Pacific Report
pp. 5-8 · Read in the full issue
Revolt Put Down In Irian Java
A revolt by Irian Jaya-bom soliders serving in the Indonesian army m the province was put down with reported loss of life in February. 1 he rebels had planned a take-over of the capital, Jayapura, but Indonesian intelligence got wind of the plot. In the wake of the revolt more than 250 refugees fled across the Papua New Guinea Porder to Vammo The events created new strains in the already difficult relations between PNG and Indonesia. PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare early in March offered his government’s services as an “honest broker” between Irian Jayan rebels and the Indonesian authorities. Mr Somare said the OPM (Free West Papua) movement did not have a direct dialogue with Indonesian officials, and we are prepared to act as honest brokers.”
Indonesian reaction to the offer was not known at press time.
Vanuatu’S President Resigns
Vanuatu s President Ati George Sokomanu resigned in February following a court appearance at which he pleaded guilty to the late payment of road taxes. In admitting the offence, the president said
the law must be upheld. He said that the conviction for late payment was only a contributory factor in his decision to resign another major factor was the lack of constitutional provision to protect the president or government ministers from prosecution in such cases. In accordance with Vanuatu’s constitution, Speaker j r imakata of the Representative Assembly took over the duties and functions of the presidency. An emergency meeting of the executive council of the ruling Vanuaaku Party called on the government to hold an immediate presidential election, and to take appropriate steps to give greater security to the position. A statement released after the meeting said that while it regretted the president s decision, it felt strongly that the integrity of the office had to be upheld. The council said it believed the president’s decision had been politically motivated, ” but did not elaborate A new election was scheduled for March 6, with three candidates ex-president Sokomanu, George Kalsakau, and Harry Collins.
There was no quorum for a vote on March 6 due to an opposition boycott, but President Sokomanu easily won a vote held on March
Parliamentary Stand Off In Fiji
Fiji’s parliamentary opposition National Federation Party was persisting at press time in its boycott of parliamentary proceedings (PIM Feb. p 5). The Opposition walked out of parliament just before Christmas last year when Speaker Tomasi Vakatora ordered Opposition Leader Jai Ram Reddy to leave the House for refusing to stand while addressing the chair. The NFP and its partner, the Western United Front, at a meeting on February 12 decided to continue the boycott. It is understood that, before the meeting, Mr Reddy had urged that all members should return to the House except himself, as the row was between him and Mr Vakatora. However, with only one dissentient, the meeting voted to continue to boycott parliamentary sittings so long as Mr Vakatora remained as speaker. Those present were apparently swayed by the argument that Mr Vakatora had insulted the whole party by his action, and not just Mr Reddy. According to the constitution, any member who misses three consecutive sessions of the House loses his seat. Fiji’s Parliamentary arrangements for 1984 provide for the third session of parliament to begin on September 3.
IF DESTROYED , RABAUL HAS HAD ITS DAY Rabaul will not be rebuilt in the event of its destruction by the anticipated volcanic blast, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare has announced. While the decision awaited final Cabinet approval, Mr Somare said the township of Kokopo, about 30 km south of Rabaul, would be the new administrative and commercial centre for East New Britain. He said Kokopo had been chosen because, unlike Rabaul, it had sufficient flat land for expansion. While Mr Somare was moving to ginger-up disaster relief preparations by local provincial authorities, it was announced by his office that the national government had asked Australia to send army engineers to build a new emergency airstrip for Rabaul.
The statement from the PM’s office said both Australia and New Zealand had been asked for help in the face of the expected eruption. Australia would be asked to build the strip at Tokua, well outside the danger zone. The existing airport is in the zone of highest risk from an eruption.
N-Protests Revived In Tahiti
After gathering dust for nearly 11 years, Tahiti’s old protest movement against France s nuclear testing in French Polynesia has been reactivated. Two rival committees recently formed have duo the old nuclear protest effort out of the closet, dusted it off, and put it back in the public limelight. The effort is the biggest and most senous since 1973, when 5000 marched through the streets of downtown Papeete in protest against the tests. Of the two committees one the Peace Committee, which is headed by PIM columnist Mane-Therese Danielsson claims to be non-political.
It embraces two opposition political parties, a women’s group and a conservationist group. Its February 25 march was reported to have mustered 1000 protesters. The second group claims to be purely political. It groups four small pro-independence parties without representation in the Territorial Assembly. It planned its demonstration for March 3. The committees have two common goals. Both want an end to the French tests, and the withdrawal from Polynesia of the Centre d’Experimentations du aafique (CEP) Jean Juventin, Papeete’s mayor and one of the territory s two deputies to the National Assembly in Paris, is a member of the Peace Committee. The present vice-president of the territory s Government Council, Gaston Flosse, has no personal history of opposition to the CEP, but he said in a press interview on February 13; “I would be slightly in favor of a referendum in the temtory Let the Polynesians decide the future of the CEP in Polynesia. —AI Prince in Papeete.
"Colons Refuse Dialogue" N.C. Tribe
M™ 9 , the la m d ° c c u P at ion at Voh and its repercussions in Noumea (see p 9), Independence Front leaders told newsmen S'Tr farmers war ? ted to settle lan d claims with the Kaneiks, but were prevented from doing so by the hardline antj-mdeiDencfence leaders. The events at Voh began when in mid-February Kanaks of the Oundjo tribe entered the property of il? sMnn'^ an t N !t! rtm f ? ml y and constructed a symbolic case (hut) f he,r dalm to the lanA Several hundred anti he d /^ Ce su PP° rte '?> man y o f ‘hem armed, had assembled at *stanre SmT 3 i he occu P afion - The hut was built at some distance from the gathenng, and was burnt down during the following night. Members of the Martin family had unsuccessfully
called for the Garde Mobile to be sent in to expel the Melanesian “occupiers”. A spokesman for the Oundjo council of elders, Joseph Diela, said they regretted the burning of their hut, and that the Martin family had refused their offers of dialogue which had preceded the land occupation. Mr Diela said the Oundjo people were not looking for provocation, and were sorry the Martins had preferred to listen to hardline anti-independence leaders rather than negotiate with the tribe. Leaders of the main anti independence party, RFCR, denounced what they called the “usual back-pedalling of the French administration”, and also denounced extremism, whether from Melanesian independentists or the far-right Caledonian Front. Independence Front leader Eloi Machoro said Kanak independence was on the way, but many French nationals had not learnt the lessons of French colonial experiences in Vietnam and Algeria, and were continuing to refuse discussion with the Kanaks. Helen Fraser in Noumea.
Mamalonfs Major Reshuffle
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Solomon Mamaloni in February announced a Cabinet reshuffle involving not only ministerial posts, but reorganisation in some ministries. This is the second major reshuffle since Mr Mamaloni came to power about three years ago.
Under the new arrangements, Deputy PM and Minister for Home Affairs and National Development, Kamilo Teke, will relinquish his post and take charge of his home provincial ministry of Guadalcanal. He has been told he will remain as deputy PM.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Dennis Lulei will take over the ministry for home affairs and national development, and George Talasasa, present minister for employ ment, youth, and social development, will be the new foreign minister. A total of seven ministries in the 15-member Cabinet were affected by the reshuffle. Mr Mamaloni said the changes had become necessary “because of the individual performances of his ministers”.
American Samoa Presents Its Constitution
Governor of American Samoa, Peter Tali Coleman, has submitted the territory’s new constitution to the United States Congress.
American Samoa is an unorganised, unincorporated territory of the United States. The Samoans, at a constitutional conference in January and February, spent much time on defining an “American Samoan citizen and, eventually, defined a citizen as “a person bom in American Samoa of American Somoan ancestry or who was born in the United States, or any of its territories or possessions, of American Samoan ancestry. ” The proposed constitution also requires that all candidates for public office must be of American Samoan ancestry instead of, as at present, being United States nationals. Another important amendment is that “No organic act or similar legislation alienating Samoan communal land or destroying the Samoan way of life, including its customs and traditions, shall be enacted by the Congress of the United States or any federal agency without the expressed consent and approval of the traditional leaders and people of American Samoa.”
World Premiere For Bounty’S Child
April 28 in Sydney will see the world premiere of the film The bounty s Child The film tells the story of the 1983 4UOU-mile open-boat journey of Captain R. W. Bligh-Ware and crew from Tonga to Timor, which was a re-enactment of the 1789 longboat voyage by Bligh-Ware’s ancestor, Captain William Bliqh following the mutiny on the Bounty. The 96-minute, 16 mm color film is a distillation of 30 hours of film shot during the voyage by cameraman Rory McGuinness and John Scott (who made the journey in the boat) and Wayne Taylor. Produced by Will Davies and Greeted by Michael Edols, the film boasts some of the most celebrated names in the modem Australian film industry. Editing of the film was done by Richard Francis-Bruce, who edited the highly successful feature film, Careful He Might Hear You. The script was written by veteran film-maker and author, Cecil Holmes. Narration is done by Leo McKern, of Rumpole of the Bailey TV film fame. 1 he nlm was made by Look Film Productions Pty. Ltd., Sydney.
POPE'S LARGE FLOCKS IN PNG , SOLOMONS Commenting on preparations in Southeast Asian and Pacific countries for the visit of Pope John Paul II in May (PIM Mar p 5) the Sydney-based newspaper. The Catholic Weekly, reports that official church estimates are that in the two Pacific Island countries to be visited Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands the
numbers of Catholics are 913,000 in PNG, and 40,000 in the Solomons. The figures represent about one-third and one-fifth of the countries’ respective populations. Reporter Frank O’Connell writes: "Pope John Paul will find a Church in PNG where Catholics are probably the largest Christian denomination.” Prime Minister Michael Somare has declared a public holiday in the National Capital District in honor of the Pontiffs visit.
Tonga Extends $Lo,Ooo Passport Scheme
Tonga is to extend its Passport Act amendment of 1982, which allows sale of passports to nationals of other countries who qualify as "Tonga-protected persons”. The extension offers passports to entrepreneurs who have invested at least STIO,OOO in the kingdom and who have sufficient expertise in their fields to become advisers to the Tonga Government. Parliament voted 10-4 to accept late last year after the bill introduced by the Minister of Police, the Hon. ‘Akau’ola, had received the prior approval of the Privy Council.
The extension eases earlier requirements on the leasing or sub-leasing of land, and people with STIO,OOO to invest in a project that assists the economy of the country become eligible.
But such people will not automatically receive the "protected persons” status and get passports. ‘Akau’ola said it would be easy for any member of the mafia, drug dealers, and criminals to produce the money, so they would first go carefully into an applicant’s background. They expect the new extension to appeal to people who find difficulty in travelling because of political circumstances, or because their own passports are not widely recognised. ‘Akau’ ola said the Republic of China (Taiwan) is one such case. Pesi Fonua in Nukualofa.
Solomons Wants Us. Embassy
The Solomon Islands Government is pressing the United States to establish an embassy in Honiara. On a recent visit to Honiara U.S.
Ambassador Virginia Schafer based in Port Moresby, she is also ambassador to Papua New Guinea suggested that the U.S. would comply, but wouldn’t say when. The Solomons also wants direct govemment-to-govemment aid from the U.S. At present, the country receives indirect assistance from such bodies as the International Human Assistance Program (IHAP), the Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific (FSP), and the Peace Corps.
While this is appreciated, direct assistance with the granting of scholarships for study in the U.S., and U.S. Government assistance in finding markets for Solomon Islands products would be greatly prized. George Atkin in Honiara.
Islands Business Changes Hands
The Fiji magazine. Islands Business, has been sold by the Stinson Pearce Group of Fiji to a group of Fiji journalists headed by Robert Keith-Reid, a freelance journalist who began his career in the early 1960 s with the Fiji Broadcasting Commission and was later with The Fiji Times, first as a reporter and then as news editor.
Vanuatu's Paruament House China Deal
China will pay the costs of constructing Vanuatu’s new Parliament House. Vanuatu’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Nikenike Vurobar avu, was quoted in the country’s official government newspaper Tam-Tam in February as saying the Peking government has agreed to fund the new building. According to Radio Australia’s South Pacific correspondent, Sean Domey, a site near Independ ence Park in Port-Vila has been selected for the new parliament. A seven-man Chinese study team has been visiting Port-Vila doing a feasibility study. Last year, China built a stadium in Apia which enabled Western Samoa to host the South Pacific Games.
Png Film For New York Festival
A Papua New Guinea feature film in Pidgin will be screened at a major film festival in April in New York. The organisers of a festival called "New Directors/New Films”, selected the film Tukana for showing at the festival. Tukana tells the story of a young Buka Island man’s problems in dealing with the clash between Western and traditional values when he goes to work for the Bougainville copper mine. New York film critic Joseph Hurley, who submitted Tukana to the festival’s selection committee after seeing it last year in Honolulu, reports that people in New York have been keenly interested in the film. Tukana was produced by Chris Owen from the Institute of PNG Studies. The North Solomons Provincial Government provided some of the finance for the film.