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By Isaac Nicholas

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (July 31, 2000 – The National)---Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta announced on Friday that the government intends to introduce legislation providing for salary caps on top executives in the public service and statutory organizations.

"People writing up their own contracts is a sign of disaster in the system. We have no choice but to correct it." Sir Mekere said.

The Prime Minister was replying to a question from Goroka MP Henry Smith who asked whether the government can introduce legislation for uniform salary packages.

"I am seriously looking at legislation for caps to be put in place, for example at K 100,000 US$ 38,000)," Sir Mekere said.

The Prime Minister also said he would obtain legal opinion on whether new legislation put in place can also "nullify" existing contracts.

Corporatization and Privatization Minister Vincent Auali also issued a statement outlining the packages paid to the...

JAYAPURA, West Papua (July 30, 2000 – Radio Australia)---At least 15,000 separatists have staged a peaceful protest in the West Papua town of Manokwari to mark the controversial 1969 referendum that turned western New Guinea island from a Dutch colony into an Indonesian province.

The state Antara news agency said the Papuans covered a monument commemorating the referendum with black cloth, saying it was a monument to an historical lie.

The ceremony at the People's Referendum Monument was led by the chairman of the Manokwari Tribal Institute, Barnabas Mandacan.

The separatist Morning Star flag was raised, along with the Indonesian red-and-white banner.

Mr. Mandacan told the gathering that the Indonesian government should understand that the people of West Papua wanted their rights back.

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

SUVA, Fiji Islands (July 31, 2000 – Fiji’s Daily Post/Pasifik Nius/Niuswire)---Fiji faces many unanswered questions about the attempted coup and the aftermath of last week’s arrest of rebel leader George Speight and more than 380 of his followers, says Daily Post editor Mesake Koroi.

Writing in his popular weekly "Politics Today" column, Koroi says the 71 days of "groping around in the political wilderness" are now history and perhaps a "Nukulau Accord" will be needed to end the rebels’ detention.

"Since their arrest many questions still need to be answered. Are they political prisoners?" Koroi wrote.

"For how long can the military and the police keep them in detention before being brought to answer charges? Obviously, the military believe George and his cronies are a threat to national security."

"Perhaps that is why they (Speight, seven of his ringleaders and 12 soldiers from the First Meridian Squadron, formerly the Counter-Revolutionary Warfare Unit...

PAPEETE, French Polynesia (July 31,2000 – Oceania Flash/SPC)---French Polynesia's flag carrier Air Tahiti Nui (ATN) has opened its stock to the public in a bid to collect some 300 million French Pacific Francs (CFP, US$ 2,331,899 million), the daily newspaper La Dépêche de Tahiti reports.

Around 40 percent of the sum (117.5 million CFP/US$ 913,327) is to be taken care of by the Territory (which holds 39 percent of the stock), leaving 182.5 million CFP (US$ 1,418,572) to be found.

This is the eighth call for subscriptions launched by ATN. Subscriptions opened last June 15 and will close at the end of August.

At a Board meeting last month, General Manager Nelson Levy said ATN, after analyzing the results of one and a half years of operation, could break even financially two years from now.

Seat occupancy rates for one of its most popular routes, Tahiti-Los Angeles, has steadily increased by 30 percent during the first half of 2000, he said.

Levy...