Pacific Notes

Marshall Islands Tuna Plant Hits Tough Times - ADVERTISEMENT - Majuro's tuna processing plant was hit with a series of payless paydays from June through August and, in early September, the factory shut down and remained closed as Pacific Magazine went to press. The crisis at the processing plant is forcing the company to consider halting its current processing-which cleans, cooks and freezes skipjack tuna for canning in American Samoa-to move into fresh-frozen steaks and other higher-value fish products. The plant-owned by PM&O Lines President Robert T. Colson and a group of private investors, and known as the PMO Processing plant-was the largest private employer in Majuro with more than 600 employees and an annual $8-to-$9 million injection into the local economy. But it's never made a profit. The tuna processing plant in Majuro has become one of the largest private employers in the country, but has been hit by hard times because of small tuna and price competition from Asian and South American canneries. Photo by Giff Johnson As the plant shut down in September, PMOP management asked the government for money to make payroll. But a major issue confronting the government, which through its Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) guaranteed a $2 million loan from the Bank of Marshall Islands for the factory to start, is how much to keep pumping into the plant. As the first payless paydays hit, MIMRA agreed to refinance the loan, injecting $300,000 into the plant. To get the $300,000, PMOP agreed that all revenues from the sale of processed fish to StarKist in Pago Pago would be returned to Majuro. But officials in Majuro familiar with the operation say that in late July only 60 percent of the revenue from a shipment of tuna worth $190,000 was returned, while in June, although more than $200,000 in shipments went out, no revenue was returned to the Majuro operation. PM&O's Colson, who is based in San Francisco, told Pacific Magazine that the company is following the terms of the agreement, and "we have to pay a lot of bills from (San Francisco)." Colson dismissed speculation about connections between the money woes of the Majuro plant and the financial soundness of PM&O Line, which provides container-shipping service from the U.S. west coast through the central Pacific to Asia. The shipping company dropped its Saipan-Yap-Palau service late last year, and earlier this year reduced from three to two container ships, moves that Colson says have stabilized the shipping firm. Complicating the picture further for the Majuro operation is the fierce price competition from Asian and South American canneries-who pay around 50 cents an hour compared to the PMOP's minimum of $1.50. The company may now shift operations to frozen tuna steaks that sell for as much as $10 a pound in the U.S. in contrast to the pennies for the pound for the tuna it processes. Still, Majuro officials say the plant can work if all the revenue from processed fish sales is put back into the operation. Colson says, however, that through June, the plant suffered a net loss of over $860,000 and the investors have lost an average of $1 million a year since inception. -Giff Johnson

Solomon Islands

Prison Breakout Signals New Phase

Acriminal investigation and a joint civilian investigation are underway into the circumstances around a breakout by nearly 200 prisoners in Solomon Islands in August.

Armed Australian troops and police were forced to seal off Solomon Islands' main prison, after prisoners broke out of their cells and took over the main compound of the Australian-funded prison. The incident was the first concerted opposition faced by the Australian-led intervention forces since they deployed to Solomon Islands just over 12 months ago.

The new Commander of the Participating Police Forces Sandi Peisley, has denied it was a riot although more than SBD$1-$2 million damage was done to the just completed prison in the suburbs of the Solomons capital, Honiara. Peisley did concede that some prisoners had gained access to the open-sided prison kitchen and armed themselves with knives but others she said "had simply cooked themselves a meal."

Two Australian prison advisors had been attacked in the lead up to the breakout but suffered only minor injuries and it remains unclear the precise series of events which led to the remaining warders losing control of the entire complex overnight. But by early morning prisoners could be seen on the roof of their cells and most had penetrated an internal fence and were roaming the main complex at will.

Many of those involved are believed to have been on remand, some for up to 12 months, others were demanding to talk with the Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Allan Kemakeza, who last year invited the invention forces into Solomons.

Later a hand-written petition seeking a reconciliation ceremony and the extension of a now defunct amnesty to cover all the crimes for which the prisoners have been charged or convicted was presented to Solomon Islands Minister for Police Michael Maina.

The petition seeks an extension of the provision of the original Townsville Peace Agreement signed in 15 October 2000 which granted a qualified amnesty to all those who handed in their weapons within 30 days.

The Rove Prison complex was built with Australian-taxpayers funds last year as part of RAMSI's efforts to rapidly rebuild Solomons' justice system. The prison is barely coping with the rate of arrests that RAMSI's Participating Police Force and the Royal Solomon Islands Police have been able to set since the intervention took off 13 months ago.

More than 3300 people have been arrested since RAMSI began restoring law and order in the troubled island state last July.

Maina, the minister for police, subsequently said he believed the delays in the over-stretched justice system in processing cases which had resulted in long periods on remand for many of the prisoners, was one of the primary causes of the disturbance.

He said the Solomon Islands authorities as well as aid donors were moving as fast as they could to expand the court system with new facilities and personnel including judges.

However, Solomon Islands Public Solicitor, Ken Averre, said he remained concerned that many of the matters he had raised with the prison authorities on behalf of inmates had not been addressed.

-Mary Louise O'Callaghan

Cook Islands Election Result Uncertain Cook Islanders went to the polls early September, but which of the two major parties would form government was still unclear at the time Pacific Magazine went to press. On day one (Sept. 9th), the Democratic Party had won seven seats and the Cook Islands Party (CIP) eight. Voter turnout was about 74 percent. Apart from choosing their MPs, voters also voted in a referendum on whether to reduce the current term of parliament from five to four years. Results out just hours after polling booths closed threw some supporters off balance. Finance Minister and businessman Tapi Taio lost his seat by 35 votes. The number may be small in some countries, but that can be regarded as a safe margin in the Cook Islands elections, considering less than 10,000 voters registered to elect the 24-member Parliament. Democratic Party leader Dr. Terepai Maoate meets an election observer, Sadhna Sen at a polling station. Photo: Ulamila Kurai-Marrie The leaders of the two mainstream parties, Sir Geoffrey Henry for the CIP and his counterpart in the Democratic Party, Dr Terepai Maoate, won seats that they have occupied for the last two decades. The delay is in the counting of advance votes (postal ballots) and declaratory votes-votes by those who claim to be have registered but whose names did not appear in the electoral roll. Prime Minister Sir Robert Woonton narrowly won his seat, although his right hand man and lawyer, Norman George lost his. For final result, visit www.PacificMagazine.net -Ulamila Kurai-Marrie

American Samoa

FBI To Investigate Pirating Allegations

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been asked to launch an investigation into video and DVDs pirating in American Samoa as well as the possibility that money laundering has occurred. It follows two separate police raids last month of three Talofa Video outlets and Sunny Video store.

"This issue of pirating has been festering in the territory for years," says Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, the territory's Delegate to Congress. "There have been concerns for years now that there are no local laws that address pirating and patenting of products that are produced in the United States. I am officially requesting a full and complete investigation by the FBI on this matter."

Police told local media that during the raid of Talofa Video's three outlets, equipment and machines used for duplicating videos, CDs and DVDs were found along with computers used to download movies and music off the internet. Police also said they found $4,000 in cash and a local investigation continues with federal help.

Signs, such as these at Pago Pago International Airport, can be seen across American Samoa. They are for the more than 200 U.S. Army reservists from the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry, which has troops in American Samoa, Guam, Saipan and Hawaii. Reservists from all of these islands have been called to active duty, and will be stationed in Iraq by early 2005. Photo: Floyd K. Takeuchi

"I am curious as to how much money was confiscated by the police. And this gives me a strong reason to believe that money laundering is involved here. Money laundering is a very serious U.S. crime and the FBI will also be asked to look at this issue," says Faleomavaega. "The public demands justice and they should get it."

Faleomavaega says the federal government takes very seriously crimes of pirating and points to recent arrests in Hawaii for the same type of illegal activities.

In August last year, nine Hawaii residents were charged with criminal copyright infringement charges, including two Samoans, Temukisa Fuatagavi and Akiu Sale. The group faced various counts of conspiring to copy and sell, and copying and selling unauthorized copies of copyrighted movies or video games.

Both Sale and Fuatagavi entered separate guilty pleas this year to two counts each of the indictment and are to be sentenced in January 2005 at the federal court in Honolulu.

-Fili Sagapolutele

Region

National Records Fall At Athens Olympics

A number of Pacific Islands athletes had successful outings at the Athens Olympics. Nine national records were broken, and 13 athletes achieved personal best times.

Among the most impressive were Papua New Guinean swimmer Ryan Pini who broke PNG's National record in the 100 meter butterfly, and came 13th of 69 swimmers in the 100 meter freestyle.

Manuel Minginfel from the Federated States of Micronesia performed well in the 62-kilogram class in the weightlifting competition, coming tenth, as did Yukio Peter of Nauru who came eighth in his division.

Other athletes to break national records included the FSM's John Howard, Anderson Bonaparte and Tracy Anne Route, Kiribati runner Kaitinano Mwemwe, Papua New Guinea's Mowen Boino and Mae Koime and Fiji swimmer Carl Probert.

-Samantha Magick

Region

Amnesty's Pacific Call

Delegates to an Amnesty International conference in Brisbane have called on Australia "to strengthen its commitment to promote and protect human rights in the Pacific, leading by example." The Commissioner of the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, Dr. Shaista Shameem, told some 300 participants that "human rights is a whole new language (in the Pacific), we need to have patience and creativity," particularly in the absence in regional human rights mechanisms.

Australian Federal Police Commission, Mick Keelty told delegates that in the Pacific, the role of law and order institutions has generally begun when fundamental rights break down.

-Samantha Magick