Letters

Praise From Pm Wingti

Congratulations to News Limited on the new-look Pacific Islands Monthly. In deed, Pacific Islands Monthly is playing a vital role in the life of the island nations.

We enjoy your publication and look for ward to more of your interesting coverage of events in Papua New Guinea.

The Hon Paias Wingti Prime Minister Papua New Guinea

Fiji: The Real Tragedy

The tragedy of the two Fiji coups is that there is more at stake than just native land rights, as so many people sympathetic to Rabuka pretend. The democratically elected Government of early May was a coalition not only of Indians but also of progressive native Fijians. Bavadra him self, the Prime Minister, was obviously a Fijian. The land laws of Fiji could not have been changed without major native Fijian support.

To accuse the Indians of Fiji, who have lived there for generations and have con tributed so much to its economy, of want ing to take all power away from the native people is therefore, in my opinion, a dis tortion of reality.

I can understand, in light of what has happened to the native people of Hawaii, and what the French are perpetrating in New Caledonia, why native Fijians would feel militant about protecting their rights.

But are Rabuka and the chiefly hierarchy really doing that?

The real issue in Fiji is that the estab lished, conservative leadership of the Council of Chiefs and the old-line Alli ance big-wigs are trying to protect their own privileged status at the expense of popular reforms that could help all Fiji ans, native and Indian. The Army is pre tending to keep order but is really ending true democracy forever for the common people of Fiji in order to protect the inter ests of the old elite.

David A Chappell

Sea View Avenue Honolulu, Hawaii

Mead Accuracy Questioned

I have read Joseph Theroux’s review of Derek Freeman’s book in your magazine and read Freeman’s response. But for me, the real question is whether or not Mar garet Mead was a reliable reporter, ascer tained the facts, and then reported them correctly. Other evidence, unrelated to Sa moa, becomes relevant with reference to Mead’s accuracy in reporting. I suggest that persons interested in this question

read both the section on “gentle Arapesh” in Mead’s Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies and Fortune’s paper, “Arapesh warfare”, American Anthropol ogist, 1939, 41, pp 21-41.

Fortune certainly did not regard the Arapesh as gentle.

I am sure that existing records to do with the Australian governance of New Guinea would provide useful information concerning the relative accuracy of Mead’s and Fortune’s depiction of the Arapesh.

Ronald C Johnson

Professor and Acting Chairman University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu

Nuclear Insanity

Re the article on US Secretary of State Mr George Shultz and his views on nu clear testing ( Pacific Islands Monthly, Au gust). Surely a man in his position must know that no nuclear testing is “safe” where does all the waste go?

World peace cannot be achieved by a nuclear arms build-up. The French should also have enough sense to know that nu clear testing is insane. I am certainly not anti-American or, for that matter, against any nationality, but this useless testing must cease if we are ever to protect our environment.

If nuclear weapons are safe, test them under the Eiffel Tower or in Lake Tahoe.

Spare innocent South Pacific islanders the tremendous harm caused by this testing.

But maybe I should be careful or I'll find a limpet mine attached to my dugout canoe someday.

Richard Thomas Joyce

Peace Corps Volunteer Solomon Islands

Your New-Look Magazine

Congratulations on Pacific Islands Monthly. The Pacific region is experienc ing the most dynamic changes in its his tory coups in once-stable Fiji, history making elections and referendums, all against a backdrop of unprecedented power playing by major nations with vested interests. Thanks to Pacific Is lands Monthly , we now have a top quality publication that reports and analyses with style and accuracy. Your new-style maga zine is long overdue and going by the Oc tober issue you have become the indispensible source of Pacific news and views. I hope you will maintain your high standards.

Charles Winton

Remuera Rd, Auckland New Zealand