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FIJI
KIDS IN SEX TRADE

By Rosemary Baleiverata

SUVA, Fiji Islands (October 29, 1999 – Fiji Times)---Child prostitution is happening in urban centers, Adi Vulase of Safetynet Care Fiji, a non-profit organization that looks into the welfare of homeless children, said yesterday.

"I know of some children who have come to see us for condoms and when I ask them they say they are using them because they go out with men who come to pick them up. They call condoms `socks','' she said.

Safetynet put up a tent along Nubukalou Creek for homeless children to use for income-generating activities.

"This space was given to us by the Fiji National Provident Fund and we are fortunate they have come out in support of our request,'' Adi Vulase said.

"We asked the Suva City Council some time back, but they refused to help us.''

She said children were exploited by men who used them as sex objects.

One of the street children under the care of...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (Oct. 29, 1999 – The National)---The University of Papua New Guinea is putting in place a contingency plan to take into account the early termination of term three of the current academic year.

The UPNG administration is working on the plan in consultation with academic staff and sponsors, acting Vice Chancellor Dr. Cecilia Nembou said yesterday.

Dr. Nembou also assured parents that their children had not lost a whole year's worth of study time.

She said the students had only lost about 50 percent of one term (term three) due to termination of studies by the University Council early this month as a result of the boycott of classes over the proposed 25 percent increase in tuition fee for next year.

Dr. Nembou said that parents, students and all stakeholders would be informed of the details of the contingency plan when the Academic Board approves it.

While teaching activities have ceased, other academic pursuits (...

ANTI-CORRUPTION
BODY TO BE SET UP IN VANUATU BY FORMER OMBUDSMAN

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (October 30, 1999 – Radio Australia)---A chapter of the international anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International, soon will be established in Vanuatu.

Transparency International already has Pacific Island chapters in Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Former Vanuatu Ombudsman Marie-Noelle Ferrieux-Patterson will head the organization’s new branch in Port Vila.

Ms Ferrieux-Patterson said she wants a wide range of people to join the group to make it a strong check and balance on both the government and private sector.

"The office of the Ombudsman. . . should get more into leadership investigation and that type of direct investigation into misbehavior of leaders," she said

"Transparency International will try to get the private sector committed not to engage in bribery."

For additional reports from Radio Australia, go to PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT...

 Toke T. Talagi Member of the Niue Legislative Assembly

PRESS RELEASE

October 29, 1999

The vote of no confidence in the Premier, Sani Lakatani, and his Cabinet will not be decided until the matter has been put to the House at a meeting of the Niue Assembly.

The earliest that this can occur is six weeks after the last meeting of the Niue Assembly, which was on the 14th October. This places the date as the 25th November and given that the Premier will wish to drag this out as long as possible, will be anytime between the 1st and 6th of December.

Our concern at this time is that the Premier and his Cabinet will make some substantive decisions with respect to the airlines issue without taking due account of the move by us independents to move a vote of confidence against him in the House of Assembly.

The challenge for the Premier at this time is to call an early Assembly meeting so we can thrash out this issue quickly, thus restoring some...