Whispers
Whispers
The French Connection
Why does France wants to hang on to French Polynesia? Why do most of French Polynesia’s inhabitants still want to hang on to France?
France’s colonial minister, Brigitte Girardin expounded explanations while scooting around the territory in August. Those 1960 to 1996 nuclear tests at Mururoa, in the Tuamotu islands, were “indispensable” to the preservation of France’s sovereignty, she said.
“Without French Polynesia, France would not be a great power. We therefore must remain immensely grateful to the Polynesian population and the token of this gratitude must never fade away.”
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The token in 2000 was worth 860 million Euros and in 2001 - 1000 million Euros. That’s 4100 Euros per person in French Polynesia.
You’re Not WelcomeSecurity mania is deepening in American Samoa, a place where neighbouring Fiji’s 60,000 Muslims might not find welcomed.
The territory’s Attorney General, Fiti Sunia has banned the admittance of anyone who looks like an Arab without his personal approval. So some holders of a Fiji passport should be prepared for a confrontation with bureaucrats on arrival at Pago Pago Airport. It’s not just the Pacific’s Muslims who should be prepared. Imagine the reaction when one of Fiji’s turbaned Sikhs front up there?
Who’s not paying?Well, the Pacific Community seems to be keeping a tight lid on those countries that have not paid their dues. Reliable regional sources reveal that several countries including Guam where Lourdes Pangelinan, the director general comes from, have not paid up their yearly dues. Non-payment of dues has been a hot topic at past CRGA (Committee of Government and Administration) meetings.
Honiara Seeks Divine Intervention
Extra-marital affairs seem to be the in-thing in the region particularly amongst senior public servants, politicians and even cabinet ministers. In the Solomon Islands, some politicians have second, third and fourth wives on the side, in addition to the legal one. The problem is so serious there that it was raised at its cabinet meeting. One cabinet minister who was given the task to say a prayer after the discussion said something like this: “Father give us the courage to get rid of all the seconds, thirds and fourths from all our lives.”
Soaring High - Kiribati’s Airline Plan
Kiribati is soaring into a new international airline venture, undeterred by memories of what it cost years back to run an old Boeing jet on some of the world’s leanest and loneliest air routes.
Since July, an ATR 72 prop-jet, leased for a whispered US$110,000 a month, has been sitting at Bonriki Airport, awaiting a little matter of all the clearances needed for international flights.
The trouble is it doesn’t have a director of civil aviation or various other officials needed for such clearances. In August, hurried attempts were being made to hire the technical folks required. Determined to end its reliance on Air Nauru for international air links, Kiribati is said to be prepared to shoulder the estimated A$3 million cost of operating the 60-seat ATR while hoping to whittle down part of the bill by flying to such places as Tuvalu and Fiji.
But Tuvalu, owners of a chunk of Air Fiji, isn’t willing to lose business by letting the ATR 72 pick passengers up at Funafuti. Fiji is said to be unwilling to allow the aircraft into Nausori (Suva) Airport.
Another hurdle is the distance between Tarawa and Christmas Island. The ATR’s legal over water ability to cover this 3000 kilometres hop is whispered to be about 200 kilometres short of the distance.
Switching sides?Is it true that Solomon Islands opposition member, Alfred Sasako, a former journalist turned politician, could be crossing the floor to join Sir Allan Kemakeza and Synder Rini’s government soon? Well, our sources in Nadi mentioned that discussions were held there while the Solomon Islands delegation was in Fiji for the Pacific Islands Forum meeting. It would be interesting to see what is on offer.
CROP Who?
CROP organisations are taking another look at themselves particularly their importance in the Pacific scheme of things. One senior CROP organisation official was cut up with how the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Suva did not raise a thing about a report tabled by the CROP organisations. The official was reported to have said he was wasting his time attending the Forum meeting since the leaders did not bother with its tabled CROP report.
CROP also known as the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific, comprises the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Pacific Community, Forum Fisheries Agency, University of the South Pacific, South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission, South Pacific Tourism Organisation, Pacific Islands Development Programme and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
Fiji Coup UpdateAfter more than two years there’s still some interest in Fiji in ascertaining the identities of behind-the-scenes instigators of the last coup and in wondering when the next one will occur.
There had been some expectation that a few beans would spill at the trial of former journalist, Josefa Nata, and former MP, Ratu Timoci Silatolu, who unlike some others charged with being involved in the coup, have pleaded innocent.
Some of the beans were expected to be produced by former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, deposed by the coup, who is expected to be an early prosecution witness. But after getting underway last March, the trial is still bogged down in such matters as legal aid for Silatolu. Nata got it but the Fiji legal aid commission said Silatolu didn’t qualify for it.
In August, Australian judge, Justice Wilson, after numerous adjournments still displaying extraordinary patience and courtesy, said it was obvious Silatolu could not afford the hefty cost of defending himself. He directed the government to fix him up with a defender. One was produced but the government said it would appeal against the judge’s ruling.
Judge Wilson, who presided over the extraordinary case in Samoa that led to two cabinet ministers being convicted of murdering another minister, said it looked as if the trial proper wouldn’t begin before next January. After the coup’s official leader, George Speight, got the death sentence last year, only to have it immediately commuted, the government, which sort of owes Speight for being in power, rushed a bill through parliament to abolish hanging.
But according to Judge Wilson. it may be that the gallows hasn’t gone off business yet. There’s been some balls up about the technicalities of the abolition procedure, it seems.
Long Live Kava ExportDespite all those low-down unproven aspersions about the great Pacific Islands’ tipple pure extract frozen kava is being shipped to New Zealand and Hong Kong.
Dr Vince Lebot, whose research in Vanuatu qualifies him as being probably the world’s foremost kava expert, says it won’t be long before real quality bottled stuff will go on sale “This is what the future will be for most Pacific Islands, to put kava in a bottle and export it,” he told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin newspaper while attending a kava conference in Hawaii.
Allegations of liver damage caused by kava “were a major misunderstanding,” he said. “Different people are not talking about the same thing. We believe what’s going on in Europe is due to the manufacture process. We’re dealing with a completely different product.”
Talking About AIDSWell, organisations set up to create awareness about the deadly disease are trying to find innovative ways to promote the issue. One such foundation, the New Zealand AIDS Foundation, came up with a National Penis Day.
As part of this campaign, the foundation thought it fit to erect billboards featuring (non-erect) men’s penises to mark the day on September 5. But it was blocked from erecting the billboards.
Foundation executive director, Kevin Hague, in a statement said: “It seems that despite practically everyone either having a penis or being pretty familiar with the sight of someone else’s, men’s penises are considered to be so obscene and offensive that they cannot be shown on a billboard in New Zealand.
“At the risk of seeing the headline “AIDS Foundation fails to get it up” , I think we have to highlight the rich irony in what has occurred: a campaign to demystify the penis and highlight the demonisation of men’s sexuality has fallen victim to the same mindset that saw early missionaries hack the penises from carved figures in New Zealand and the Pacific. It demonstrates the 19th century attitudes are alive and well in New Zealand today.”
Cost Of Granting AccessLike the Solomon Islands, Kiribati is discovering the cost of granting port access to foreign fishing boats. In August, after pressure from the churches, the government said it would ban overseas fishing boats from Tarawa unless young women stopped flocking aboard them to meet the recreational needs of crew members.
In August, police hauled off 40 girls deemed to be engaged in such services inappropriately. Kiribati’s authorities are worried about the transmission of sex diseases to locals particularly HIV/AIDS, which is already well established in Kiribati. Noro, the Solomon Islands fishing port, became a port of entry for the introduction of imports the government didn’t wish for.
Doing TimeTonga is following Fiji by turning a small island into a dumping ground for troublemakers. According to Ma’tangi Tonga magazine about 50 teenaged housebreakers have been shipped off from Nuku’alofa to do time at ‘Ata Island, an hour’s boat ride away. There they are made to fend for themselves mainly by catching fish. The junior jailbirds are allowed a monthly visit to Tongatapu to attend church and visit their families.
SDL’s Rule Plan
Interesting times ahead for Fiji. A copy of the ruling party, Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua’s August meeting minutes was quite revealing. The minutes told of the party’s intention to rule Fiji “in perpetuity”. And that’s not all, it intends to raise F$2 million for its next election campaign and this is to come from members of the party who have agreed to contribute F$1000 each.
