people

Inoke Faletau, for the past 12 years Tonga’s high commis sioner in London, has been appointed as the new director of the Commonwealth Founda tion. He succeeds Ric Thros sell of Australia, who retired last year due to ill health.

The London-based Com monwealth Foundation was established in 1965 to promote professional activity and co operation among member na tions of the Commonwealth.

Correspondent in New Calen donia for PIM and other media outlets, Helen Fraser, has won the 1984 Canadian Govern ment Award for Journalistic Merit for her reporting on events in the territory.

The citation referred to Ms Fraser’s demonstrated skill in anticipating the course of major social and political events.

The prize carries a two-week visit to Canada, one of the fine soapstone carvings made by Eskimo artists, and the engrav ing of the prize-winner’s name on a perpetual honor roll at Canada’s National Press Club.

Ben Blaz, the first Guamanian to win a general’s star in the US armed forces (he was in the Marines), has been elected president by the 34 new Re publicans elected to the US House of Representatives in last November’s US elections.

Freshmen House members of both parties organise them selves to ensure they have a voice in House affairs, usually dominated by “seniors”.

In the polling on Guam, retired General Blaz narrowly defeated Antonio Borja Won Fat, the Democrat who had represented Guam as non-vot ing delegate in the House for 19 years, by 15,725 votes to 15,402.

In other Pacific Island or island-related US elections: • A. P. Lutali, supported by many members of outgoing Governor Peter Tali Cole man’s political committee, was elected Governor of American Samoa over incumbent Lt- Governor Tufele Li’a, by a margin of 5234 to 3715.

• American Samoa’s dele gate to Washington, Fofo I. F.

Sunnia, was re-elected over Aumoevalogo Soli, 5031 to 3124. Sunnia sits with the Democrats in the House of Representatives, but Samoan elections are conducted on a non-partisan basis. • Fred Eckert, former US ambassador to Fiji, Tuvalu and Kiribati, was elected to a Re publican seat in the House of Representatives from Upstate New York. • Hawaii’s delegation to the US Congress remains all- Democratic. Congressmen Hef tel and Akaka both were re elected by better than five-to one margins. The two Demo cratic Senators (Inouye and Matsunaga) were not up for re-election. David S. North in Washington.

George L. Chan, energy admi nistrator for the Common wealth of the Northern Marianas and one of the Paci fic’s most noted specialists on alternative energy, has retired from government service.

Mr Chan, 60, said in Saipan that the time had come for him to join his family in their busi ness enterprises.

Born in Mauritius and edu cated (B.Sc., Engineering) at the University of London, Mr Chan has worked in the Pacific for 20 years, first as public health engineer, and then as environmental engineer, with the South Pacific Commission.

He was a senior lecturer at the University of Papua New Guinea for three years, and a United Nations consultant in biogas technology and utilisa tion for two years.

In 1978 he joined the CNMI Goverment as environment and energy administrator, and in 1980 was appointed chief physical planner, a position he held until late 1984 when he was named energy adminis trator.

He was a tireless advocate of the integrated farming system which produces fuel, feed and fertiliser, as a solution to rural development problems in the under-developed regions of

Asia, Africa and the Pacific.

CNMI Lieutenant-Governor Pedro A. Tenorio described George Chan as “a humble, low-key person, a real gentle man and a hard worker who has set the path and standard of achievement for us in the Northern Marianas to follow”.

On October 1, 1984, Mr Chan was presented with a Special Recognition Award, the highest US award in the field of energy innovation, by US Sec retary of Energy Donald P.

Hodel. The award particularly noted Mr Chan’s work on a device known as the biogas digester.

Murray Finlay, news editor of the Newcastle, Australia, televi sion station NBN Channel 3, has been appointed general manager of Papua New Guinea’s first TV service.

Mr Finlay has been with NBN for 22 years, first as a news reader, and later as news editor.

NBN, which is a subsidiary of Kevin Parry’s Perth-based Par ry Corporation Ltd., and the PNG Goverment, will jointly operate the Niugini Television Network Ltd. from headquar ters at Port Moresby.

The service will later be ex tended to Lae, Goroka and Mt.

Hagen.

Niue’s new director of educa tion is Atapana Siakimotu, 37, formerly deputy principal of Niue High School.

Holder of a diploma in horti culture from Lincoln Agricultu ral College, Christchurch, New Zealand, Mr Siakimotu takes over from veteran Niuean teacher, H. Vilitama, who in 1978 became the first locally

born director of education.

Speaking at a farewell cere mony at Alofi, Mr Vilitama recalled how he was chosen as a trainee teacher in 1944: “There was no teachers train ing college at that stage, and a student was given no option but to accept what was offered or miss out altogether.

“Although no salary was paid for the first six months, in the next six months we struck paydirt, at the rate of five shillings per month although 50 per cent of that was banked in a post office savings account.

“It sounds little, but at 15 years of age at that time I was on top of the world.”

Niue also has a new director of health, Dr Arbutus Mitikulena.

Dr Mitikulena graduated from the Fiji School of Medicine in 1974, and following six months as a intern there began work with Niue’s health depart ment.

He told Tohi Tala Niue: “Lots of people in this country don’t realise how lucky they are. With a free health service, Niue has one of the best health set-ups in the South Pacific, and it’s something we should be proud of.”

Asked about his affiliations with the Public Service Associa tion (he had been its chairman over recent times), Dr Miti kulena said the PSA should not be regarded as an anti-govern ment organisation, but should work with the administration and come to mutually agreed solutions to issues.

He stepped down from his PSA office early this year.

Burns Philp manufacturing divi sion’s marketing manager in Fiji, George Chand, was seconded to the South Pacific Trade Commission offices in Sydney for a two-month period early this year to help in marketing southwest Pacific is land country products.

Mr Chand is working with Bill McCabe. senior trade com missioner with the South Pacific Trade Commission, and a for mer Australian trade commis sioner in Fiji.

George Chand .. . seconded to Sydney on a matter of trade.