Fiji NGO wants applied Biketawa Declaration to ease tensions with Tonga - Radio New Zealand International

Posted at 07: 38 on May 23, 2011 UTC

Fiji citizens Constitutional Forum is asking for the Pacific Islands Forum to consider the possibility of starting the Biketawa Declaration to deal with the current diplomatic impasse of Fiji and Tonga.

Fiji waiting for a response from Tonga after sending his Prime Minister a request for the extradition of Lieutenant Colonel Tevita Mara, who is wanted on charges of sedition.

The Biketawa Declaration was agreed by countries of the Forum of the Pacific Islands in the year 2000 and outlines guiding principles for good governance and courses of action for a regional response to the crisis.

The citizens Constitutional Forum, the Reverend Akuila Yabaki, executive director said that there should be consensus between the two countries in any resolution.

"This is to stop what could be a likely deterioration of the historical relationship." He is people of status mainly, in this country, could involve the vanua, the military, and I think that we get to the issues of diplomatic relations, and it could be of quite peacefully.

Executive Director of the citizens, the Reverend Akuila Yabaki Constitutional Forum.

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Fiji and Tonga downplay Minerva Reef spat - Radio Australia

Updated on June 15, 2011 17: 08:29Relations between Fiji and Tonga are in sight this week.

Tensions between the two countries have apparently erupted on reefs Minerva contested claim that both countries, and the alleged involvement of Tonga with the defection of high-profile military former Fiji, Ratu Tevita Mara.

Ratu Tevita is currently in Australia trying to promote his new role as an activist for democracy, and the Government of Fiji is requesting his extradition from Australia.

But a reef in the Pacific Ocean also has people talking.

Presenter: Janak Rogers
Speakers: Ahongalu Fusumalohi, Special Adviser for the first Tongan Minister; Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum; Interim Prosecutor of Fiji; Dr. Clive Schofield is the Director of research at the Australian National Centre for ocean resources and security; It Rod Alley, Member of the Center for strategic studies of New Zealand

ROGERS: The Minerva reefs is an isolated reef claimed by Fiji and Tonga. Its been the source of tensions in the past, as the Tongan Government has repeatedly accused Fiji destroy navigation beacons set up. In recent days, a ship of the armed Tongan had allegedly persecuted outside an armed ship Fiji at the Minerva reefs. But Ahongalu Fusumalohi, a Special Adviser for Tongan Prime Minister, is willing to play by reports of a naval incident between Fiji and Tonga.

FUSUMALOHI: as I am concerned about there was nothing. However, they may have met and waved one to the other, but rather I don't want to speculate, and deduce that a confrontation or something more than was simply probably meeting at sea.

ROGERS: It is also alleged that Fiji and Tonga enjoy good relations.

FUSUMALOHI: And I think that there are no tensions between Fiji and Tonga. Our relationship has been warm and cordial throughout many years and until today, I think that it is continuing and I can only hope that our counterparts in Fiji that you want to discuss with us the issues of Minerva.

ROGERS: The Acting Attorney General of Fiji, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, also said reports of tensions between the two countries are exaggerated.

SAYED-KHAIYUM: and I think that it seems not much HAA hoo by the means of communication Australians and New Zealanders, about called fallout, there are consequences. There are various issues that must be met. We have taken the legal line, the legal process on several other issues that have been raised in the Minerva reefs and the Government, a statement from last week. We are going to follow the legal process under the provision of the Convention of the United Nations Convention on the law of the sea and which is under way.

ROGERS: But both countries have also released statements written in the last few days each intentionally stating its property on the reef. In a written statement published Friday, the Government of Fiji accused Australia and New Zealand of Tonga by manipulating the Minerva reef. Rod Alley is a Member Senior of the Center for strategic studies in New Zealand. He said while tensions on the reef had broken out again this year, but it seemed that there was no hope of a more amicable solution.

Alley: I am absolutely convinced that the bet rose sharply after Colonel Mara defected to Tonga and aired on YouTube, the world of Tonga on its deep dissatisfaction with the regime of Bainimarama.

ROGERS: Rod Alley also said that a number of countries appeared to want to gain political mileage from the Minerva reef tensions.

Dead end: There is no doubt in the entire system of Fiji is I think using the dispute to raise their concerns about the involvement of Australia and New Zealand and have said some very unparliamentary things about Mr Smith, Mr Rudd and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. McCully in New Zealand claiming that he is trying to handle the situation or manipulate Tonga as a way to return to Fiji. It is getting all rather messy.

ROGERS: Dr. Clive Schofield is the Director of research at the Australian National Centre for ocean resources and security. He says the time reef can be politically controversial, legally reefs could not form the basis of a territorial claim.

SCHOFIELD: Somewhat suggest that this is much ado about nothing in legal terms, but when we break down and see really what kind of roles that we are looking to the North and South Minerva reefs, are as their name suggests: reefs. These are features that are in fact submerged during much of the cycle of the tides. Now turn it has international legal implications for their ability to generate claims to maritime jurisdiction.

ROGERS: Clive Schofield says also that the prospect of mining rights and potentially lucrative fishing maintains much of the Minerva reef competition.

SCHOFIELD: There has been a realization that very small islets can suddenly be able to generate large maritime claims and the marine resources in those areas that are traditional resources that we think in terms of fishing and oil and gas, but also of deep-sea mineral resources. They are a major driving force in disputes over such small coming to the fore.

ROGERS: Rod Alley, Center of strategic studies said that the Pacific region countries are eager to see that not worsen tensions between Fiji and Tonga.

Alley: The conflict itself, Australia and New Zealand have said practically they do not have a dog in this particular fight, but that they want to see settled, because they recognize that if tensions between Fiji and Tonga much worse, could affect relations in the wider Pacific. And they have a meeting very important to come here in New Zealand later in the year and do not want talks that is putting much effort here derailed by a bilateral dispute between Fiji and Tonga.

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First batch of left of seasonal workers of PNG for Australia - Radio Australia

Updated on May 23, 2011 16: 45:21After nearly three years, Australia seasonal workers pilot scheme finally accepted its first batch of workers in Papua New Guinea.

A group of nine workers left Port Moresby today towards Robinvale in Victoria to almond crop.

According to the plan, up to 2,500 visas were made available to workers from Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea to work in Australia up to seven months in any 12 month period.

But since its introduction in August 2008, he has taken part only a couple of hundreds of workers of the Pacific - most of Tonga.

Chairman of seasonal workers from the PNG, Alexis Maino task force said that nine men PNG will work in Australia up to 4 months.

It is said, they had to go through a rigorous process to select the first batch of PNG seasonal workers.

Presenter: Firmin Nanol
Speaker: Alexis Maino, President of the force for the season worker of the PNG task

MAINO: Will go to Melbourne and Melbourne, the employer will be organized buses to take them to Robinvale in Victoria, which is where they will be based for the next four months.

NANOL: how the Papua New Guinea nine or ten selected and where they come from across the country?

MAINO: We are following the provisions of the memorandum of understanding we signed with the Australians last year and we have established what they call a ready labour pool and we work about 250 more or less of the reserve. Your request is usually highly dependent on the application by farmers in Australia. So that particular farmer based in Victoria, wanted to hire 10. Thus of the reservation took place about 20 of them recommended that the employer. To try to balance it out, we had 15 men and five women.

Later the businessman returned to say that only it would be necessary to male employees, the work will mainly be pruning of almond. We allow only 15 men and 15 men, the employer...Rental of work they were able to select ten and ten, nine are now. We have a very strict criteria to follow, knowledge of English, but focus primarily rural. So we have people of interest in rural areas and we have done that at this moment we have some of the Highlands of the East, some of East New Britain, and have some Central Province and morobe to Iran now.

NANOL: these nine men, it really have to do in Victoria?

MAINO: You will be working on the farm of almond and season of preparation is now complete, but it will be necessary to do the pruning and that, which is why you using small chainsaws to do all the work of pruning for the next four months until Septemberend of September should be going.

NANOL: how much are going to be paid in Australian dollars?

MAINO: Seeking $ 18, $19 an hour, so the rate is similar to any Australian worker. So that even within that period of four months, they may be a little fair of money and the idea is not for them and unnecessarily use revenues to win. We have another task force has been configured, because to configure by connecting them with the financial institution to help them start small businesses primarily out of rural areas.

Do NANOL: once these nine people finished after four months of seasonal work and back, there will be another batch down or it will depend on the needs of farmers and the farm in Australia or victory?

MAINO: Yes, some farmers have expressed interest, and I just returned from a forum of countries of sending work - with seasonal work in Tonga and while he was there I met with the Australians and New Zealanders staff members as representatives of the growers association. From Australia, there are one or two groups or farmers concerned to Papua New Guinea, which is why we are going to examine. The other, of course, which is New Zealand have only a New Guinea whose contracted in accordance with the New Zealand what they call recognised seasonal employer scheme. So I spoke to the Association of growers in the first place and he's going to do the work there, but they are usually willing to accept more Papua New Guinea there, for it is another area that we are going to start looking. But we have the approval of Cabinet for both our participation in the pilot scheme, as well as the New Zealand schema.

Do NANOL: collectively after four months, how much you think that they are likely to recover in Australian dollars?

MAINO: Being up about $20,000, and if you change in kina, which is a little right of money for an individual, a quantity that may help to start some small businesses.

NANOL: and Australia, which will take care of them, such as farm or another contractor of the work or hire the company?

MAINO: We have an agreement with the memorandum of understanding that the employer will provide housing, Medicare, pastoral care and all that. What is the part of the agreement which has been accepted by both Governments, Government of PNG and Australia.

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Government of Tonga warns about the scam of "Kingdom of Hawaii" visa - Radio New Zealand International

Posted at 23: 37 on May 22, 2011 UTC

The Tongan Government has issued a warning to travelers to United States that visas issued by a group known as the "Kingdom of Hawaii" are not valid and it cannot be used for the entrance to the United States.

Quotes online of Taime Tonga, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the money collected by the Kingdom of Hawaii to the issuance of these visas can be part of a fraudulent scheme.

Tonga Assistant, Commander of the police, 'unga Fa' aoa, says police have passports with stamps of these visas from the "Kingdom of Hawaii".

He said that they had received complaints from people who are enfadadas for this visa fraud.

The Embassy of the United States in Suva, Fiji has confirmed that visas issued under the Kingdom of Hawaii are not valid.

It also said warned that anyone who tries to use these false visas to enter United States on Board of a plane of Tonga or any other country will not be permitted.

Reports of Tonga say that an officer from the Division of immigration was victim of the scam and who filed a formal complaint with the police.

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Cabinet of Tonga meet in Vava'u ' or for the first time - Radio New Zealand International

Posted at 07: 35 on May 23, 2011 UTC

Cabinet of Tonga is celebrating a refuge on the island of Vava'u ' u, the first time that he met in the capital.

The meeting is to review progress since he took power last year and make strategic plans for the future.

The Ministers are looking for in the new budget, the strategic framework for development of Tonga and what the Government has to change to allow this application.

They are also thinking in its priorities for the period of four years.

The first Minister Lord Tu'ivakano said that the Government wants to establish strong and complete basis for the next few years.

He says, as a result of the withdrawal, when the legislature will open early next month, that the Ministers will have a clear vision of Tonga economic and development situation.

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