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National Sovereignty SOUTH STIRRINGS PACIFIC SouTH PaAciric STIRRINGS ~ hat was once thought of as an | remaining Pacific US Trust Territory. The US | has resulted in at least fifty ‘trainees’ being (\// American lake and Australia’s | wants an agreement which gives ittherightto | sent there. | ¥’ back yard has suddenly become a | dock nuclear-armed vessels there for fifty After the election late last year Sope region embroiled in ideological and colonial | years, butthe 1979 Constimtionhas anuclear- | challenged Lini for the leadership and lost. issues. The Southwest Pacific is no longer | free zone clause that requires a 75% vote ina | The Australian government favours Lini since quiet or settled. The driving forces behind the | referendum to change. he canceled plans for a Libyan People’s Bu- unrest are the relationship between the After three forced referenda the clause | reau in Vanuatu. colonisers and indigenous populations, and | still stands, but political opponents of Palau’s power and land ownership. nuclearisation have recently been harrassed Fi ji In New Caledonia a number of French | and even killed. and Kanak lives have been lost in the last few Palau is a string of islands 750km east of years. The recently elected French govern- | the Philippines. At present the negotiations ment has proposed splitting the main island | over the US bases in the Philippines are shaky into two provinces with internal autonomy -a | and Palau, seen as a strategically important Kanak north and French south - and a third | substitute Pacific base, is becoming incress- province consisting of the outer islands, form- | ingly interwoven with these negotiations. Son a Federation. Native and settler leaders Palau has apopulation of only 15,000 and the UK andthe US and the landrights ofnative e agreed to the plan, but convincing their | two-thirds ofits income comes from the US. It ee followers is another matter. Recent French | has no resources, but despite its poverty has a Fyens Were ‘bagels ol beara actions against Kanak seperalists, dubbed | bribery scandal revolving around a $40 mil- epcernacak otsy enn ee murder by some, have fuelled dissention. lion power station that never became opera- But Se ech pete : The other island nations, or micro-states | tional. The first Palauan President was assas- a a ton Who mgt noes as they are called, are united in their support | sinated after threatening to expose corruption pin = canes bre: 5 pie waa iy for the Kanaks. As the last part of the worldto | and the US Government Accounting Office a9 epee a one be decolonised, many of these countries are | has been asked by Palau to investigate. he “aaa cestehilentiog Se less than 15 years old and independence and signing of the/anti-nuolesr/Tresty of Rare sovereignty are particularly sensitive issues. Vanu atu yen. eaawee ae tok oo The French - with their insistence on treating ee iS ro cereal Pe 9 . acolony on the other side of the world as part PapecE orgy rarer he) arene fOr of metropolitan France coupled with widely- | Australia is involved with the other two pared ey Laem Nerina abhored nuclear testing - are perceived as the | major Pacific centres of political unrest; in oe Me a alae cai rei ds cite eS Australia has not done the Fijian government any favours. Brigadier Rambuka was refused entry in June, aid programs have been delayed and tourism hes suffered. Rambuka justified his two coups by claiming that Fiji’s ties with ~ F 3 " want to make us think they are? How many main cause of unrest in the region. June our government supplied tear gas and wekpons caches are floatiieaienindthe Gouin Tiot control equipment to Vanuatu at the re- Pacific - and Australia? Palau eae eee esses) Waues Litt What is certain is that the Fijian army is after a land rights riot which had been orches- trated by his rival, Barak Sope. They both the most effective organisation in the South A\tthough three of the four original microne- | wrote the 1980 Constitution together as allies. sian territories have signed independence | Sope became one of the country’s wealthiest agreements with the US, Palau is the only ' men and forged a ‘Libyan connection’ which Pacific and has total control in Fiji. Many Fijians have left and will continue to do so. Many younger and better-educated Fijians are applying to the embassies in Suva to emigrate, convinced that the coups have ruined the country and its economy. Australia must tread carefully in the re- gion. An emerging regional consciousness centred on the South Pacific Forum has joined the nationalism generated by recently-ac- quired independence. These may be the first stirrings of a future South Pacific Federation. Australia is accustomed to being the jun- ior partner and studying the actions of major powers for clues. In the context of the South- west Pacific we are the major power, subject to intense scrutiny from the island states. The politics in the region have become volatile with strategic and local issues intertwining. If Australia wants to influence affairs in the Pacific, a careful reading of the political cur- rents is necessary. A Gerard ~ hat was once thought of as an | remaining Pacific US Trust Territory. The US | has resulted in at least fifty ‘trainees’ being American lake and Australia’s | wants an agreement which gives it therightto | sent there. back yard has suddenly become a | dock nuclear-armed vessels there for fifty After the election late last year Sope region embroiled in ideological and colonial | years, butthe 1979 Constimtionhas anuclear- | challenged Lini for the leadership and lost. issues. The Southwest Pacific is no longer | free zone clause that requires a 75% vote ina | The Australian government favours Lini since quiet or settled. The driving forces behind the | referendum to change. he canceled plans for a Libyan People’s Bu- unrest are the relationship between the After three forced referenda the clause | reau in Vanuatu. colonisers and indigenous populations, and | still stands, but political opponents of Palau’s power and land ownership. nuclearisation have recently been harrassed Fi ji In New Caledonia a number of French | and even killed. and Kanak lives have been lost in the last few Palau is a string of islands 750km east of years. The recently elected French govern- | the Philippines. At present the negotiations 4 as ment has proposed splitting the main island | over the US bases in the Philippines are shaky Australiahas not done Sap ot into two provinces with internal autonomy -a | and Palau, seen as a strategically important wd oe BS ee tl Kanak north and French south - and a third | substitute Pacific base, is becoming increas- | "YY inJune, aid programs have been delayed province consisting of the outer islands, form- | ingly interwoven with these negotiations. ae Lomein naa Bacbake etc] ing a Federation. Native and settler leaders Palau has a population of only 15,000 and om nin yore arenas 2 ae have agreed to the plan, but convincing their | two-thirds of its incomecomes from the US. It Fiji po eae lepally-elected followers is another matter. Recent French | has no resources, but despite its poverty has a See ‘iohalct aa key ware actions against Kanak seperalists, dubbed | bribery scandal revolving around a $40 mil- epcernacak otsy enn re murder by some, have fuelled dissention. lion power station that never became opera- But Se ech pete : The other island nations, or micro-states | tional. The first Palauan President was assas- a a ton Who mgt noes as they are called, are united in their support | sinated after threatening to expose corruption pin = canes bre: 5 pie waa iy for the Kanaks. As the last part of the worldto | and the US Government Accounting Office a9 oy mea eH P sane be decolonised, many of these countries are | has been asked by Palau to investigate. he “aaa — sae Ti ele less than 15 years old and independence and aining ot ane oe eens ees ¥ " oi tonga a few months earlier? Was there a sovereignty are particularly sensitive issues. V . 2 ee ‘The French - with their insistence on treating anuatu threat from Fijian extremists’ that led to the 9 acolony on the other side of the world as part PapecE orgy rarer he) arene fOr of metropolitan France coupled with widely- | Australia is involved with the other two pared sees 9 Lae ma Nerina abhored nuclear testing - are perceived as the | major Pacific centres of political unrest; in oe Me a alae cai rei ds cite eS main cause of unrest in the region. June our government supplied tear gas and pa eee ak bey sro ay 3 ‘ weapons caches are floating around the South Tiot contro] equipment to Vanuatu at the re- i a Palau quest of their prime minister, Walter Lini, Paci tio ai uataney after a land rights riot which had been orches- EAGT Ls trated by his rival, Barak Sope. They both the most effective organisation in the South Although three of the four original microne- | wrote the 1980 Constitution together as allies. sian territories have signed independence | Sope became one of the country’s wealthiest agreements with the US, Palau is the only ' men and forged a ‘Libyan connection’ which Pacific and has total control in Fiji. Many Fijians have left and will continue to do so. Many younger and better-educated Fijians are applying to the embassies in Suva to emigrate, convinced that the coups have ruined the country and its economy. Australia must tread carefully in the re- gion. An emerging regional consciousness centred on the South Pacific Forum has joined the nationalism generated by recently-ac- quired independence. These may be the first stirrings of a future South Pacific Federation. Australia is accustomed to being the jun- ior partner and studying the actions of major powers for clues. In the context of the South- west Pacific we are the major power, subject to intense scrutiny from the island states. The politics in the region have become volatile with strategic and local issues intertwining. If Australia wants to influence affairs in the Pacific, a careful reading of the political cur- rents is necessary. A Gerard Fiji Vanuatu Palau applying Lo ie embassies in Suva to emigrate, convinced that the coups have ruined the country and its economy. Australia must tread carefully in the re- gion. An emerging regional consciousness centred on the South Pacific Forum has joined the nationalism generated by recently-ac- quired independence. These may be the first stirrings of a future South Pacific Federation. Australia is accustomed to being the jun- ior partner and studying the actions of major powers for clues. In the context of the South- west Pacific we are the major power, subject to intense scrutiny from the island states. The politics in the region have become volatile with strategic and local issues intertwining. If Australia wants to influence affairs in the Pacific, a careful reading of the political cur- rents is necessary. A Gerard