Pacific

Islands

Monthly

Vo I. 62 No.l

The News Magazine

January 1992

Fiji:

Ratu Mara, Man of the Year 8 South Pacific Renaissance The miracle in Suva

Vanuatu:

God bless the coalition 12 Vietnamese boat people, they could have been a new import 14

East Timor:

Back on the agenda 15 From the Portuguese pan into the Indonesian fire 15 ‘Betrayal’ by the South Pacific 19

Bougainville:

Still an island of death 20

New Caledonia:

Can New Caledonia find consensus 9 24

Jacques lekawe, recently appointed secretary general of the South Pacific Commission 22

New Zealand:

Winston Peters has been sacked but not silenced 32 A dream sours, as recession dispels the myth of the land of opportunity 33

Fsm;

Bailey Olter’s big catch with tuna-canning rights 35

Western Samoa:

After Cyclone Val, the struggle to rebuild the economy begins 36 Tougher building standards: would they have helped? 37

French Polynesia:

Cyclone Wasa, the return of the El Nino factors? 39

Solomons:

On the tourism trail 43 A new, but modest spirit for the airline 44

Tourism;

Cracking the European market, is Expo the go? 45 Trash or treasure; the under water relics of American Samoa and Palau 51

Yachting:

More tales from The Fellowship, as two Finns cruise the waters of Fiji 52

Environment:

Eco-fix that needs fixing 54

Business:

Crackdown on Fiji VAT offenders 41 On the agenda for the new Fiji government 41

Columnists:

Jemima Garrett: 20 David Barber: 26 Margot O’Neill: 30

Letters: 4

Shipping: 48

Headlines: 40

WIN a trip to Tonga! 16 Pacific Islands Monthly photographers use Fuji films.

Publisher: Geoffrey Hussey Editor: jale Moala Assistant Editor: Beryl Cook Senior Writer: Martin Tiffany Correspondents: Al Prince, Angela McCarthy, David North, David Robie, Diana McManus, Dykes Angiki, Frank Kolma, Franck Madoeuf, lan Williams, Irene Nisbet, John Hunter, Karen Mangnall, Lovenia Enari, Lito Vilisom, Macel Manua. Nicholas Rothwell, Pesi Fonua, Richard Dinnen, Ulafala Aiavao, Wally Hiambohn

Columnists: David Barber (Welling ton), Futa Helu (Tonga, covering the Pacific Islands), Jemima Garrett (Syd ney), Margot O'Neill (Washington) Business and Advertising Man ager: Charlotte Thomas Advertising Sales: • Regional sales representative (South Pacific): Salendra Narayan, Tel (679) 304111, Fx (679) 303809 • Sydney. Melbourne: Fergus Maclagan, Tel (61-2) 4134689, Fx (61-2) 4123918 • Brisbane: Robert Walker, Tel (61-7)

3710533, Fx (61-7) 8798964 • Adelaide. Hastwell Williamsons Rep resentations, Tel (61-8) 799522, Fx (61-8) 799735 • Auckland: McKay International Me dia Reps Ltd, Tel (64-9) 4190561. Fx (64-9) 4192243 • Japan: Universal Media Corporation, Tokyo. Tel (3) 6663036, 6663094, Cable: UNIMEDIA Tokyo, Tx 2524665 Founded 1930 (USPS 952480). A Fiji Times Limited production.

Cover prices are recommended retail

only. Registered by Australia Post, Publication No NBP 1210. C Copyright Fiji Times Limited, 177 Victoria Parade, Suva. Fiji. Tel (679) 304111, Fx (679)

303809, Tx Fj2124

Pacific Islands Monthly is published monthly by Fiji Times Limited, a division of Nationwide News, 2 Holt Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW 2010.

Send address changes to: • Pacific Islands Monthly. PO Box 1167, Suva Fiji, Typeset and printed by Fiji Times Limited, 177 Victoria Parade, Suva, Fiji.

Ecology: The islanders were centuries ahead with the notion