pacific report

Png, Indonesia

Sign Treaty

Papua New Guinea and Indonesia have signed a treaty committing the two countries not to threaten or use force against each other. The Treaty of Mutual Respect, Friendship and Co-operation was signed in Port Moresby by PNG foreign minister, Mr Legu Vagi and his Indonesian counterpart, Dr Mochtar Kusumaatmaja. At the signing cere mony, Dr Mochtar said the treaty repre sented a basis for building on what he called “A remarkable increase” in co operation between the two countries.

Under the treaty proposed by Papua New Guinea the two countries agree to settle any disputes by arbitration and conciliation. As a last resort, the United Nations could be asked to adjudicate.

Vagi said a framework for the peaceful resolution of disputes was highly desir able. The agreement also provides for mutual recognition of national interests along the 760-kilometre border. How ever, it does not allow for joint border military operations, nor for the extradition of each other’s citizens. Officials in Port Moresby said the treaty would not affect the status of the 11,000 Irian Jayan border crossers now living in Papua New Guinea. However, Dr Mochtar, in a later address to the PNG Press Club inti mated that Indonesia may seek joint military action on the border at a later date. He was asked about another treaty still under discussion that would provide for joint emergency search and rescue operations in the border area and whe ther such provisions could be used to disguise search and destroy missions against OPM activists. He replied that if Indonesia wanted a specific joint military action, "We would be frank about it.

There may come a time when we have such co-operation.” Vagi, however, later ruled out the use of force against the OPM rebels. In a meeting with repre sentatives of two Swedish women’s peace movements, he said the use of the PNG Defence Force against the OPM was very unlikely but, he said, the government would try to ensure through regular consultation that there was no border conflict. The Opposition claimed the treaty was an effort to legalise the genocide of Melanesians in Irian Jaya.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman, Mr John Giheno, said the government had blundered in proposing the treaty and the motives behind it were sinister as it promoted the passive genocide of Melanesians in Indonesia's border pro vince. Giheno said the treaty also pre vented future PNG governments from raising concerns about human rights

abuses in Irian Jaya. He also said that PNG would not now be able to protest against any violation of its border by Indonesia without such a protest being considered unfriendly conduct.

Satellite Town

Goes To Tender

Fiji will invite overseas investors to tender for sites in the commercial centre of a satellite town to be developed at Valelevu, 10 kms north of Suva. Housing minister, Mr Edward Beddoes, said the venture would be the first of its kind in Fiji. The first stage, costing $2.5 million wilh include commercial and office pre mises, supermarkets, a market place and some housing. The project will be centred on the Nasinu district where the population has doubled to 40,000 in the last 10 years. Mr Beddoes said this could double again with the deve lopment of the satellite town. Valelevu already has an industrial estate with 30 factories and commercial premises. It will eventually be the centre of municipal administration for the area.

State Of Emergency

On French Island

France declared a state of emergency on its Pacific territory of Wallis and Futuna following reported unrest among local traditional chiefs. The decision was announced by the French Embassy in Canberra where a spokesman told Reu ters that the French High Commissioner in New Caledonia, Mr Jean Montpezat had declared the emergency and had sent 30 policemen from Noumea to re-inforce the five in the two island groups. The unrest followed the transfer of eight French public servants. Reuters reported that Wallis’ King Tavelua had expressed his disappointment at the transfers and that some high chiefs wanted to stage a protest outside the home of the administrator, Mr Jacques Le Henaff. Some members of the territo rial assembly told the newsagency by telephone that the emergency decision was unnecessary and an over-reaction.

The state of emergency was lifted after only one day, the French newsagency, AFP, reported, quoting Le Henaff as saying the situation had returned to normal. However, he told AFP that he would not hesitate to reimpose the emergency ruling if things again got out of hand. Wallis and Futuna has a population of about 10,000, mostly Polynesians.

Riots, Looting As

Okuk Dies

PNG highlands politician, Sir lambakey Okuk, died on November 14 reportedly of liver cancer. His death sparked riots and the looting of shops during a state funeral in Port Moresby. Highlanders who felt insulted that a national day of mourning had not been declared and that people were working normally, blocked main roads and fought with police. Local criminal elements took advantage of the confusion. Long time Port Moresby residents said it was the worst rioting the capital had seen. Later, there was further rioting as Sir lam bakey’s body was taken to the highlands centres of Mount Hagen, Goroka and, finally, Kundiawa near Sir lambakey’s home village. He was 32 and buried peacefully on November 23. Sir lam bakey was the last of the ’’action man” highlands politicians, a man who de sperately wanted to be the first high lands prime minister. A politician for whom the end was always more impor tant than the means, he was superseded by a younger, more intellectual brand of MP as typified by Mr Paias Wingti the first highlands prime minister.

Kenilorea Forced

To Quit

Solomon Islands prime minister, Sir Peter Kenilorea, resigned after losing the support of six senior ministers. He had earlier come under fire from all sides after accepting an aid offer from France's South Pacific minister, Mr Gas ton Flosse, to rebuild a school and other buildings in Sir Peter’s home village after the damage caused by Cyclone Namu.

Sir Peter vehemently denied any wrong doing saying all reconstruction aid was welcome. In his letter of resignation, he did not refer to the affair but merely noted that his support had dwindled to a level where could not effectively run the government. Parliament was to meet early this month to elect a new prime minister.

Call To Halt

Localisation Policy

A report on Papua New Guinea’s labour market has recommended that the gov ernment drop its policy of full localisation of the public service. Under current policy, all but the most technical posi tions are filled by Papua New Guineans.

In a report for the Institute of National Affairs in Port Moresby, Dr Paul McGavin of Flinders University, South Australia, said the government should be more concerned with developing the compe tence of nationals rather than giving them jobs. He said that for the deve lopment of the nation and of its citizens’ skills, localisation of jobs should not come too early. Dr McGavin’s report contains 52 recommendations, including an annual review of the labour market, continued government support for the Minumum Wages Board and the aboli tion of wage indexation.

No Entry For

Opm Deportee

The Papua New Guinea government has denied entry to an Irian Jayan originally deported in 1979. Foreign affairs officials rejected a visa application by Mr John Ondowame, who now lives in Sweden, on the grounds of his previous deporta tion and conviction of being a member of an Irian Jayan independence move ment. His visa application, originally approved, was later rejected. Ondo wame was to have accompanied two members of a Swedish women's peace movement to PNG.

Tourism Gets

Top Priority

Western Samoa has decided to make tourism development a very high priority.

The country's minister for economic developmemt Le Tagaloa Pita and fin ance minister Pualagi both told the national economic summit in Apia that the government was committed to deve loping the industry as the nation’s major earner of foreign currency. They said about $25 million had already been spent on improving the industry and more would be spent during the next five years. However, the conference empha sised the need to retain the country’s cultural identity in any tourism deve lopment and heavily rejected a sugges tion to open a casino.

Marshalls Get

Self Government

After 17 years of negotiations with the United States, the Marshall Islands have become self governing. The Compact of Free Association, now in effect, allows the Marshalls government to make its own laws while remaining dependent on the US in defence matters. The new status was marked by a state of the nation speech by president Amata Kabua who said it was not the govern ment but the people of the islands who should take credit for their emergence as a free nation. The change was

approved by the islanders in a referen dum last year. For nearly 40 years, the Marshall Islands had been part of the United States Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The compact applies for 15 years and is renewable.

No Deal For

Soviet Fleet

Kiribati announced it would not renew its fishing agreement with the Soviet Union.

The announcement came hard on the heels of the agreement reached by the United States and island officials on a fishery access deal. The Kiribati deal with the Soviet, which expired in Octo ber, was worth about $3 million. The Kiribati minister for natural resources, Mr Barbera Kirata, said the Soviets had wanted to reduce the number of their fishing boats and pay less than half the previous agreed rate.

Labour Wants To

Scrap Tv Deal

The Fiji Labour Party says it will try to scrap Fiji’s new television agreement with the Australian group owned by Mr Kerry Packer. The assistant secretary of the party, Mr Mahendra Chaudhry, said Mr Packer’s PBL Ltd had been given a 12-year monopoly on television in Fiji without a study of its social consequ ences. He told a Sydney conference on the Pacific that if Labour wins power in next year’s general elections, it will try to end the agreement.

Minister Raps

Union Bosses

Vanuatu’s trade union leaders have been criticised by home affairs minister, Mr Sethy Regenvanu. The minister said union chiefs had travelled overseas without his consent in contravention of the Trade Union Act. He said union leaders had also formed associations with external bodies, also without his permission. Regenvanu also said foreign organisations had come to Vanuatu and had become involved in the unions’ internal affairs. He said union leaders should spend more time in Vanuatu looking after the interests of their mem bers than travelling overseas.

Population At

Record Level

Tonga officials said they expect the national census, due to be held last month, to show a total population of more than 100,000 for the first time. The census was to be held throughout Tonga’s 36 inhabited islands from November 24-28. At the last full census

in 1976, the population was just over 90,000, nearly 13,000 more than in the 1966 count. A “mini census” in 1984 put the figure at 96,592. The government allotted about $23,000 for the census and statistical work which, for the first time will be done in Tonga rather than Fiji as previously. More than 400 teachers and statistics department officials will conduct the survey.

France Reviews

Vanuatu Aid

A French government ministerial com mittee on the South Pacific is to review France’s aid program in Vanuatu, cur rently amounting to about $24 million a year. The committee may decide to divert some of this money through a French economic co-operation fund for development projects in the region.

Reporting the impending establishment of the fund La Depeche De Tahiti said it would be welcomed by francophiles throughout the region who were “fed up” with the attitudes of certain countries hostile to the very idea of a French presence within the South Pacific. La Depeche named Vanuatu prime minis ter, Fr Walter Uni, pointing out that while he had the “bad taste” to criticise France, his country continued to receive French aid. The newspaper also re ported that French Polynesian Under Secretary of State for South Pacific Affairs, Gaston Flosse, who has never hidden his irritation at Vanuatu’s views, said: “French aid in the region must not be reduced." However, according to La Depeche he hinted that it might distri buted differently. He was reported to have said in Noumea: “French aid must be distributed differently. This is under review and countries like Vanuatu can not receive more money while they are doing all they can to chase us out of the Pacific.” Vanuatu, however, seemed un deterred at the implied threat. The country’s representative in the United Nations, Mr Robert Van Lirop, while speaking in support of New Caledonia's reinscription with the decolonisation committee, told the General Assembly: “We have also been told that economic aid to Vanuatu will be terminated if we persist in bringing the question of New Caledonia to the United Nations. This is a most unfortunate suggestion. Naturally we do not want to see this aid termin ated. Vanuatu is, after all, a small developing country. In fact it is one of the least developed countries. However, we will not be intimidated in this way, or in any other manner. Similar threats have been made and carried out against other countries. Vanuatu is not the first and probably will not be the last to be treated in this fashion. We regret this, but such is life. We have always believed that the administering power is above such actions. We still hope that it is. However, if it is not, Vanuatu will survive and New Caledonia will still become independent.

Nothing will stop that process."