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By Benhur C. Saladores

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands (August 31, 1999 – Saipan Tribune)---Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio met for two hours yesterday with Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan, CNMI resident representative to Washington Juan N. Babauta, leaders of the Legislature and their legal counsels to plan a strategy for the upcoming hearings in the U.S. Congress next month.

However, he dodged questions from reporters regarding specific details of the discussion, saying only that they are preparing to draw up a "united position" when they appear before the House Resources Committee as well as the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in Washington, D.C.

Asked if they would continue to block the federal takeover legislation pending in the Senate, Tenorio said, "Those are the issues that we have to respond to during the hearing."

House Speaker Diego T. Benavente, who was at the meeting, was more precise as he disclosed that the discussion was called to brief...

Annandale, Australia
and
Suva, Fiji Islands

REGION BEATS SOLOMONS MEDIA GAG

By Alison Ofotalau, a University of the South Pacific Journalism Student

SUVA, Fiji Islands (August 31, 1999 – Pacific Media Watch/Wansolwara/ Pasifik Nius/Niuswire)---Coverage of the Solomon Islands ethnic tension has continued to flow -- in spite of the gag on the news media.

The regional Pacific Islands News Service carries Solomons coverage as normal.

Chief executive officer Jese Sikivou of the Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association, which operates PACNEWS, told Wansolwara it was able to liaise daily with the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation and other independent news sources in Honiara.

He said both Radio Australia and Radio New Zealand International also covered the issue well.

Mr. Sikivou added that PACNEWS had the opportunity to communicate directly with the Commonwealth special envoy, Sitiveni Rabuka, and the ban had little...

SORONG, Irian Jaya (August 30, 1999 – Antara/Kabar-Irian)---Police have detained a ship captain and an official of a transportation agency at Teminabuan in connection with the capsizing of the vessel Sembra in a Sorong regency river estuary. The accident claimed 29 lives on August 19.

The two men, identified only as S, 33, and M, 35, were detained on charges of neglect, which led to the loss of lives.

The Antara news agency reported that preliminary questioning revealed the two men were intimidated by passengers prior to the accident. They were told "something" would happen if the cargo ship did not depart, Sorong Police chief Lt. Col. Ch. Sitorus said.

The ship was overloaded with more than 100 passengers, although it was licensed to carry a maximum of 50.

"Port officials are often threatened and hit by passengers, so when the captain was intimidated, he couldn't do anything, even though he knew that the vessel was overloaded," Sitorus said.

The...

Tuesday, August 31, 1999
PINA Nius Online

NOUMÉA’S CELLOCAL STRIKE NEARING END

NOUMÉA, New Caledonia (August 31, 1999 - PINA Nius Online)---An agreement which could end the three-month-old Cellocal strike -- that caused another blockade in Nouméa last week -- is about to be reached, the daily newspaper Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes reports.

The Cellocal, Sofaplast and Sotrapa companies, all specializing in manufacturing paper and plastic wrapping products, have been blockaded intermittently for the past three months.

The action was taken by the USOENC union, which has demanded the reinstatement of some 36 staff members who were sacked in May as part of a company restructuring plan.

Last month, after another blockade at Cellocal, a mediating committee was appointed, but it failed to reach an agreement.

Last week, USOENC unionists cut access to the industrial Ducos area and the main wharf and, on Friday, targeted anti-independence RPCR...