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01
May
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INDONESIAN SOLDIERS IN PAPUA CLASH WITH EACH OTHER

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/01/2009 - 00:00

Journalists caught in the tense standoff

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (RNZI, April 30, 2009) – An Indonesian journalist says he and three colleagues were accosted by soldiers as violence broke out around the main military base in the provincial capital of Papua.

The rioting stemmed from a protest by members of a battalion whose local Commander decided that soldiers themselves would have to provide funds for the burial of a fellow soldier in Nabire.

The soldiers felt that the military should pay for the burial and their protest spiralled out of control as gun fire rang out.

A local journalist with the Antara news agency, Oka Bharata, says as the violence from within began to spill outside, he and other journalists present were searched and had equipment taken from them.

"The real problem is because they’re unsatisfied with their commander, so they’re searching journalists who were there, unhappy," said Bharat. "But the situation maybe has already...

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Fri
01
May
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SENATE HEARINGS FOR NEW CNMI LT. GOVERNOR

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/01/2009 - 00:00

Nominee Inos faces confirmation

By Gemma Q. Casas

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, May 1, 2009) -- Finance Secretary Eloy S. Inos, the running mate of Gov. Benigno Fitial in his re-election bid this year, will appear before the Senate today for his confirmation hearing as the first unelected lt. governor of the Northern Marianas.

Senate President Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, is convening the Senate at 9 a.m. today to hear the public’s comments about Inos’s nomination.

"During the session, the Senate will meet in the committee of the whole to receive comments from the public and government officials regarding the appointment of Mr. Eloy Inos to lt. governor. By this notice, interested individuals are welcome to present testimony regarding Mr. Inos’s appointment, subject to the discretion of the chair," Reyes, R-Saipan, stated in a memorandum.

The confirmation hearing was originally scheduled for April 29 or two days after the governor nominated Inos...

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Fri
01
May
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FIJI SUSPENSION ‘INEVITABLE’ NEW ZEALAND SAYS

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/01/2009 - 00:00

FIJI SUSPENSION ‘INEVITABLE’ NEW ZEALAND SAYS Foreign Affairs Minister sees no other way

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, April 30, 2009) – New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully, says it now seems inevitable that Fiji will be suspended from the Pacific Islands Forum at midnight tonight.

The regional grouping set a deadline of today for Fiji to announce a credible date for elections, or face suspension.

Fiji’s President has made it clear elections will not be held until 2014, which Forum leaders consider unacceptable.

The Forum has also indicated that recent events, including the abrogation of the constitution and a clampdown on the media, have strengthened its resolve to suspend Fiji.

Murray McCully says it is hard to see how that can now be avoided.

"The deadlines has been set and doesn’t look like we are going to see anything that is going to stave it off."

Murray McCully says the...

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Fri
01
May
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TRUTH COMMISSION CHAIR WANTS TO UNCOVER ‘ROOT CAUSES’

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/01/2009 - 00:00

Father Ata says lack of justice for past wrongs one cause

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Times, April 30, 2009) – Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Dean of the Saint Barnabas Cathedral in Honiara, Father Sam Ata, has said he joins other Solomon Islanders who have been calling on government to investigate the root causes of the ethnic tension.

Father Ata says this will enable people to develop a shared understanding of the failures of the past and call for a fair minded pursuit of what actually happened to find the best way to move forward.

He said the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a good example of the search to cleverly approach the issues of balancing the need for immoral responsibilities and the truth and reconciliation process.

Father Ata said without justice and respect for human rights, peace, stability and development are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

He said the lack of justice...

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Fri
01
May
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DEADLINE LOOMS FOR FIJI SUSPENSION FROM FORUM

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/01/2009 - 00:00

Regional body will ‘stand by deadline’ says Chairman

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, April 30, 2009) – The Pacific Islands Forum is expecting Fiji to announce an election date by May 1, according to an ultimatum given by leaders at its special meeting in Port Moresby.

Fiji was also given by the end of December 2009 to hold elections or face suspension from the Forum.

The 15 Pacific leaders of the joint working group met in February this year.

Earlier this week however Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said he believed the Forum will not have Fiji suspended from membership of the regional grouping of countries.

Sayed-Khaiyum said the Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has been writing to the PIF and its members, informing them on recent developments in Fiji.

"The Prime Minister’s Office has been busy dealing with this and I don’t think that Fiji will be excluded from the PIF activities," he told FijiLive.

The President Ratu...

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Fri
01
May
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GUAM ROADS REQUIRE BILLIONS IN UPGRADES

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/01/2009 - 00:00

Estimate of $3.5 billion for buildup preparations

By Connor Murphy

HAGATNA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, April 1, 2009) – More than twice as much traffic soon will be traveling Guam's roads, and it will cost $3.5 billion to prepare those roads.

Officials from the Department of Public Works and its consulting firms yesterday gave industry representatives a look at plans for Guam's roads and public transit, as the island gears up for the historic military buildup.

The military plans to move 8,000 Marines, as well as their 9,000 dependents here by 2014, requiring a new Marine base and the expansion of virtually all infrastructure on island.

Roadways and transit account for more than half of the estimated $5 billion cost to prepare the island's infrastructure and utilities.

If no road work is done, Guam would be looking at travel delays being five times as long as they are today, said Lee Gibson from consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff.

The...

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Fri
01
May
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FIJI NATIVE LAND BOARD EXPLORES TOURISM AS REVENUE SOURCE

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/01/2009 - 00:00

Examining ‘economically, ecologically and culturally suitable’ tourism

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, May 1, 2009) – Tourism on native land has the potential to become the highest earner for the Native Lands Trust Board income base in the next five years.

The board is exploring the best way forward of how tourism on native land could be expanded to generate more commercial wealth for landowners.

NLTB representative Reijeli Taylor said tourism, although being a fragile industry, had the potential to become the most important export earner not only for Fiji but for NLTB and landowners

Ms Taylor made the comments while presenting a paper on behalf of the NLTB at the Yasawa Awesome Assisted Resorts Development Forum organised by Awesome Adventures yesterday.

She said land tenure in Fiji by 2007 was 88 per cent native, 8 per cent freehold and four per cent State land.

She said in 2006, 230 tourism leases were issued and rent collected was $3....

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Fri
01
May
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SAIPAN MAY DAY RALLY SUPPORTS IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/01/2009 - 00:00

‘Improved status’ sought during federalization period

By Haidee V. Eugenio

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, May 1, 2009) – Organizers of today's May Day rally expect at least a thousand participants who will support the call for an improved immigration status for alien workers, immediate relatives of U.S. and Freely Associated States citizens and other categories of nonresidents during the federalization transition period.

The peaceful rally will start at 6pm at the Garapan Fishing Base, to be followed by a march to the American Memorial Park amphitheater.

Rabby Syed and Ronnie Doca, president and board chair, respectively, of the United Workers Movement-NMI, said their list of speakers now includes former Gov. Juan N. Babauta and his running mate in the November elections, Galvin Deleon Guerrero.

Other guests are Rep. Tina Sablan, Ed Propst, Ron Hodges, lawyer Steve Woodruff, and Simon Sin.

"The United Workers Movement-NMI invites everyone...

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Fri
01
May
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TAHITI GOVERNMENT REJECTS FRENCH NUCLEAR COMPENSATION

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/01/2009 - 00:00

Joins with veterans group, says offer ‘inadequate’

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (RNZI, April 30, 2009) – The French Polynesian government has given a negative response to French plans to compensate nuclear test site workers.

The proposal was unveiled by the French defence minsiter in March but the test veterans’ association has said it is inadequate and should be rejected.

The presidency in Tahiti has issued a brief statement to communicate its opposition to the bill without elaborating.

It says its decision follows consultation with the assembly, whose leader - only a day earlier - had asked the French high commission to be given another two weeks to formulate a reply.

The deadline for submissions on the bill was April the 30th.

This comes after a landmark court hearing in French Polynesia this week when eight cases were submitted in bid to get compensation for poor health as a result of nuclear weapons tests in the 30 years up to 1996....

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Fri
01
May
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AIR FIJI INSOLVENT, TERMINATES BUSINESS

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/01/2009 - 00:00

200 employees will be out of work

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Sun, May, 1 2009) – Financial troubles have forced the Air Fiji board to pass a resolution terminating all the business of the company from today. This was done to avoid the risk of violating laws by carrying on business from an insolvent position, a letter from the directors to the shareholders says. And that means the airline’s 200 employees will be without work.

The board of Air Fiji has passed a resolution yesterday terminating all the business of the company as of today.

The resolution was passed to avoid the risk of a violation of laws for carrying on business from an insolvent company. And the airline's 200 workers will be now without work.

A copy of the board resolution was provided to all shareholders for consideration in an effort to salvage the company out from its current situations. In a letter written to all shareholders of Air Fiji Limited by chairman of the board of directors Wu...

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