Articles Search

SUVA, Fiji Islands (March 1, 2001 – Fijilive)---Deposed Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry says he is still the lawful PM of Fiji.

This follows the Fiji Court of Appeal ruling declaring the interim government illegal and dismissing an appeal by it that the 1997 Constitution has been abrogated.

Chaudhry told New Zealand’s TV3 from New Delhi that he expected the decision and was pleased by the court ruling.

He said his priority was to ensure that Parliament was reconvened and hoped the people respected the court’s decision.

Chaudhry also said he hoped that Parliament would not be dissolved.

His deputy, Dr, Tupeni Baba, said he would wait for Chaudhry to return on Sunday before deciding what action the parry would take.

For additional reports from Fijlive, go to PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT News/Information Links: Other News Resources/Fijilive.

MAJURO, Marshall Islands (February 28, 2001 – Radio Australia)---Radiation levels on deserted Rongelap island near the former U.S. nuclear test site on Bikini atoll are reported to have dropped to levels safe for human habitation.

A researcher from Hiroshima University says his field tests in 1999 showed levels of radiation on the island were lower than those in Tokyo and Hiroshima.

The United States exploded a trial hydrogen bomb at the atoll in March 1954, 200 kilometers (120 miles) east of Rongelap island, exposing islanders to high levels of radiation.

The islanders were evacuated to neighboring islands soon after the test but returned three years later.

They left again in 1985 after radiation-linked illnesses were reported.

Some 400 islanders still hope to return to Rongelap.

For additional reports from Radio Australia, go to PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT News/Information Links: Radio/TV News/Radio Australia.

By Susan Roth Gannett News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 1, 2001 – Pacific Daily News)---Gov. Carl Gutierrez was buoyant after meeting Monday with President Bush at the White House, saying the new president was responsive to Guam's problems with his proposed tax cuts.

Gutierrez also was pleased that Bush specifically mentioned the territories in his address to the nation's governors as part of the National Governors' Association's annual winter meeting. Gutierrez, in Washington to attend the meeting, also spoke Monday with Treasury Department officials about the ramifications of the tax cuts for Guam.

''Even the governors in the NGA meetings talk only about the 50 states,'' the governor said. ''The territories are left out. I've never heard the president talk about the territories. But I'll be darned if he didn't talk about the states and territories, and he winked at me to make sure I knew he understood what he was doing.''

Bush promised to sign a...

This article was published in the February 2001 edition of the Pacific News Bulletin, monthly magazine of the Pacific Concerns Resource Centre.

John Roughan of the Solomon Islands Development Trust (SIDT) attempts to place the Solomon Islands social unrest into a context.

By John Roughan

The Solomon Islands currently faces not one but three conflicts. The three conflicts do get mixed one with the other, and have been known to cross over and make matters more difficult to handle. Some combatants can be found in all three camps. It is vital, however, that donors recognize the nation’s three conflicts so that their aid packages do no harm but help the nation.

Conflict 1.

Battle between IFM and MEF

Of course the Isatabu/Eagle’s shoot-up attracted and still attracts the greatest attention. After all, much suffering, death and destruction was carried out in its name in the 20 or so months it grabbed local and international headlines. Basically,...