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SUVA, Fiji Islands (April 24, 2000 – Fiji’s Daily Post)---The Department of Public Enterprises has written to prospective buyers and invited them to acquire shares in the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC), said Permanent Secretary Brian Singh.

Government decided to sell 17 percent of its FSC shares in late January. However, Mr. Singh said they have not reached the point where the shares actually are being sold, adding that it would take a while longer.

"We are inviting people to come in as stakeholders and we have written proposals to these stakeholders," he said.

Following the invitation for proposals, Government will meet with the Capital Market Development Authority (CMDA) as procedures on stock exchange need to be adhered to, Mr. Singh said.

The decision to sell the shares was made by the Cabinet while approving some measures proposed by Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, as minister responsible for the sugar industry regarding the industry's future...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (April 27, 2000 - The National/PINA Nius Online)---The Catholic Archbishop of Port Moresby, Brian Barnes, has pledge his support on behalf of the Catholic Church in PNG over calls for an end to violence against women.

Archbishop Barnes said violence against women had become almost a daily happening, especially in the urban centers.

He asked what had happened to the peaceful, friendly and traditional respect for which PNG was renowned.

Archbishop Barnes called on the Government to look at the causes of increased crime in the country and address them.

He said concerns about crime ebbs and flows like the tide.

Concern grows, and then action is taken action which relieves the problem, he added.

Archbishop Barnes said at the moment police were carrying out operations which have proven successful, but he questioned how long this could be sustained.

Police are just dealing with the symptoms but not the causes...

By Josua Tuwere

SUVA, Fiji Islands (April 28, 2000 – Fiji Times/Pasifik Nius/Niuswire)---Suva prison is unfit for human habitation, Fiji Islands cabinet ministers said yesterday, the Fiji Times reports.

"Shocking. Simply shocking. This place is not fit for human habitation," said Assistant Minister for Fijian Affairs Isireli Vuibau.

He was part of a cabinet subcommittee yesterday.

The parliamentarians, led by Attorney-General Anand Singh, visited the prison to assess plans to tear down the main cellblock built in 1912.

"The committee has also been appointed to look into the state of prison facilities," Singh said.

"We have prisons in Labasa, Lautoka, Ba and Lakeba and we should develop these as part of decentralizing the prison population.

"We are also looking at getting money to improve prison facilities by the middle of next year."

Some inmates whistled and called to the female members of the group and waved to the...

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya, Indonesia (May 2, 2000 – Jakarta Post/Kabar Irian)---Thousands turned out to attend a mass prayer commemorating "political rights violations in Papua" here on Monday.

Before the prayer, thousands of indigenous Papuans, led by local leader Theys Eluay, marched through Jayapura seven times in remembrance of what they called the political rights violations committed by the governments of Indonesia and the Netherlands.

It was on May 1, 1963, that the Netherlands handed over Irian Jaya to the Indonesia government under the auspices of the United Nations.

No violence was reported during the rally, which was tightly guarded by police and the Papua Task Force. Rumors had been circulated that during the May 1 commemoration, Papuan leaders would take over the administration of the country's easternmost province from the government.

There were also rumors that non-indigenous people and migrants would be forcefully expelled from the province....