pima nius

[pima.nius] Fijians control own destiny under Bainimarama

2012-01-18T22:00:00.001-08:00

Fiji's Attorney General defends Bainimarama in the Dominion today.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/6282605/Fijians-control-own-destiny-under-Bainimarama

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[pima.nius] global survey for use and nonuse of FOI laws

2012-01-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

. . .

Take the global survey from investigative reporters and John S. Knight fellows at Stanford University, into use - and nonuse - of Freedom of Information laws, including their absence.

http://www.surveybuilder.com/s/ISaIJPbDoAA?source_id=3&source_type=web

Takes about 15 minutes, but very simple, smooth. Impressive, even !

Via LinkedIn Friends of ICFJ survey page

My thin slice >

These guys appear the real deal, partnering from a European journalism collective exposing what it is calling The Proxy, a half billion dollar affair including extensive links with our region. New Zealand continues a strong push for ultra-liberal trade laws across the region and, more recently, under the popular Key administration, is positioning the country as a future "finance centre".

. . .

jason brown

www.facebook.com/avaiki

+642102484560

. . .

[pima.nius] Fwd: [pacific-journos] NZ: Pacific journalists reach ten-year milestone-- PFF

2011-11-02T13:47:00.001-07:00

PFF, Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS -- Pacifica journalists in New Zealand
celebrating ten years of better networking and a space to share their
concerns have reached a regional milestone, says the Pacific Freedom
Forum.

PFF joins other regional colleagues in congratulating the Pacific
Islands Media Association, PIMA, for reaching a decade of networking
and solidarity. "Already a minority in a country which has a strong
Pacific population and is host the world's largest Polynesian centre,
a relatively small cadre of Pacific Islands journalists working in New
Zealand have come through a tough decade for journalists, let alone
New Zealand journalists and Pacific journalists. That is
inspirational," says Papua New Guinea's Titi Gabi, who chairs the
regional media freedom network.

"PFF is not even half the age of PIMA. But the concerns over keeping
professional standards in an industry facing high turnover and lack of
interest as a long term career are shared. And the networking offered
by linking with other journalists is definitely something which has
marked the development of Pacific media in recent years."

The emergence and growth of institutions such as the Auckland
University of Technology's Pacific Media Centre is helping to lead
quality tertiary training and debates for Pacific journalists in New
Zealand and the region, and continues to help boost membership and
support for PIMA, says co-chair Monica Miller of American Samoa.

"We celebrate with our Pacific colleagues this week, and look forward
to more shared efforts in future," she says.

Miller was amongst those attending the May 2011 UNESCO World Press
Freedom Day regional events in Apia, where PIMA formed part of the
inaugural membership of the Media Alliance of the Pacific. The MAP
grouping provides a common platform for the different Pacific regional
media networks to come together on issues and concerns they share,
such as media freedom and training actions. -- ENDS

LINKS:

PIMA website www.pima.co.nz

Pacific Media Centre website www.pmc.aut.ac.nz

CONTACT: PFF Chair Titi Gabi | Freelance Journalist | Papua New Guinea
Mail: PO Box 7776, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea | Mob: (675) 7314
3929 | Email: titi.gabipng@gmail.com PFF co-Chair Monica Miller | KHJ
Radio | American Samoa Mob 684 258-4197 | Office 684 633-7793 | Email:
monica@khjradio.com The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and
global online network of Pacific media colleagues, with the specific
intent of raising awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific
people to enjoy freedom of expression and be served by a free and
independent media. We believe in the critical and basic link between
these freedoms, and the vision of democratic and participatory
governance pledged by our leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific
Plan and other commitments to good governance. In support of the
above, our key focus is monitoring threats to media freedom and
bringing issues of concern to the attention of the wider regional and
international community.

--
Lisa Williams-Lahari
Media Freelancer
Regional Coordinator, IFJ Pacific Media for Democracy and Human Rights
Project
Ph Mobile: 677-7574230
Skype: lisalahari

* "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that
matter."-- Martin Luther King Jr. *

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[pima.nius] Press Release from Pasifika Media Association

2011-10-31T14:22:00.001-07:00

MEDIA RELEASE
Apologies for cross-postings!

For immediate release
31 October 2011

Media contact
Savea Sano Malifa
email: saveamalifa@gmail.com
(685) 770-2250

British Government Funds Pacific Media
The British High Commission in Honiara, Solomon Islands, has granted major funding to the
Samoa-based Pasifika Media Association (PasiMA) to finance regional online media education.
The grant was approved during a meeting in Apia last week.

Apia, Samoa – The Chairman and Administrative Director of Pasifika Media Association (PasiMA) met in Apia last week with The British Deputy High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands, Mr Tom Oppenheim, to draft a funding agreement in support of PasiMA's work.

The funds are intended to finance a major regional project to provide online media educational and training resources for Pacific island journalists and media operators.

At the end of the two-day meeting, PasiMA Chairman Savea Sano Malifa said, "On behalf of PasiMA, I would like to extend our gratitude to the Deputy High Commissioner and the British government for their support in pursuing our goals.

"We trust that the funds being extended will help promote and protect the people's right to freedom of expression in the Pacific, and we are mindful that they shall be wisely spent."

The board of directors of PasiMA, the Pacific region's leading professional media organization of independent media owners, operators and principals, sees ongoing media education as a priority need for effective media development.

In response to this need, the new PasiMA project will develop an online professional-support and distance-learning network grounded in Pacific culture and values. It will be tailored to the needs of working journalists in the Pacific.

PasiMA believes that the creation of a 21st Century online media support and training network, emerging from a Pacific perspective, will make advanced media training easily accessible to regional media professionals.

Such a facility should also contribute to their increased capacity and broadly support community media markets in the region.

The PasiMA project will involve a number of partnerships with existing journalism programmes and media-related organizations and NGOs in the region.

A primary project focus will the development of teaching modules designed to provide existing professional journalists with the additional skills, knowledge and expertise required to venture deeper into the important field of investigative reporting.

In addition, a specific training and capacity building programme for media proprietors and staff in the generation of ideas and the furtherance of the development of multi-media platforms will be made available. This will entail the use of social media in both developing commercial viability and increasing news and information flow.

The new online resources will be designed to assist prospective and existing media owners and managers with business management tools and models for business sustainability.

The project proposal was developed with the assistance of Associate Professor Martin Hadlow, formerly of the University of Queensland School of Journalism and Communication.

Said he: "The ongoing development of the independent media and free press is vital for the furtherance of good governance and democracy in the region.

"This project addresses and builds upon the expressed needs of media practitioners in upgrading their skills and work practices, thus enabling them to better serve their newspaper and magazine readers, television viewers, radio listeners and online consumers."

The project will commence immediately, with an anticipated launch date of October 2012 for the online programme.

Deputy High Commissioner Oppenheim says that the British government is very pleased to assist PasiMA with this important work.

"We've been closely involved in the research that identified the training needs this project will address," he says. "We look forward to working with PasiMA to see this important project through to fruition."

PasiMA Administrative Director Ana Currie, who is based in Hawai'i, will serve as project manager in support of a 12-member project team.

The primary organizational goals of PasiMA are to:
• Promote and defend values of media freedom;
• Promote and uphold ethical practices and standards;
• Promote and develop good governance and professionalism;
• Facilitate and provide training and education for media in the Pacific region.

PasiMA is guided by a 7-member Board of Directors, led by an Executive Committee that includes Savea Sano Malifa (Editor-in-Chief of Samoa Observer) as Chair, Kalafi Moala (Publisher and CEO of Tonga's Taimi Media Network) as Vice Chair and John Woods (Managing Editor of Cook Islands News) as Secretary-Treasurer.

PasiMA's website (http://www.pacificmedia.org) features a real-time feed of Pacific news from content providers around the region, as well as updates on critical media freedom issues in the region.

PASIFIKA MEDIA ASSOCIATION • P.O. BOX 1572 APIA, SAMOA • www.pacificmedia.org

-END-

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[pima.nius] Labour to establish new public broadcaster for the digital age

2011-10-31T14:21:00.001-07:00

Clare

CURRAN

Broadcasting Spokesperson

Spokesperson for Communications and IT

1 November 2011 MEDIA STATEMENT
Labour to establish new public broadcaster for the digital age

Kiwis will be asked to help shape a new, non-commercial, modern public broadcaster to be established under a Labour Government.

Announcing Labour's broadcasting policy today spokesperson Clare Curran said it would bring together elements of non-commercial public broadcasting that already exist, including the statutorily independent functions of TVNZ7 and Radio NZ, to both strengthen and broaden them in the digital environment.

The new broadcaster, which may also include a nationwide news service, will be based on the outcomes of a nationwide public debate, to be completed within one year of Labour winning office.

"A strong, independent, free public broadcasting media service not driven by commercial interests is essential to an informed democracy," Clare Curran said.

"Labour's commitment to restoring public broadcasting in New Zealand marks an important change towards a contemporary Kiwi approach to protecting and promoting New Zealand's culture in the 21^st Century.

"The current Government axed TVNZ7 and stripped TVNZ of its public charter. We are currently one of the very few countries in the world without a public television broadcaster.

"A responsible government invests in public broadcasting in order to meet the needs of a diverse society and ensure that quality local content is both produced and delivered.

"A public debate will allow New Zealanders to have their say on the shape of future public broadcasting.

"That debate will also include a discussion of the institutional form, legislative framework and range of funding options, including the use of existing assets and dividend streams, and other international models, such as those used in Europe and the United States," Clare Curran said.

Labour will also:

encourage a stronger representative voice in the broadcasting and New Zealand content sector, particularly with reference to the impact of new media.
continue to encourage the screen production industry. Funding through NZ On Air will continue at present levels, but with a review of the organisation, its goals and objectives, and its models for allocating its funding to local content.
investigate the merits of providing special tax status to low-profit limited liability content development companies which are New Zealand owned who commit to a defined programme of re-investment in their business, in order to encourage a competitive environment in New Zealand digital media.
review free to air Pasifika content and look at ethnic broadcasting content with a view to supporting better programming outcomes for the diverse cultures of New Zealand.

"Labour believes our plan is bold and future focused. New Zealand wants it and definitely needs it. We'll support New Zealand content and we'll provide a stronger mechanism to deliver it," Clare Curran said.

Contact: Clare Curran 0212421813

Authorised by Clare Curran, Parliament Buildings Wellington

Vikki Carter

Press Secretary
Office of Hon Phil Goff
04) 817 9915 | 021 241 8466

facebook.com/philgoff.labour | twitter.com/phil_goff | labour.org.nz

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aotearoa, new zealand
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[pima.nius] Results website frustrates Pacific Games fans

2011-08-30T11:37:00.001-07:00

Results website frustrates Pacific Games fans

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201108/s3305327.htm

Updated August 30, 2011 10:34:54

The website for the Pacific Games is still not showing any results four days after the games kicked off in New Caledonia.

Officials are hopeful the site will be up and running later in the week.

Presenter: Campbell Cooney
Speker: Geraldine Coutts, Radio Australia reporter

Listen:
Windows Media

COUTTS: He had 150 tablets of steroids, illegal substances, thyroid pills and diuretics and the combination of course enhances performance and then masks the drugs in the system within a 24 hour period. But the reason that the police had persisted and pushed it to court is because they don't believe his story that it was for personal use. They claim that amount was for the potential for him to deal, and so they weren't letting it go and take it lightly. And apart from everything else, they're illegal substances and officials have been overt in their message to the athletes even before they came to the games, don't take drugs because you'll be caught, because they're going to have at least 350 random tests throughout the course of the games. So beware is the message to the athletes. But yeah, two o'clock this afternoon Cam, they'll be going to court. He still hasn't been named. I guess by practice of elimination I could have worked it out, but then if we had a website that worked that gave us all the details of the athletes we could do that. But the gods are against us, the planets haven't yet lined up for the organisers of the media centre just yet.

COONEY: Yeah we'll get to the website because it is causing some problems. I'm curious if there's been any response from the Tahitian team at this stage Gero?

COUTTS: No pretty quiet, no messages at all, no press conferences, actually you could say you ring the team managers and it's no comment because it's before the courts, the usual message, they don't want to prejudice themselves before they go to court this afternoon. It's fair enough I guess, but absolutely silent, they're not even saying who it is, and I asked at a press conference yesterday if it was automatic suspension from the games, would he be sent home? And the organisers, outlook a whitewash again, wouldn't commit to that either and said no, no, they'd be an investigation, a full investigation � but it's beyond doubt, the man was caught with 150 tablets in his luggage, so it's beyond doubt he was in possession. And yet they're still committing to even sending him home.

COONEY: Alright now you mentioned there if the website was working, because I understand this is causing some major frustrations over there, the fact that it is not working, it's not giving good results?

COUTTS: Well it's not giving any results. I went on this morning in the faint hope that I'd be able to give you a medal tally. There's not a medal on it, they just cannot get it up and running, and so there are no results. So between us, all of the journalists, when we go out to the various venues and get results and all the rest of it, we bring it back and share it amongst ourselves, which is how we're getting the results that we've got. And if it's an event that hasn't been visited by a journalist, there are no results. Look Frederico(?), the guy in the media centre, he's just lovely, outstanding working his fingers to the bone, but the fact is why wasn't this tested? It should have been months ago, why did it come down to the line that it's fallen over, well it hasn't fallen over, it hasn't got up to fall over, there is absolutely nothing in the website. It's beautiful, it will do all sorts of things once it gets up and running.

COONEY: Just not give you results?

COUTTS: No, no results, so they're saying not today, maybe tomorrow, so hopefully some time this week they'll actually be able to get it up and running, then it'll be a snap, because it's a beautiful website, it just doesn't give you results.

COONEY: Alright now look Tonga's table tennis campaign has taken a bit of a stall, they haven't even made it to New Caledonia yet, they're stuck in Brisbane. Any news on what's happened with these guys or why they've been delayed?

COUTTS: Look I rang the Tongan officials yesterday, they're not really sure and are a bit sketchy, but nine of them, that's the table tennis team, other sports in Tonga are actually here, so we're only talking about Tonga's table tennis team, stuck in Brisbane. Now we've got an assortment of reasons, and I emphasis this is just an assortment of reasons, we haven't had any confirmation. One is that a number of teams have had difficulty getting visas to transit through Australia, another is that one of the table tennis teammates missed the flight, so they decided to wait for him, so they're all hold up in Brisbane. But I suggest that's not the case, I think it'd be something more official as their hold-up in Brisbane for this amount of time. So the finger maybe is pointing more towards visa difficulties, but that cannot be confirmed, this is just hearsay at this stage and there are a lot more reasons. But because they didn't turn up New Caledonia got forfeits in the men's and women's teams events yesterday. Officials say look when and if they do turn up, they'll be allowed into the competition, as long as they arrive before the start, at the various events like the singles, the doubles and the mixed doubles, if they arrive after those events have started, forfeit will come again. But really at this stage no idea as to why they're still in Brisbane. But visas look like it might be the reason.

COONEY: Alright now good results for Papua New Guinea in the pool?

COUTTS: Oh Ryan Pini, look he is an absolute champion, I think two times in the Olympics, gold medal in the Commonwealth Games. He got gold last night in the 200 metres free, one of his pet events. He must have been foxing in the heats because he only got the fourth fastest time, but then in the final, floored it and came home with gold. Look I'd love to tell you about the events, because I left before they were on, but he was also to be in the 100 metre butterfly and the relay, but I don't know about that and as I've already mentioned the website, but I'm guessing that in the fly he would have done pretty well because he's had so much international competition he is being chased by all-comers now. So it's good for the up and comers to try and chase him and get there. But let's remember, Ryan Pini is now 29, so he's getting to that area of his career that he might be thinking about hanging up the togs. Speaking of hanging up the togs, in the body building thing, just going back to that for a moment, the officials warned very carefully to the men, no padding in your bathers, and for the women please cover your derrieres to at least two-thirds. This is New Caledonia, we're a Christian country, blah, blah, blah. No padding in your togs boys, and cover your derriere girls.

COONEY: Now protests yesterday I understand too, what's happening here?

COUTTS: Engla ZaZah in 500 metre mens, Fiji lodged a complaint that wound up going for three hours over Samoa, they reckon that Samoa finished out of its lane. Samoa countered by saying well if we finished out of our lanes, so did everybody else. Now that's not to suggest that they were playing dodgems and were banging into each other crossing the lane, they all started in the incorrect lanes, which was the argument that Samoa made. And so officials dismissed it saying well you're in the lane, and they said well why don't you dismiss them all, and they said because you were the only ones that had a complaint lodged against you. So that was not upheld, so then Samoa decided they'd lodge a complaint against the officials, which then made the complaints go on and on and on. So that was dismissed in the end as well. So three hours it took, it held up that particular 500 metres, and in the end, bad luck.

COONEY: Look very quickly what's on the agenda for the day, what's the big one?

COUTTS: Look I think that I'm going to go to the weightlifting because there's some big names coming up and at some stage I'd like to catch up with Dika Toua, who is the PNG women's champion. She's back for the first time now after having had a baby. So it'll be really interesting to see how she goes there. Za'a finishes again this afternoon, so the pool again will be on this afternoon, and we'll hopefully find out what's going there. But there's lots of medals on offer at the moment as the games heat up. So they'll be a variety of events and results.

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pacific islands media association
pima.nius@gmail.com
aotearoa, new zealand
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[pima.nius] COURT ORDERS TONGAN NOBLE EVICTED FROM HOME

2011-08-30T11:35:00.001-07:00

COURT ORDERS TONGAN NOBLE EVICTED FROM HOME
'Akau'ola refuses to vacate former government property

http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2011/August/08-30-05.htm

NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, Aug. 29, 2011) – The family of 'Akau'ola, the Special Adviser to the Tongan Prime Minister, were evacuated under police supervision from a private property on Hala Tupoulahi on Friday afternoon, 26 August, after defying a court order to leave.

'Akau'ola and his family had refused to move from the property, a former government flat, which was among several government properties that were tendered and sold late last year.

A Nuku'alofa accountant, Sitiveni 'Esau bid for the property and won. He paid the remaining 80 percent of the total value of the property of about $160,000 on 22 November 2010, and was issued with the land deeds.

However, since November last year, Sitiveni and his family had not been able to move into their new home, because the occupants, 'Akau'ola and his family refused to leave.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Tonga on 28 July ordered for 'Akau'ola to vacate the property within 28 days.

The removal time was up at noon on Thursday, 25 August, but by Friday 26 August, Sitiveni said that 'Akau'ola and his family were still at his property and had not complied with the court order.

On Friday, the Supreme Court ordered the police to "take possession" of the property.

Sitiveni said that 'Akau'ola was not at home when he arrived with the police to take possession of his property, but 'Akau'ola's wife was there. She pleaded for more time so that they could talk to their lawyer, but Sitiveni pointed out that there was a Court Order for them to vacate the property, and this time it was for him to take possession of the property, so they had to move out immediately.

"But we have no home to go to," pleaded Mrs 'Akau'ola.

Sitiveni 'Esau asks Mrs 'Akau'ola to leave his property

Sitiveni said he could not put up any longer with 'Akau'ola's delaying tactics, because even his nine months rent of $300 a month for the flat where he had been staying since November 2010 had not been repaid by 'Akau'ola, as agreed in an out of court settlement of costs on 28 July.

Sitveni had to take the case to the court because the officials from the Ministry of Public Enterprises who sold the property had not become involved in the process of removing 'Akau'ola.

Sitiveni said that he had become aware that because of 'Akau'ola's high position in government as the special advisor to the prime minister that civil servants were scared of losing their jobs if they became actively involved in the problem.

One of the reasons why the court hearing was delayed for so long was because the relevant officers from the Ministry of Public Enterprises were not available to attend the hearing.

"I can't believe that this could happen in this day and age," said Sitiveni, who said the saga was "extremely stressful - I feel as though I have run a marathon to get here."

He understood that 'Akau'ola came to live in the house when he was a civil servant, the CEO of Civil Aviation under the government of Prince Lavaka 'Ata 'Ulukalala, but had continued to live there after he resigned from government in 2007 when he became a highly-paid consultant.

Matangi Tonga: www.matangitonga.to
Copyright © 2009 Matangi Tonga. All Rights Reserved

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aotearoa, new zealand
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[pima.nius] No chance for Fiji dictatorship over Forum, says Tuilaepa

2011-08-25T11:38:00.001-07:00

No chance for Fiji dictatorship over Forum, says Tuilaepa

14:14 August 25, 2011 0 comments

http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/08/no-chance-for-fiji-dictatorship-over-forum-says-tuilaepa/

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Tupuola Terry Tavita in Apia

The embattled coup-installed military regime in Fiji should not be a focus in next month's Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Auckland, says the Samoan prime minister.

The question was put to Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi by Savali this week if there is any chance Fiji can again be suggested to rejoin the Forum in the Auckland leaders meeting.

"What for?" asked Tuilaepa. "The regime there is getting worse."

Asked to clarify this comment, he added: "Well, there are reports that Bainimarama is paying himself five different ministerial salaries from the five different ministerial portfolios he's overseeing. That's on top of his salary as Prime Minister. The Attorney-General is reportedly also doing the same.

"And they are both being paid through an accounting firm owned by the AG's aunt- from cash paid directly from the different ministries. That system ensures that no one else knows the totality of the fortnightly salaries of the PM and his AG.

"In our democratic system where transparency and accountability prevail, the prime minister or a minister can only draw one salary regardless of that minister's many responsibilities. All the payments are in black and white. There are no grey areas.

"Elsewhere where good governance policies and best practices are absent, dictators help themselves to public money and feel no urge to go back to democracy.

"He (Bainimarama) and his Attorney-General are both into this little scam that's costing Fijian taxpayers millions of dollars. They're both looking after themselves. Why then should the Forum allow Fiji back in when the regime there is not demonstrating any genuine effort to return the county to democracy, to good governance principles – in all its forms and manifestations – the Forum upholds?"

Academic freedom
It has been alleged that University of the South Pacific's economics professor Wadan Narsey – who has presented critical, but objective, views of the military regime for Pacific Scoop and many other publications – has been forced to resign from pressure exerted by the Fiji government, through the university administration.

"It is extremely worrying when politics starts to interfere with academic independence. You then start to question the standard of education at USP and the teaching environment there.

"Especially as USP is collectively-owned by Forum countries and not just Fiji . The irony is that the pressure is coming from an uneducated military dictator who has never studied at a university."

This week, trade unions in Fiji issued a joint statement asking media outlets in the country to publish and broadcast balanced news item, instead of the one way anti-union pro-regime propaganda that people in Fiji have been receiving.

"That's the reality of military dictatorships. There is no freedom of expression, no media independence and any critical views are hushed up – silenced. It's all shotgun news now in Fiji ," Tuilaepa said.

The planned Methodist annual conference scheduled later this week has again been cancelled by the military regime with reports that some of the senior church leaders have been sent to the barracks and interrogated by the military.

"If 200,000 Christian women marched for their freedom as the Filipino women did against their own dictator Ferdinand Marcos, the Christian soldiers of the Christian army will just fold their arms and let them through. They will not dare touch their Christian mothers, aunts, nieces, cousins and sisters," Tuilaepa said.

Tupuola Terry Tavita is editor of the Samoan government newspaper Savali.

Pacific Scoop Pacific Islands Forum stories

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aotearoa, new zealand
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[pima.nius] Tuvalu PM to remain in power

2011-08-25T11:36:00.001-07:00

Tuvalu PM to remain in power

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201108/s3302286.htm

Updated August 25, 2011 16:23:59

Tuvalu's Prime Minister Willy Telavi will remain in power after a critical by-election fell the governments way.

Ultimately just 62 votes was the difference between the government keeping its wafer thin majority or a new administration taking power.

Presenter: Cameron Wilson
Speaker: Pelenike Tekinene Isaia, new Tuvalu MP

Listen:
Windows Media

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aotearoa, new zealand
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[pima.nius] The writing's on the wall

2011-08-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Fiji Torture Watch <fijitorturewatch@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:25:32 +1200
Subject: The writing's on the wall
To: lisa.lahari@gmail.com

Taken on the morning of 23 August 2011, these photos show somebody's dissent
displayed on walls and bus stops along the Suva to Nausori corridor.
Soldiers were seen painting over spray painted words that read "PM YOU LIER"
on a bus stop wall. Other road workers stood at the bus stop on the opposite
side blocking the view of large letters which read "REVOLOTION BEGINS". At
Karsanji Street, a sign mysteriously appeared in the space of 20 minutes
reading "BAINIMARAMA U EVIL LEADER"

--
Lisa Williams-Lahari
Media Freelancer
Regional Coordinator, IFJ Pacific Media for Democracy and Human Rights
Project
Ph Mobile: 677-7574230
Skype: lisalahari

* "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that
matter."-- Martin Luther King Jr. *

--
. . .

Thanks for being part of the "Pacific Freedom Forum" and supporting press freedom in our region. As a member, you can send emails to mediafreedom@googlegroups.com
Leaving? Send an email to mediafreedom+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com

Online: http://groups.google.com/group/mediafreedom?hl=en?hl=en

DISCLAIMER: Please be warned. This is an unmoderated list. Thanks for understanding that UNLESS stated otherwise, responsibility for all content and language used rests with individual members and should not be confused as the endorsed view of the Pacific Freedom Forum.

. . .

--
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aotearoa, new zealand
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[pima.nius] PNG: Mobile phones in rural villages a 'double-edged sword', says researcher

2011-08-24T12:18:00.001-07:00

Title – 7586 PNG: Mobile phones in rural villages a 'double-edged sword', says researcher

Date – 24 August 2011

Byline – None

Origin – Pacific Media Watch

Source – Queensland University of Technology, 24/8/11

Status – Unabridged

----------------------------

* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:

www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

* Post a comment on this story at PMW Right of Reply:

pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

* Pacific Media Centre on Twitter - http://twitter.com/pacmedcentre

MOBILE PHONES IN PNG RURAL VILLAGES 'DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD', SAYS RESEARCHER

http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/png-mobile-phones-rural-villages-double-edged-sword-says-researcher-7586

BRISBANE (Queensland University of Technology/Pacific Media Watch): The introduction of mobile phones in rural villages in Papua New Guinea is seen as a double-edged sword, with communities welcoming the opportunity to communicate but fearing it will lead to family breakdowns.

A study by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researcher Amanda Watson has explored the way new mobile technology, in areas which did not have landline, internet or electricity access, has been changing people's lives, social structures and relationships.

"We are talking about rural areas which had little or no access to modern communication technologies and in many instances were still using traditional forms of communication such as the drum," Watson said.

Watson, who is completing her PhD with QUT's Creative Industries Faculty, said the study of almost 750 people from 10 villages found that while most people were generally positive about the communication benefits of mobile phones, it was how they were using the technology that was most surprising.

"Instead of using mobile phones for business or to improve their economic status, people related the benefits mostly to the enhanced communications they could have with family and friends who were living away from home villages," she said.

"It suggests that social uses of the technology, rather than functional uses such as searching for jobs or coordinating logistics, mark the key benefit felt by rural villagers in PNG."

But Watson said there were also concerns that mobile phone technology was leading to marriage breakdowns.

"For example we were hearing stories about someone seeing their partner engage in a private conversation using a mobile phone, either talking quietly or text messaging, and this was causing jealously and tension within the marriage," she said.

"So there was definitely this feeling that mobile phones were leading to more instances of marriages falling apart."

Watson said there were also difficulties associated with owning mobile phones such as the cost of the calls and the logistical challenges of charging a handset battery without easy access to mains power.

She said by identifying the negatives linked to mobile phones, it was hoped that policy and practices could be introduced to overcome these challenges.

"Efforts to reduce usage costs, enable easier recharging and designing more robust handsets would allow for increased use of mobile phones for a range of purposes," Watson said.

"I think mobile phone services in rural areas present a big change in these places where they've missed out on most steps in the evolution of technology, but it is an important change and worth documenting."

(cc) Creative Commons

* More Pacific media research: http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/research

* Comment on this item: pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE

www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

http://creativecommons.org

Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original producers as indicated in the header. Recipients should seek permission

from the copyright owner for any publishing. Copyright owners not wishing their materials to be posted by PMW please contact us. The views expressed in material listed by PMW are not necessarily the views

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----------------------------------------

[pima.nius] Introducing the NZ Pacific Island Sports Awards

2011-08-24T12:15:00.001-07:00

Fakalofa atu & Happy Mid-Week everyone,

Please find attached the NZ Pacific Island Sports Awards information letter from Tuigamala Va'aiga "Inga the Winger" Tuigamala (Founder) and NZPISA President Jannitta Pilisi.

The NZ Pacific Island Sports Awards Dinner and Ball on Saturday 5th November 2011 is not exclusive to Pacific sportsmen or sportswomen and their families. All parts of NZ's Pacific community from our Sportspeople, to our Community and Culture groups, our Entertainers and Artists, our Health and Justice sectors, to our Education providers, as well as our Businesses and our Churches are very welcome.

Corporate tables start from $3,500 and include entry, dinner, drinks, entertainment and the Awards Ball. The event will be televised by TVNZ on 4 Dec 2011. Single ticket sales are also available from the beginning of September.

Please feel free to pass this message on to anyone who may be interested in attending. Apologies for double-posting. All contact information is available in the letter.

Fa'afetai lava and kindest regards,

Lee. A for
Jannitta Pilisi BA.LLB
President - NZPISA

--
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pacific islands media association
pima.nius@gmail.com
aotearoa, new zealand
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[pima.nius] FIJI: Samoa's Savali blasts 'propaganda-promoting journalists'

2011-08-23T11:28:00.001-07:00

Title – 7585 FIJI: Samoa's Savali blasts 'propaganda-promoting journalists'

Date – 23 August 2011

Byline – None

Origin – Pacific Media Watch

Source – Savali News, 22/8/11

Status – Unabridged

----------------------------

* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:

www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

* Post a comment on this story at PMW Right of Reply:

pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

* Pacific Media Centre on Twitter - http://twitter.com/pacmedcentre

SAMOA'S SAVALI BLASTS 'PROPAGANDA-PROMOTING JOURNALISTS'

http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/fiji-samoas-savali-blasts-propaganda-promoting-journalists-7585

APIA (Savali News/Pacific Media Watch): The lack of balanced reporting to the point of promoting regime propaganda in the Fiji media, and the subsequent silence from media freedom groups in the region, has prompted Savali News to issue a statement.

This week, Fiji's trade union bodies asked that country's media outlets not to report what they see as one-sided pro-government news. And that, to either publish balanced news items, or nothing at all.

Pro-regime newspaper Fiji Sun, Radio Fiji and Fiji TV were named by the Fiji Trade Union Congress and the Fiji Islands Council of Trade Unions in a joint press release.

Asked for comment, the editor of the Savali newspaper, Tupuola Terry Tavita, had this to say: "It has been known in regional media circles for some years now that there are many so-called journalists in Fiji who willingly – and actively – promote the military regime there. They come to regional media workshops and bad-mouth the regime then go back home and voluntarily write and promote regime propaganda.

"They're hypocrites.

"Several times, it was suggested to some in the independent Fiji media to make use of regional media networks to go around the government censors. To have their stuff that can't be published in Fiji published elsewhere in the region where media freedom thrives like Samoa and the Cook Islands.

"But they (Fijian journalists) are not interested. They come up with all sorts of excuses instead. I can't believe that in this age of emails, fax machines and phone texting there is absolutely nothing coming out of Fiji. In fact, we only ever read about the truth of what's really going on there from the New Zealand and Australian media.

"It's an insult to Pacific media.The lack of leadership from Fiji-based regional media groups like PINA also contributes to this environment," said the Savali editor.

"I don't blame the Fijian journos too much as they are only taking their cue from the spineless PINA organisation whose executive is also too busy kissing up, and looking for favours, from the Bainimarama regime. You know, when the big crab crawls with a limp, the little crabs limp after him."

But he adds. "The situation in Fiji is like any other crisis elsewhere. There are those who lose out and there are those who position themselves to take advantage of the situation.

"The media also has its share of opportunists. Journalists, editors and news directors who agreeably choose to promote the regime-of-the-day.

"They've become part of the problem, Bainimarama's willing and able soldiers in the media. They've essentially become part of the propaganda machine. The regime's critics become their enemies, and those friendly to the regime become their friends also. You can easily pick that out by what – and how – they publish and broadcast the news.

"In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if many of these Fijian journalists are calling up Bainimarama and suggesting news angles that make him look good.

"Savali newspaper – published by the Samoan government under the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet – has been critical of the coup-installed regime in Fiji since it took power, December 2006."

* Fiji Trade Union Congress on the media:

http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/fiji-unions-criticise-being-shut-out-pro-regime-news-7584

* Comment on this item: pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE

www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

http://creativecommons.org

of PMW or the Pacific Media Centre.

For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:

http://mailman.aut.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/pacific_media_watch_list

Email:

pmc@aut.ac.nz

Fax: (+649) 921 9987

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----------------------------------------

[pima.nius] Sir Michael Somare is discharged from hospital

2011-08-23T11:27:00.001-07:00

Sir Michael Somare is discharged from hospital

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201108/s3300373.htm

Updated August 23, 2011 17:16:21

Papua New Guinea's former Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare has been discharged from a Singapore hospital following a heart surgery 4 months ago and is expected to return in a few weeks' time.

His son Arthur Somare says his father's condition has improved a lot and he's now able to walk and eat well.

He says Sir Michael should be be able to return in time to celebrate PNG's 36 years of independence next month.

Presenter: Firmin Nanol
Speaker: Arthur Somare, son of former PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare

Listen:
Windows Media

SOMARE: From the last time I saw him which was several weeks back before many of the issues started to confront us over here, he was fragile, but his recovery is absolutely fantastic. He is walking, he is eating regular meals, he's certainly got an appetite to start reading again, and keeping himself informed at this stage. And there's clarity there. I wouldn't say 100 per cent, but from a family perspective I am very, very happy with his present recovery. As of yesterday he's checked out of the Singapore hospital, he's now out of Raffles, he has a unit eight minutes away from Raffles from the hospital, he'll be there for a little while longer to ensure that all the appropriate medical care is still with him for that duration of his stay there, and I hope that in the very near future, sometime in the next couple of weeks he'll be back in Papua New Guinea again. So I'm delighted at my father's recovery.

NANOL: Any reaction when you served him the documents and told him about what is happening here, any word from him?

SOMARE: He had been briefed by Sam Abal a while back, and again we don't want to inundate him with work at this particular time, suffering the trauma of three surgeries and then being bombarded.

NANOL: After these four-five months of him being in hospital, we haven't seen any pictures of him since then, you embracing him and hugging him, him sitting on the chair, Sir Michael, that picture you put it out and it came in the front page. I mean that is a big decision the family made to put this picture out, I mean any particular reasons why that was done?

SOMARE: I think it coincides with his recovery from hospital itself. He was checked out yesterday from the Raffles hospital, we are confident that his road to recovery, his health has improved to such an extent that it's now ok to put out a picture as such, and essentially to thank the people of PNG who have been always dedicating him in their prayers. And we're delighted with the response and the support that the whole of the community give him at this particular time to give that support, we just wanted to show to them that the prayers and their thoughts and their kind commitments that they've given over these last four months were not in vain. He has substantially improved in his health, he's not 100 per cent, but he's very much on his way to restoring as good a health as you can after three surgeries.

NANOL: When will we see our old man back, that's the question that people will ask after seeing this picture?

SOMARE: I'm hoping very, very soon, as I said obviously he's still fragile and frail from three surgeries, you would be at the age of 76 years of age. As soon as we are comfortable that he can make that long journey, eight hour by airplane back bai mipela bringim em kam bek.

--
----------------------------------------
pacific islands media association
pima.nius@gmail.com
aotearoa, new zealand
----------------------------------------

[pima.nius] FIJI: Unions criticise being 'shut out' of pro-regime news

2011-08-22T11:32:00.001-07:00

Title – 7584 FIJI: Unions criticise being 'shut out' of pro-regime news

Date – 23 August 2011

Byline – Bruce Hill

Origin – Pacific Media Watch

Source – Radio Australia Pacific Beat, 22/8/11

Status – Unabridged

----------------------------

* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:

www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

* Post a comment on this story at PMW Right of Reply:

pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

* Pacific Media Centre on Twitter - http://twitter.com/pacmedcentre

GOVT HITS OUT AT INTERNATIONAL MEDIA REPORTS

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201108/s3299405.htm

MELBOURNE (RA Pacific Beat/Pacific Media Watch): Fiji's peak trade union bodies have asked the country's media not to report what they see as one-sided pro-government news.

The Fiji Trade Union Congress and the Fiji Islands Council of Trade Unions have jointly condemned what they say is the "shutting out" of their views in the state censored media.

They have called on media outlets to either publish balanced items, or nothing at all.

FTUC general-secretary Felix Anthony says the unions are frustrated by what they see as propaganda rather than journalism.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speakers: Felix Anthony, FTUC general-secretary; Stanley Simpson, Fiji Broadcasting News director

ANTHONY: Reporting by the media - and in particular the Fiji Sun and Radio Fiji and, of course, Fiji TV News - has totally ignored statements by the trade unions and has gone onto a propaganda mode, just simply promoting statements by the regime. People in Fiji are simply getting one side of the story, the reporting is not balanced. It's absolutely biased and quite apart from news reporting, there's been other programmes that we have noticed, particularly on Radio Fiji, which actually go a bit further to promote the regime and we don't believe this is fair. We call for a fair media and if the media is not allowed to report fairly, then it should not become a propaganda machine for the regime either.

HILL: What is it specifically you want the media to do?

ANTHONY: To report fairly and if they are not allowed to report the trade union perspective on issues, then they should either mention that or try their level best not to give misleading news and programs to the public.

HILL: So essentially are you saying that if they can't report both sides, they shouldn't report it at all?

ANTHONY: Well yes, that could be so, but also as I've said, we've noticed that there are some media outlets that actually not only report one side of the story, but actually go a bit further to promoting the propaganda agenda of the regime.

HILL: Is it better for people to have only one side of the story or no story at all?

ANTHONY: Well, we want the people to have the truth, and if the media is unable to give that truth, then they had better not mislead people.

HILL: But Fiji Broadcasting News director Stanley Simpson says the accusations from the unions are not entirely correct. He says journalists are trying to do the best job they can - but there is government censorship and that has to be taken into account.

SIMPSON: Well, all media organisations in the country - as you know Bruce, and as Felix knows, - are working under the Public Emergency Regulations. The PER is the one that really stops us from reporting some of these issues. It's a well known fact that people like Felix, some of the stories or some of the interviews that [have] been done with him, we're not allowed by the Ministry of Information to run them.

HILL: So there is some truth to what he says?

SIMPSON: We have tried to contact, to interview Felix a number of times, ... and also [FICTU President] Daniel Urai who has just come back from Australia and New Zealand. However, our messages to the union offices in Nadi and Lautoka have not received a response. But we've spoken to people like other unionists who signed the [joint] statements like Attar Singh and Tevita Koroi. I must say that the interviews that managed to get on air were really non-controversial ones, but some of the other ones could not run. I mean it's very clear when we interview them that ... anyone who is seen by government [as possibly] breaching the Public Emergency Regulations - we tell them there's no guarantee that their interview will go on air. I mean censors come in to the newsroom and check this story or if it does manage to go online, we may get a call for it to be removed. Sometimes the reasons are given, sometimes it's not given. [They just say that] orders have been given.

HILL: What about Felix Anthony's call for news media outlets, if they can't report both sides of the story to simply not report it at all?

SIMPSON: Look, we've got to keep reporting the best we can. We need to give both sides of the story, balanced fair reporting, that's the ethics of our profession. It's not an easy situation for us, but we've got to keep reporting and I hear him say there that there is propaganda, we're promoting the government line. But in fact we report information that we feel is important to the public. This is now the government that is running the country and information that is put out is important to the people, that's what we're able to do at the moment. We do challenge it at times and what's allowed to go through, it goes through. However, at the moment, as we've said, Public Emergency Regulations [are] in place.

* Comment on this item: pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE

www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

http://creativecommons.org

of PMW or the Pacific Media Centre.

For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:

http://mailman.aut.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/pacific_media_watch_list

Email:

pmc@aut.ac.nz

Fax: (+649) 921 9987

SnailMail: Pacific Media Centre, School of Communication Studies, AUT

University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, Aotearoa/New Zealand

Website: www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

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----------------------------------------

[pima.nius] PROPOSAL WOULD TRIM TONGA GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES

2011-08-22T11:31:00.001-07:00

PROPOSAL WOULD TRIM TONGA GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES
Current 19 cabinet ministries would be reduced to 13

http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2011/August/08-22-05.htm

NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, Aug. 21, 2011) – Under a proposed new structure of the Tongan government, aimed to be in place by 1 July 2012, it is proposed there will be only 13 line ministries, which will include a new Ministry of Internal Affairs.

[PIR editor's note: According to the Tongan Government's website, there are currently 19 ministries in the cabinet. ]

A Cabinet Working Group (CWG) in a statement on Thursday, 18 August, said the 13 government ministries will be:

Foreign Affairs and Trade
Tonga Defence Services
Prime Minister's Office
Finance and National Planning
Internal Affairs
Justice
Police, Prisons and Fire
Health
Education and Training
Commerce, Tourism, Industry and Public Enterprises
Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries
12.Transport, Works, Energy and Communications
Lands, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change.

Government bodies without ministries will be:

The Palace Office
Legislative Assembly and Audit
Commissioner for Public Relations (Ombudsman)
Crown Law.

The Cabinet Working Group was formed during the Cabinet retreat to Vava'u in May and mandated to produce a new structure of government for Tonga. They were to address a major constraint on the government budget, where as much as 97percent of some line ministries budget goes on the salaries of the civil servants, leaving very little working capital for these ministries to carry out their duties.

On Thursday the CWG stated that they will present in an "interim implementation report" to the Cabinet Economic and Development Committee at the end of August, before their final report is presented on 30 November.

'Alifeleti Soakai, the Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, emphasized that these were proposals for Cabinet to consider.

CWG chairperson is Mishka Tu'ifua. Members include the Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet Busby Kautoke; Solicitor General 'Aminiasi Kefu; Secretary for Finance and National Planning, Tiofilusi Tiueti; CEO of the public Service Commission Dr Palenitina Langa'oi; and an undisclosed number of senior government officials.

At the Cabinet retreat in Vava'u the CWG was presented with a timetable-

Interim Report to Cabinet by 30 September 2011
Final Report to Cabinet by 20 December 2011
Implementation of Cabinet Decision by 1 July 2012.

Matangi Tonga Magazine: www.matangitonga.to/home/
Copyright © 2011 Matangi Tonga. All Rights Reserved

--
----------------------------------------
pacific islands media association
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aotearoa, new zealand
----------------------------------------

[pima.nius] FIJI: Regime attacks NZ journalist over death report

2011-08-22T11:27:00.001-07:00

Title – 7583 FIJI: Regime attacks NZ journalist over death report

Date – 23 August 2011

Byline – Sofaia Koroitanoa

Origin – Pacific Media Watch

Source – Fiji Village.com, 22/8/11

Status – Unabridged

----------------------------

* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:

www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

* Post a comment on this story at PMW Right of Reply:

pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

* Pacific Media Centre on Twitter - http://twitter.com/pacmedcentre

GOVT HITS OUT AT INTERNATIONAL MEDIA REPORTS

http://www.fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=220811acdf0d6b51827f3216478f30

By Sofaia Koroitanoa

SUVA (Fiji Village.com/Pacific Media Watch): The Fiji government has hit out at international media reports on the death of a New Zealand woman in the country as inaccurate.

Permanent Secretary Sharon Smith-Johns said a recent report by New Zealand journalist Michael Field was "grossly inaccurate, mischievous, insensitive" and "deliberately misinforming" the public.

It has been highlighted by international media reports that the Fiji police force had concealed information and the Fiji media censored for the sake of the tourism industry.

Smith-Johns claimed it was clear that Field needed to check the reliability of his sources of information so he could stop publishing stories based on rumors and gossip which were written to undermine tourism, the Fiji police force and government.

Sharon Smith-Johns also refuted claims made by Field that media enquiries to the Fijian government had been ignored.

She said 33-year-old Cheslia Mary and her 61-year-old partner were on a cruise in the Yasawa group when she reportedly went missing.

Mary's body was found washed up on the beach on June 16 by two women from the Matacawalevu village.

Post mortem results confirmed drowning as the cause of death as she had been intoxicated on the night she disappeared, said Smith-Johns.

* Comment on this item: pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE

www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

http://creativecommons.org

of PMW or the Pacific Media Centre.

For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:

http://mailman.aut.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/pacific_media_watch_list

Email:

pmc@aut.ac.nz

Fax: (+649) 921 9987

SnailMail: Pacific Media Centre, School of Communication Studies, AUT

University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, Aotearoa/New Zealand

Website: www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

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[pima.nius] Tongan overstayers in NZ warned of visa scam

2011-08-22T11:25:00.001-07:00

Tongan overstayers in NZ warned of visa scam

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201108/s3299407.htm

Updated August 22, 2011 17:20:55

Tongans who have overstayed their visa in New Zealand are being warned about a new scam to con them out of their money.

The scammers build trust by talking about religion with their victims before promising to arrange permanent visas in exchange for payment.

It's the latest in a long list of ploys targeting the 3000 Tongans living illegally in New Zealand.

Melino Maka the chair of New Zealand's Tonga Advisory Council told Cameron Wilson, it's disappointing that scammers continue to target vulnerable people.

Presenter: Cameron Wilson
Speaker: Melino Maka, the chair of New Zealand's Tonga Advisory Council

Listen:
Windows Media

MAKA: It's nothing new, I think as you mostly said right through the last couple of years, it's always been scammed by people who actually targeted, people who actually overstayed their permit here in this country. And the latest one appeared to be more quite innovative as a man and a woman seems to be identified people who already been here overstay and they start to approach, find the use of religion as their entry point and from there, they start to develop a trust between them and the person who overstays here and from there, they start getting information about their status here and then they start throwing out the bait, this has always been trying to take advantage in terms of money to gain permanent resident here in this country and it's really, really sad to see people who are retired and vulnerable people like that.

WILSON: When you say they're using religion the people in this instance. What do you mean? How are they using religion?

MAKA: They approach and then they talk about then when the overstaying, this particular case in South Auckland, identifying themselves at this very delegated in terms of the religion and from there, the conversation shifts to be a more compassion and care about their well being and as they disclose their information and then the bait starts coming out in terms of, but it's mainly targeted to really get money out of them.

WILSON: Do you know what sort of amounts they're looking for?

MAKA: It varies, but from the past history range from $500 to up to $3,000.

WILSON: Do you know if it's widespread this latest scam?

MAKA: This particular case that we've been trying to identify the family, but this once you actually get out in the media, they just go underground and what we really wanted to do is trying to help them, to have a look at their status. It's often was a problem from the past as I don't know whether you know there's a new rules and regulation now that you have to be registered to become an immigration advisor. But before that, there was a lot of cowboys and people actually lost thousands and thousands and they're status hasn't changed and they decided to go underground and from there other people have identified about they're staying and from there, they start approaching them, saying they're going to help them. The whole case is quite bizarre, because they giving a Maori citizenship to Maori adoption to and the case goes on.

WILSON: This is what they promise, Maori citizenship, is it?

MAKA: Yes, yes, some of them they say that they will give them a Maori citizenship and then from a Maori immigration minister. And our Tongan community is quite gullible and they got and they are quite vulnerable and people know that they in this type of situation and they just really targeted them.

WILSON: Is it disappointing from your point of view though that this continues to happen, that you continue to see these people coming up with new scams, targeting what you've described there as a vulnerable population?

MAKA: Oh, absolutely. Unless our government is really getting to stem this type of scam out, you will see to happen from this one will phase out, a new one will come in.

WILSON: So what do you do then, how do you try to stop this happening again in the future?

MAKA: It is really hard for those who overstay in this country to really make themselves publicly known they are overstay, because the trust sector has already gone out, because they been duped, they've been sucked into to paying a huge amount of money, but their immigration status hasn't changed and it's really, really disappointing because we trying to work with authorities and work with some of those immigration specialists. But it's really hard to really gain their trust, because once they gain their trust, they slowly work with them and try to assist them and point them to the right people who actually can help them, advise them about their immigration status.

WILSON: Is the bigger problem here actually trying to reduce the number of people from Tonga who do overstay?

MAKA: Oh, it is, it is, because I think for those overstayers, they weigh up their chances of going back to Tonga, to virtually nothing or they take their chances and the majority of them are prepared to take the risk.

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[pima.nius] Profile: The birds are crying for their great chief, Sir Paul Reeves

2011-08-21T11:36:00.001-07:00

Fiji Methodist Church given ultimatum by government
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201108/s3297824.htm

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Updated August 19, 2011 16:10:25

Fiji's influential Methodist Church has been given a deadline of Monday to agree to restrictions from the interim government on who will be allowed to speak at its annual conference.

The church's deputy General Secretary, Reverend Tevita Banivanua, says the coup installed military government wants assurances that the President, Reverend Ame Tugaue, General Secretary Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu, and prominent Church leader Reverend Manasa Lasaro will not speak at next week's conference.

Around a thousand people are expected to attend the meeting.

Reverend Banivanua says rumours that the interim government has demanded the three men resign are not true, but he was taken to the military barracks two weeks ago to be informed that the conference should not be political.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Reverend Tevita Banivanua, the Fiji Methodist Church's deputy General Secretary

Listen:

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[pima.nius] CLINTON: BUDGET CUTS THREATEN U.S. PACIFIC PRESENCE

2011-08-21T11:31:00.001-07:00

CLINTON: BUDGET CUTS THREATEN U.S. PACIFIC PRESENCE
'All elements of national security must be present'

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/

MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, Aug. 16, 2011) – Budget cuts in the United States could force an abrupt pullout of the US security presence in the Pacific at a time when China's power is rising, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Congress passed legislation approving US$2.1 trillion in cuts to government spending over 10 years.

The first round of cuts will reduce military spending by US$350 billion.

Mrs Clinton said the debate over reducing US debt casts a cloud over the direction of the nation's security policy.

"We are asserting our presence in the Pacific. We are a Pacific power. That means all elements of our national security team have to be present," she said.

Mrs Clinton said the US should not abruptly withdraw from the Pacific when it faced long-term challenges about coping with the rise of China.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard recently acknowledged that political power is changing in the Pacific.

"US global leadership and its influence rapidly changing in Asia Pacific depends on continued economic strength," she said in a speech to the Australia American Leadership Dialogue. "Ultimately it is economic power that underpins strategic power."

Professor Biman Prasad, from the University of the South Pacific, told Pacific Beat the United States' economic problems may influence its engagement in the Pacific.

"The US, perhaps, may not have the same kind of attention it probably should or could have in the Pacific because of that," he said.

Professor Prasad said while there was clear evidence of China's rising influence in the region, historic and cultural ties to the US, Australia and New Zealand would endure.

"More recently with the political situation in Fiji, there has been a need to look at the whole issue of democracy and human rights, and the economics of the region," he said.

"It might call for the US to look at policy and the politics in the region."

Radio Australia: www.abc.net.au/ra
Copyright © 2011 Radio Australia. All Rights Reserved

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[pima.nius] Girls have edge in Pacific education gender gap, says Tagaloatele

2011-08-16T12:13:00.001-07:00

Girls have edge in Pacific education gender gap, says Tagaloatele

http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/08/girls-have-edge-in-pacific-education-gender-gap-says-tagaloatele/

20:19 August 15, 2011 0 comments

Tongan schoolgirls ... educational trends favour girls, especially in Polynesia. Photo: Matangi Tonga

The success of educating girls in the Pacific, particularly Polynesia, has been a notable trend in the Pacific. Educating females has been difficult in some countries that have strong patriarchal views about the cultural role of women and girls in society.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Henry Yamo

Numbers of girls enrolling and completing primary and secondary education in the Pacific region is growing and comparing strongly with male students, according to a leading educator.

AUT University's professor of Pacific studies, Tagaloatele Dr Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop, compares the trend with a widespread global pattern where girls are often doing better than boys at school.

"While there may be some disparity in the three Pacific groupings – Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia – caused by cultural perceptions about education and gender, the results so far are notable," she says.

Tagaloatele notes some commentators argue that the strong female showing is because the curriculum used in some Pacific countries is "female friendly" or female teachers encourage female students more than males.

While these views have some merit, Dr Fairbairn-Dunlop says early female maturity is a major factor that ensures better results by girls than boys.

She says females often settle down much quicker to the school experience so are able to do better than their male counterparts.

"Education for girls has many positive effects. They learn and become more involved in society and leadership as they become women," Tagaloatele says.

More self-esteem

Tagaloatele Professor Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop ... Polynesian societies faring well. Photo: Josephine Latu/PMC

"Girls also gain more self-esteem from greater knowledge that has often led them to be equal competitors with the male folk."

With more educational opportunities, girls are now seen as equal competitors in society, excelling in all facets of life.

Education gives them power and enables them to contribute effectively to improve the conditions of living that many Pacific people still face today.

This is a notable trend in the Pacific, where educating females has been difficult in some countries that have strong patriarchal views about the cultural role of women and girls in society.

But this success story differs from one country to another.

According to Tagaloatele, Polynesian societies are faring well with sweeping results in educating girls, although, problems faced in educating children across the Pacific are common to the three groupings -Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.

NZ standards
One possible reason for the Polynesian success as seen by Tagaloatele is that Polynesian countries are using New Zealand curriculum and standards and thus display almost identical results to New Zealand.

This assessment was reinforced by Jonah Tisam, an AUT doctoral student and former chief executive to the deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands.

Tisam says the Cook Islands government has invested heavily in education and social sector services, and these efforts are paying off handsomely, as more students – particularly more females – are being educated.

The strength of the Cook Islands education system, according to Tisam, is that children are kept longer in schools, allowing for repeats where necessary. This reduces drop-out rates and increases the number of educated young people.

This is a direct result of the government subsidising fees for education and health programmes. Tagaloatele says this initiative has enabled full participation from girls who have overtaken and are often doing one third better than boys.

While this is the "Polynesian story", Tagaloatele says: "These results are quite the contrary when you look at Melanesian and Micronesian countries. Girls don't even seem to be getting into schools on an even basis so that is different from quality output."

For the girls, it has been a hard time in some Pacific countries with a history of conservative patriarchal customs that have marginalised their education.

Early marriage
Traditions of early marriage in parts of Melanesia and girls being forced to focus more on family management than education has created gender gaps in certain groupings of the Pacific.

In Papua New Guinea, the world organisation UNICEF has stepped in to assist the government to achieve universal primary education.

However, the impediments encountered since are highlighted by UNICEF Country Representative Dr Bertrand Desmoulins, "despite significant advances made in ensuring quality education in PNG, persistent gender gaps in enrolment, quality and retention continue to hamper efforts towards achieving educational goals."

He also emphasises that challenges faced by girls were more pronounced, not only globally, but specifically in Papua New Guinea.

According to Dr Desmoulins, the 2009 education data shows that boys have a net enrolment rate of 66 percent compared to girls' 61 percent, a gross enrolment rate of 82 percent compared to girls' 74 percent and a gross completion rate of 59 percent compared to girls' 45 percent.

He stresses that investing in girls' education is an effective route to ensuring both long term economic growth and sustainable social development.

While these indicators do look promising for a country that is culturally and linguistically diverse, Rachael Torombe, a former primary teacher in PNG and a masters student studying education at the University of Waikato, argues that, overall, the outcome based education (OBE) system introduced to the country in 2003 had not fared well.

Poor showing
She says the grade 10 performance results for the final lower secondary education examinations last year showed that many students had done poorly.

Torombe attributes this to inadequate planning, insufficient resources, capacity and poor infrastructure, which could barely accommodate the requirements of the new system.

Although similar experiences are spread across other bigger island countries, the slightly increasing pattern between countries indicates that countries with fewer difficulties and less density may surge ahead in both educating girls and providing universal education to all school age children.

Achieving universal primary education has been one issue discussed more often among Pacific Education Ministers, most often reaching the attention of the peak body, the Pacific Islands Forum, which is meeting in Auckland next month.

During the 2006 Pacific Education Ministers meeting, a two-pronged plan for introduction of a "fast track initiative" within all educations sectors in the Pacific was worked out.

The two objectives of the grant-based programmme was to accelerate progress in every Pacific country towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of universal completion of providing quality primary education by 2015.

The plan was taken on board by respective countries and, according to Tagaloatele, most Pacific countries are achieving the goal.

But she adds the challenge has been harder in larger countries such as PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Common difficulties such as isolation, infrastructure and inappropriate staffing are still an ongoing hurdle.

Henry Yamo is a Masters in Communication Studies student on the Asia-Pacific Journalism course at AUT University.

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[pima.nius] Seeking Pacific Nominations for Australian Leadership Awards in Journalism

2011-08-16T12:11:00.001-07:00

Talofa Pacific Colleagues,

On behalf of the Pacific Alliance of Development Journalists, I am seeking nominations of Journalists from the Cook Islands and Marshall Islands for an Australian Leadership Award Fellowship in Journalism with the Asia Pacific Centre for Journalism.

Please email me the name and contact details of a prospective nominee who should be a practising journalist or in a senior newsroom position. The fellowship will take place in Australia for six weeks begining at the end of November.

Fa'afetai,

Cherelle Jackson

for

Pacific Alliance of Development Journalists

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[pima.nius] Fiji: Fatality highlights news support roles -- condolence message from PFF

2011-08-15T12:02:00.001-07:00

via PFF

Colleagues, the www.pacificfreedomforum.org site has been updated with
the text below. Thanks for your publication and sharing with relevant
networks.

in solidarity, lis

***

PFF, Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS -- The Pacific Freedom Forum is extending
condolences and sympathy to family, friends and media colleagues of
the Fiji Times circulations staffer killed in a vehicle accident on
Monday 8 August in Fiji.

The deceased has been confirmed as 24-year old Kaveni Korovou, of
Nabouciwa Village in Tailevu. He was part of a Fiji Times collections
team doing runs when the vehicle reportedly lost control and
overturned in Nalovo, near Nadi. Two other passengers in the vehicle
were treated for injuries at the Nadi Hospital. In keeping with
tradition, the newspapers management visited Korovou's widow and
father as part of the police team relaying the direct news of his
death.

Police are still investigating the cause of the accident and have
charged the driver, a 50-year-old Fiji Times employee related to
Korovou, with careless driving.

"Korovou was one of many behind the scenes staff who make daily
newspapers such as the Fiji Times a key information source for tens of
thousands of readers who have little notion of those who do the behind
the scenes work of news delivery," says PFF chair Titi Gabi of Papua
New Guinea.

"We are reminded that news journalists are only a small part of the
many teams involved in news production, and extend our deepest
condolences to his colleagues, village, and family at this time of

bereavement,"

It's understood Police are dealing directly with the Fiji Times
newspaper management as Korovou died while on work assignment for the
company where he was a casual staffer.

Korovou's funeral arrangements are still being finalised.

"It's our hope that the company's insurance policy covering workplace
and work related accidents will cover Korovou's widow and their two
young babies," says PFF co-chair Monica Miller of American Samoa.

"We commend the actions and sensitivity of management so far."--ENDS

CONTACT: PFF Chair Titi Gabi | Freelance Journalist | Papua New Guinea
Mail: PO Box 7776, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea | Mob: (675) 7314
3929 | Email: titi.gabipng@gmail.com

PFF co-Chair Monica Miller | KHJ Radio | American Samoa Mob 684
258-4197 | Office 684 633-7793 | Email: monica@khjradio.com

The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and global online network of
Pacific media colleagues, with the specific intent of raising
awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific people to enjoy freedom
of expression and be served by a free and independent media. We
believe in the critical and basic link between these freedoms, and the
vision of democratic and participatory governance pledged by our
leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific Plan and other commitments
to good governance. In support of the above, our key focus is
monitoring threats to media freedom and bringing issues of concern to
the attention of the wider regional and international community.

--
Lisa Williams-Lahari
Media Freelancer
Regional Coordinator, IFJ Pacific Media for Democracy and Human Rights
Project
Ph Mobile: 677-7574230
Skype: lisalahari

* "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that
matter."-- Martin Luther King Jr. *

--
. . .

Thanks for being part of the "Pacific Freedom Forum" and supporting press freedom in our region. As a member, you can send emails to mediafreedom@googlegroups.com
Leaving? Send an email to mediafreedom+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com

Online: http://groups.google.com/group/mediafreedom?hl=en?hl=en

DISCLAIMER: Please be warned. This is an unmoderated list. Thanks for understanding that UNLESS stated otherwise, responsibility for all content and language used rests with individual members and should not be confused as the endorsed view of the Pacific Freedom Forum.

. . .

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[pima.nius] English versus Pacific languages in NZ schools debate

2011-08-15T12:01:00.001-07:00

English versus Pacific languages in NZ schools debate

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201108/s3293919.htm

Updated August 15, 2011 16:46:00

Should Pacific Island parents in New Zealand and Australia emphasis English language skills to their children, or stress retaining their Pacific vernacular languages such as Samoan, Tongan, Niuean or Cook Islands Maori?

Many educationalists say that being bilingual actually helps children achieve well at school, and that over emphasis on English can actually hurt them academically.

But many parents do in fact speak English to their children at home because they feel that's the best way to ensure they do well in school, and later on in the workforce.

Joining us to discuss this issue are two people with quite different opinions.

Joining us from the New Zealand North Island city of Tauranga is Danny Tolovae is the Pacific Advocate for the Pacific Island Community Tauranga Trust, and he believes English language skills are vital.

And from Wellington were also joined by Galumalema Alfred Hunkin, head of Samoan Studies at Victoria University, who has always been a firm advocate of bilingual education for Pacific schoolchildren.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speakers: Danny Tolovae, Pacific Advocate for the Pacific Island Community Tauranga Trust; Galumalema Alfred Hunkin, head of Samoan Studies at Victoria University

Listen:
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[pima.nius] Sir Paul Reeves a great New Zealander, says Governor-General

2011-08-14T12:11:00.001-07:00

Sir Paul Reeves a great New Zealander, says Governor-General

http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/08/sir-paul-reeves-a-great-new-zealander-says-governor-general/

12:45 August 14, 2011 0 comments

Press Release – Governor General

The death of Sir Paul Reeves was a great loss to his family and to New Zealand, says the Governor-General, Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand.Media Release—Government House

14 August 2011

Sir Paul Reeves a great New Zealander, says Governor-General

The death of Sir Paul Reeves was a great loss to his family and to New Zealand, says the Governor-General, Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand.

"Sir Paul Reeves was a great New Zealander whose death will be mourned by people both in New Zealand and throughout the world. His loss will first and foremost be felt most keenly by Lady Beverley Reeves and their family, to whom he was a devoted husband and father. My wife Susan and I join all New Zealanders in extending our deep and sincere sympathies to the Reeves family.

"While many hope to achieve in one sphere of life, Sir Paul's achievements were all the greater because he made a significant contribution to so many different areas of New Zealand life. He was a remarkable man who brought to all his work a quiet determination and a strong moral compass founded on Christian values and social justice.

"As the Anglican Archbishop of New Zealand, he focused the church on issues of poverty and its relationship with Māori. As New Zealand's first Governor-General of Māori descent, he urged all New Zealanders to re-examine their nation's troubled past, and to build a new future for New Zealand as a partnership under the Treaty of Waitangi.

"He also played a key role in the evolution of the Office of Governor-General when, for the first time he represented New Zealand at the head of state level, attending the funeral of Japanese Emperor Hirohito in 1989. He also opened Government House in Wellington to the public, hosting the first open day in October 1990. Many will also recall with affection when, on the night of his swearing-in in 1985, large numbers of guests slept on mattresses in the ballroom of Government House.

"On leaving office, he played an international role, representing the Anglican Church at the United Nations in New York, before chairing the Fiji Constitution Review Commission from 1995 until 1997 and then as a special envoy to Fiji for The Commonwealth after the 2006 coup."

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[pima.nius] Departure of Tonga’s police chief blow to efforts to combat domestic violence

2011-08-14T12:10:00.001-07:00

Departure of Tonga's police chief blow to efforts to combat domestic violence

http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/08/departure-of-tonga%E2%80%99s-police-chief-blow-to-efforts-to-combat-domestic-violence/

13:43 August 13, 2011 0 comments

Former Police Commissioner Chris Kelley ... his departure is lamented by advocates against domestic violence and supporters of reforms. Photo: Matangi Tonga

While there were polices in place against domestic violence, ex- Police Commissioner Chris Kelley "lit the fuse" and gave energy to such projects and carried out many far-reaching police reforms.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Victoria Young

Tongan police will go backwards without the leadership of ousted Police Commissioner Chris Kelley, warns the director of the kingdom's largest women's crisis centre.

Ofa ki levuka Guttenbeil-Likiliki from the Women and Children's Crisis Centre says Kelley made domestic violence a priority and was a necessary leader in police efforts to combat domestic violence.

"Having Chris here to guide that priority was important. We needed him to complete that task," she told Pacific Scoop.

Ofa ki levuka Guttenbeil-Likiliki, director of the Women and Children's Crisis Centre ... Kelley made domestic violence "a priority". Photo: Taimi Media Network

Kelley instilled several policies and procedures over domestic violence since he began work in 2008 on the Tonga Police Development Programme.

The New Zealander left his position as Tongan police commissioner last weekend after Police Minister Dr Viliami Latu refused to renew his contract in April.

Last September, Dr Latu was charged with assaulting his wife and Kelley refused to drop the charge as part of a new domestic violence policy.

While previous policing ministers had been helpful with domestic violence campaigns, Kelley says while he frequently sent the minister reports of his domestic violence projects, Dr Latu did not "engage or give directives with regard to domestic violence".

Kelley says while he assumes Dr Latu had discussed the non-renewal of his contract with cabinet or government before he was informed of the decision, he had not seen any confirmation of that.

Domestic Violence
When Kelley first arrived in Tonga, the Pacific Prevention of Domestic Violence Programme (PPDVP), which is run through the New Zealand police, was in its infancy.

Kelley says at that time the Tongan cultural practice of dealing with domestic violence was to sit down and talk about it.

"It was just someone saying they were sorry, whether they meant it or not, and whether or not it had any real effect. The palagi concept of holding people to account prosecution wise was really a bit severe."

Cameron Ronald, programme manager of the PPDVP, says Kelley made domestic violence one of his top five priorities.

He says while there were polices in place, Kelley "lit the fuse" and gave energy to domestic violence projects.

Under Kelley a National Advisory Committee was formed to report to police and a policy draft on domestic violence was created for the first time.

Guttenbeil-Likiliki says she appreciated an ongoing dialogue between the police and her crisis centre during Kelley's posting.

'No drop' policy

Police Minister Dr Latu ... "did not engage" with domestic violence policies. Photo: Matangi Tonga

One of the key reforms Kelley instigated was a "no drop" policy for domestic violence charges.

Ronald says if a crime is reported the police will not drop the case and will take that case as far as they possibly can, which is generally through the courts.

It was this policy that Kelley applied when he refused to drop the charge against Dr Latu. However, the case could not proceed after Dr Latu's wife chose not to give evidence.

Kelley says he had no intention of embarrassing Dr Latu but was following policy.

Implementation
Under the "no drop" policy, Kelley held monthly meetings with his eight district commanders where reviews were undertaken comparing the amount of domestic violence charges with convictions.

Before last Christmas, he issued a directive stating the way that domestic violence was dealt with would now be a component of police performance assessment.

However, Kelley says the "no drop" policy is yet to be fully implemented across the Tongan police force.

"Continued oversight and supervision is needed. Not everyone buys into it just because you have a policy."

Ronald says cultural differences meant senior officers were adverse to the policy.

"There is a group of older police members, generally about 45 years old, often a sergeant or senior sergeant who are not into the policy, that are not actually following it themselves. And they are influencing others," he says.

Too fast?
Tagaloatele Peggy Fairburn-Dunlop, professor of Pacific studies at AUT University, says the changes Kelley tried to bring in were too quick.

"The guys that go in that are trying to change a whole police culture that has been there for years and years. And its firmly entrenched. It might have been a wee bit fast and without the community support that he thought he had," she says.

"While there is a strong network of police chiefs in the Pacific that he had the support of, he may not have had the support of the people on the ground."

However, Guttenbeil-Likiliki denied the measures came in too fast because of the seriousness of the problem.

"I don't think it is too fast for a girl who was raped, who wants an answer in 48 hours. I don't think it's too late for a woman who has been smashed up by her husband 40 times over and she's been to the police 20 times over and no-one responded.

"I think it wasn't too fast at all. I think it was efficient, it was effective and it was about time that we step up the pace."

Kelley says: "I do hear this cry about things moving too fast."

However, he says much like the campaign on breath-testing that changed Tongan attitudes towards drinking, the right measures against abuse means cultures towards violence can change.

Kelley says Tongans do listen, they do change and modify their behaviour based on the law.

"It can be done, I've seen it done. I've been part of making it happen."

The next commissioner?
The Tongan Prime Minister, Lord Tu'ivakano, told New Zealand media earlier this week that Chris Kelley had done a marvellous job.

While his government is outside of the selection process, the Prime Minister says Tonga needs the expertise of an officer that was trained in either New Zealand or Australia.

"What my government wants and what I want is for it to be an outsider…we want things to be more transparent."

Guttenbeil-Likiliki is adamant a police commissioner recruited locally would push domestic violence down the agenda.

She says a local person as police commissioner could not be independent when dealing with domestic violence complaints.

"We live in a small society and community. We grow up, go to church together, all our children go to the same school; we shop at the same markets. It would be next to impossible to have someone completely independent of the process of investigation."

Kelley agrees the job was easier for him because he wasn't related to anybody and didn't grow up in Tonga.

Society hierarchy
"I think a local could do it. There's is no reason why not except the difficulties associated with their relationship of families and hierarchy of society that exists in Tonga

Kelley says many found the Tongan way was appropriate to deal with these matters.

"The palagi concept of holding people to account prosecution wise was really a bit severe."

Guttenbeil-Likiliki says her organisation is urging the return of Kelley and says he should not even have to reapply.

Kelley says he is undecided about whether he will reapply for the job but rejects the claim only he could do the job.

"It's not particular to Chris Kelley. I appreciate that I'm not a one-man band. I'm not an expert. I'm just simply a police officer who tries to do his job."

Victoria Young is a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies student on the Asia-Pacific Journalism course at AUT University.

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[pima.nius] Development leadership, energy and youth key issues for Pacific forum, says Key

2011-08-14T12:08:00.001-07:00

Development leadership, energy and youth key issues for Pacific forum, says Key

http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/08/development-leadership-energy-and-youth-key-issues-for-pacific-forum-says-key/

13:20 August 12, 20113 comments

NZ Prime Minister John Key speaking at Auckland University's Fale Pasifika yesterday. Photo: Henry Yamo/PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Henry Yamo

Leadership in development, donor coordination and sustainable economic activities in the Pacific are poised to top the agenda at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting in Auckland next month.

This was highlighted by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key during his pre-forum 40th anniversary PIF leaders lecture series speech hosted by Auckland University yesterday.

Key said New Zealand would be hosting the 42nd PIF meeting against the backdrop of one of the biggest events in this part of the globe – the Rugby World Cup.

According to Key, the potential of the Pacific was too often overlooked in the rush to identify problems.

"We need to focus a little more on what our part of the world has to offer rather than what it does not," he said.

Key pointed out that energy would be the key feature of the upcoming forum which was appropriately themed as "converting potential into prosperity".

He hoped concrete steps would be taken by the region and its donor partners to realise potential in renewable energy, which was a way of transforming economies and addressing climate change.

Basic necessities
Key said that while the Pacific abounded with vast amounts natural resources there was a need to meaningfully develop these resources in a sustainable manner to provide the basic necessities to the people of the region.

The theme "converting potential into prosperity" is linked to the first two pillars of the Pacific Plan, which are economic growth and sustainable development. The other two of the four pillars that make up the plan are good governance and security.

The Pacific Plan was hatched in 2005 as an outcome of a Pacific-wide survey in 2004 by an "eminent persons group" talking to governments and citizens of forum countries seeking ways to confront issues that challenged human potential.

Secretary-General Tuiloma Neroni Slade said that apart from discussing issues of sustainable economic development in the region, the PIF saw that development in the region could not happen without attention to health, education and interest in the young people.

"The PIF and its rich and long standing prospects are about people for which during the past forty years the Pacific leaders both past and present in their wisdom and foresight came together to pave a way forward for the security and economic prosperity of the Pacific people," Slade said.

The talks that are supposed to significantly advance the spirit of regional cooperation and mutual confidence are likely to be centred on ensuring dialogue members coordinate support for Pacific countries to get better results where it is most needed.

Health issues
It is understood that health and education issues which are at the centre of the wellbeing of the people in the Pacific will also be the forum's important points of discussion.

The PIF is a key vehicle composed of 15 independent and self-governing Pacific states including Australia and New Zealand for advancing Regional Corporation in politics and economics and helps presents the regions concerns to the wider world.

A 16th nation – military-ruled Fiji – is currently suspended. Other member countries are; Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Key said New Zealand was proud to host the other member countries as the forum played a major role in developing a sense of Pacific regionalism.

He added that the challenge was to build on the idea of common purpose – the idea that brought Pacific leaders together back in 1971, and harness it to build a brighter future for the whole region.

Apart from political discussions of the forum meeting, the concept of Pacificness would be reinforced through the three-day Pacific Islands showcase at the Cloud exhibition space on Auckland's waterfront.

Henry Yamo is a Papua New Guinean journalist on the Masters in Communication Studies programme at AUT University. He is on the Asia-Pacific Journalism course.

John Key's full Pacific address

Prime Minister John Key flanked by Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon (right), PIF Secretary-General Tuiloma Neroni Slade (far right) with Centre of Pacific Studies Walter Fraser at the Fale Pasifika yesterday. Photo: Henry Yamo/PMC

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[pima.nius] Labour PR: Community expects cooperation on loan sharks

2011-08-11T12:15:00.001-07:00

Carol

BEAUMONT

Consumer Affairs Spokesperson

10 August 2011 MEDIA STATEMENT

Community expects cooperation on loan sharks

On the eve of the third summit in five years on predatory lending, an attempt today to show bipartisan commitment to definitive action was rebuffed in Parliament, says Labour's spokesperson for Consumer Affairs Carol Beaumont.

"National is more concerned with political one-upmanship on this issue than combatting the adverse effects loan sharks have in our community," Carol Beaumont said.

"This afternoon in Parliament I sought to have both my Responsible Lending Bill and National MP Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga's Money Lenders Bill referred to select committee for scrutiny and public submission. This move was denied.

"Advancing both bills, one addressing interest rate caps and responsible lending, and the other providing for matters like registration and new offences, to select committee would have demonstrated a commitment from the Government to bipartisan progress on the condemnation of loan sharks and their exploitation of our most vulnerable communities.

"The Government again mistakes motion for movement on this issue. Allowing both Bills to progress to select committee would have shown those participating in the Financial Summit held in Auckland tomorrow a real commitment to the fight against predatory lending.

"The community, irrespective of political persuasion, want to see a clamp down on predatory lending. Advancing this legislation would in no way preclude other forms of action arising from the Summit or the revival of the long delayed review of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act. It simply represents another missed opportunity.

"The Stop Loan Shark campaign I launched early last year has put real scrutiny on the issue of predatory lending. While legislation could already be in place had the government not pre-emptively defeated my Members Bill last year, tomorrow's summit shows the Government is feeling pressure from the community that action is urgently needed.

"I sincerely hope that real action, including legislation that deals with issues like excessive interest rates, is the outcome of tomorrow's Summit.

"Labour will cooperate to progress any actions that will rein in loan sharks. Vulnerable consumers have waited long enough," Carol Beaumont said.

Contact: Carol Beaumont 027 275 7374

Paid for by Vote Parliamentary Service and Authorised by Carol Beaumont, MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

Sarah Austen-Smith

Press Secretary
Office of Hon Phil Goff
04 817 9764 | 021 2219865

facebook.com/philgoff.labour | twitter.com/phil_goff | labour.org.nz

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[pima.nius] Environment News from SPREP

2011-08-11T12:14:00.001-07:00

via pac journos

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)

W: www.sprep.org<http://www.sprep.org>

T: +685 21929

E: sprep@sprep.org<mailto:sprep@sprep.org>

Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Project (PACC) W: www.sprep.org/climate_change/pacc<http://www.sprep.org/climate_change/pacc>

Headlines:

*
14th Meeting of the Pacific Met Service Directors
*
Coastal Protection complete for Samoa Communities
*
Yale University Professor talks to PACC member countries
*
Media Release from The Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, A partnerwhip between CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology: New tools provide insight into the Pacific's changing climate

14th Meeting of the Pacific Met Service Directors

10 August 2011, Majuro Marshall Islands - Regional Meteorological Directors from around the Pacific came together in Majuro this week, to discuss proposals for enhancing national meteorological services.

The fourteenth meeting of the Regional Meteorological Services Directors (RMSD) was opened on Tuesday 9th of August, in the International Conference Centre, with a key note address from Honourable Ruben Zackhras, the Minister in Assistance to the President of the Marshall Islands.

The Minister noted that the Pacific is a major driver of the global climate system while on the other hand the Pacific Islands are also the smallest and most vulnerable to climate change. He also stressed the importance of the role of the meteorological services in providing advice and assistance to policy and decision makers.

Dr Netatua Pelesikoti, Manager of the Pacific Futures Programme at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) spoke on behalf of the SPREP Director at the opening. She noted that the RMSD was launching a new era in the field of meteorology in the region, through a number of new initiatives such as a new draft strategic plan and partnerships, which will provide much needed assistance to the national meteorological services.

Meteorological Offices around the region provide us with services that are vital to many aspects of our national development. For example, rainfall data allows us to better predict floods and droughts and take actions to build the resilience of vital food crops. The tourism industry also depends upon these services, as flights coming into the islands would not be possible without data from meteorological services. Added to this is the need to provide information on climate change, so that policy makers can better monitor the impacts that climate change is having on our region and make informed decisions on how to better adapt to such impacts.

The meeting is currently in progress, and expects to formalise its outcomes on Friday, 12 August.

ENDS -

Coastal Protection complete for Samoa Communities

10 August 2011, Port Vila, Vanuatu - Under the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) Project Samoa, three communities have built rock seawalls for the Tafitoala Safata, Lalomalava and Lefagaoalii, which address climate change impacts such as coastal erosion, flooding, storm surges and salt water inundation.

These coastal protection measures were completed in June and are now being monitored to evaluat their resilience against the impacts of climate change.

Samoa is one of the countries that focuses on coastal zone management in the PACC, a 13 million dollar regional project that helps coordinate national 'on the ground' activities in 13 island countries to help them adapt to climate change in three main areas – food security and production, coastal management and water resources management.

The regional PACC project is implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as an implementing partner. It is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

A natural form of coastal protection measure is a replanting programme also known as 'bio-shields' where plants are planted by the coast to protect the communities from coastal erosion. The three communities of Tafitoala Safata, Lalomalava and Lefagaoalii, were provided with appropriate coastal plant species such as Beach Hibiscus, Pacific Rosewood, Tahitian Chestnut, Coconut trees and Tropical Almond. They communities were also provided with information on the maintenance of these plants to ensure their survival and effectiveness in protecting the coastal areas.

PACC Samoa National Coordinator Moira Faletutulu said, "Threats imposed by the impact of advancing coastal erosion and rising sea level were identified through the community Vulnerability and Adaptation assessments and the Socio-economic assessments, this assisted the PACC project's intervention to help these communities adapt to the impacts of climate change."

With the rock seawalls completed, these communities will continue to sustain the life of the PACC Project by continuing the replanting initiative with assistance from the National Forestry Division who will continue to supply plant seedlings to greening the coastal areas.

The next step for these communities under the project is a full scale communication and awareness program for all villages targeting school children and the community as a whole

"With the hope that the message spread through the work of the project will hit home and encourage the communities to continue the work initiated by the project, so that they will be well prepared to adapt to the continuous threats of the impacts of climate change," said Faletutulu.

Yale University Professor talks to PACC member countries

10 August 2011, Port Vila, Vanuatu - Professor Robert Mendelsohn, an American environmental economist, is a major figure in the economics of global warming. He is the Edwin Weyerhaeuser Davis Professor of the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University, New York.

Currently new to the Pacific, he is part of the Multipartite Review Meeting for the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project currently underway this week in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

His most recent work values the impacts of greenhouse gases, including the effects of climate change on agriculture, forests, water resources and coasts. This research carefully integrates adaptation into impact assessment and has recently been extended to developing countries around the world.

Prof Mendelsohn said, "Listening to what the countries are already doing and seeing the reaction of the participants, they're already motivated. One of the things I was not sure of was whether they were thinking about climate change itself or just the current climate change, and it looks like the people are thinking about adaptation to what the current conditions are."

He hopes his presentation on the 'Economic Impacts of Climate Change' will make countries do economic analysis of climate change adaptation so they can start gathering key information that shows why spending money in the Pacific is a good investment.

"I am very new to the pacific and am very delighted to be here, people are very good natured, they all seem to want to do the right thing and I am looking forward to having new partners in the Pacific."

The PACC is a 13 million dollar regional project that helps coordinate national 'on the ground' activities in 13 island countries to help them adapt to climate change in three main areas – food security and production, coastal management and water resources management.

The regional project is implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as an implementing partner. It is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Media Release from The Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, A partnerwhip between CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology

10 August 2011

New tools provide insight into the
Pacific's changing climate

The understanding of how the Pacific climate has changed and the effects of past tropical cyclones will be enhanced by three new tools being launched today at the 14th meeting of Regional Meteorological Services Directors in the Marshall Islands.

The three computer-based tools have been developed by the Australian Government's Pacific Climate Change Science Program (PCCSP) in collaboration with the National Meteorological Services of 14 Pacific island nations and East Timor.

"The aim has been to improve access to historical climate information and support the role of National Meteorological Services in building understanding of climate change and assisting plans for adaptation," said Dr David Jones from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

The Pacific Climate Change Data Portal and the Pacific Tropical Cyclone Data Portal are freely available websites that provide a historical perspective of the climate of the Pacific. The third tool being launched is CliDE (Climate Data for the Environment), which is a custom-designed database management system to be used in National Meteorological Services in 15 countries for managing historical climate data.

"The Pacific Climate Change Data Portal is the largest web-based data source in the Pacific region. This user-friendly tool provides access to climate trends and basic climate information from more than 90 individual observation sites across the Pacific islands and East Timor," said Mr Simon McGree from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

"The Pacific Tropical Cyclone Data Portal can be used to plot tracks of cyclones in the South Pacific between 1969 and 2010. It can be used, for example, to analyse the tracks of past tropical cyclones and relate them to the impact on lives and infrastructure," said Dr Jones.

"Through the data in these portals, we can see that the climate of the Pacific has been warming significantly with the past decade being the warmest on record across the region. In contrast, we find little change in tropical cyclones which continue to be dominated by year to year variability," said Dr Jones.

PCCSP scientists, from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), have been researching past climate trends and natural variability, as well as developing climate projections for 14 Pacific nations and East Timor. The full results of this comprehensive climate assessment will be issued in November 2011.

The PCCSP is part of the Australian Government's $328 million, five-year International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative, which commenced in 2008 and aims to help vulnerable countries, particularly small island developing states and least developed countries, adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. The Initiative is funded through the Australian aid program and jointly managed by AusAID and the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

Pacific Climate Change Data Portal: www.bom.gov.au/climate/pccsp<https://www.sprep.org/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/OLK8B/www.bom.gov.au/climate/pccsp>

Pacific Tropical Cyclone Data Portal: www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/tracks<https://www.sprep.org/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/OLK8B/www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/tracks>

Media Assistance:

Gillian Cook Tel: +61 3 96694529 or +61 459 843 638 Email:Gillian.Cook@bom.gov.au

David Jones is available in Australia to comment on:+61 400 132 764

Simon McGree and Gillian Cambers are available in the Marshall Islands on +692 455 3162

www.pacificclimatechangescience.org<http://www.pacificclimatechangescience.org/>

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[pima.nius] ZEITGEIST: MOVING FORWARD | OFFICIAL RELEASE | 2011

2011-08-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

ZEITGEIST: MOVING FORWARD | OFFICIAL RELEASE | 2011

http://goo.gl/477oc

[pima.nius] URGENT - Please ignore and delete last six messages

2011-08-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

These messages are marked as spam on the list but were added by accident. Sincere apologies for any inconvenience.

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[pima.nius] Regarding online volunteership and be part of change...

2011-08-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

Lines are open for our non for profit environmental educational and
practical initiative Go GREEN Kids, An Innovative and Sincere effort
to Save Mother Nature where GenNext: children will Be Change & Change
Maker and will Inspire and Teach their Parents, Elders and Teachers to
that How to be Green in daily life to Save Mother Earth.

Each and every student(6-18) would be awareded participation
certificate with bouquets of other benefits including cash prizes of
Rs. 2,00,000 and will learn how to be go green in daily life..
Everything is completely Free. For Online Volunteers kindly send the
filled form https://viewer.zoho.com/download?genFile=xxL8f at
work@greenyatra.org.
.Be the part of Change and Support us .. Spread the words... It for
All. visit www.greenyatra.org

DISCLAIMER: These emails are unedited and discussions made through this googlegroup are unmoderated. Announcements made through this googlegroup do not constitute endorsement for the organisations, individuals or opinions featured. Please check the integrity of organisations and individuals before exchanging personal information with them.

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[pima.nius] London riots turn mad: Video of massive fire in Croydon

2011-08-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

London riots turn mad: Video of massive fire in Croydon

http://goo.gl/jWtEJ

[pima.nius] PACIFIC VOYAGING CANOES ARRIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO

2011-08-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

PACIFIC VOYAGING CANOES ARRIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO
Fleet spreading word of ocean protection

http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2011/August/08-09-09.htm

HONOLULU, Hawaii (Pacific Islands Report, Aug. 8, 2011) – The historic flotilla of six Pacific Voyaging Canoes has arrived in San Francisco.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the canoes recreated their entry under the Golden Gate Bridge on Sunday after completing the Hawaii-to-California leg of their journey.

The voyage, Te Mana O Te Moana, or "The Spirit of the Sea," comprises canoes "Faafaite" from Tahiti, "Uto Ni Yalo" from Fiji, "Marumaru Atua" from the Cook Islands, "Gaualofa" from Samoa, "Te Matau a Maui" from Atearoa, and two Pan Pacific canoes: "Hine Moana" and "Haunui" with Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu crew members.

The canoes arrived at Hilo on the "Big Island" of Hawaii before continuing to the island of Oahu, where they landed on June 24 to a welcoming crowd at Kualoa. In ancient times, Kualoa was a sacred place – the residence of kings and a sanctuary where commoners could find safety and from pursuers for wrongdoings.

In ancient times, Hawaiians lived under strict laws. Commoners could not get too close to the chief, nor were they allowed to touch any of his possessions, walk in his footsteps or even let their shadows touch the royal grounds. The penalty for violating a sacred kapu (taboo) was death. However, if one could reach a pu'uhonua - he could find protection there and maybe forgiveness.

During their stay in Hawaii, President of the Fiji Voyaging Society, Colin Philp spoke to Pacific Islands Report about his personal views regarding their mission. He said "there is a need for a unified Pacific to move the message across the world". The mission, he say, has revived the art of traditional navigation and has re-connected lost ties; and he is thankful to Hawaii for taking the lead.

The New Zealand Herald reports "the voyage was organized by a wealthy German philanthropist Dieter Paulmann, who wanted to highlight the role traditional knowledge could play in saving the ocean from environmental threats."

The knowledge in the art of traditional navigation in the Pacific is perpetuated in each destination the canoe journeys.

Beginning April 19, 2011, the Pacific voyagers sailed from Auckland to Tahiti and from Tahiti they sailed to Hawaii. The canoes took off from Kauai on July 12 for San Francisco. They plan to dock in San Diego in September for the Winter break.

According to New Zealand Herald, the canoes are expected to rendezvous again in the Solomon Islands for the 2012 Pacific Arts Festival.

Mr. Paulmann says he hopes the voyage would help people realize that everyone in the world was effectively in the same boat, when it comes to saving the ocean and the environment.

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[pima.nius] Road to the Big Sing

2011-08-09T11:17:00.001-07:00

Hi all...

Tune in to TV1 this Thursday to see if the kids from Aorere College sink or swim in their first public performance in Episode 4: Takin' the Show on the Road.

If you've missed any of the episodes check them out below.

Episode 1: The First Note

Our new series Road to the Big Sing this week featuring 3 choirs from Aorere College in South Auckland! Join the Sweet Sixteen, Front Row and Decibelles choirs over the next 7 weeks on their quest to the top in the biggest secondary school's choral competition in Aotearoa – The Big Sing. Over 8,000 kids from 150 schools around the country will go head to head through Regional competitions to compete for a place in the Big Sing Finale! This is their...Road to the Big Sing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdRx8ysf_HI

Episode 2: Verse II

We meet Aorere College's other two choirs – the Front Row and the Decibelles. Front Row choirmaster, William, finds it hard to get the boys to take him seriously and the Decibelles are shocked with a new song to learn. The catch is...it's in German!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvO2dM6LUuo

Episode 3: There's No "I" in Team.

While the Sweet Sixteen choir seems to be hitting the right notes, the Decibelles German piece gets the chop, and William loses his Front Row boys to rugby and league.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps5cd2mDR0g

Catch the next episode of Road to the Big Sing on Tagata Pasifika:

Thursday 10:45pm on TV1

Sunday 7:30am on TV1

Sunday 10:30pm on Maori TV

Please forward on to your networks.

Regards,

Nikki

Nikki Siulepa

Director - Road to the Big Sing

Tagata Pasifika

D. 64 9 916 6929

F. 64 9 916 7552
M. 64 21 243 1967

nikki.siulepa@tvnz.co.nz

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[pima.nius] israel kamakawiwo'ole somewhere over the rainbow

2011-08-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

israel kamakawiwo'ole somewhere over the rainbow

http://goo.gl/g25aJ

[pima.nius] PNG TI warns of social unrest

2011-08-08T11:48:00.001-07:00

PNG TI warns of social unrest

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201108/s3288352.htm

Updated August 8, 2011 17:15:20

Transparency International PNG says it fears there'll be social unrest in the country if some highly anticipated legislation is not passed before next year's general elections.

They include the creation of 22 reserved seats for women in parliament and the creation of two additional constituencies of Hela and Jiwaka in the highlands.

President of Transparency PNG, Lawrence Stephen said this while commenting on the sudden change of government in PNG.

Presenter: Pius Bonjui
Speaker: Lawrence Stephen, President of Transparency PNG

Listen:
Windows Media

STEPHEN: Everybody was taken aback. On the one side, people are in need of a change. There was a sense in the country that things are not just working properly, not just to do with the prime minister being ill, but to do with a whole attitude that seemed to be developing where the leadership was not this apparently responding well. On the other side of it, it seemed to be very sad and possibly illegal for this sort of move to take place in the way it did and when we watch as the speaker simply refused to listen to anybody other than the people here who now support him, that became even more disturbing.

BONJUI: Parliament had a lot to do before the next election. I mean, they've ousted a government which likes the election of female politicians to the parliament and as well as the two new provinces. This is a problem for the new government to get this all done before the next election?

STEPHEN: Yes, a problem for the government, a problem for the parliament and an issue facing the people. One wonders whether they're actually going to be able to deliver on these things. Clearly the women's groups are hoping to see this law go through the parliament, but in past experience, when people are deciding the priorities of the parliament, they tend to put something's last and that seems to have been one of the things that drops off the agenda each time things come up. The new electorate are extremely important, in particular, the new electorate of Hela, because many people who are looking at this as an opportunity for decisions to be brought closer to the people, power to be distributed in other ways and we can expect all sorts of social unrest if things are not handled quickly and carefully. The Jiwaka province is also a potential worry. So these things are all hanging over us. But unfortunately, the reality for Papua New Guinea is that we have many things hanging over us and tend to postpone the important decisions and important actions until things break apart in front of us. We've seen this in the past. We had it, for example, with Bougainville many things that needed to be done, that should have been done, that could have been done and simply people didn't get around to doing their job or parliament was to busy looking at other issues. This has been repeated and it's a shame, it will be a huge shame if it gets repeated now, but we have very little time.

BONJUI: In your view, the business community in PNG, what are the responses by them or the man on the street in his situation now?

STEPHEN: Difficult to say, people were looking for change, the business community is clearly concerned. It hasn't escaped peoples notice that many of the people who suddenly voting with the new government were sitting on the other side, voting with the old government. There is concern around that. At the same time, people look at the team of talent including the skills of the new prime minister, including the capacities of individual people now holding these interim portfolios and there is a sense that there are sufficient people with integrity and capacity to continue to guide the ship of state. There's also an underlying concern for legitimacy for respecting laws. If you simply ignore laws in parliament, then what other laws will you ignore. These are underlying concerns.

The business community watches what's going on in the outside world, but so far, this also hasn't apparently impacted here. People are watching and in the meantime are very busy, business as usual and there's much to be done. There's a huge liquid natural gas project underway and there are people busy in many parts of the country. So time is yet to tell how the things happening abroad are going to impact on what's happening here. Meanwhile locally, everyone's busy, yes there is some concern, yes there is reasonable confidence, that there is a good team, even though questions as to how that team became the team leading the country and people are waiting now to see what the referee says when it comes to the courts looking into how all this is happening.

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[pima.nius] Vanuatu journalists fear ongoing threats from political leaders

2011-08-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

Vanuatu journalists fear ongoing threats from political leaders

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=62284

Posted at 07:31 on 08 August, 2011 UTC

Journalists at Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation are raising concerns about ongoing political intimidation in the wake of threats of legal action by the minister of ni-Vanuatu business.

Pastor Don Ken was arrested and jailed following a display of public drunkenness on the eve of independence day celebrations late last month.

Pastor Ken visited the VBTC newsroom demanding that a story on the matter be censored in view of his ministerial position and potential damage to his reputation.

He threatened to sue the journalists for defamation but his attempts to stop the story being rebroadcast were unsuccessful.

In March the Minister of Public Utilities and Infrastructure was involved in the assault on the publisher of the Vanuatu Daily Post.

Harry Iauko was fined about 150 US dollars after he pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the assault on Marc Neil Jones.

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[pima.nius] funniest kid in the world Watch the video

2011-08-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Watch the video

funniest kid in the world

http://goo.gl/PZgTl

[pima.nius] Charlie Bite me Arabian

2011-08-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Charlie Bite me Arabian

http://goo.gl/fDnw6

[pima.nius] FIJI REGIME BANS STRIKES IN SOME INDUSTRIES

2011-08-07T11:27:00.001-07:00

FIJI REGIME BANS STRIKES IN SOME INDUSTRIES
Companies affected to be identified by government

http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2011/August/08-05-02.htm

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Aug.4, 2011) – Fiji's interim government has gazetted a decree that bans strikes and other actions for designated businesses in the so called Essential National Industries

Fiji's President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, gazetted the Essential National Industries Employment Decree, which the government says is to ensure the viability and sustainability of certain industries that are essential to the economy.

Fiji village reports the decree says the companies which operate in an essential national industry will be designated by the Minister.

Strike actions, including sick outs, slowdowns or other financially harmful activities are prohibited in connection with a union's efforts to influence the outcome of collective bargaining.

There shall be no requirement for an employer under the decree to deduct union fees from a workers' salary or wages unless agreed otherwise by the employer.

The decree also says upon commencement of the decree, all existing collective agreements will only be valid for a period of 60 days while new or replacement collective agreements are negotiated.

It further states that all existing collective agreements shall be null and void and no longer binding between the parties.

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[pima.nius] Social media activism in PNG plays role in political upheaval

2011-08-07T11:24:00.001-07:00

Social media activism in PNG plays role in political upheaval

http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/08/social-media-activism-in-png-plays-role-in-political-upheaval/

19:57 August 5, 2011 0 comments

Social media activism ... new trend in Papua New Guinea. Graphic: Affiliates.net

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Laura Stewart, Michael Dwyer and Stephanie Lagerstedt

Social media-driven political activism reached its peak in the Pacific this week, with the controversial appointment of a new Prime Minister in Papua New Guinea sparking online debate.

Former Treasurer Peter O'Neil was elected Prime Minister, to replace Sir Michael Somare who is recovering following heart surgery in April in Singapore.

O'Neil defeated acting Prime Minister Sam Abul 70 votes to 24. Abul is nowchallenging the validity of O'Neil's appointment in court.

New acting PM Peter O'Neill ... illegal political process? Photo: PNG govt

Hours before international media caught onto this major PNG event, Facebook pages such as Sharp Talk, Nau FM and NBC News PNG became a highly active discussion forums.

Members of these groups, some of who were journalists, posted instant updates and discussed the social, political and economic ramifications of the political crisis.

One member was a particularly active participant on the NAU FM page, updating members on the events following O'Neil's appointment.

Election 'illegal'
"Abul in a press conference this afternoon at Parliament says the election of the PM is illegal and this issue will now go to court, he is also adamant that there is NO VACANCY in the PM's office and his troops are still in control…….Parliament is to resume in minutes," she said.

A Sharp Talk page member explained how O'Neil's appointment was "illegal".

"If O'Neal is PM-elect and not acting, then this act of Parliament is illegal. Because first an Acting Prime Minister was in place – meaning that there was no rush to have the PM since normal government business was not in jeopardy. Then the Electoral Commission should have called for byelections in the former prime minister's electorate," he said

Another member on the NAU FM page discussed the financial impact of O'Neil's appointment.

"This turn of events is neither a victory for the country nor the small people… It is going to be a nightmare courtesy of PNG politics," he said.

"One thing PNG politicians know how to do very well is finding [sic] loopholes within the constitution to challenge constitutional procedures."

"It is only the beginning worse is yet to come at the expense of tax payers and rest assured it has started."

Arab Spring
Earlier this year, protesters used social media to rally against Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan regime as part of the so-called Arab Spring upheavals in the Middle East.

Twitter and Facebook raised awareness about Gadaffi's actions, which were the bloodiest crackdown of any Arab country against protestors. One Facebook protest page attracted more than 10,000 members.

The arrival of 3G communications in Papua New Guinea prompted 48,000 citizens to join Facebook.

Social media has provided the 6.4 million population an effective forum to discuss political matters in the face of poor transport links and road infrastructure, with up to 2000 Papua New Guineans joining Facebook every two weeks.

Member of Parliament PNG Sam Basil also uses Facebook extensively to communicate with the public.

Twitter has also taken off, particularly in the last two years. Journalists broke and discussed Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare's impending retirement last month on Twitter before any formal news article appeared online.

Sir Michael led his country to independence in 1975, and had been called "father of the nation."

Social Media is popular in other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly Indonesia, which is the world's second-largest Facebook market and third-largest twitter market.

Further, with only 20 percent of Indonesians currently connected to the internet, and RIM, the maker of BlackBerry, studying the market, the number of users is expected to reach 94 million by 2015.

Laura Stewart, Michael Dwyer and Stephanie Lagerstedt are student journalists at Bond University on the Gold Coast, Australia.

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[pima.nius] Apply for Workshop On: Reporting on Intimate Partner Violence

2011-08-07T11:15:00.001-07:00

via Pacific Journos

Talofa Pacific Journalists,

If you report on domestic violence or relationship violence you might be interested in applying for this workshop.

The workshop, supported by funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will take place October 21 and 22, 2011 at the Columbia Journalism School in New York.

The workshop will feature a wide range of national and local mental health and policy experts, award-winning journalists, educators and prevention advocates. It will include background briefings as well as specialized reporting skills training to enhance journalists' capacity to report on relationship violence knowledgeably, ethically and effectively.

Application information below.

Faáfetai,

Cherelle Jackson

Pacific Contact

Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma

Columbia Journalism School

http://dartcenter.org/

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Application Information

The application deadline is September 26, 2011 at 5 p.m. EST.

To apply, please email Kate Black with your contact information (name, address, city, state, zip, phone, email) along with a one-page letter of interest that:

Describes how and why this workshop is relevant to you and your work;
Identifies three issues around intimate partner violence of particular interest to you; and
Explains one or more challenges you have encountered in pursuing a story on this topic or a related one.

If you have any questions or need additional information, email Kate Black.

More Information on the workshop. Click Here.

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[pima.nius] Royal intervention in Tonga Police Commissioner issue

2011-08-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

Royal intervention in Tonga Police Commissioner issue

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201108/s3285739.htm

Updated August 4, 2011 16:47:31

Tonga's monarch has intervened in the issue of the police commissioner not having his contract renewed.

The Lord Privy Seal ,Vainga Tone has told the Matangi Tonga website that cabinet did not have the legal power to not renewing the contract of Chris Kelley, a New Zealander who has led the Tonga Police for the past three years.

In a statement, Mr Tone said such a decision is made by the King with his Privy Council.

Mr Kelly has received widespread community support for overseeing a number of reforms of the police, but Police Minister Villiame Latu says it's time a Tongan headed the force.

Tongan journalist Pesi Fonua, says an intervention like this from the Palace is very significant.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Pesi Fonua, editor of the Matangi Tonga website

Listen:
Windows Media

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[pima.nius] Vanuatu host of Pacific adaptation to climate change meeting

2011-08-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

via Pacific Journos

Vanuatu host of Pacific adaptation to climate change meeting

Port Vila, Vanuatu, 4 August 2011 - 13 Pacific island countries under the Pacific adaption to climate change (PACC) project will meet to review and discuss progress of the regional project which coordinates 'on the ground' adaptation activities.
Its' three years since the countries first met to begin the PACC which provides funds and support for national climate change adaptation projects in the different areas of coastal management, food production and security and water resources management.
Port Vila, Vanuatu is host of the second multi partite review, which brings together participating countries and all supporting partners from 8 to 12 August.
"We look forward to this stock take which will help us gauge how we can provide further support to our member countries," said Taito Nakalevu, the Project Manager of PACC.
"We plan for this meeting to be one to help the project be successful in terms of the work carried out in the different countries as well as the policy, technical and operational processes that must be adhered to."
The PACC is implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), it is a 13 million dollar project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The Marshall Islands, Niue, Tuvalu and Tonga are carrying out projects to address water resources management. Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands are working towards helping ensure food production and food security in the face of climate change and; the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa and Vanuatu have embarked on projects that strengthen coastal zone management.
Over the duration of the week countries will be making presentations to share experiences and lessons learnt. Sessions during the week will also look at knowledge management, adaptation implementation and climate change economics. Countries will also have individual meetings with the project partners to assess where further specialised assistance is required to help strengthen this project.
"This project is a first in that it is actually doing work on the ground to address the impacts caused by climate change. We want to ensure its' success, as ultimately any activity that helps Pacific people to adapt to the effects of climate change will contribute to the survival of our region," said Nakalevu
For more details please contact:
Ms. Nanette Woonton, SPREP's Media and Public Relations Officer +678 595 3314
Ms. Setaita Tavanbola, PACC Communications Intern +678 595 3313

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[pima.nius] Papuans demostrate against Indonesian rule

2011-08-03T13:06:00.001-07:00

Papuans demostrate against Indonesian rule

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201108/s3284742.htm

Updated August 3, 2011 17:04:46

Around 10,000 Papuans have been demonstrating in support of independence from Indonesia.

Witnesses say protesters defied a heavy police presence a day after an ambush police blamed on separatist rebels.

Demonstrators in the provincial capital Jayapura demanded the withdrawal of Indonesian troops from the eastern region which has been the scene of a separatist insurgency since the 1960s.

Protests were also held in Timika, on the southern coast, and in the Indonesian capital Jakarta where hundreds called for an independence referendum similar to that granted to East Timor in 1999.

Richard Chauvel is from the School of Social Sciences and Psychology at Victoria University, and a long standing Papua-watcher.

He's been monitoring the situation, and Bill Bainbridge asked him what sparked the recent political violence that has seen at least 21 people killed.

Presenter: Bill Bainbridge
Speaker: Richard Chauvel, from the School of Social Sciences and Psychology at Victoria University in Melbourne

Listen:
Windows Media

CHAUVEL: The violence in the Central Highlands, in the district of Puncak, which was reported to have occurred on Sunday, I don't think was particularly related to the demonstration that took place in Jayapura and elsewhere in Papua yesterday. The violence in the Central Highlands was related to the conflict or clash between the supporters of two candidates for the election of the regions of the head of the Puncak District Government which is going to take place in a couple of months and there the problem appears to be that one political party, Gerindra has supported two sets of candidates and only one of those sets of candidates was accepted by the Indonesian Election Commission and the supporters of the rejected candidate took umbrage to that and attacked the supporters of the guy who was accepted.

BAINBRIDGE: So the West Papuan National Committee accused elements of the security forces of provoking and staging the violence in order to foil the protest. You don't think there's any evidence to support that claim?

CHAUVEL: No, I think there were sufficient reports going back about the tensions around the elections in Puncak District to suggest that whatever the motives of the security forces in the Central Highlands of provoking violence, I think that there are issues related specifically to the elections for the region which are to a degree separate from the broader political issues.

BAINBRIDGE: So the protesters in Jakarta were calling for an independence referendum of the sort that was given to East Timor in 1999. Is there any realistic likelihood of this ever getting the support of the government in Jakarta?

CHAUVEL: I think on present form, it would be extremely unlikely. The .. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's government has been most reluctant to sit down and engage in a dialogue with Papuan political leaders, let alone agree like President Habibi did with East Timor, to the holding of a referendum. I think clearly a referendum would be a significant step further than agreeing to some form of dialogue, some form of negotiation, so I think at this stage highly unlikely. But it is a fairly well established demand of many groups in Papua and the large public consultation that took place in July of last year made exactly the same demand. It is related to what the subject matter of the conference now being discussed in Oxford, in England, about the act of free choice, which Indonesia conducted in 1969, which the selected Papuan delegates unanimously supported the integration of Papua into Indonesia, so that the demand for a referendum is related to the Papuan rejection of the results of the Act of Free Choice in 1969.

BAINBRIDGE: Well, I'd like to go back to that conference in a moment, but you talked about a dialogue between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Papuans not really being there. He has assented to what he's called he's a constructive communication to discuss these political issues that fuel discontent in Papua. Is there any sign of that taking place, and if not, what is Jakarta's strategy to resolve this issue?

CHAUVEL: I think there ... to go back to your first point, there are very few indications of what the president means by constructive communication, whether it is simply another term for what various .. the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, with [Mooden Majojo? phonetic] and [Father Nilas Tobine?? phonetic] in [Papor? phonetic] have been arguing for a year and a half to two years and been building up support for a dialogue between Papua and Jakarta, whether the president's term is simply another Jakarta's version of the same type of activity. It's too early to tell. There's been no clarification of what he means by that and I think both in terms of realising whatever he means by that, let alone accepting what Papuans and others have been arguing for the need to hold a dialogue. Jakarta seems to have been pretty reluctant to engage in either of them. To go to your second point .. What is Jakarta's current policy framework for resolving difficulties in Papua? The best sign we have of that is Jakarta's intention to establish a special unit within the vice-president's office for the acceleration of economic development in the two Papuan provinces, Papua proper and West Papua. That unit seems to be based on the reconstruction bureau established for Aceh after the tsunami, which in Jakarta's interpretation has worked much more effectively to support economic development in Aceh, than has been the case under the implementation of special autonomy in Papua. It does in many respects, represent a recentralisation of control directly under Jakarta for economic planning, economic development programs in Papua.

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[pima.nius] Anne Tolley and Tariana Turia - Pasifika Education Plan shows good progress

2011-08-03T13:02:00.003-07:00

Hon Anne Tolley

Minister of Education

Hon Tariana Turia

Acting Minister of Pacific Island Affairs

3 August 2011

Media Statement

Pasifika Education Plan shows good progress

Education Minister Anne Tolley says a mid-term review of the Pasifika Education Plan (2009-2012) shows positive results in early childhood education, schooling and the Youth Guarantee for Pasifika children and young people.

The review found that Pasifika participation in early childhood education (ECE) has increased by 9.5 per cent since 2009. It also showed some improvement in NCEA Level 2 attainment, good retention levels at secondary schools, and that twenty per cent of Youth Guarantee places are being filled by Pasifika 16 and 17 year olds.

"These findings are encouraging, and they show the Government's focus on lifting achievement for Pasifika students is getting results," says Mrs Tolley.

"But much more needs to be done. Pasifika children are still much less likely to attend ECE, which is why our participation projects, part of the $91.8 million investment in Budget 2010, are so important.

"The review shows the need for an increased focus on literacy and numeracy, and National Standards are addressing this by identifying the children who need support in reading, writing and maths and making sure they get extra help.

"Meanwhile the Youth Guarantee, Trades Academies and Service Academies are providing exciting opportunities, free of charge, for thousands of teenagers who were at risk of disengaging from education, by allowing them to learn practical skills while gaining worthwhile qualifications, using the flexibility of NCEA credits."

Acting Minister of Pacific Island Affairs Tariana Turia is pleased the Ministry of Education is on target for achieving better outcomes for children of te Moananui-a-Kiwa, with eight new early childhood centres announced in June.

"Of these eight, some are specifically culturally-orientated, catering for Tongan, Niuean, Samoan and Cook Island children," says Mrs Turia.

"Learning is always far more effective if it is relevant to our own cultural context," said Mrs Turia.

"I am really thrilled that there are hundreds of new places for children, nō te Moananui-a-Kiwa, in areas where ECE participation is most needed."

A report on the review can be found at:

http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publication/102486

Media contact: Gillon Carruthers 021 491 761 (Hon Tolley)

Peata Melbourne 021 802 206 (Hon Turia)

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[pima.nius] TONGA POLICE MINISTER NAMES SELF AS TOP COP

2011-08-03T13:02:00.001-07:00

TONGA POLICE MINISTER NAMES SELF AS TOP COP
Latu says he will replace kelly, who was dismissed

http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2011/August/08-03-05.htm

NUKU΄ALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, Aug. 3, 2011) - The Minister of Police, Hon. Dr. Viliami Latu, said yesterday that he, as Minister of Police, would become Tonga's Acting Police Commissioner, when the Police Commissioner, Chris Kelley vacates his post on Friday, August 5.

He believed that the new government has the right to appoint him as the interim Police Commissioner because the new Privy Council had not met.

Making the announcement at the Tonga Police headquarter, Longolongo, in a press conference, the Minister said that he was in opposition to the new Tonga Police Act since its inception.

His interpretation of the Tonga Police Act 2010, which came into force in January this year, was that the new government has the right to make a decision not to renew the contract that was signed by the former government.

Dr. Latu said that the decision by the new government not to renew Chris Kelley's working contract was based on a number of factors, one was that the new government envisaged utilizing the human assets that the country has, and secondly to that, under the new law a police officer retires at 60, and Chris Kelley is 61.

The Minister was questioned because it is clearly stated in the Tonga Police Act 2010 that the power to appoint and to dismiss a police commissioner rests with His Majesty in Council and not with the Cabinet.

With regards to the legality of the decision by Cabinet not to renew the contract of Chris Kelley and to appoint the Minister as the Acting Commissioner of Police, Dr. Latu said that he was in opposition to the Act since its inception.

He said that government has formed a committee to amend the Tonga Police Act 2010 so that Cabinet will have the right to appoint a Commissioner.

He believed that the reason why the king had not formed or called a meeting of the Privy Council was because the king wanted to relinquish all his executive power to the executive, the new government.

The Tonga Police Act 2010 was one of the reforms put into place during the formation of the new system of government. It makes the police answerable to the courts and gives greater protection to the public. It also separates the police command from the politicians.

The minister was questioned on the notion that by leaving the appointment of such posts as the Police Commissioner for His Majesty in Council would avoid the politicizing of such an appointment.

The minister agreed with the suggested metaphor that the reform program is like a motorboat with its propeller broken off, it is not going anywhere and the new government is adrift. He referred to the fact that with the Privy Council being inactive the application of the law is paralyzed.

Later in the morning the Police Commissioner Chris Kelley formally announced his departure from Tonga on August 6.

"No reasons have been given for not offering a renewal of contract, but I acknowledge and accept the right of the government to employ whom they wish."

He said that he would leave Tonga "satisfied that the Tongan Police Development Program has established a great foundation of reform, re-building and institutional re-strengthening.

"The success of this programme to date can be measured in many ways but none more so than in the increase in public trust and confidence in the Police," he said.

He acknowledged that he was the first Palangi to hold the post of Commander/Commissioner of Police. "I am as proud today as I was in September 2008 to be the Commander," he said.

He said that it was purely coincidental that August 5 is the second anniversary of the sinking of the Princess Ashika "and my thoughts and prayers are with the 74 victims and their families at this time."

Chris Kelley commanded Operation Ashika the 16 days search and rescue operation by Tonga Police following the sinking of Tonga's inter-island passenger ferry near Noumuka Island on August 5, 2009.

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[pima.nius] Breaking news: Upheaval in PNG – O’Neill elected as new prime minister

2011-08-02T14:02:00.001-07:00

Breaking news: Upheaval in PNG – O'Neill elected as new prime minister

http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/08/breaking-news-oneill-elected-as-pngs-new-prime-minister/

17:43 August 2, 2011 0 comments

Peter O'Neill ... voted in as Papua New Guinea's new prime minister.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Malum Nalu in Port Moresby

Peter O'Neill was elected the new Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea today, being voted in by an overwhelming majority of 74-24.

He was this afternoon transported to Government House in Waigani to be sworn in by the Governor-General, Sir Michael Ogio.

O'Neill was nominated by Opposition Leader Belden Namah, when Parliament resumed at 2pm today, and seconded by sacked Petroleum Minister William Duma.

Bulolo MP Sam Basil closed nominations.

Forests Minister Timothy Bonga walked out in protest.

Several government ministers and MPs moved over to Opposition ranks today.

Ministers included O'Neill, Internal Security Minister Mark Maipakai and Minister Assisting Prime Minister Charles Abel.

Dramatic change
PMC reports: The dramatic change follows uncertainty for months over the future of the government headed by the ailing by "founding father" Sir Michael Somare, which had been in power for almost a decade – the longest stretch in office by any administration in the country's 35-year history.

Somare's long spell in Singapore's Raffles Hospital and discouraging reports of his health status provoked speculation about the future.

Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal had been struggling to keep the administration together.

Calvin Caspar of the National Broadcasting Corporation reported:

Wild jubilation at the election of Peter O'Neill as Prime Minister this afternoon has led to the burning down of four houses by their owners at Wire Village in the Pangia District of Southern Highlands.

Wire village is near O'Neill's village of Kauwo.

Wire Village court magistrate, Tame Tupai, confirmed the burning down of the houses in his village.

Malum Nalu publishes an independent blog and was winner of the 2011 UNESCO/Divine Word University award for communication and development.

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[pima.nius] KFC in Fiji closes, 80 jobs lost

2011-08-02T14:00:00.001-07:00

KFC in Fiji closes, 80 jobs lost

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201108/s3283740.htm

Updated August 2, 2011 16:42:44

The international fast food chain KFC says it's had to close its three restaurants in Fiji because of a dispute over ingredients.

The company says the Fiji Quarantine and Inspection Division won't let them bring in a special milk and egg mix, and a specific kind of salt.

They say this means they can't cook fried chicken to the correct recipe, so their two stores in Suva and one in Nadi have had to stop operating, with the loss of 80 jobs.

Steve Johnson, the manager of Kazi Foods, which operates the KFC franchise in Fiji, says dealing with government agencies has been a long and frustrating process.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Steve Johnson, manager of Kazi Foods, which operates the KFC franchise in Fiji

Listen:
Windows Media

And there's been a development with this story this afternoon.

Fiji's Attorney General, in his capacity as the Minister for Commerce and Industries, has called a meeting of all the stakeholders to resolve these outstanding issues which will happen on Thursday.

KFC has reiterated that government authorities should be helping investors and local businesses to enhance investment and job creation, and the company looks forward to resolving the issue amicably.

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