Briefs

Gun found on a high school student PAGOPAGO - The discovery of a gun on a student at one of Samoa’s high schools caused concern that local campuses will become just as dangerous as those in the United States.

The Samoa News reported that a teacher at Tafuna High School found a .357 luger pistol in the possession of a ninth grader.

The student allegedly brought the gun to school to shoot another student he did not like. The student who was not identified is said to have recently moved here from the United States.

Director of Education Doctor Sili Sataua says his department is not taking the situa tion lightly, even though the weapon involved was described as “a rustic gun that does not work”.

Doctor Sataua plans to introduce a feder al policy which calls for the expulsion of any student found with a gun on campus for one year.

The Education Director wants to expand the policy to include staff.

“Any staff member in possession of a weapon on campus would be immediately terminated,” he said.

Legislation, banning weapons from class rooms and school campuses is pending in the House of Representatives.

One of its sponsors, Representative Malaetasi Togafau says he will push for the bill’s passage when the next Legislative ses sion begins in July.

Tafuna High School, with close to 1,500 students is the largest high school in the ter

ritory.

This is not the first time a gun has been found in the possession of a student. The first such incident occurred in 1992 when a student threatened to shoot a teacher with a gun.

While students talked candidly about the incident, school administrators tried to cover it up.

The student involved was a United States bom Samoan who was sent home to be “rehabilitated” by his grandparents.

Many countries have begun to crack down on guns in high schools in the wake of a spate of shootings in the US.

Former PNG provincial Governor dies amidst fears of retribution attacks PORT MORESBY - There are fears of retribution attacks in the Papua New Guinea Southern Highlands, following the death of the former provincial governor in a road accident.

Police reinforcements were called to the town of Mendi, the provincial capital, to maintain order following the accident.

Dick Mune was travelling in a four wheel-drive vehicle near Mendi. It went out of control and Mune died from injuries sus tained as he leapt from the vehicle.

He was on his way to the national capi tal, Port Moresby to continue legal action to regain the parliamentary seat he lost in the last election. Police are investigating, though some people who believe it was no accident.

Mune’s election dispute was due to be heard in the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court at the end of May. The case will now probably be closed.

Reports from Mendi say the situation remains tense, and there are claims one man has been killed in retaliation for Mune’s death.

Australia pays 96 per cent of cost of the new Vanuatu defence headquarters PORT VILA - A new headquarters for the Vanuatu security forces has been opened in the capital Port-Vila.The Defence Force headquarters is funded by the Australian Government.

Brigadier Paul Teiss, representing the chief of the Australian Defence Force, Admiral Chris Barrie told dignitaries at the opening ceremony Australia’s decision to fund the new headquarters follows a review conducted by Australian defence authori ties.

Australian defence paid 96 per cent of the multi-million-dollar building in Port Vila. The balance came from the Vanuatu Government. Brigadier Teiss said Vanuatu plays an important role in Australia’s defence strategy.

“Australia takes its security interests very, very seriously, and Vanuatu gets a spe

cial mention because we regard Vanuatu as a Tier 1 country in the South Pacific.”

“Vanuatu is, of course, only two hours flying time from Brisbane so clearly events that take place in Vanuatu will impact upon the security of Australia, so it’s very, very much in our region,” Brigadier Tiess said.

PCRC Director leaves after 12 years SUVA - The out-going Director of the Suva-based Pacific Concerns Resource Centre (PCRC), Lopeti Senituli says the Centre has been instrumental in lobbying for a number of regional issues.

One of the most successful was the re listing of New Caledonia into the United Nations (UN) Decolonisation Committee in 1986. PCRC was part of the lobbying group that eventually convinced the UN to re-list New Caledonia. This happened after 16 years of lobbying and negotiations.

Senituli, Director of the Centre for 12 years since it moved to Fiji from Auckland ,said PCRC is mandated to speak out on issues of human rights violation, decoloni sation and environment for the people of the South Pacific. PCRC was at the forefront of the campaign against the French nuclear testing in French Polynesia.

He said his greatest achievement was the fact that regional governments had accepted the role PCRC plays as a legitimate voice of non-govemment organisations in the region.

“We are now able to be represented at some regional and national government level meetings ... even at discussions at United Nations level. This shows that PCRC is a legitimate voice for regional non-govemment organisation,” Senituli said.

PCRC is currently is working on a case where Fiji soldiers are believed to have been exposed to nuclear radiation in the 1950’5. The Centre has lodged a case with the European Court of Human Rights that Britain should be held responsible.

Senituli leaves the Centre in July. He told Pacnews he had been offered a number of positions including a lucrative job in Europe, a position with a regional organisa tion in Suva and one in Tonga. ■