Pacific Report

Kenilorea Is Solomons Pm.

Solomon Islands has a new prime minister, Sir Peter Kenilorea, who was opposition leader until the November vote of the 37 members of parliament. The new parliament, elected on October 24, met to hold a secret ballot on who should be prime minister.

The outgoing leader, Solomon Mamaloni, attracted only 13 votes 12 from his own People’s Alliance Party and one from the New Democratic Party. Sir Peter Kenilorea gained 21 votes, 13 from his United Party, four from the new SAS Party, and four indepen dents. Three members of parliament abstained. At a press conference after the vote, Sir Peter said one of his main priorities would be to resolve the dispute with the United States over the Solomons’ seizure of an American tuna boat in July. Sir Peter said he would also return the Home Affairs Ministry to the control of the Central Government, rather than leave those powers with the provinces. He said he would scrap a plan by the former government to set up a brewery in the capital, Honiara, and would attend to a demand by public servants for higher pay.

PNG: TROOPS MAY BE USED TO COMBAT CRIME Police in Papua New Guinea have been given the power to call in troops to help fight crime. Prime Minister Michael Somare said the police commissioner would be given the power to call out and control the troops to assist police in maintaining law and order. He said the use of the defence force was part of the government’s package to control crime. The PNG government said it would introduce the package after mass public protests over a series of rapes. Mr Somare said serious crimes had increased dramatically since PNG gained independence from Australia in 1975. This had created serious effects on public confidence in law enforcement, and diminished business confidence. The prime minister said one of the most serious problems facing the police was a lack of manpower.

A.DB. CALLS FOR SHAKE-UP IN W. SAMOA A report by an Asian Development Bank mission of inquiry into the economy of Western Samoa has recommended a massive shake-up in existing structures if the country is to achieve agricultural development. The six-volume report recommends the formation of a national planning committee, replacement of the existing cocoa and copra boards with one export development board, and the putting of the Western Samoa Trust Estates Corporation (WSTEC) “above politics.” The mission saw “an overwhelming need for a national body to develop a common policy perspective for agriculture,” and said the proposed national planning committee could fill this role.

FRANCE SAYS “NO” TO JOINT VISIT PLAN France turned down a planned joint visit late last year to New Caledonia by the leaders of five South Pacific nations. Port Moresby authorities said that although the French Government cancelled the joint trip, it advised the five prime ministers concerned to make separate trips if they want to gain a better understanding of the different political groups in New Caledonia.

The last South Pacific Forum meeting in Tuvalu appointed a team comprising the prime ministers of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, western Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu to meet political leaders in New Caledonia to discuss the colony’s future.

New Caledonia “Out Of Control” Lini

The Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Father Walter Lini, is reported to have warned of further violence in New Caledonia if France does not move quickly to grant independence to the territory. In an interview with the American news agency Associated Press, Father Lini claimed the situation in New Caledonia was out of control following the November 18 election for a Territorial Assembly. He said France’s socialist government was now in a difficult position, as it had to deal with the conservative Republican Party which won most of the seats in the assembly. Father Lini said Vanuatu would not raise the question of New Caledonia with the United Nations

committee on decolonisation. However, he said it would not hesitate to report to the U.N. on what he termed “the real situation” there. Asked why Kanaks had sought Libyan assistance and military training, Father Lini said this was because neighboring Pacific countries as a group had failed to help them.

Fui: Koya Names New Shadow Cabinet

Fiji’s Opposition Leader, Siddiq Koya, has named a new shadow cabinet. Mr Koya retains responsibility for foreign affairs, and the line-up includes a former attorney-general, Sir Vijay Singh, as shadow minister for finance, and the Deputy Opposition Leader, Mrs Irene Jai Narayan, as shadow minister for health and social welfare. The opposition coalition comprises the wholly Fijian Western United Front and the Indian-dominated National Federa tion Party. The front has endorsed Mr Koya as leader. Two of its leaders, Katu Osea Gavidi and Ratu Napolioni Dawai, are included in the shadow cabinet The announcing of the shadow cabinet is part of a streamlining of opposition machinery, and designed to show that the opposition is ready and able to form a government.

Tonga: The Rope For Drug Traffickers

Tonga plans to extend the death penalty to include traffickers of hara drugs. Speaking in Melbourne, Tonga’s Police Minister, Mr ’Akau’ola, said he was working on a law that would make death by hanging an option for Tongan courts when sentencing a person convicted of selling hard drugs. He said his government simply would not tolerate people taking drugs into the kingdom and distributing them among the people. Tonga’s parliament voted last year to retain the death penalty for brutal murders after three men were hanged for killing a man with an axe, a spade and a cane knife.

Fui To Vet Imported Entertainers

Promoters in Fiji will now have to obtain a government permit before they can bring professional entertainers into the country.

They will also have to undergo questioning by immigration officials and work closely with the consumer council when arranging shows. The promoters will also be required to fill in a special questionnaire, giving details such as work experience, financial backing, number of shows, venues and ticket prices. The new guidelines were drawn up by the government following complaints from the public and local entertainers about the standard or some previous shows and the high admission charges.

Rabaul Volcanic Alert Is Eased

Government officials in Papua New Guinea confirmed in December that they have relaxed the level of the alert for the expected eruption of the Rabaul volcano. The alert is now at what is known as a stage one, which means the eruption is expected within months or years. However, the East New Britain provincial disaster committee is maintaining disaster plans in case the volcano erupts within weeks or months. The chairman of the committee, Mr Paulias, said the volcano would definitely erupt, but it was impossible to predict exactly when.

N-Free Zone Declaration In The Drafting

A seven-country committee has been appointed to prepare the South Pacific Forum’s declaration of a nuclear-free zone in the South Pacific. The committee is made up of representatives from Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. The committee should have its first draft ready by the end of January.

Mr Zeder Talks Up Micronesia Prospects

Fred M. Zeder 11, President Reagan’s ambassador to the Micronesian status negotiations, was in Australia and New Zealand in November talking to business organisations about the invest ment prospects opening up in Micronesia as the Compacts of Free Association with the U.S. come into force. The Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands Republic have already

approved the compacts, and Palau is expected to do so at some time this year. Mr Zeder told the meetings that under the compacts the United States is committed to providing hundreds of millions of dollars in support funds in the years ahead. He urged them to interest themselves in the needs of the three new states in the building of their economic infrastructures and other fields, and in general to become “part of the action” in the area. He said one problem encountered in trying to interest U.S. businessmen in the future of Micronesia was that r ‘many of them don’t know where it is”. (See separate report, this issue).

Vanuatu Cancels French Minister’S Visit

The government of Vanuatu cancelled a planned December visit there by the French Minister for Co-operation and Development, Christian Nucci. He was to be in Vanuatu for a few days from December 17. In a press release, the Vanuatu Government said it had made its decision because the French Government continued to ignore its earlier undertaking to contribute a one-third share of compensation for damages caused during the pre-independence rebellion in Vanuatu in 1980. Vanuatu also said it was not happy about the French Government’s handling of the situation in New Caledonia.

TV: PNG SAYS YES, FUI SAYS MAYBE The independent Newcastle (Australia) television station NBN has won the Papua New Guinea Government’s contract to establish a television system in PNG to be called the National Television Network, operating out of Port Moresby, Lae, Mount Hagen and Goroka and providing educational, health and agricultural programs. Announcing the award of the contract to NBiN, Prime Minister Michael Somare said it would be for three years and there would be low emphasis on advertising. NBN would train 12 Papua New Guineans in camera work, studio and editing skills. Mr Somare said the government would own 15% of the service, private citizens just under 50% and the NBN just over 35%. When NBN made its offer last February, it was reported that the government would establish equity by handing over about SAI million-worth of television studio equipment already in store.

NTN’s authorised capital will be KlO million ($A12.5 million) and the chairman of the board is expected to be Sir Ebia Olewale, a former PNG deputy prime minister. Meanwhile, the Fiji Cabinet has accepted an offer by Australian television broadcasting company, Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd., at the company’s expense, to make a feasibility study on the possibility of a television service in Fiji.

New Trans Pacific Cable Inaugurated

A new Pacific telephone cable linking Australia and New Zealand with Canada was officially opened in November by Queen Elizabeth. The ANZCAN cable is aimed at coping with the enormous growth in telephone traffic across the Pacific, and is expected to cut the cost and the connection time of overseas phone calls. ANZCAN stetches 15,000 kilometres from Sydney to Vancouver via Norfolk Island, Fiji and Hawaii, with a secondary link to Auckland. The Queen declared the system open over a live video link from London, viewed by gatherings in the four countries involved. There were inaugural phone calls between the prime ministers of New Zealand and Fiji, David Lange and Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, and between Australia’s Minister for Communica tions, Mr Duffy, and the Canadian Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Siddon. The ANZCAN system, which cost about $350 million, is owned by 22 organisations in 14 countries. It replaces the first trans-Pacific cable COMPAC in service since 1963 and has 17 times the capacity of the old system. A special cable repair ship based in Fiji will maintain ANZCAN, which has a guaranteed life of 25 years.

Kiribati Ties With France, Israel

France’s new Ambassador to Kiribati, Daniel Dupont, has promised to maintain his country’s financial assistance to agencies from which Kiribati benefits. The main one is the European Economic Community, through which France provides technicians who are at present building the ground station for Kiribati’s communications satellite. Mr Dupont was speaking after diplomatic relations were established between France and Kiribati in November. Israel has also established diplomatic relations with Kiribati. Its ambassador, Yishakhar Benacco, said Israel could help

Kiribati in fisheries and agriculture. Meanwhile a Kiribati man, Tony Moy Tauniu, has been named honorary consul for South Korea.

Mr Moy is the first i-Kiribati appointed to such a post

Norway’S Grants To Tonga, F.S.M.

Tonga and the Federated States of Micronesia have each been given a grant of $lOO,OOO to help improve their drinking water.

The grants were made under a Norwegian fund aimed at improving water supplies in a number of Pacific Island countries. In Micronesia, the money will be used to build and install water tanks and pumps in Truk, Ponape, Kosrae and Yap. The Tonga project will involve the building of cement water tanks in the Haapai group of islands.

V.I.P. Cars: Sir Tom’S Nifty Notion

The Cook Islands will be host this year to the South Pacific Mini Games, the South Pacific Forum and the 25th South Pacific Conference, which creates a transport problem. There are not enough suitable cars. Between 30 and 40 new cars will be needed.

Prime Minister Sir Thomas Davis has submitted a scheme to the Cabinet “one which came to me as an inspiration,” he said which would solve the problem with little cost to government. He has suggested that the cars be imported free of duty and import levy, used “carefully” as transport for VIPs, and then handed over to local car dealers who would be able to sell them as (almost) brand-new cars at a much lower than normal price. Apart from loss of normal duty and import levy, there would be no cost to the government. Sir Thomas was asked how important was VIP transport for these occasions. He replied: “VIP transportation is a standard government responsibility throughout the world. If we do not give the highest possible service we possibly could give we’re the same as any Banana Republic. We do things in style if we can. This is one way we can.”

Fuians Told “Indians Your Brothers”

A Fiji government minister, Militoni Leweniquila, has called on indigenous Fijians to regard Indians as their brothers. He also urged them to emulate what he described as the Indians’ enterprising ways. Speaking at the opening of a provincial council meeting, the minister said Indians in Fiji were in the country to stay.

Mr Leweniquila said the days when Fijians could rely on their “kere kere” a local borrowing system were gone, and society now revolved around a money-based system. He said that without money, Fijians had only a slim chance of surviving in what had become a highly money-oriented society. Indians make up just over 50 per cent of Fiji’s population and control most of the country’s business and commerce sector.

U.S. SUGAR QUOTAS: PNG GAINS, FUI LOSES Papua New Guinea was a big winner, and Fiji a loser, when the United States allocations of sugar purchases went into effect in October. PNG came out about SUS 3 million ahead, while Fiji lost about $843,360. Sugar prices in the United States are about four times as high as they are on the world’s open market, a price paid by American consumers to guarantee high incomes for American growers of sugar beet and sugar cane. Some part of that bounty rubs off on countries, such as Fiji and PNG, that ship excess sugar to the States. Every year the Inter-Agency Task Force on Sugar, chaired by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, decides how much sugar the States should import to meet the shortfall between U.S. production and consumption. The total for the 1983-1984 year had been 3,175,000 short tons but the total for the current (1984-1985) period was cut back to 2,677,000 short tons, a reduction of about 15 per cent. Once this decision is made another U.S. Government agency, the U.S. Trade Representative, figures out how much each exporting nation gets; these figures are expressed in percentages of the total import needs of the States, and these percentages, based on historic trends, vary little from year to year. The declining U.S. need for sugar when combined with Fiji’s historic percentage led that nation’s quota fo fall from 21,294 short tons in 1983-1984 to 17,780 short tons in the current period. The net bonus to Fiji, and other nations, for selling a pound of sugar in the U.S., as opposed to selling it on the world market, is about 12 cents (U.S.). The U.S. price is about 21 cents, and it takes about four cents worth of transport and tariff duties to get a pound of sugar into the U.S.: the world price, meanwhile, is about five cents. Given that price structure Fiji’s 1983-1984 U.S. allocation

was worth about $5,110,560 and its 1984-85 allocation will be worth about $4,267,200 in bonuses, a difference of $843,360.

PNG meanwhile, joins the U.S. sugar gravy train for the first time in the 1984-85 season. Following the PNG decision to join the International Sugar Agreement the nation received its first ever allocation, of 12,500 short tons. The U.S. subsidy for this amount of sugar, at 12 cents a pound, produces a bonus for PNG of $3 million. Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines all have substan tially larger quotas than Fiji and PNG, and sugar growers in Hawaii profit from the domestic side of the U.S. sugar policy. But other Pacific Island sugar growers are not covered by the program.

David S. North in Washington.

46 Buy Tonga’S Passport Specials

The sale by the Tonga Government of special Tongan passports to 46 foreigners described as “Tongan protected persons has earned $T380,000 for the government, the Minister of Police and Principal Immigration Officer, Mr ’Akau’ola, has told the Legislative Assembly. A Privy Council ordinance of March 6. 1981, gave approval to the scheme to sell special passports for $lO,OOO each to foreigners who would be described as “Tongan protected Cersons’, but the fee of $lO,OOO was changed to a “fee prescribed y His Majesty-in-Council”. The passports are valid for five years, and can be extended for a further five years on payment of another fee. But the scheme hit a snag. The minister told the assembly that he had faced problems in selling the passports as some nations had refused to recognise them. These countries included Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Papua New Guinea. Japan has yet to reveal its government’s decision.

Islands Artifacts A Sell-Out In Uk.

The United Kingdom promises to be a lucrative market for South Pacific Islands artifacts. Nine island countries were represented at an artifacts stand at the recent 10th Chelsea International Crafts Fair in London and their wares, marketed by the South Pacific Forum’s Trade Commission, were almost sold out on the first day.

The Trade Commissioner, Bill McCabe, bought artifacts worth about $A20,000 from forum member countries for the stand.

Organiser of the fair, Lady Philippa Powell, said; “Although this is the first time we have had South Pacific islanders’ work at the show, it will certainly not be the last.”

A Case Of Some Misplaced Islands

Some islands in the South Pacific are several kilometres away from their present map locations. This was revealed in a report by a combined team of the Royal Australian Survey Corps and the Fiji Naval Division. The two organisations recently conducted a five-months aerial survey of Tonga, Tuvalu, and some islands in Kiribati. As an example of map location error, the report said that Nukufetau Island in Tuvalu was found to be three kilometres in error. A second survey by the two teams will be conducted this year in the Line and Phoenix Islands, Kiribati.

CENTENARY OF DEATH OF GEORGE HUNN NOBBS Norfolk Islanders on November 5 observed the centenary of the death of the island’s greatest son, the Rev. George Hunn Nobbs, on November 5, 1884. It is largely thanks to Nobbs, who led the big emigration from Pitcairn to Norfolk in 1856, that descendants of the Bounty mutineers have their present home. The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, the Most Rev. Donald Robinson, who was on Norfolk for the commemorative service, described Nobbs as “a parson in the old, comprehensive sense of teacher, doctor, almoner (but not magistrate) as well as pastor and liturgical leader”. Archbishop Robinson preached at the centenary com memorative service in the historic All Saints’ Church in Kingston’s Quality Row. Alan Gill of The Sydney Morning Herald , who was present, describes the scene: “The service was emotional, with a drama peculiar to Norfolk. It began as usual, with “God Save the Queen”. Men with names like Christian, Quintal and Adams whose ancestors were considered mutineers and traitors sang this and the lilting Pitcairn hymns with a fervor and flair which left few in the congregation dry-eyed.” George Hunn Nobbs arrived on Pitcairn in 1828 (coincidentally on November 5, the date of his death 56 years later). Though technically an outsider, he quickly made up for lost time. Less than a year after his arrival, he married a grand-daughter of Fletcher Christian. The couple produced 12 children, nine of whom married people with the family names of Christian or Quintal. Four months after Nobbs’ arrival on Pitcairn,

John Adams, the last of the original mutineers, died. The leadership fell to Nobbs, who negotiated with the British the move to Norfolk 28 years later.

Emperor Plans Expansion

The Emperor Gold Mining Company and Western Mining Corporation of Australia, partners in the Fiji gold mine at Vatukoula on Viti Levu, have embarked on a new development program with special mining leases and hope to increase production this year to an export value of SF23 million, $1 million more than in 1984.

NEW HQ, BETTER FIGURES, FOR N.C. NICKEL The opening of a new headquarters building for New Caledonia’s Department of Mines and Energy has coincided with some good news rare in recent years about the performance of the French territory’s nickel industry. The new building, described by the Noumea radio station FRO as “worthy of the prime role played by New Caledonia’s mining and metallurgical industry’, cost CFPIIS million (about SAI million), and contains 1300 square metres of office, laboratory, and exhibition space. The radio said the building was “attractive and modem”. On the production front, there was a substantial increase in the territory’s metal production in the first nine months of 1984. Production was almost 24,000 tonnes, compared with 19,500 tonnes in the same period in 1983.

Nickel ore production in September was 280,000 tonnes (225,000 in September, 1983). In addition, 4600 tonnes of metallurgical products and 70,000 tonnes of nickel ore were exported during September.

Ccop/Sopac Urged To Drill

At the 13th annual meeting in Western Samoa of the Committee for Co-ordination of Joint Prospecting for Mineral Resources in South Pacific Offshore Areas (&COP/SOPAC) the 11 member countries supported proposals for two drilling programs, one to obtain more information about the strata beneath the region’s islands and coastal seabeds, and the other, a deep-sea drilling program to obtain geological information about adjacent land areas. A Norwegian scientist, Dr Knut Bonke, told the conference that, through aerial reconnaissance, he had found suitable sites in Western Samoa’s Savaii Island for wave energy power stations.

Fui Company Lands Big Pago Order

A Fiji-based company manufacturing solid fibre cartons has won a half-million dollar order from an American Samoan tuna processing company. Golden Manufacturers will supply half the carton requirements of Star-Kist Samoa, one of the largest tuna processing plants in the world. The order resulted from a Fiji trade mission which visited Pago Pago last year. Golden Manufacturers is also actively promoting its export drive in Western Samoa, Tonga and Papua New Guinea.

Vietnam-Vanuatu Ties

Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with Vanuatu. As first Ambassador Extraordinary of Vietnam to Vanuatu, Huang Bao Son, who is resident in Canberra, presented his letters of credence to Vanuatu President Ati George Sokomanu.

“Guard Marine Resources” Fui G-G

Fiji’s Governor-General has described the proper management and use of marine resources as one of the biggest issues facing the island nations of the South Pacific. Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau was opening a seminar in Suva organised by the Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy. He said the vast marine resources around the islands had to be tapped for the benefit or regional countries, which needed to take care that their shoals of tuna were not wiped out by foreign countries. Their marine resources were the basis of their economic survival. The seminar on the land and sea resources of the South Pacific also looked at the problems faced by the island nations in mapping their coastline.

Anglican Minister For Sydney’S Maoris

The first Anglican Church leader to minister specifically to Sydney’s Maori community took up his appointment in November.

Archdeacon Kingi Ihaka arrived from New Zealand to be commissioned in his ministry at Saint Andrew’s Cathedral. He said he wanted to tackle problems such as a current industrial dispute between Australian and New Zealand shearers.