Pacific Islands Report

Fiji’s military negotiates with mutineers

LABASA, Fiji Islands — A mutiny by soldiers on Vanua Levu Island has collapsed.

The effort to overthrow the commander of the Labasa Camp has exposed conflicts within the military over dealing with the rebellion led by businessman George Speight.

Two lieutenants seized control of the camp’s weapons and announced that the captain in charge of the post had been deposed, Radio Australia reported.

The mutineers pledged support for the indigenous Fijian nationalist aims of coup leader Speight, but other troops in Labasa did not join the mutiny.

A team of officers from military headquarters in Suva flew to Labasa and after several hours of talks regained control of both the weapons and the camp.

PNG investigates drug shipments

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — The Department of Health is investigating how a newly-established drugs and pharmaceutical company received Ministry of Police approval to import huge quantities of chemicals used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, popularly known as “ice.”

The governments of China and India put a stop to the Port Moresby-bound shipments of the chemicals, including pseudoephedrine and ephedrine.

The intended recipient, Yoji Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd., has five directors, three Papua New Guinea nationals, a Hong Kong national and a Taiwanese living in San Francisco.

Officials said the chemicals ordered could produce “ice” with a U.S. street value of $280 million.

Irian Jaya separatists praise Wahid

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Leaders of a pro-independence movement in Irian Jaya, on the island of New Guinea, have emerged from a meeting with President Abdurrahman Wahid, expressing optimism about the future and calling the president “a gift from God.”

Theys Eulay, the leader of a June congress on independence, said Wahid agreed to study the demands of the congress, which rejected as legally flawed a ballot incorporating the former Dutch colony into Indonesia in 1969.
President Wahid has not yet commented on the meeting with the separatist leaders.

Taiwan assists Pacific cultural dev’t

SUVA, Fiji Islands — Taiwan has donated $85,000 to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in support of Pacific arts and for training pertaining to the protection of intellectual property issues.

Approximately $58,000 will fund the participation of Pacific Island crafters at the 8th Pacific Arts Festival, to take place in Noumea, New Caledonia in September.

Another $27,000 will be used to train 12 Pacific Island lawyers in intellectual property rights matters.