Page 8 - Islands Business May-June 2022

Whispers Whispers

Lau in the spotlight same day, U.S. Assistant Secretary of
A tug of war of mega proportions is State, Edward Lambert, fielded a wide Asylum successful
underway in Suva’s corridors of power range of questions from Fiji journalists A former Fijian prison warder, Hendrik
over an initiative by a group of islands during his visit to the country. de Wachter has been granted perma-
in Fiji to preserve the largely pristine nent residency in Australia after stating
sea and land. Under their Lau Seascape Dutton’s mea culpa he would risk persecution if he had
initiative, the chiefs of Lau province The now-Australian opposition leader, to return to Fiji. He left in 2018 with
want 336,000km2 of land and ocean Peter Dutton, has conceded a joke he three other warders after recording
declared a protected zone. With the made about climate change in the Pacif- the Commissioner of Fiji’s Corrections
support of leading international envi- ic was in “poor taste”. As immigration Service, Francis Kean, using homophobic
ronmental NGOs, the group has raised minister, Dutton was recorded in 2015 language and urging force against prison
millions of dollars to finance what many saying, “time doesn’t mean anything inmates. “Seeking protection from Fiji
have dubbed the South Pacific’s answer when you’re about to have water lap- was a pretty tough challenge for me,
to Galapagos. However it now appears ping at your door” in reference to late- because it’s a democratic state....with
the powers that be want their hands on running meetings in Papua New Guinea. the evidence that I had convinced them
the kitty, and that senior government Apologising recently, he said: “I’m as that I was bound to be persecuted...
officials have applied pressure on the human and as frail as anybody else.” we can see on the news what’s been
chiefs of Lau to hand over control of Climate change and Australia’s relation- happening, police brutality and all that,
the Seascape initiative to the national ships in the Pacific — particularly in the I think it pretty much nailed a mark on
government. Their boss, PM Voreqe context of China’s Pacific ambitions, giving me a protection visa and also per-
Bainimarama jumped into the fray became a focus of the recent Australian manent residency,” he told ABC radio.
by calling for a change in focus and election campaign. The applications of the other three
leadership of the Lau initiative when he former warders are still in process.
opened the province’s council meetings Chinese ride
early in June. As we went to press, the Much is being made by Australia of Vanuatu’s free speech concerns
leaders of Lau are digging in, saying what is being labelled as China’s great Vanuatu’s new cybercrime laws will
they are not going to hand over a dream threat to regional security. China’s new be put to the test after four people
they have been working so hard for over best friend status with the Solomon were charged with cyber stalking,
the last decade or so. Islands has caused speculation over the cyber slander, and cyber libel. They
building of a naval base in the former allegedly made comments speculating
Pacific media trials British protectorate. Canberra imme- that politicians were responsible for
There was a world of difference in diately despatched its envoys into the Vanuatu’s COVID outbreak. If convicted,
the approach to media taken by visiting region in an effort to seek support to they could face up to three years in
leaders to the Pacific recently. In Fiji, stop China’s expansion. Ironically, when prison and fines of up to three million
reporters were blocked from filming and Governor-General David Hurley visited Vatu (US$25,838). The laws have raised
accessing events and were permitted Fiji, his protection was secured with concern over freedom of speech, with
no questions during the visit of China’s a phalanx of Chinese provided police Opposition leader, Ralph Regenvanu ac-
foreign minister, Wang Yi. In Solomon motorcycles and vans. cusing the government of using the laws
Islands, local media boycotted a press to clamp down on any dissent. A Face-
conference because they were collec- Kiribati case book page moderator is amongst those
tively only allowed to ask one question. In Kiribati, an independent tribunal charged over comments an anonymous
No questions were permitted during the has been established to investigate poster made on his Facebook page.
Kiribati or Samoa legs of the visit. While allegations against a judge of the
the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat High Court, David Lambourne. The A late election?
staff stepped in to allow filming of the President’s Office said it has received Whispers are that Fiji’s election will
Minister’s visit to its Suva headquarters complaints and allegations that Puisne not happen until very late this year. Fiji
at least, journalists are asking why their Judge David Lambourne has not per- has been invited to the G20 meeting to
own governments were so quick to ac- formed the functions of his office. The be held in Bali in November in its capac-
cede to China’s style of media manage- matter has been deeply divisive. Lam- ity as Pacific Islands Forum Chair. It’s
ment. In contrast, when the Presidents bourne is married to Kiribati Opposition believed the current administration is
of Palau and FSM, and Prime Ministers leader, Tessie Eria Lambourne. He has keen to attend. The elections must take
of Samoa and Cook Islands visited Fiji been unable to return to Kiribati. The place by January 9 next year.
recently, they were happy to do door- tribunal has 100 days to complete its
stop interviews and managed without assignment and submit its report to Fashion faux-pas
a retinue of guards and handlers. The parliament next month (August). Fiji Fashion Week generated a tre-
mendous amount of publicity in social

8 Islands Business, May-June 2022