Pacific Islands Forum meeting: day 2

More Pacific news as the Pacific Islands Forum meets this week:

PNG leader unleashes outburst at Australia

The Age
Brendan Nicholson, Nadi, Fiji
October 24, 2006

AUSTRALIA'S relations with South Pacific nations have reached a new low after Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare accused the Federal Government of treating neighbouring countries with arrogance and contempt.

Sir Michael's anger boiled over at a regional leaders summit in Fiji, being attended by Prime Minister John Howard, as three other Melanesian nations also joined PNG in lashing out at Australia. The anger centred on last week's raid on the office of the Solomon Islands Prime Minister by local police and Australian officers, a raid the PNG leader suggested had been ordered by Canberra. More...

Howard to stare down Pacific critics

The Australian
Steve Lewis, Nadi, Fiji

October 24, 2006

JOHN Howard will today stare down efforts to scale back theAustralian-led mission to maintain law and order in Solomon Islands, despite being accused of being arrogant and treating Pacific leaders with contempt.

On the eve of what promises to be a stormy Pacific Island Forum, Australia was yesterday accused of undermining Solomon Islands' sovereignty.

Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Vanuatu signed a tough communique condemning last Friday's raid on the office of Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. More...

PNG, so near yet so far from friendly

The Australian
Charlie Lynn
October 24, 2006

What we need is a minister for Melanesia to deal with the arc of instability to our north.

"YOU can't let them kill my guide just because they think he's a sorcerer!" I bellowed to the police at the end of my 37th expedition across the Kokoda Track last year.

A couple of recruits I had engaged had decided that one of my older guides, from a neighbouring village, was a sorcerer. So they felt obligated to kill him. The impending execution was not apparent to my Western mind. We had trekked together, sung traditional songs of an evening together, and they had worked assiduously to ensure every one of my band of trekkers completed their journey safely.

As we sat down to dinner in Port Moresby, we reflected on their selfless devotion to us and agreed they were proud sons of the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. But they had unfinished business in their own tribe, and by the time we finished our meal the alleged sorcerer was dead.

After 15 years of roaming Papua New Guinea - climbing mountains, exploring burial caves, attending Highland "sing-sings", leading numerous expeditions across Kokoda and meeting politicians at the national, provincial and local government levels - I thought I was beginning to understand this land of 1000 cultures. But PNG is the land of the unexpected: as soon as you think you are beginning to understand it, something or other takes you completely by surprise. More...

Climate refugees here by 2016

The Australian
Steve Lewis, Nadi
October 24, 2006

AUSTRALIA has been warned it may face a flood of environmental refugees within a decade as the Pacific's smallest island states face submersion under rising seas.

The alarmist message was issued by Kiribati's leader, Anote Tong, as fellow leaders of endangered nations gathered in Fiji to discuss their worsening plight. More...

Pacific Plan gains welcome

Postcourier
24 October 2006

Leaders of the Pacific Islands Smaller Island States yesterday welcomed the considerable progress made in implementing the Pacific Plan. SIS leaders said there were many significant initiatives gaining momentum under the Plan and support from regional organisations and development partners had been a strong and positive feature to date. The SIS leaders held their 15th summit yesterday at the Westin Hotel, Danaurau, Fiji, and was attended by leaders from the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, the Republic of Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and the Republic of Palau. More...

Pacific Islands Forum meeting: day 1

The Pacific Islands Forum meets in Fiji this week. Some hits below...

Solomons anger erupts on peace force

The Age

Brendan Nicholson, Nadi
October 23, 2006

TENSIONS over the Australian-led peacekeeping operation in the Solomon Islands have erupted before today's meeting of Pacific leaders, with claims by a senior Solomons minister that local public opinion is turning against the operation. More...

Pacific split over Canberra campaign

The Australian
Steve Lewis
Chief political correspondent
In Nadi, Fiji

October 23, 2006

DIVISIONS have emerged among Pacific nations over how to deal with Australia's hardline push to stamp out corruption in island states.

Fiji and the grouping of small island states attending this year’s Pacific Island Forum have declined to join in condemnation of Australia’s involvement in last Friday’s raid of the office of Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare over the Julian Moti affair. More...

Prime Minister to press Pacific islands for improvement

The Australian
October 23, 2006

PRIME Minister John Howard says he will press Pacific island countries to improve standards of governance and economic management in return for continued Australian aid. More...

Howard, Clark united on Pacific

The Australian
Steve Lewis and Patricia Karvelas
October 23, 2006

AUSTRALIA and New Zealand will forge a united front in telling Pacific leaders they must be prepared to stamp out corrupt practices if they want to continue receiving generous aid funding. More...

Commonwealth chief to visit SI

Solomon Star News
23 October 2006

COMMONWEALTH Secretary-General Don McKinnon will travel to Fiji Islands to attend the 37th Pacific Islands Forum Summit which starts today.

He will later travel to Solomon Islands to meet with the government and civil society groups.

“Good governance and a healthy democratic culture, as recognised in the Pacific Plan, have become crucial issues and prerequisites for stability and sustainable economic growth in the region,” Mr McKinnon said on the eve of his departure. More...

Raid inflame SI-Aust row

Solomon Star News
23 October 2006

A POLICE raid on the Office of the Prime Minister last Friday has further inflamed the ongoing diplomatic row between Honiara and Canberra.
Six officers – three locals and three Australians serving with RAMSI – reportedly stormed the office and removed a fax machine, in the absence of Mr Sogavare who is currently in Fiji for the Forum meeting. More...

Diplomatic row impacts on national economy - Huniehu

People First
23 October 2006

The Opposition spokesman for Finance and Treasury and MPR for East Are'are, Edward Huniehu says the continued diplomatic row and standoff between Australia and Solomon Islands will have wider financial implications for the national economy if they are not resolved quickly. More...

Fiji to benefit from meet, says Tavola

Fiji Times
Timothy Naivaluwaqa
23 October 2006

Fiji stands to benefit immensely from the Pacific Leaders Forum which starts in Nadi today, says Foreign Affairs Minister, Kaliopate Tavola.

Mr Tavola said the people of Fiji would benefit from all issues discussed by the 16 heads of government attending the week-long meeting. More...

300 officers for forum talks

Fiji Sun

Police will be deploying more than 300 officers to Denarau, the host hotel for the 37th Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting that starts today. Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations Samuela Matakibau said police had deployed more than 300 officers to provide security. "Police presence in Denarau will be spearheaded by the elite Police Tactical Response Unit and officers from the Special Operations Unit. The exercise has been dubbed Operation Bose Ni Pacifika," he said. More...

Pacific leaders converge

Fiji Sun
By CHRISTOPHER HILL
Assistant Secretary of State
Department of State
Washington

I'm very pleased to arrive this week in Fiji, which is hosting the Pacific Islands Forum and Post Forum Dialogue meetings that bring together the heads of government of the wider Pacific Islands region.

The United States, though not a member of the Forum, is honoured to have been invited to a special session with PIF leaders on October 25. When I attended the Forum last year in Papua New Guinea, the clear message I received is that our partners in the region are looking for more active involvement from the United States. More...

Urwin says RAMSI must continue

Pacific Magazine, 23 October 2006
Samantha Magick

Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Greg Urwin says it is essential the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) continues, as controversy continues over the future of the regional initiative. More...

Guns in the South Pacific

More on the links between youth unemployment, boredom and civil security, courtesy of the Age:

Gun demand could trigger threat: ALP
Brendan Nicholson
October 23, 2006

LARGE numbers of military weapons stolen or bought from police and soldiers pose a dangerous threat to stability in the Pacific region, Labor has warned.

The Opposition's Pacific spokesman, Bob Sercombe, said Australia should use the Pacific Islands Forum, which begins in Fiji today, to push for uniform gun-control laws across the 16 member countries.

He said violence in the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Bougainville, Fiji and Vanuatu highlighted the increasing availability of arms and their role in regional instability.

The weapons were significantly worsening the impact of political conflict, tribal warfare, crime and domestic violence and pushing young and under-resourced states to the limit, Mr Sercombe said.

He released a discussion paper, "In the Line of Fire: Addressing Illicit Small Arms in the Pacific", which warns that the increasing demand for guns could trigger major arms trafficking in the region.

Many guns were in the hands of young unemployed men who used them to earn an income at the expense of their communities, Mr Sercombe said.

"Unemployment and boredom are factors behind the attraction of guns which are increasingly rented out or used in robberies as a means of livelihood," he said.

Australian researcher Philip Alpers said that of 7664 M16 and SLR assault rifles delivered to the Papua New Guinea defence forces since 1971, only 26 per cent remained in stock and similar numbers were missing from police armouries.

The discussion paper says there is evidence of urban raskol gangs emerging in Papua New Guinea's troubled Southern Highlands province.

"Concerns that the province suffers similar grievances and tensions that led to the 10-year conflict in Bougainville are disturbing," the discussion paper says.

The increasing number of guns in the Highlands posed a grave threat to democratic institutions and could bring serious violence during the coming elections.

The paper says many countries in the region do not record firearm details and only a few have computerised records of small arms owned by civilians.

Penalties vary considerably across the member countries.

Mr Sercombe said the threat could be reduced by cutting the flow of ammunition.

There was little use in the Pacific for the AK-47 automatic rifle because it was hard to find ammunition for it, he said.

Australia could help improve security at military and police armouries, he said.