Pacific

Islands

Monthl Y

Vol 64 No. 1

The News Magazine

January 1994

From The

Editor’S Desk 6

Letters 7

Headlines 9

Pacific Diary 10

Political Round-Up 11

Business Bulletin 12

Business

Goodbye Uncle Sam 13 Flawke’s Vanuatu punt 14 Land of the falling yen 15

Cover Story

Fiji politics 17

Investment

Bikini’s investment strategy 22

Politics

Palauans approve Compact 24 Moore Stephens report rocks Vanuatu 27

Environment

Takaku’s mission 25

Travel

Island hotel costs 28

Books

The remaining French empire 29

Fishing

Fishing tales 32

The United Nations

Van Lierop dismissed 33

New Caledonia

‘We’ll set out together’ 39 An empty seat in Paris 40

Population

Battle of the bedroom 41

Computers

The Trade Match’ pilot 43

Farming

Back to the land 44

Yachting

Santo sightings4s

Sport

Vanuatu Games 51 7s giants have to qualify 54

Columnists

Bill McCabe 35 David Barber 37

Publisher: Brian O’Flaherty Acting Editor: Martin Tiffany Associate Editor: Arvind Kumar Correspondents: Christine Hatcher, David North, Ed Rampell, lan Williams. Johnson Honimae, Karen Mangnall, Liz Thompson, Nicholas Rothwell, Pesi Fonua, Wally Hiambohn.

Columnists: David Barber (Wellington), Futa Helu (Tonga, covering the Pacific Islands), Jemima Garrett (Sydney).

Julian Moti (Pacific Law), Alfred Sasako (The Forum).

Advertising Sales: • Regional Sales (South Pacific): Salendra Narayan, Tel (679) 304111, Fx (679) 303809 • Sydney. Canberra Bob Hill Media Represen tations. Tel (61-2) 4164245, Fx (61-2) 4165064 • Brisbane: Robert Walker, Media House, Tel (61-7) 3710533. Fx (61-7) 371-8904 • Adelaide: Hastwell Williamsons Representations.

Tel (61-8) 799522, Fx (61-8) 799735 • Melbourne: Brown Orr Fletcher Burrows (Aust).

Pty. Ltd. Tel (3) 696 5188 Fx (03) 696 5131. • Auckland: McKay & Bowman, International Media Representatives Ltd, Tel (64-9) 4190561, Fax (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. Regis tered by Australia Post, Publication No. NBP 1210. © Copyright Fiji Times Limited, 177 Victoria Parade, Suva. Fiji. Tel (679) 304111, Fx (679)

303809. Tx Fj2124.

Pacific Islands Monthly is published monthly by The 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 The Fiji Times Limited, 177 Victoria Parade, Suva. Fiji.

Yad Singh Games parade: members of the Tonga team at the opening of the Mini South Pacific Games in Vanuatu. More on pages 51-53