Pacific Notes

Region Guam, PNG Mourn Pope, Remember Visits While Catholics throughout the world mourned the April 2 death of Pope John Paul II, Guam Catholics feel they had a special tie with the late pontiff. In the middle of the Hagatna street named in his honor-Chalan Santo Papa Juan Pablo Dos-stands a statue of John Paul on the spot where he celebrated mass during his visit to the island in February 1981. He endeared himself to Guamanians when he kissed the ground upon his arrival and, in Chamorro, told the people he loved them. During his papacy he elevated the status of Guam's bishop to archbishop; its diocese became an archdiocese and its cathedral a basilica. He also oversaw the beatification-a step away from sainthood-of Father San Vitores, the Spanish missionary who brought Catholicism to the Marianas. Roman Catholics on Guam gather in front of a statue of Pope John Paul II in central Hagatna. Photo: Frank Whitman Guam's population is estimated to be 85 percent Catholic. Upon the pope's death, the basilica's bells tolled 264 times-for the 264th pope-and the faithful began nine days of masses and rosaries as is the practice when a loved one dies. A number of prayer services were held throughout the island and many shared memories of John Paul. "Thousands came to the Plaza de Espana (the site of the pope's mass) many hours before sunrise to participate in his mass and to receive his blessings," says Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo of his visit. The visit to such a small island showed "how much he cared for all of his people." Lieutenant Governor Kaleo Moylan was 14 during the pope's visit. "We were at the mass (the pope celebrated) and my mother touched his arm," he said. "That meant a lot to her; she's Polish." Pope John Paul II was mourned around the Pacific. He also visited Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands in 1984, PNG for a second time in 1995, and Fiji in 1986. Papua New Guinea's estimated two million Catholics grieved at the news. "PNG is a predominantly Catholic country and we will always have very fond memories of the Holy Father's visits to Papua New Guinea where he made personal contact with and touched so many people from all walks of life in this country," Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare said. Pope John Paul II during his January 1995 visit used his apostolic authority and declared Papua New Guinean Peter ToRot be proclaimed blessed - one step away from being declared a saint in the Catholic Church. -Frank Whitman and Alex Rheeney

Tonga

No Suprises, But Impending By-Election in Tonga
As expected, the seven Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement (THRDM) incumbents easily won reelection in the March 17 national election to maintain their dominance of the nine elected people's representative seats. But the real question is how will Tonga's modest experiment in democratizing its Cabinet work? For the first time the Cabinet includes two popularly-elected people's representatives, as well as two nobles elected to Parliament-a response to the increasing strength of the pro-democracy movement in the kingdom.

But Pesi Fonua, editor of the magazine Matagi Tonga, says the "people have been fooled again" by the government. The fact that the two people's representatives-Dr. Feleti Sevele and Sione Peauafi Haukinima-had to resign from their posts as MPs in order to take the Cabinet positions "has legally aligned them with the government," Fonua says, adding that the "clever political move" by the government has led to a split within the THRDM and a weakened position, given its acceptance of the government's plan.

Clive Edwards, the former minister of police who was one of the most hard-line anti-media freedom and democracy advocates in the government, and who was sacked from his Cabinet post last year, is now leading a charge for greater democracy. The fact that Sevele and Haukinima had to resign their posts as MP to take the Cabinet postings means that there will be a by-election to fill these seats-an opening that could put Edwards into the parliament. And Edward's alignment with Futa Helu, the vice president of the Democracy Movement, is adding a new twist to the political landscape as this former insider has become one of the most outspoken critics of the government. Edwards and others contesting the two people's representative seats will go to the polls in the by-election on May 5.
-Giff Johnson

Marshall Islands

Poor Teacher Test Scores Show Education 'Crisis'
The fact that a majority of public school teachers in the Marshall Islands did not pass a high school-level English test underscores both a national crisis in education and the hurdles that must be overcome to improve the delivery of education in country of scattered atolls and islands.

In results announced at the end of March, 63 percent of 900 Marshall Islands teachers failed both the reading and writing sections of the test. Only 18 percent passed both parts of the test.

The significance of the start of teacher testing as an accountability tool cannot be over-emphasized in a country that has long suffered from a poor public school system, but has generally made little progress in fixing the problems. The requirement that teachers pass a certification test and have at minimum a two-year college degree are two of the more critical tools for improvement, given that currently more than 50 percent of all public school teachers have only a high school diploma.

"The teachers are not to blame," says Education Secretary Biram Stege. "They are a product of the Marshall Islands education system over the last 20 years."

The ministry is pushing teachers to upgrade their skills by giving them time off from teaching to attend the College of the Marshall Islands to obtain their two-year degrees, attend special workshops and other programs. Stege says that teachers who didn't pass the first test will be tested again later in 2005. Teachers have three years to improve their ability enough to pass the test, she says.

"It's easy to point fingers," Stege says. "But it's everyone's fault. We created it. We can fix it."
-Giff Johnson

Papua New Guinea

Bougainvilleans Head To The Polls
It has taken 18 years and the loss of thousands of lives for Bougainvilleans on Papua New Guinea's once-troubled island to realize their dreams of an autonomous government.

The islanders, whose land was the scene of bloody battles between Papua New Guinea government forces and the then Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) between 1987 and 1998, go to the polls this month to elect their first autonomous government.

The elections put Bougainvilleans a step away from a referendum to decide their own future, which is a guaranteed provision in the new Bougainville constitution that went into effect in December last year.

The PNG Electoral Commission says the elections should end early June and the island's new leaders sworn into office a few weeks later. The autonomous government would be led by a Bougainville legislature comprising 33 members with a president as the political head.

Election fever has gripped the island with the respected Bougainville Regional member John Momis recently announcing his resignation from a 30-year career in the PNG National Parliament to contest the autonomous government elections.

The election comes as the United Nations Observer Mission in Bougainville (UNOMB) prepares to pack up camp and leave the island by June 30, after a successful mission in which 2,014 guns were turned in to authorities.

But the public appearance in March of the Bougainville rebel leader Francis Ona outside of his Panguna stronghold after 16 years, has added a new dimension to the elections.

Ona told Bougainvilleans at recent public rallies that the PNG government, UNOMB and Australian Federal Police currently deployed on Bougainville should pack up and leave, as Bougainville - which he calls the Republic of Mekamui-was already independent.
-Alex Rheeney

Region

Regional Customs Heads Meet
The Oceania Customs Organization met in Guam in March to discuss the recommendations of an internal review committee, its role in the Pacific Islands Forum Regional Trade Facilitation Program, and updated law enforcement tools and concerns.

While the trade-facilitation and revenue-collection role of the Customs organizations remains critical, customs' law enforcement operations have become increasingly important in the post 9-11, post-Bali bombing world. "Supply chain security is a quite new concept that appeared after the terrorist raids," says OCO Secretariat head, Marc Jannier.

As the more likely targets of terrorist threats, the larger nations-Australia, New Zealand, and the United States-have a particular stake in ensuring that local efforts are effective. "The bigger countries have more resources," says Tim Horner, New Zealand national manager of customs policy. "We need to assist the smaller countries to implement strategies that will minimize the risk that is posed by transnational organized crime in the region."

The Customs Asia Pacific Enforcement Reporting System (CAPERS), funded by the United States, provides secure e-mail communications between the various customs organizations in the region. An upgraded version of the software and expansion of the CAPERS network were topics at the conference.
-Frank Whitman