NEWSROOM 24 April
2009

(Photos: Duco Events)

NEW ZEALAND: Tua vs. Cameron - “Fight of the Century” date, venue confirmed
Source: STAR Public Relations Ltd Press Release

(Photo: Samoa Government)

SAMOA: Parliamentary Updates
Source: Government Press Secretariat Press Release

King Construction Ltd Awarded Contract

Cabinet has approved Contract awarded to the King Construction Ltd for construction of the Two Lane Bridge at Vaimoso-uta.

On the 24th September 2003, Cabinet approved the Phase II of the Programme for Major Assets Management Project funded by a Loan from the World Bank at the amount of $59.01million. The two lane Bridge at Vaimoso-uta is one of the projects under this Programme.

An invitation for Tenders’ Bids was advertised and while six (6) companies showed an interest, five (5) contractors were able to meet the necessary requirements and conditions.

After reviewing of the proposals submitted to the Tenders’ Board, the Contract was awarded to King Construction Ltd at the total amount of ST$ 2,162,818.06.


Ministry of Justice to employ Judge from Australia

Cabinet has approved the employment by the Ministry of Justice, Courts and Administration of a Judge from Australia.

Hon. Justice Kellam is a Judge at the Supreme Court in Victoria, Melbourne Australia. He will be working in Samoa for a month starting this week. He will be handling 14 cases at the Supreme Court that our Court Judges are unable to carry out due to conflict of interest.
 

Pacific Ministers for Energy meets

Cabinet has approved the participation by the Samoa Delegation of the Pacific Ministers for Energy meeting to be held in Tonga on the 23 - 24 April 2009.

This meeting aims to look at Energy developments and programs by the SOPAC in Pacific Island Countries. It will also discuss issues related to:

• National Energy Policies,
• Fossil Fuel e.g Petroleum
• Renewable energy
• Conservation
• Energy Efficiency

The Hon. Minister of Finance, Niko Lee Hang will lead the delegation, with Secretary of Finance, Hinauri Petana and Principal Officer for Energy, Silia Kilepoa.


MFAT Principal of the Account and Administration Division travels to Australia

Cabinet has approved the visit by the Principal Accounts/Administration Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ferila Lokeni-Lepa to review the accounts of the Samoa High Commission Office in Canberra, on the 25th April - 3rd May 2009.

The Office of the High Commissioner in Canberra consists of four (4) employees including the High Commissioner. The account section of the office is looked after by the secretary.

Reviews have already been done for the other Samoan Missions including Wellington, Auckland, Belgium and New York.


Minister to attend meeting in Thailand

Cabinet has approved the attendance by the Minister of Finance of the ESCAP meeting to be held in Thailand on the 27 - 29 Aperil 2009, after the Pacific Ministers for Energy meeting in Tonga on the 24th April 2009.

The focus of the meeting will be on three main issues.
• Financial Crisis, Petroleum and Food Security and their effects on the economy and proposed development of the Least Developed countries,
• Regional Cooperation for shared prosperity and social progress,
• Summary of progress in the implementation of resolutions relating to countries with special needs

The Secretary of Finance, Hinauri Petana and the Assistant Secretary of Finance will be attending this meeting with the Minister.
 

(Photo: Australian High Commission)

AUSTRALIA: Australia and Samoa reaffirm partnership in defence cooperation
Source: Australian High Commission Press Release

The Governments of Australia and Samoa have reaffirmed 21 years of mutual collaboration and support through the Defence Cooperation Program with the signing of a revised Memorandum of Understanding.

Group Captain Peter Bennett, the Australian Defence Attaché to Samoa, along with Captain Norman Banks and Mrs Elaine Olsen from the International Policy Division of the Department of Defence in Canberra arrived in Samoa over the weekend to participate in the annual Australian/ Samoan Defence Cooperation talks.

One of their first commitments was to join with the Australian High Commissioner Matt Anderson to meet with the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Aiono Mose Pouvi Sua.

Today (20 April 2009) a revised Memorandum of Understanding was signed to reaffirm the bilateral commitments between the two countries. The last time a similar Defence document was signed was in 1988, just before the Police Patrol Boat Nafanua was gifted to Samoa by the Australian Government.

The updated Memorandum covers a range of Australian Defence related activities in Samoa, including the continuing support to the Nafanua, the training of Samoan personnel involved in Maritime Surveillance in Australia and the provision of Advisors, both resident in Samoa and visiting specialists for short duration projects.

The Maritime Surveillance Advisor to Samoa, Commander Tony Powell said that it remains important for Samoa to maintaining her sovereignty of her Economic Zones and to assist her neighbours in doing the same. One aspect of this is the Nafanua patrolling and coordinating with other ships and aircraft in the region.
“In the past month, Nafanua has conducted surveillance patrols against illegal fishing with New Zealand surveillance P3 aircraft, coordinated the search for the overdue fishing vessel KATHRYN J, again with New Zealand P3’s and the local fishing fleet, and represented the Samoan Government at the American Samoan Flag Day celebrations” Commander Powell said.
“With this renewed Australia’s commitment, Samoa’s capability to maintain her sovereignty can be expected to continue for many years to come.”

Photo Caption: Captain Norman Banks, Ms Perina Sila, A/CEO MFAT and Group Captain Peter Bennett witness the signing of the renewed Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding by CEO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Aiono Mose Pouvi Sua and the Australian High Commissioner, HE Matt Anderson.
 

KIRIBATI: Tarawa has become a different sort of battlefield
Source: Los Angeles Times

A Malibu man's personal crusade to clean up a trash-strewn beach 5,000 miles away will gain national attention this week when it is the focus of a cable television documentary.

For more than three years, Leon Cooper has sought to pressure authorities into removing litter from Red Beach on the Pacific atoll called Tarawa -- site of one of the United States' bloodiest World War II battles.

The beach, which Cooper calls "hallowed ground," has become a dumping ground covered by garbage, generated by the fast-growing population of the South Pacific island nation of Kiribati.

The 47-minute account of Cooper's campaign will be aired at 10 p.m. Friday on the Military Channel and be repeated Saturday at 1, 3 and 9 a.m. and noon.

Cooper, 89, was a young Navy ensign who was commander of a group of landing craft that ferried U.S. 2nd Marine Division troops to Red Beach during the November 1943 invasion. During brutal fighting that lasted 76 hours, 1,115 Americans were killed and 2,292 were wounded. About 4,800 Japanese fighters also died.

"The piles of garbage are an insult to the guys who died there for their country," Cooper said. "This is how we honor those who fought and died for our nation during the Pacific war?"

The trash problem is acute because of Kiribati's reliance on imported packaged foods and goods. Tarawa's tiny islets are only a few feet above sea level, and there is no place to bury inorganic trash. So it's dumped into a reef-sheltered lagoon where it eventually washes up on the beach.

Last year Cooper returned to Tarawa with Venice filmmaker Steven C. Barber. Footage of Cooper walking among piles of plastic containers, bags of trash and other debris is juxtaposed with combat footage of invading Marines under fire on the same beach.

Actor Ed Harris narrates the documentary, called "Return to Tarawa, the Leon Cooper Story."

Barber said he was jarred by the condition of the beach and by remnants of the battle still found on the atoll.

"There were bones everywhere," he said. "They tried to recover all of the remains of Americans who died, but there are still MIAs. There are still family members who want remains found."

Cooper said he returned to Tarawa "with a great deal of reluctance" for the filming. "I never wanted to see the place again. I'm still sometimes awakened by nightmares from that battle," he said.

Counting the cost of the documentary, the retired computer company executive so far has spent more than $120,000 from his savings on his cleanup campaign, he said. He remains hopeful that U.S. lawmakers will eventually step forward to help permanently maintain the beachfront battlefield.

"The title of the film probably should be 'Return to Tarawa: America's Shame,' " he said.
 

(Photos: Office of Congressman Faleomavaega)

USA: Faleomavaega discusses Pacific issues with Secretary of State Clinton
Source: Office of Congressman Faleomavaega Press Release

Congressman Faleomavaega today (April 22, 2009) met Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who testified for the first time before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In response to comments from the Congressman, Secretary Clinton requested his direct advice and support in dealing with the crisis in Fiji and developing a more comprehensive U.S. policy toward the Pacific region; she also signalled her support for greater autonomy for West Papua, a position long advocated by the Congressman.

In his opening statement, Faleomavaega congratulated Secretary Clinton for her admirable work on behalf of the United States and in confronting many of the world’s most daunting challenges.

Faleomavaega went on to state that “having just returned from Fiji for discussions with the interim prime minister and many other key leaders… I submit that the situation in Fiji is more complex than it appears… [and the United States] has had no coherent policy toward some sixteen pacific island nations; very indicative of the fact is that we have not had USAID presence in the Pacific region for many years now.”

“And for too often and for too long Madam Secretary, in my view, we’ve permitted Australia and New Zealand to take the lead even when Canberra and Auckland operate with such a heavy hand that they are counterproductive to our shared goals,” Faleomavaega added.

“It makes no sense, Madam Secretary, for the leaders of New Zealand and Australia to demand early elections just for the sake of having elections in Fiji while there are fundamental deficiencies in Fiji’s electoral process, which gave rise to three military takeovers and even a civilian-related takeover within the past twenty years - along with three separate constitutions to govern these islands. I totally disagree with the nasty accusations that the leaders of New Zealand and Australia have made against Fiji given the fact that it’s more complicated than it appears.”

In response to Faleomavaega’s statement, Secretary Clinton said that the United States needs “to have a more comprehensive approach, an American approach to these islands. And I would welcome your advice about that... With respect to Fiji, I would welcome your advice about Fiji… And I will invite you, we’ll have the State Department follow up and we’ll bring you in and we’ll talk more broadly about the Pacific Island region.”

Faleomavaega requested that “the Administration review the political status of West Papua, and the extent to which the government of Indonesia has implemented and included the leadership and the people of West Papua in the development and administration of the special autonomy law… [and that] the Administration also hold Indonesia accountable for continued human rights abuses in West Papua.”

In response to Faleomavaega’s concerns over West Papua, Secretary Clinton said West Papua, “does need to be supported in its efforts to have a degree of autonomy within Indonesia. We support some of the steps that have been taken, and to realize that, we will include our concerns in our dialogue with Indonesia because we understand the delicate nature of what is at stake there, that it is part of sovereign Indonesia, but it deserves more support, respect, and certainly protection from any human rights abuses.”

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - Congressman Faleomavaega with The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State at today’s hearing of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Photo 2 - Congressman Faleomavaega with Fiji Interim Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama during their recent meeting in Fiji.
 

(Photo: Reuters)

VANUATU: Vanuatu could be victim of own success
Source: ABC News

In these tough economic times it seems hard to believe any country could end up in a bind for doing too well, but that's exactly the situation confronting the Pacific nation of Vanuatu.

Until now, it's been living in relatively comfortable isolation from the rest of the international economic community.

Even the region's most remote societies are being drawn into globalisation.

The island nation has rich, volcanic soil and a constant supply of fresh water. Economic growth has been strong and tourists continue to flock.

All in all, life has not been bad for Vanuatu, a nation deemed one of the world's least developed countries.

But this tiny Pacific nation is being forced to make some hard choices because it's been doing a little too well.

Recent events have led to difficult negotiations for Vanuatu's Foreign Affairs Minister and other senior members of the country's government.

Vanuatu may be about to lose its United Nations designation as Least Developed Country (LDC) and if that happens, the foreign aid money which flows into the country could be cut.

Foreign affairs minister Bakoa Kaltongga acknowledges that the aid the country has received as an LDC could now be seen as a double-edged sword.

"We've been successful in getting to graduate from the LDC but there will come a time where we can no longer argue the case because we will run out of facts and supporting evidence to suggest that we should remain," he told the ABC.

To make matters more complicated, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is knocking at the door, suggesting Vanuatu become a full member of the international marketplace.

All of Vanuatu's major trading partners are in the WTO and have had to adjust the level of tariffs they charge on imported goods.

But this country makes almost 20 per cent of its government revenue from tariffs.

Bakoa Kaltonga says the government is playing a waiting game, saying "We're not committed."

"Obviously you can see our economy is performing quite well without acceding to the WTO but there will come a time when we will need to commit but we'll have to make absolutely sure that our commitment and our position is for the best possible conditions for our people in Vanuatu."

The economic developments and how they are being handled are being watched closely by the Port-Villa based Pacific Institute of Public Policy.

Institute spokesman Derek Brien says Pacific Island governments are starting to recognise what he describes as the need to move to economic integration.

"It's often better to have your seat at the table so that your voice can be heard," he said.

"With the WTO; I know it's got its critics, but at least in that forum your seat counts for one vote, so it's not like some of the other multilateral organisations such as the World Bank where votes are weighted according to contribution.

"So, by being at the table at least Vanuatu's voice can be heard."

Vanuatu and other developing countries must look beyond the immediate effect of tariff reform and make long-term plans to create new income streams.

"That's where a true development partnership, as opposed to a free-for-all trade negotiation is going to be more beneficial to both the bigger players; Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island countries."

Photo Caption: Vanuatu faces a difficult transition from its status as a Least Developed Country.