji, the Rev. Puafitu Faa’alo, general secretary of the Church of Tuvalu, Mrs Celine Hoiore of the Evangelical Church of French Polynesia, and the Rev. Albert Toburua, moderator of the United Church of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.