PACIFIC BRIEFS

Plane carrying military, police heads missing

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A navy aircraft carrying the chiefs of the West Papua military and police commands is missing and presumed down southwest of the provincial capital, Jayapura Officials said contact was lost after the aircraft left Timika in the western part of the island of New Guinea province.

At least 10 people are on board, including military head Major General Tonny Rompis and provincial police chief Major General F. X. Sumardi.

The navy has deployed two aircraft and two warships to assist with the search.

New Hope For Bougainville agreement

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – Bougainville Affairs Minister Moi Avei and key Bougainville leaders who met on the island of Buka over the weekend, have expressed confidence that an agreement on political autonomy and a referendum on independence is near.

They described the talks as “constructive,” with “real willingness” on both sides to find reasonable compromises.

The government and Bougainville leaders will meet again on January 26.

Bougainville fought a decade-long secessionist war against Port Moresby before agreeing to a ceasefire in 1998.

Fiji envoy under pressure over coup

SUVA, Fiji Islands – Ambassador to Malaysia Adi Samanunu Cakobau is under intense pressure to explain her alleged involvement in last May’s coup which ousted the government of Indo-Fijian Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry.

Foreign Minister Kaliopate Tavola said that despite repeated letters, he has not received any answers from his envoy, who is about to be recalled.

Cakobau was one of coup leader George Speight’s candidates for prime minister.

She is the daughter of Fiji’s first Governor General, Ratu Sir George Cakobau.

A. Samoa lawmaker on probation

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa – Rep. Gaoteote Palaie Tofau, who was sworn into the 21-member territorial House of Representatives last week by Chief Justice Michael Kruse, has now been sentenced by the same judge for involvement in a voter identification scandal.

Kruse has placed Gaoteote on a two-year court-supervised probation with the possibility of spending up to a year in jail if Gaoteote violates any of the terms of the probation.

The lawmaker was sentenced for his role in obtaining false voter identification cards for six members of his village’s cricket team to travel to the U.S. for a tournament in 1999. The athletes are citizens of neighboring Samoa, not American Samoa.