long, long last
p. 21 · Read in the full issue
Some justice at long, long last
IN the late 19605, Pacific Islands Monthly publicised the plight of the BPC’s other “clients”, the Banabans.
In exile on Rabi in Fiji, they had left their island and were hard pressed in their negotiations.
After the Nauruans’ successful bid for independence, the Banabans issued writs for SI2O million against the UK government just as the latter was arguing with its Antipodean partners over division of the S2l million the Nauruans had paid. The Banabans claimed for rehabilitation, as per the 1913 Mining Agreement for Ocean Island, insisting the UK government had failed as trustees.
Litigation cost S 3 million and took five years. The settlement was SL2S million for not rehabilitating the land - almost covering legal costs. The judge, Sir Robert Megarry, said that although the colonial government had acted within the law, it had neglected its moral duties. Following his hint, the British finally paid 514.5 million over to the few hundred Banabans in 1981. By then, there was no more phosphate left on Banaba. □