Pacific Region News

Pacific television initiative planned

SUVA, Fiji Islands—The French Polynesia television network Réseau France Outremer has invited Pacific Islands TV stations to join RFO in the establishment of a regional satellite television service.

RFO international director Walles Kotra, speaking to a meeting of Pacific journalists, said he deplored the situation that permitted TV from the northern hemisphere to flow south, but generally not the other way.

“The battle for content is now launched (to establish) “real Pacific television,” he said, involving RFO stations in Tahiti, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna.

“We cannot and must not do it alone,” Kotra said, in asking for the Pacific Islands News Association’s television members to support the project.

Strong quake rocks Irian Jaya

MANOKWARI, Irian Jaya—An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale shook the Cendrawasih Bay area Sunday afternoon.

The quake’s epicenter was 80 miles south of Manokwari and 55 miles below sea level, across the Papua New Guinea border from where over 2,000 people perished in an earthquake-generated tidal wave last year.

The Irian Jaya quake brought panic to the small town. However, there were no reports of casualties or severe damage to buildings.

Move toward independence in Pacific region backed

Suva, Fiji Islands—The Pacific Concerns Resource Center, a regional non-government organization, has welcomed the 16-nation South Pacific Forum’s decision at last week’s summit in Palau to grant observer status to more Pacific territories.
Center head Lopeti Senituli said the Forum declaration “will provide the trigger” for stronger independence movements in French Polynesia, West Papua, Guam, Hawaii and Rapa Nui.

New air service to Tonga

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga—New regional air service between the capitals of Tonga and Fiji will be introduced by Air Fiji next month.

The head of airline operations, Arthur Whippy, said the weekly one hour and forty-minute flight will operate with a Brasilia turbo-prop 30-seat aircraft.

Two months ago, Air Fiji began another international flight, to Tuvalu, after Air Marshalls ceased services.

Malaitan leader wants more time to negotiate

HONIARA, Solomon Islands— Malaitan leader Andrew Nori has called on relatives of Malaitans held hostage by Guadalcanal militants to postpone a deadline for their release to prevent more bloodshed.

He said he was making arrangements to meet leaders of the Isatambu Freedom Fighters, who have been battling immigrant Malaitans since the beginning of the year over land rights and jobs, to negotiate the release of 16 hostages.

Nori said efforts were under way through intermediaries to establish contacts with the militants in rural Guadalcanal.