Government Briefs

All of Taiwan's six diplomatic allies in the Pacific, plus Fiji, spoke up for Taiwan's bid to join the United Nations. The moved failed despite speeches by the leaders of Kiribati, Tuvalu, Palau, Nauru, the Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and a number of Taiwan's other allies requesting the resolution be considered. This is the 13th year in a row that Taiwan has tried and failed to gain recognition from the UN. -- GN

Postal rates to and from the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia are expected to increase as much as 55 percent beginning in 2006 as a result of provisions in the amended Compact of Free Association, according to the United States Postal Service. -- GJ

Papua New Guinea

A pro-logging lobby group has urged the National Forest Authority to revoke the permit of local company Kerawara Logging. The Forest Industries Association says the company's permit to log the central province's Manumanu area was illegally issued. -- AR

PNG Internal Security Minister Bire Kimisopa has refused to accept the revised policing component of the Enhanced Cooperation Program (ECP) agreement with Australia. He says the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary did not need to get advisers under the revised agreement and is pushing for the new agreement to be renegotiated. -- AR

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

After four years of negotiations with the current commonwealth administration, the sale of telecom operator Verizon to Pacific Telecommunications Inc. (PTI) finally went through on September 21. The sale of the company is reported to have cost $60 million. The sale was not easy, as Governor Juan N. Babauta opposed the sale from the beginning. After the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, D.C. approved the sale, the Northern Marianas administration still put up roadblocks until the Commonwealth Telecommunications Commission (CTC) finally approved the sale on several conditions and continued negotiations with Verizon and PTI. -- FSR

Samoa

An agreement signed in the last week of September between the government of Samoa and the University of California at Berkeley should see Samoan control extended over the use of one of its native plants for AIDS treatment. The agreement involves the use of the local mamala tree (Homalanthusuntans) to increase the production of the anti-AIDS drug Prostalin. The drug is found naturally in the bark and stem tissue of the mamala tree. Berkeley scientists are researching ways to isolate the genes of the drug from the mamala tree and use them to produce pure inexpensive drugs. According to Dr. Paul Cox, whose work with Samoan healers led to the discovery of the drug, the agreement extends Samoa's sovereignty over the gene sequence, the first time this has happened with any plant from Samoa. It will also allow the Samoan people, especially those who taught him use of the plant, to share from any profits. -- AT

American Samoa

The territory's LBJ Tropical Medical Center's continuing education program for physicians has been fully accredited by the Hawaii Medical Association's continuing education program for three full years. The hospital initially received a two-year probationary status in 2002. The accreditation was granted just as the hospital opened its newly renovated LBJ Medical e-Library. -- FS

Guam

Yet another article in the U.S. national media linked Guam to controversial Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff. On Sept. 27, The New York Times published an article reporting that the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were investigating the 2002 reassignment of Fred Black, then-acting U.S. Attorney in Guam, days after he told the Justice Department he was investigating Abramoff's lobbying contracts with the Guam Superior Court. Black's reassignment within the same office halted the investigation. Articles in the Guam news media and the Los Angeles Times previously reported that, at a time when the government of Guam was in dire financial straits, Superior Court officials spent more than $400,000 to head off federal legislation restructuring Guam courts. -- FW

Kiribati

Acting superintendent of the Marine Training Center Tamana Natanaera has told families of I-Kiribati seamen working on foreign ships to maintain contact with their sons and husbands and to be mindful of what they write to the seamen. Although I-Kiribati seamen provide major financial support to their families, he says many I-Kiribati seamen are sent back to Kiribati because of domestic problems at home. -- BB

Marshall Islands

The four paramount chiefs of Kwajalein have issued their bluntest statement yet about the end of United States use of the missile testing range at Kwajalein Atoll. In a recent statement, the four traditional leaders said they "have ruled out any future possibility of a renewal of the Land Use Agreement (LUA)" and want to begin planning now for a return to their islands in 2016, when the current LUA expires. The U.S. government, however, maintains that it has a valid agreement with the Marshall Islands government for use of Kwajalein to 2066. The four paramount chiefs who signed the letter are former Marshalls President Imata Kabua, Anjua Loeak, Neimata N. Kabua and Lukwor Litokwa. A new land use agreement is a requirement since all land at Kwajalein is privately held. -- GJ

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands Party is now officially the Opposition Party after Prime Minister Jim Marurai threw them out of government. Marurai's Cook Islands First Party formed the partnership government with the Sir Geoffrey Henry-led CIP after last September's general election. However, Marurai opted for the Democratic Party in September after being told that CIP was lobbying for support to form a government without him. -- UKM

Cabinet has renewed the shipping license for Pacific Forum Shipping Line. An earlier Cabinet meeting wanted the license revoked but the change of heart came after the sacking of Sir Geoffrey Henry who was then finance minister. He was replaced by Dr. Terepai Maoate who supported the license renewal. PFSL is a regional shipping company that links the Cook Islands with Samoa and New Zealand. -- UKM

Solomon Islands

A Solomon Islands Member of Parliament has joined various sectors of the community calling for the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force and the Participating Police Force of RAMSI to investigate criminal allegations against the Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza. MP Joses Sanga says allegations from former militants of the Malaita Eagle Force that Kemakeza was involved in a robbery of a private law firm must be investigated fully and the results made public. -- BE

Contributors: Graham Norris, Giff Johnson, Frank S. Rosario, Frank Whitman, Batiri Bataua, Ulamila Kurai Marrie, Alex Rheeney, Bruce Edwards, Afamasaga Toleafoa and Fili Sagapolutele.