| Marshall
Islands EPA
Ruling A Blow To Taiwan Dry-Dock
The Marshall Islands Environmental Protection
Authority has turned down a Taiwanese company's plan to locate a nearly $20 million
floating dry-dock in the center of Majuro, saying the location is not appropriate.
The ruling was a blow to Ching Fu Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. of Taiwan, which had picked
the location as the most suitable for the football field-sized facility that aims
to service the large number of Taiwanese and other purse seine fishing vessels
in the region. Ching
Fu president Steve Chen immediately responded by giving the Marshall Islands an
ultimatum. It had one month to find a suitable alternative location for the dry-dock,
or the company would take the project to Kiribati, Fiji or the Federated States
of Micronesia "where governments have expressed an enthusiastic interest in hosting
the floating dry-dock." Aside
from it being the biggest-ever foreign investment proposed for this nation of
55,000, Ching Fu says it would generate more than $11 million annually in revenues
to the country. Problems
developed largely because the government assured the Taiwan firm that its preferred
downtown lagoon site would work and did not initiate an environmental review process
at the very outset of the proposed investment. The government's port authority
had already signed a lease giving Ching Fu access to land adjacent to the proposed
location in the Uliga area of Majuro. In his state of the nation address last
January, Marshall Islands President Kessai Note told the country that the Taiwan
dry-dock would be in Majuro by May this year. But government officials didn't
count on Ching Fu's plan generating vehement opposition from nearby hotel operators
and residents who argued against it being located in the urban and commercial
center of Majuro. This led to the Environmental Protection Authority in March,
some nine months after the plan to bring the dry-dock to Majuro was first announced,
telling Ching Fu that it had to file an environmental impact assessment on the
plan.  | | An
aerial view of Majuro, Uliga dock area where the dry-dock was to be located, is
in the central part of the photo. |
In
rejecting the Uliga site of Majuro, the EPA made it clear that the only reason
it rejected a permit is because it was an inappropriate location for the industrial
facility. "It is the mutual interest of EPA, other Marshall Islands government
offices and Ching Fu to have this project proceed, though not at the expense of
other commercial and social activities already situated at the Uliga site," said
the EPA. Chen
says that the EIA process and significant additional uncertainties associated
with land tenure and seabed rights, left the company in a difficult position.
"There's now a limited window of opportunity for the Marshall Islands government
to secure this project," he said in early July. "We are not inclined to invest
significant additional resources in locating and negotiating an alternative site
in Majuro," Chen said. "If the government wants to secure this project it has
an opportunity to do so if it acts quickly." Local
resident Ben Chutaro, whose waterfront property is located a stone's throw from
the proposed site of the dry-dock, had been the leading opponent of the dry-dock
since the plan first emerged in mid-2004. He argued that locating the dry-dock
in the vicinity of two hotels, scuba dive operations and residences would seriously
damage tourism development. "It's not that the dry-dock isn't going to bring positive
economic development," Chutaro said. "It's that Uliga is not the right place.
Putting the dry-dock in Uliga is a big mistake and will kill tourist and other
developments." Government
Minister of Resources and Development John Silk has been the most vocal supporter
of the dry-dock plan for the jobs it will create, and criticized opponents for
being racially motivated. "I would hate to have us project an image of being unfriendly
to foreign investors because they come from Asia," he said in late June. "This
is really the first time where a foreign company is putting its own money into
an investment in the Marshall Islands. I'd hate to see a serious investment lost
because of prejudice that over-shadows all other issues.
-Giff Johnson |
American
Samoa Lee Appeals Human Trafficking Conviction
The
defense team for Daewoosa Samoa owner Kil Soo Lee says there are four main issues
in their appeal notice against his conviction for enslaving, starving and beating
more than 200 Asian workers at the now closed garment factory in Pago Pago. Lee's
attorney Earle Partington filed the notice of appeal in the Ninth Circuit Court
of Appeal in San Francisco on June 22, immediately after his client was sentenced
by U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway to 40 years in jail and ordered to pay
$1.8 million in restitution. Partington says one issue raised in the notice
is their argument that "Mr. Lee should have been tried in American Samoa, not
Honolulu." "Under the constitution, Mr. Lee should have been tried at the
district where the crime was committed, which means that under the Sixth Amendment,
the district is American Samoa," said Partington. "The only exception is if the
crime occurred overseas - where there are no U.S. jurisdictions." "As far
as we are concerned the High Court of American Samoa is the proper venue," he
added. "Hawai'i has no connection to this case." The second point in the
appeal, said Partington, is that the jury during Lee's trial should have been
instructed according to American Samoa law, "where Daewoosa operated within American
Samoa, but that was not done." The other two issues relate to the sentencing
guidelines and the prosecution's closing arguments during trial, which Partington
claims were "improper." During the hearing, former Daewoosa workers testified
about the conditions they faced at the factory, how badly they were treated and
what they endured during their employment. Prosecutors accused the defendant of
beating and starving Vietnamese and Chinese workers. They also claim that Lee
seized workers' passports so they couldn't flee and threatened them with deportation
and beatings if they complained or failed to obey. Governor Togiola Tulafono's
office had no comments on Lee's case. The Interior Department's Office of Insular
Affairs (OIA) says they are willing to help provide funding for American Samoa
to combat human trafficking. "If the American Samoa Government requests
it, OIA could provide technical assistance to the American Samoa government to
help it develop policies, procedures and systems that would better enable it to
prevent human trafficking," says DOI deputy assistant secretary for Insular Areas,
David B. Cohen. "Whether we would actually fund any specific proposal for
technical assistance would depend, as always, on the strength of the proposal
and whether we have sufficient resources available."
-Fili Sagapolutele FSM Micronesian
NGOs Flex Their Muscles
A community-based consultation in the Federated
States of Micronesia in mid-June named the FSM Alliance of Non-Governmental Organizations
(FANGO) as the national liaison unit for the FSM in relation to the Pacific Islands
Association of NGOs (PIANGO). About 25 FSM NGO leaders, Pohnpei state government
officials, College of Micronesia executives and others participated in the meeting,
the first of its kind in the FSM. Cema Bolabola, PIANGO's executive director
from Fiji, explained her organization's role in promoting sharing of information,
capacity building, strengthening of relationships and ensuring quality performance
in the NGO sector. "In order for NGOs to have impact, to be taken seriously or
to be able to influence decision-making at all levels, a collective position is
critical," FANGO director Tina Takashy says of the role of FANGO. Herman
Semes, interim FANGO board president and head of the newly formed Transparency
Micronesia Inc., an anti-corruption and good governance NGO, proposed and the
meeting endorsed FANGO as the national liaison unit for FSM and for PIANGO. The
immediate follow-up plan includes organizing NGO consultations in each of the
FSM's four states to focus on capacity building, designation of state liaison
units and registering NGOs. The group also asked PIANGO to work on localizing
in the FSM the Pasifika Indigenous Management Initiative, run by the Auckland-based
University of Technology, that offers post-graduate diplomas in management of
not-for-profit organizations. For more information on FANGO: http://www.devint.fm/fango.htm.
-Giff
Johnson Region Noble
Women Nominated For Peace Prize
The Pacific was the first region in the
world to make the historical nominations in the "1000 Women for the Nobel Prize
2005" campaign in June. 36 women were nominated from the Pacific region
under the "1000 Women" initiative, which calls international attention to the
vital role played by women from all walks of life in creating and promoting peace
in their communities around the world. Koila Costello-Olsen, who coordinated
the Pacific project at the Ecumenical Centre for Research and Advocacy (ECREA)
in Fiji, says the 36 women were chosen from "about 80" nominations in a process
that has spanned several years. "Some of the countries didn't send any names
at all, which was heartbreaking" Costello-Olsen says. She believes one of the
barriers was that the women selected had to approve of their nomination, and some
were reluctant to do so. She says the process was a thorough one, "There was quite
a vigorous process of filling out forms and getting referees and us checking referees." Launching
the nominations, Fiji High Court Judge, Justice Nazhat Shameem said each of the
women nominated was engaged in the struggle against violence and injustice.
"The 1000 women for the Nobel Peace Prize award, makes the achievement of women
visible." Justice Shameem said these are women who create miracles, whose
voices and actions are heard in societies, which often drown women's voices. "One
of the guiding concepts of this project is that it is recognized that for peace
to be achieved, the root causes of conflict must be addressed, and that peace
must be understood and approached in terms of human security," Justice Shameem
said. She said that the concept has great relevance for Fiji. "In
Fiji too many women have come to understand that peace cannot be built by papering
over cracks, and by sticking a band-aid over a raw wound." "That is not
peace, because underneath the cracks and the wound, the injury continues to fester." The
names of the 36 nominees are: Reverend Alexandra Hazel Gater (Australia), Amelia
Rokotuivuna (Fiji), Betty Blake (Tonga), Carmen Bigler (Marshall Islands), Eletino
Edwina Diana Walker (Cook Islands), Faith Bandler (Australia), Appolonia Talo
(Solomon Islands), Sr. Kathleen Kapei (Solomon Islands), Freda Talao (PNG), Gabriela
Ngirmang (Palau), Genoveva Alves (East Timor), Helen Hakena (PNG), Jane Keith-Reid
(Fiji), Josephine Sirivi (PNG), Jo Vallentine (Australia), Kupa Tjuta (Australia),
Lady Hilan Los (PNG), Maria Fernandes (East Timor), Maria Perriera (East Timor),
Marilyn Waring (NZ), Marion Hancock (NZ), Motarilavoa Hilda Lini (Vanuatu), Dewe
Gorode (New Caledonia), Marie Bopp Allport (French Polynesia), Unutea Hirshon
(French Polynesia), Patricia Watt (NZ), Pauline Tangiora (NZ), Fiame Naomi Mataafa
(Samoa), Mary Kini (PNG), Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls (Fiji), Shinobu Mailo Poll (FSM),
Sister Lorraine Garasu (PNG), Sister Ceciliana (Solomon Islands), Stella Cornelius
(Australia), Suliana Siwatibau (Fiji) and Dr Zohl de Ishtar (Australia). -Samantha
Magick | Samoa SPG
Preparations On Track
After a lengthy period of uncertainty which threatened
to derail Samoa's preparations to host the 2007 South Pacific Games, organisers
appear to have weathered a shaky, sometimes stormy, teething stage. Public
concerns that the construction of facilities were behind schedule have been dismissed
by local authorities. "Everything will be completed and we can't afford to let
it go further than 2006," South Pacific Games Authority (SPGA) Chief Executive,
Fonoti Ioane Etuale, said defiantly earlier this year. The
prevailing optimism comes as a relief after the highly publicised rift which escalated
between government officials and the national sports association last year. The
source of discontent originated over ownership rights and who was running the
games. The Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC)
which was credited with winning the hosting rights in 2001, perhaps felt threatened
by the growing government influence on the Games and wanted more input and representation.
Failure to resolve these issues stalled the transferring of ownership rights to
the SPGA. The SPGA needed these rights to initiate their marketing and sponsorship
drives. Many months were lost in the process, but a change in leadership at SASNOC
paved the way for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in March. The
MOU, personnel changes at the SPGA and the re-emergence of former sports administrator
Seiuli Paul Wallwork as a consultant, have been influential in getting preparations
back on schedule.  | | South
Pacific Games Authority CEO, Fonoti Ioane Etuale, explains the construction of
one of the indoor gymnasiums to government officials inspecting the facilities
at Tuana'imato, about five minutes drive south west of Apia, the Samoan capital. |
The
financial muscle provided by the People's Republic of China has also been a major
factor. As well as funding a ST$35 million (US$12.6 million) aquatic centre, China
is also pumping in an estimated ST$3 million (US$1 million) to renovate the Apia
Park Sports Complex which will host the opening and closing ceremonies. In
April, Fonoti led government officials on a tour of the main facilities at Tuana'imato
which proved popular and demonstrated that targets were being met. Meanwhile
Seiuli Paul Wallwork tells Pacific Magazine he accepts his new role is to help
get the Games back on track, after being among earlier critics of the cost and
magnitude of facilities for the Games. "My
advice has been on developing our elite athletes and let government take care
of the facilities," he says. "We need to perform well in front of our own people
if the games are to be a real success." Besides
the renovations at Apia Park and the construction of the aquatic centre, three
new indoor gymnasiums are being built. Construction of an archery and shooting
range and hockey field has also commenced at Tuana'imato. Most of the other sports
venues are either completed or close to it. Authorities plan to erect a beach
volleyball venue behind the Central Bank building on Apia's beach road. There
is no doubt the Samoan government has embraced the games as a political carrot.
Not only did they engineer the acquisition of some 300 acres of land at Tuana'imato,
the government allocated ST$10.1 million (US$3.65 million) in its annual budget
towards the games preparations. During
the June parliamentary budget session, a further ST$5.1 million (US$1.84 million)
was approved towards construction and operational costs. The
SPGA in collaboration with SASNOC is seeking to raise ST$20-ST$30 million (US$7-10
million) through sponsorship. And
if these targets aren't met? Cost cutting measures are being considered with the
reduction of sports seen as one solution. With an estimated 4,000 athletes and
officials from 22 countries likely to attend over 12 days, reducing the number
of sports could potentially save millions. SASNOC is looking at possibly 25 sports
for its 2007 programme.
-Peter Rees |
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