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WASHINGTON D.C. (May 1, 1999 – Radio Australia)---U.S. President Bill Clinton has proclaimed May 1999 Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month to honor the accomplishments of Asian and Pacific Americans.

In a statement in Washington, Mr. Clinton said the millions of men and women of Asian and Pacific descent who have migrated to the U.S. over the last 200 years, had made substantial contributions to the nation and its culture.

He said they had enriched every aspect of American society with their talents, intellect, and determination.

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (April 29, 1999 - Post Courier) Copra growers in PNG will get higher prices for their produce in May, according to the PNG Growers Association.

The association said yesterday that the Federation of Oils, Seed and Fats Association based in London had reported an increase in world price for copra April and this increase would substantially be felt by copra growers in PNG.

Based on these results and falling kina value, copra producers in PNG should see a good rise in the May copra prices.

PNGGA executive director David Loh said the association had calculated the May copra price using the standard pricing formula used by the Copra Marketing Board and the prices to be paid to growers next month should be at the new level of K880 per ton hot air and a lesser price for FMS at main depots.

According to Mr. Loh, it will be a great boost for hard working farmers because the prices increase will help them meet ever increasing...

SUVA, Fiji Islands (April 29, 1999 – PACNEWS)---Figures released by Fiji’s Labor Ministry shows 26 people were killed and 154 injured in work-related accidents in the first quarter of this year.

In 1997, 124 people died and 957 were injured in the workplace. Last year, the reported deaths were down to 112 people, but over 1,300 were injured.

Assistant Labor Officer Dharmend Prasad said the new Occupational Health and Safety legislation, which came into effect in November, would help bring down the number of fatalities and injuries at the workplace.

However, Secretary of the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) Pratap Chand said the number of deaths and injuries this year could be higher than previous years because of unsustainable work practices.

He called on employees to improve the work environment. The figures were presented at an FTUC gathering to mark International Day of Mourning which commemorates workers who had died or were injured at work in past...

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (April 30, 1999 – PACNEWS)---American Samoan Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin is worried that a U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving special voting rights for Hawaiians may have implications for the Samoan land tenure and chief system.

A U.S. Court of Appeal upheld a Hawaiian court decision that only Hawaiians can vote in a special election for trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, an agency that governs the use of public lands held in trust for native Hawaiians.

The case was brought to the federal court by a citizen challenging the legality of the State of Hawai‘i to hold elections in which only Hawaiians can vote.

The congressman said if the Supreme Court overturns the lower court's decision and rules in favor of the plaintiff, "the decision would have far reaching implications for American Samoa's future -- as this would allow any U.S. citizen living in American Samoa to challenge American Samoa's laws."

In a...