Pacific Region News

Kabui arrives in PNG

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea—The leader of the Bougainville People’s Congress (BPC), Joseph Kabui, arrived in the capital for the first time in 15 years to participate in negotiations between the national government and Bougainville rebels regarding the island’s future political status.

Kabui said he would support a “people’s revolution” to fix the country’s social ills because he believes the government is not addressing its problems.

He expressed shock at the walls and fences that have been erected around homes and government buildings, saying it’s obviously related to law and order problems.

“Papua New Guinea is like a volcano about to erupt,” Kabui told The National.

Honolulu meeting ends

HONOLULU, Hawaii—The Special Meeting of the Standing Committee of Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders concluded with general agreement on a plan that outlines the formal relationship between the conference and East-West Center.

The documents are expected to be adopted during the full Conference of Leaders, which will be held at the East-West Center in late August.

Fiji President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, the convenor of the meeting, declared the conference a success.

“There have been some very good contributions,” he said.

Japan donates $357K for Pacific Is. dev’t

HONOLULU, Hawaii—The East-West Center’s Pacific Islands Development Program was presented with a check for $357,000 from the government of Japan for use “in its research and development projects” on behalf of the Pacific Islands region.

Japan’s Consul General Gotaro Ogawa made the presentation during a gala event at Waikiki’s Hawaii Prince Hotel — “An International Affair” — celebrating the 40th anniversary of the founding of the East-West Center in 1960.

Ogawa, during a brief ceremony, handed the check over to Fiji President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, representing the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders and a member of the East-West Center Board of Governors.

Amnesty Int’l. monitors Solomons fighting

HONIARA, Solomon Islands—Amnesty International said it will continue to closely monitor the on-going ethnic conflict in the Solomons, despite the lack of attention the fighting has received worldwide.

AI spokesman Heinz Schurmann-Zeggel said since sending observers to the country last September, the human rights organization has monitored weekly, and sometimes daily, clashes between factions from Guadalcanal and Malaita provinces.

He urged other countries to take more interest in the situation and help resolve the human rights problems in the region.

Samoa juicing it up with nonu

MELBOURNE, Australia—Samoa has begun exporting the juice from the nonu fruit, or morinda citrifolia, to Australia.

The juice is marketed under its Hawaiian name, noni.

Importer Helen Russell, a 20-year veteran in the health food industry, said her research on the various nonu plants around the Pacific proved that Samoan nonu has the best tasting fruit for the juice.

Russell has partnered with an agent based in Hawaii who has experience in processing nonu and kava.

A. Samoa must help defend ex-gov’t
worker in food stamp scandal

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa—The financially strapped territorial government will have to spend as much as $30,000 to pay for experts who will defend four ex-government workers accused in a food stamp scandal.

The High Court recently ruled that the government must pay for a handwriting expert because the defendants are too poor to pay for the expert themselves.

The former Human and Social Services workers are accused of taking vouchers belonging to off-island or dead clients and redeeming them for food, cash and other items, the Samoa News reported. The scheme bilked close to $100,000 from the federal program.

Tonga’s tourism marketing urged to be more aggressive

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga—Tourism industry leaders have been urged to take a more aggressive and innovative approach in marketing the kingdom as a visitor destination.

Minister of Tourism, Dr. Masaso Paunga, said Tonga holds great potential for visitors but has been slow to promote its tourism events in advance.

Speaking at a business conference in the capital, he urged the private sector to play a more significant tourism marketing role.