Pacific Report

Caledonia Plan Hits Snag

President Mitterrand on August 9 recalled the French Parliament to deal with delays in creating a new transitional authority in New Caledonia. The snag came with the ruling by France’s Constitutio nal Council that an important provision of the government’s bill to create the authority was unconstitutional. The case was brought to the council by right-wing opposition parties in a last-ditch attempt to block the bill. They said disparities in the number of councillors per head of population in each of the four regions gave disproportionate weight to pro-independence Melanesians. The Constitutional Council uphqld their claim saying that the fact that a councillor in predominantly anti-independence Noumea would represent 4700 electors, whereas councillors in the three other regions would represent between 2200 and 2600, constituted an imbalance, and was therefore unconstitutional. The government’s counter-claim was that it had introduced such an inequality in an effort to compensate for demographic, economic and political disparities between the Noumea area and the rural regions. Most observers believed that the council’s ruling and the recall of parliament will force a postponement of the elections, originally scheduled for September.

Mitterrand Orders Greenpeace Bomb Probe

President Mitterrand has ordered a top-level inquiry into claims by two French weekly magazines that France’s external intelligence arm, the General Directorate of External Security (DGSE), was involved in the sinking of the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbor on July 10. Greenpeace photographer, Portuguese-born Fernando Pereira, died when two limpet bombs fixed to the ship’s hull exploded just before midnight. The Rainbow Warrior was to have led a protest flotilla of small ships to the French nuclear testing base at Moruroa, in anticipation of new tests believed to be planned for August. Meanwhile, a report on the French national radio, France-Inter, says a man and a woman arrested in New Zealand in connection with the bombing are French army officers involved with security at nuclear sites. The two were arrested while travelling on false Swiss passports.

France-Inter said the woman, Sophie-Claire Turenge, held the rank of captain, and the man, Alain-Jacques Turenge, that of Battalion Commander. New Zealand police believe that the two served as base support and scouts for the actual bombers, who are believed to be among the crew members of the Noumea-based yacht Ouuea which was in Auckland harbor shortly before the bombing. The three being sought by police are the yacht’s skipper, Raymond Velche, 35, and crew members Jean-Michel Berthelo, 33, and Eric Audrenc, 32. They were last seen leaving Norfolk Island, ostensibly heading for Noumea, on July 16. In a letter to the New Zealand prime minister, David Lange, president Mitterrand said: ”1 intend that this matter should be handled with the greatest possible severity, and that your country should be able to count on the full collaboration of France. ” In his instruction to French prime minister, Laurent Fabius, the president said that “those guilty, however high ranking, will be severely punished.”

Kenilorea To Make Luv. Speech

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sir Peter Kenilorea will address the United Nations General Assembly on October 11, according to a spokesman for his office. He will leave for the United States on October 7, and make the U.N. visit before attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in the Bahamas.

He will be accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs Paul Tuvuh.

Png, Australia, Agree On Aid

After two days of talks in Port Moresby on July 30-31, Australia and Papua New Guinea reached agreement on Australia’s new five-year aid program, worth SAIOOO million, to Papua New Guinea. Under the program, Australian aid will be reduced from its present level of more than $3OO million a year. PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare had earlier acceptecf the fact that aid would have to be reduced and Australia proposed a reduction of about $l5 million a year, but agreed after the talks to smaller

reductions. Direct budgetary aid will be cut according to Australia’s wishes, but aid for special projects will be increased. Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Bill Hayden and PNG Minister for Foreign Affaits John Giheno agreed the new program was fair and reasonable and provided a solid basis for the continued development of PNG. However, Mr Giheno warned that the PNG Government would have to make some hard economic decisions in coming years.

Kiribati: Church Petition On Fish Deal

The Protestant and Roman Catholic Churches in Kiribati have petitioned President leremia Tabai to delay signing an agreement with Russia for the licensing of Russian fishing boats to fish in Kiribati waters until the people of Kiribati have had time to consider it. The petition said church leaders had noticed wariness and fear among the people over the proposed agreement. No one is prepared to say there is a connection between Kiribati’s negotiations with Russia over fishing licences and the new offers of financial help for Kiribati from the developed nations. New Zealand has told the Kiribati Government that it will double bilateral aid to Kiribati this year. Under a new agreement, New Zealand will give Kiribati long-term technical assistance. Aid is also coming from the United States, which will provide development aid worth $U5453,000 through non-government agencies such as the Save the Children Federation. The People’s Republic of China has also entered the arena and will provide grant aid worth about $U5350,000, and make available interest-free loans if required.

Following a request from MPs, the Kiribati House of Assembly was to discuss the proposed fisheries agreement with Russia on August 28. Representatives of most of the islands in the northern group have told the government that the islanders oppose any agreement allowing the Russians to fish in Kiribati’s fisheries zone. And a senior fisheries officer in Kiribati reported seeing at least 17 foreign fishing vessels operating in waters around the Phoenix Islands. The officer sighted the ships from a Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft which the NZ Government had provided to help Kiribati to police its 200-mile zone. He took the numbers of the vessels in order to check if they were fishing illegally.

Cooks: Sir Thomas Dumps His Deputy

Cook Islands Prime Minister Sir Thomas Davis, whose coalition government was threatened with a “no confidence” motion tabled in Parliament and then withdrawn because of lack of support (PIM Aug. p 33), has relieved Geoffrey Henry, leader of the Cook Islands Party, (CIP) of the deputy prime ministership. Mr Henry had declared his support for the “no confidence” motion. Mr Henry’s successor is Dr Terepai Maoate, MP for Ngatangiia, one of four CIP members who refused to accept the party’s central committee’s unanimous decision to support the motion tabled in the House by Vincent Ingram, who is a member of Sir Thomas’s party, the Democratic Party. The CIP has notified Sir Thomas that the coalition is now at an end. But Sir Thomas is adamant that he still has a coalition government and that Geoffrey Henry and his supporters do not represent the bulk of CIP opinion. The affair blew up, right on the eve of the Cooks hosting the 16th South Pacific Forum. It could hardly have been designed to cause more publicity and Mr Henry claimed it was done deliberately so that Sir Thomas could “rub my nose in the dirt before all the Pacific leaders who are my friends.” Mr Henry was to have led the Cook Islands delegation at the Forum. Sir Thomas said he had to make the move when he did because he could not rely on Mr Henry honestly representing the Cook Islands Government after he had been co-author of the no-confidence motion. Sir Thomas may not be as secure as he seems, for Vincent Ingram claims his Democratic government lacks anything like the full support of the non parliamentary Democratic Party. Last year Sir Thomas decided to appoint his own non-parliamentary executives because he did not like the people who had been elected by grassroots supporters.

Vincent Ingram claims Sir Thomas dare not call a Democratic Party conference at the moment because he would get no support from

it. Questioned, Sir Thomas admitted there would probably be no Democratic conference this year, and said he saw no need for it.

Vincent Ingram has been beavering around trying to build up as much non-parliamentary support as possible for his Democratic faction, and is claiming great success. If he is correct, then Sir Thomas has a problem in mustering support for his leadership at the next election Roy Vaughan in Rarotonga.

Palau: Four Charged In Remeliik Case

Three men were arrested and a fourth charged in Palau in late July over the July 1 murder of the republic’s first president, Haruo I.

Remeliik (PIM, Aug., p 25). The four include the son of the governor of Palau’s Airai State, Roman Tmetuchl. The four are; Melwert Tmetuchl, who worked for his father, Leslie Tewid, Anghenio Sabino, and Francisco Gibbon. The three first-named were arrested in Palau, while a warrant was issued for the arrest of Gibbon, the owner of a small grocery, who was hospitalised in Guam for heart problems, according to officials. Roman Tmetuchl, who unsuccessfully stood for president against Remeliik, was not considered a suspect in the case, according to Palau’s assistant attorney-general, Philip Isaac. Mr Isaac told the press he believed the motive for the murder was political. “It was low-level discontent with the administration of President Remeliik,” he said, but would not comment further. He also refused to say what led authorities to suspect the four, or who was considered the gunman. Bail for the younger Tmetuchl, Tewid, and Sabino was set at SUSI million each, Mr Isaac said. Each was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder.

Marshalls Govt. Rejects Compact Draft

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved revised draft compacts of Free Association between the U.S. as trustee and the Micronesian political entities, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia, but the Marshall Islands almost immediately rejected the amendments.

The three entities have already approved the draft compacts, but the U.S. House of Representatives introduced several new amendments. The Marshall Islands Government has said it rejects the amendments as they drastically alter the nature of the proposed relationship between the United States and the Marshall Islands, and amount to a perpetuation of territorial status. If the amendments became law, the Marshall Islands Government said, they would be left with full independence as the only viable alternative to pursue under an agreement with the United Nations.

Palau has still to resolve the problem of its constitutional ban on the entry and storage of nuclear materials. Negotiations with Palau were suspended pending the result of the presidential election set for August 28, following the murder of President Haruo Remeliik, who favored moves to circumvent the ban. Acting President Alfonso Oiterong is reported to be of like mind. He has nominated as a candidate for the presidency, as has Lazarus Salii, who is believed to be opposed to removing the ban. A mission from the United Nations Trusteeship Council visited all the Micronesian states towards the end of July. The mission included Sir Richard Stratton of the United Kingdom, formerly British High Commis sioner to New Zealand, Andre Roche of France and Jeffrey Bader of the United States.

Png: Australians Feel Heat Of Crackdown

One of Papua New Guinea’s most colorful characters, second hand dealer Joe Davis, a Hungarian-born Australian, is in custody in Port Moresby pending hearing of more than 50 criminal charges ranging from cheque fraud, false pretences, stealing and conspiring to steal, to possessing stolen property. He has also been summonsed on charges of failing to pay taxes amounting to K 1.4 million (about SA2 million). The charges arise from the PNG Government’s clampdown on crime, and have to do with allegations that Davis master-minded rings of car thieves and house-breakers to maintain a flourishing export business of goods and vehicles to Australia, Taiwan, and other countries. The Port Moresby court was told during remand proceedings that Davis organised gangs to steal cars, strip them down, and sell the parts to his yard at Six-Mile, Port Moresby. The prosecutor said Davis would then buy the vehicle shells from insurance companies, rebuild them at his Four-Mile panel shop, using the stolen parts, repaint them, and then sell them through his used car yard at Waigani. Police said investigation of the extent of Davis’ businesses

was still in train. Other events in the case included the sacking of expatriate police officer Chief Inspector Kenneth Smith. PNG Police Commissioner David Tasion said Smith had done shoddy work which prevented prosecution of two Filipino men, alleged to be associated with Davis. They were deported after charges were dropped for lack of evidence. In Brisbane Mr Smith alleged he was sacked because he “knew too much” about the extent of the Davis connections. Meantime three other Australians prominent in Port Moresby business have been charged, and bailed, over allegations that they illegally purchased foreign currency and sent it out of the country. Those charged were John Woodward, managing director of the Davara hotel company, Leonard O’Mara of Brisbane, and Janet Fitzgerald of Sydney. O’Mara and Fitzgerald were employees of the Islander hotel. Sums in excess of $A500,000 are involved in the charges.

Vanuatu Steers Clear Of Moscow Show

Vanuatu decided in July that it would not be represented at the 12th World Festival of Youth and Students held in Moscow in August. The country had been offered five places by festival organisers, and it is understood two trade union officials and two government officials attended in an individual capacity. Prime Minister Father Walter Lini said he felt that sending an official delegation would cause division within Vanuatu’s youth groups.

He said; “There may be groups within and without the country working against the aims and unity of the youth organisation.

However, the government is determined to ensure that the youth groups are not manipulated. ” Fr Lini said that while Vanuatu youth should be encouraged to participate in national and international youth activities, at the same time they must be aware of the East-West ideological conflicts which could easily destroy the unity and strength of the national youth organisation in the country.

U.S. Bans Kava Imports

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has prohibited the import of kava (piper methysticum) for human consumption under the US Food and Additive Amendment of 1958, according to the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation Newsletter. The FDA ruled that kava is not safe or suitable as a food or food additive due to its “narcotic effect”, which depresses the central nervous and respiratory systems, and affects the heart. Kava imports for use in scientific research and as an ingredient in medicinal drugs by pharmaceutical manufacturers are not affected by the ban. Pacific traders are warned that kava shipments for human consumption, if seized by FDA agents, would be returned to the country of origin at the exporter’s expense. Meanwhile the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is trying to collect evidence for the safety of kava through laboratory tests on export quality samples, and examination of scientific literature, with a view to persuading the FDA to lift the ban of kava imports. The Regional Export Marketing Advisor, Dr H. K. Naidu, recently held ' discussions with the US Economic/Commercial Specialist in Suva, Mrs D. Surber, to clarify the situation.

Pamela Dunlop’S Cruel Dilemma

Somewhere in the South Pacific, between Tahiti and Australia, Bill Dunlop, a sailor from Maine, USA, disappeared a year ago in his three-metre yacht (last referred to in PIM, Aug., p 8). His wife, Pamela, believes her husband is still alive, shipwrecked on a remote reef or island, but she now faces a cruel dilemma. Only if she convinces a probate court that Dunlop is dead can she collect the life insurance money she needs to search for him. Mrs Dunlop has already made four trips to the Pacific, exhausting her own funds and SUS3O,OOO raised by supporters around the USA.

Dunlop, 44, was last seen leaving Aitutaki,Cook Islands, in June, 1984. He had embarked on a globe-circling adventure in his tiny craft, Wind’s Will, in July, 1983. A year earlier Dunlop had sailed his boat from Portland, Maine, to Falmouth, England. Under Maine law, a death certificate may be issued after a person is missing for five years, or if survivors can show evidence of probable death. The problem is that neither Mrs Dunlop nor Edward Heath, a lawyer and friend of the Dunlops in Mechanic Falls, Maine, believe he is really dead. “Mrs Dunlop and I don’t agree with the conclusion that Bill is dead,” Heath said. “But that is the evidence we would present to a court. ” Fox Butterfield of The New York Times through AAP.