Briefs
pp. 7-8 · Read in the full issue
South Pacific Pageant to be staged in December 1998 SUVA, FIJI - THE Miss South Pacific Pageant 1998 will be staged in Suva, Fiji from December 1 to 6, to ensure greater participation by national pageant winners from around the region.
Announcing the new dates, Fiji Organising Committee chairperson, Mrs Anna Sweetman says, “The Miss South Pacific Pageant Board, based in Apia, and the Fiji Organising Committee concur that as a number of other Pacific Island coun tries do not stage their national pageant events until later in the year, deferring the event to December will ensure that The Miss South Pacific Pageant, “A Celebration of Women and culture” will be a regional event, the likes that Fiji has never witnessed!”
The reign of the current Miss South Pacific, Maryjane Moe-McKibben of Samoa will culminate at the Grand Final of the 1998 Pageant, an evening extrava ganza that will include traditional perfor mances, cultural costumes parades and entertainment, reflecting the theme for this year.
The Miss South Pacific Pageant was staged in Auckland last year, and this is the first time that Fiji will be hosting the event.
Fiji's General Bector Parties to unite SUVA, FIJI - With the national elec tions less than six months away, Fiji’s two main general elector political parties will finally unite at a special general meeting scheduled for September 19.
At a meeting in Suva last month, mem bers of the national executive of the General Electors Party (GEP) and the General Voters Party (GVP) unanimously endorsed proposals for the formation of a single, multi-racial party - the United General Party - to unite members and sup porters of the two parties.
This means that neither the GEP nor the GVP will contest the forthcoming general election as separate parties. In a joint statement, GVP and GEP party presidents, David Blakelock and David Pickering, hailed the unity proposals as a victory for reason, leading to the emergence of a strong, political entity.
"Unity has been reached after many months of patient negotiation,” the state ment said, “it was clearly understood that under the provision of the new
Constitution for multi-party government, the general electors would be seriously dis advantaged if they were divided”.
Australia takes tough stand against over stayers and illegal workers
Canberra, Australia - A Crack
down by Australian immigration authori ties on overstayers and illegal workers has resulted in more than 11,600 people being detained throughout Australia so far in 1997-98, according to Australian immigra tion minister Philip Ruddock. “During our first year in office, location of overstayers and illegal workers increased by 30 per cent - from 7,800 in 1995-96 to 10,138 in 1996-97.
Locations have further increased to more than 11,600 between July 1 1997 and May 31 1998 as the government continues to take a strong stand against people who flagrantly abuse immigration laws,” he said. “We often hear complaints from the tourism industry that our screening proce dures for tourists are too tough. However, it must be remembered that overstayers not only take jobs from people legally entitled to work, but they cost the Australian tax payer millions of dollars each year as immigration officers have to locate them.”
He said, “my department is making a con certed effort to ensure all visitors to Australia comply with the terms and con ditions of their visas”.
Solomon mining company denies it is nego tiating on new mine
Honiara, Solomon Islands -
The Gold Ridge Mining Company has dis missed rumours that it is negotiating with Central Guadalcanal landowners to mine new and bigger gold deposits in the area.
Premier of Guadalcanal Province Ezekiel Alebua has expressed concerns over the reports, saying both the national government and the mine owner, Ross mining must respect the province by informing it of any new developments.
Mr Alebua has also called on the landowners to seek advice before entering into any negotiations for prospecting and mining - and has demanded that the ■provincial government be involved in all
negotiations.
Meanwhile, general manager of Gold Ridge Mining lan Goudie says Ross Mining has the utmost respect for
Guadalcanal Province and provincial gov ernment and will not keep information from them.
He says the company is not negotiating any agreement with landowners in any area - and added that all deposits within the Gold ridge mining area are covered by the existing mining lease agreement.
Arms shipment still being sorted out
Honiara, Solomon Islands -
New Zealand is continuing to store a con tainer of arms owned by the Solomon Islands government while the Pacific Island nation figures out what to do with them, Solomons foreign minister Patterson Oti said. Oti said he had discussed the shipment in talks with NZ foreign minister Don McKinnon in the Solomon Islands capital, Honiara.
“They’re still in Auckland,” Oti said, “we are waiting for a number of things to be sorted out; first of all our storage capac ity and our need for them, that needs to be reassessed. Then thereafter we will have to look at other ways of disposing of those arms.” The shipment is part of a US$4 mil lion (A 56.7 million) deal ordered by for mer Solomons prime minister Solomon Mamaloni from United States arms dealer
Century Arms.
The Solomon Islands does not have an army and suspicions were raised in some quarters that the arms were destined for Bougainville, which lies at the eastern tip of Papua New guinea and neighbours the Solomons. New Zealand agreed to store the arms in January after receiving a request from the Solomon Islands govern ment that replaced Mamaloni’s adminis tration last September.
New shipping line to the Pacific
Pagopago, American Samoa -
Hamburg Sug, which recently purchased
the South Seas Steamship from a Norwegian company, A/S Thor Dahl, plans to continue providing marine transport ser vices between the US and the Pacific.
This was announced after a meeting between company subsidiary, Columbus Line, senior vice president Jurgen Pump and US Congressman Eni Faleomavaega.
Hamburg Sug, with assets of USsl.2 billion, has nearly 130 years of global marine transport and logistics experience.
It is Germany’s largest privately owned shipping company, and part of the Oetker
Group - a highly diversified organisation
with interests in shipping, hotels, food stuffs, beverage and tourism.
The company’s headquarters is located
in Germany.
PNG seeks support for ASEAN status
Port Moresby, Png - Papua New
Guinea’s Governor-General Sir Silas
Atopare has sought Filipino support for
an elevation in PNG’s status in the Association of East Asian Nations,
Asean.
Papua New guinea is seeking an eleva tion in ASEAN status from special observer to permanent observer. Sir Silas met recently in Manila, with Philippines outgoing President, Fidel Ramos, Cabinet members and the President-elect, Joseph Estrada.
The PNG govemor-General was in the Philippines to attend the country’s inde pendence centennial celebrations.
Tonga meltdown off the map I read with interest your Pacific Islands Monthly July 1998 magazine with the front page "The Pacific Meltdown". It had a professional meltdown design. There was a beautiful map of the South Pacific islands as well, with light blue colour for the Pacific Ocean. However, as far as I know the little island of Tonga should be on your map. I heard a rumour that the Island of Tonga already suffered a melt down many years ago. My request is, if it's true, please pick it up again and replace one Tahiti on your map.
'Aisea Filiha,
Melbourne, Australia