Pacific Report

NEW ZEALAND’S Foreign Min ister Mr Marshall attacked the French Government for using de ception and bribery in October’s United Nations vote on New Caledonia. He was speaking in Canberra following talks with the Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Hayden.

The United Nations voted to refer New Caledonia to its Decolonisation Commit tee, but the vote was 20 votes fewer than a vote on the resolution last year.

Mr Marshall said the South Pacific Forum had lost ground at the United Na tions because of superficial acceptance of the September referendum in New Caledonia.

The New Zealand Foreign Minister ex pressed dismay at the French tactics be-

fore the United Nations’ vote, saying that a great deal of skill, deception and bribery was used to influence governments around the world over the New Caledonia issue, and that people had been bought off.

Mr Marshall criti cised countries such as Japan, Sweden, Can ada and Norway for

changing their votes on New Caledonia.

But he said the relationship that New Zealand and Australia had with France was not the most cordial.

On Fiji, Mr Marshall said, after the Hayden meeting, that if New Zealand opened its doors to migration from Fiji’s Indian community, it would only draw professional people who were needed for the country’s recovery. Extra migration by Fiji’s Indians would be taking unfair ad vantage of Fiji.

He said that if the situation there de teriorated badly, then New Zealand would talk to Australia and other countries about helping refugees and his country would consider refugee applications on a case-by case basis.

The New Zealand Minister said New Zealand and Australia were continuing to pool information on the Fiji situation.

New Zealand was sending its High Commissioner, Mr Gates, back to Suva.

Mr Marshall said Mr Gates would carry strong messages about what ought to hap pen in order to achieve a return to demo cratic government in Fiji.

The Australian Government has yet to decide whether to return its High Com missioner to Fiji. Mr Marshall said Aus tralia had slightly different views on the issue. The diplomats were recalled after the second military coup in Fiji. □

□ Fiji Medical Aid

THE AUSTRALIAN Government of fered to continue funding to allow six Aus tralian doctors to maintain an orthopaedic program in Fiji. Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Hayden, said the program had been a casualty of Australia’s suspen sion of all aid to Fiji following the second coup in September.

He said that because of Australia’s worries about direct dealing with the Fiji Government, money for the program would be provided through an interme diary such as a non-government organi sation. Canberra looked forward to a positive response to the offer from the Fiji Government.

Mr Hayden said he had been advised that more than 58 Fijian and Indian doc tors had left Fiji and there had been a mas sive departure of nurses. The departure was under way before the second coup.

The Foreign Minister said Canberra had been advised by the Head of the Fiji School of Medicine, Professor Lander, that assistance provided by Australian doctors was valuable, but was a marginal factor in the disintegration of health services.

□ Nz’S Illegal Immigrant Amnesty

A THREE-MONTH amnesty for illegal immigrants has begun in New Zealand.

The Immigration Minister, Mr Stan Rodger, said people applying for a tem porary permit would then seek legal status to remain in the country, or to get their affairs in order before they leave.

Mr Rodger estimated there were 12,000 illegal immigrants in New Zealand, in cluding 3738 Western Samoans, 2790 Ton gans, 810 Fijians, 1200 Britons and 738 Americans.

New Zealand immigration officials confirmed they will have access to other government departments’ computer files to assist their enquiries.

Mr Rodger said the criteria for allow ing people to stay will be re-unification with a family or the bringing of special skills or businesses to the country.

□ Huge Mururoa Blast

NEW ZEALAND scientists said France carried out in October its biggest nuclear explosion in the South Pacific for two years. The superintendent of the seismo logical observatory of New Zealand’s De partment of Scientific and Industrial Research, Doctor Warwick Smith, said the explosion had a force of 50 kilotonnes. He said it appeared to be the start of a new series of nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia.

The last French nuclear tests recorded began in June this year, with a series of four blasts over the following two months.

Doctor Smith said the French Govern ment had run a particular pattern of tests over the past three years, exploding four nuclear devices from April to June, and another four from October to December.

The latest explosion was the 88th since France began conducting underground testing at Mururoa Atoll in mid-1975.

□ Fighting Malaria

AN AUSTRALIAN Army research tech nician is to assist health authorities in the Solomon Islands to evaluate a new anti malarial drug.

Australia’s Defence Minister, Mr Bea zley, said that Sergeant Tony Barnett, of the Army Medical Research Unit, is on a six-week assignment to work with the Sol omon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services. Mr Beazley said the study would look into some aspects of the drug’s resistance to malaria.

□ Png Leads Bowls Upset

THE BIG surprise at the Pacific Bowls tournament, held over an exciting Novem ber week in Lae, was Papua New Guinea the host team. Throughout the highly competitive 11-nation event, the PNG men’s and women’s teams and singles players rewrote the record books playing what was described as a “cool game” against world-class teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Hong Kong, Singapore.

No matter what the final result, PNG has announced its arrival on the intern national bowls scene with players whose skill and good humour helped make the tournament a success with players and spectators alike. Organisers of future competitions will be hard pressed to match the high standards of administration and hospitality shown by the PNG Bowls Federation. □

NZ Foreign Minister Marshall

Action from the PNG women’s team.