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Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

News Release

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Recently the Pacific Islands Forum Peer Review team met with the culture and tradition group in Rarotonga led by the President of the House of Aririki and Secretary of the Ministry of Culture.

Traditional leaders expressed the need for support to maintain their culture and heritage.

"With depopulation becoming a big issue in the Cook Islands, our cultural values is at risk of dying and the government and our development partners need to acknowledge and accord importance on the culture and traditional sector of the community to maintain our culture and traditional values," said one leader to the Review Team during consultations.

The group also highlighted the important role that the tradition leaders and the...

Surrendered escapee thought to be involved in disappearances

By Todagia Kelola

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Nov. 4, 2013) – The mystery surrounding the disappearance of five scientists in Papua New Guinea’s West New Britain Province in August 2011 is likely to be solved by West New Britain police this week.

Wanted escapee and the man police suspected to be involved in the disappearance of the scientists, Don Aka, has surrendered to West New Britain provincial police commander Samson Siguyaru, who had travelled on the newly acquired police boat MV Baki to the remote area of Talasea to bring him in yesterday.

Aka had escaped with notorious prisoner William Kapris in 2010 and went in to hiding in his home area of West New Britain when he was suspected of being involved in the scientists’ disappearance in 2011.

His surrender yesterday will greatly assist police to shed some light on the missing scientists since their disappearance...

Lilo thanks ROC, acknowledges continued commitment

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, Nov. 2, 2013) – Taiwanese ambassador Roy Wu yesterday released the second tranche of the 2013 Republic of China (ROC) Funding to the National Government of the Solomon Islands, with Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo receiving the funding.

The second tranche of payments totaling SBD$8.4 million [US$1.14 million] is to cover 28 out of 50 constituencies.

Prime Minister Lilo during the occasion has acknowledged Taiwan for its continuous support and commitment in supporting the people of Solomon Islands especially in the rural areas.

"This funding will surely bring genuine benefits to the people in the rural areas to enhance their welfare," he said.

Prime Minister Lilo thanked Taiwan on behalf of the Government and the people of Solomon Islands.

Ambassador Wu during the occasion informed the Prime Minister that his government released the funding after it...

Administrators instructed find solutions if school fees unpaid

By Glenda Shing

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, Nov. 4, 2013) – Vanuatu’s Ministry of Education (MOE), through the Director of Education Services Roy Obed, has issued a statement to the principals of all the secondary schools throughout the country instructing them not to penalise any students who should be sitting their final national examinations at the end of this year - namely Year 8, Year 10, Year 12 and Year 13 students - due to outstanding school fees.

In the statement, Director Obed stated clearly that since education is a universal right to be accessed by all children in any country, the Vanuatu government has ratified and is implementing its goals on Education For All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in its policies and initiatives.

He also stated that while the MOE is implementing the prioritised action agenda (PAA) of the government, in ensuring that...