SOUTH PACIFIC

Leaders Worry About Military Takeovers

Toke Talagi, chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum.

Sept 19.- The vulnerability of some Pacific Island states to military takeover was a prime motivation for regional forum leaders who are pushing so strongly for Fiji to return to democracy.

Toke Talagi, who assumed chairmanship of the Pacific Islands Forum at its leaders' annual summit on Niue last month, believes forum member countries have to take a strong stand to dissuade any groups contemplating grabs for power.

The Niue leader said the forum had to maintain its principles, credibility and integrity.

In case there was "any perception by any group in any country that they can take over militarily any of the countries in the region," he said, the forum had to make a very strong statement that as a political organisation, members would not tolerate such action.

At a post-forum leaders' retreat media conference, Mr Talagi revealed the forum's plan to consider suspension of Fiji from its ranks if the country did not return soon to democracy. He made passing reference to the vulnerability of some countries.

Mr Talagi has since explained he meant some countries in the region could be "exposed to some kind of take over" by groups emboldened to change governments or force change after seeing what had happened in Fiji.

Some might regard the forum's stance on Fiji as showing tolerance, but Mr Talagi's view was that the forum's reaction showed its response was based on principles prescribed in the Biketawa Declaration. It allowed for due process to take place before substantive measures such as suspension were invoked.

Asked if leaders at their retreat discussed the = ramifications of vulnerability in some member states, Mr Talagi said: "Not a great deal. We are certainly aware of that."

Question: "Were any examples given?"

Mr Talagi: "No. There's no need for any examples to be given. We all know within ourselves what could occur."

Question: "Do you think some countries are more vulnerable that others?'

Mr Talagi: "They probably are but it is hard to determine vulnerability arbitrarily like that. Since there were no measures of evaluation done, then it is impossible to assess who is and who isn't more vulnerable."

Question: "It is not hard to guess?"

Mr Talagi: "No and I am not in the guessing game."

He agreed with comments by Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi that forum leaders agonised for hours over the use of the word "suspension" as an option on how they would deal with Fiji.

Confirming use of the term was not taken lightly, Mr Talagi said: "That it was made clear that it was an option to be considered is also extremely important."

HEADACHE FOR LEADERS DEBATING FIJI

PM Tuilaepa

Sept 4.- Pacific Island leaders agonized for hours over the use of the word "suspension" while debating their response to Fiji's boycott of their forum summit in Niue.

In an exclusive interview, Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said that ultimately his fellow leaders felt: "It is better for the Fiji military regime to know exactly, to understand the thinking of the forum ministers."

Forum leaders decided they might suspend Fiji from their organisation if Commodore Frank Bainimarama's military-imposed government did not allow his country to return soon to democratic rule.

Tuilaepa, a member of the forum's ministerial contact group negotiating with Fiji, said forum leaders did not use the word "suspension" lightly.

He said: "It does not really help Bainimarama [Fiji's interim leader] by [him] continuing to play that tactic of attributing decisions of the forum to the influence of either New Zealand or Australia.

"That kind of mental attitude from Bainimarama does not help his cause. What he is doing is ridiculing the independence and integrity of all the members of the forum.

"That is how we arrived at a compromise to keep on engaging Fiji by [via] the group of ministers whose recommendations would be seriously considered by the leaders."

The Samoan leader, whose analysis and comments on the Fiji issue was described by some officials as having a strong influence on the forum leaders' ultimate message to the Fiji regime, said his forum counterparts did not overlook the fact that the Fijian people had to take eventual responsibility for a solution.

People in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines had shown that, in spite of the rule of a gun, they rose up using "people power" to solve their political situations.

Tuilaepa said the ministerial contact group would monitor events in Fiji, hopefully revisit the country before preparing recommendations which could include suspension.

NO FAIRYTALE FINALE FOR FORUM ADVOCATE

Young Vivian

Sept 4.- Former Niue Premier Young Vivian spent many months convincing fellow Pacific Islands leaders his tiny island could cope with hosting their annual forum summit in August.

But any dreams of a political swansong year as chairman of the forum were shattered when he was dumped as his tiny island's leader after elections there in June.

Vivian was given no official role to play as the region's political elite --- his former confidantes --- turned up for one of the biggest events Niue has ever experienced.

He cut a forlorn figure in the audience watching on as the man who toppled him from power, Toke Talagi, took top spot in welcoming forum leaders and directing them to designated seats on stage.

As forum leaders mingled with the crowds after formalities were completed, Vivian did manage to catch up with some of his former leader "buddies", including New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.

He thanked her for the letter of commiseration she sent him after his dumping from office, the only forum leader to do so.

LUCK SMILES ON DRIFTING FISHERMEN

Barbara Burdick, Felix Tafatu-Hipa and Michael Lawler

Sept 4.- Two Niue fishermen probably owe their lives to a couple of American yachties who found them drifting about 17km from the island.

Patrick Jacobsen, 54, and Felix Tafatu-Hipa, aged 48, on holiday in Niue from Sydney, had said their prayers and mentally farewelled their families when, as darkness was falling, the yachties noticed their makeshift flare.

Barbara Burdick and Michael Lawler, from Newport Beach in California , were making their way in their 15m yacht Traveler from Alofi to Tonga .

Sitting in the yacht's cockpit as Niue began to dip on the horizon, Barbara glanced over her partner's shoulder and noticed an unusual yellow light just after sunset.

Michael said: "It was an odd light that did not match anything we'd seen."

Suspecting it was no ordinary navigation light, the pair decided to take a bearing and call Niue Radio.

The excited response they received alerted them to the likelihood they had stumbled on a fishing boat in distress.

They motored more than 3km in near darkness to the spot where they reckoned the boat last was. As they approached, the hapless fishermen blinked their flashlight to let their rescuers know exactly where they were.

The yachties then threw them a line --- as well as some water and VB beers --- towed the relieved Niuean pair back to safety in Alofi.

Felix said he and Patrick had been fishing for tuna and wahoo offshore between Tuapa and Makefu when their outboard motor failed about 8.30 am.

Their auxiliary motor kept overheating and Patrick's VHF radio's battery was flat. They had less than a litre of water.

"The current began taking us further out," said Felix. "No one went passed."

The pair created two flares by tying cloth around a rod and dousing it in petrol and oil.

"I told Patrick we had done all we could." he said. "In my way, I said my prayers and said goodbye to my family if the worst came to the worst.

"To my wife and kids, two daughters and a son, I had done my goodbyes to them. We kept trying every thing. There is a God, definitely.

"We only had a little bit of water. I have seen stories like this…people taking salt water. They hallucinate. We knew our next point of land was Tonga."

Felix said they noticed the Traveler's beacon lights and lit their flares. It was their second and last that the Americans spotted.

Niue Police Chief Ross Ardern said: "I think they were hugely lucky. If the yacht had not seen them, we would be in dire straits. It could have had a very serious consequence. I would have thought lives would be in peril if they had not been rescued."