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Category: Pacific Report

  • 1000 protest in Auckland over Israel’s war on Gaza, honour Nakba victims

    Asia Pacific Report

    About 1000 people in Aotearoa New Zealand gathered for a two-hour rally in central Auckland today and marched down Queen Street and returned to Aotea Square to mark the Nakba three days early — and protest over Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

    They called for an immediate ceasefire in the war as the death toll passed more than 35,000 people killed — mostly women and children – and chanted “hands off Rafah” as the Israeli military intensified their attack on the southern part of the besieged enclave.

    Israel’s Defence Force (IDF) also deployed tanks in northern Gaza months after claiming that they had “dismantled” the resistance force Hamas in the area.

    For the past seven months, protesters have staged rallies across New Zealand every week at more than 25 different towns and locations and they have rarely been reported by the country’s news media.

    Ironically, today was also marked as Mother’s Day and many protesters carried placards and banners mourning the mothers and children killed in the seven-month war, such as “Every 15 min a Palestinian child dies”, “Israel/USA, how many kids did you kill today”, “Decolonise your mind — stand with Palestine”, and “Stop the genocide”.

    Some protesters carried photographs of named children killed in the war, honouring their short and tragic lives, such as 13-year-old Hala Abu Sada, who “had a passion for the arts – she made educational and entertaining videos for deaf children”.

    “Hala dreamed of becoming a singer.”

    The Nakba – ‘ethnic cleansing’
    Every year on May 15, Palestinians around the world, numbering about 12.4 million, mark the Nakba, or “catastrophe”, referring to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and the near-total destruction of Palestinian society in 1948, reports Al Jazeera.

    The Palestinian experience of dispossession and loss of a homeland is 76 years old this year.

    Happy Mothers' Day in New Zealand on Nakba Day
    “Happy Mothers’ Day” in New Zealand . . . but protesters mourn the loss of mothers and children as the death toll in Israel’s War on Gaza topped 35,000 on Nakba Day. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report

    On that day, the State of Israel came into being. The creation of Israel was a violent process that entailed the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland to establish a Jewish-majority state — the wishes of the Zionist movement.

    The 1948 Nakba
    The 1948 Nakba . . . more than 750,000 Palestinians were forced to leave their homeland and become exiles in neighbouring states. Many dream of their UN-recognised right to return. Image: Wikipedia

    Between 1947 and 1949, at least 750,000 Palestinians from a 1.9 million population were forced out of their homeland and made refugees beyond the borders of the state.

    Zionist forces seized more than 78 percent of historic Palestine, ethnically cleansed and destroyed about 530 villages and cities, and killed about 15,000 Palestinians in a series of mass atrocities, including more than 70 massacres.

    The current resolution does not give Palestinians full membership, but recognises them as qualified to join, and it gives Palestine more participation and some rights within the UNGA.

    Overwhelming UN vote backs Palestine
    The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has overwhelmingly voted to support a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognising it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council “reconsider the matter favourably”.

    Memberships can only be decided by the UN Security Council, and last month, the US vetoed a bid for full membership.

    The current resolution does not give Palestinians full membership, but recognises them as qualified to join, and it gives Palestine more participation and some rights within the UNGA.

    Voting yes for the resolution were 143 countries, including three UN Security Council permanent members, China, France and Russia and also Australia, New Zealand and Timor-Leste.

    Nine countries voted against, with four Pacific nations, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Papua New Guinea among those joining Israel and the US.

    Twenty five countries abstained, including UNSC permanent member United Kingdom and three Pacific countries, Fiji, Marshall Islands and Vanuatu.

    "Look up Nakba" . . . and The Key to returning home
    “Look up Nakba” . . . and The Key to returning home to historical Palestine. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Palestinian children singing at Aotea Square today
    Palestinian children singing at Aotea Square today . . . a speaker said their future was in “good hands with our young people”. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Some of the pro-Palestinian protesters at Auckland's Aotea Square today
    Some of the pro-Palestinian protesters at Auckland’s Aotea Square today . . . the background banner says “IDF = Murder Machine”. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Justice wins, says Fiji’s acting DPP over jailing of former PM, police chief

    By Repeka Nasiko in Suva

    “Justice has won,” says Fiji’s acting Director of Public Prosecutions John Rabuku following the sentencing of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and former police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho.

    Speaking to The Fiji Times, Rabuku said that while they welcomed the judgment by acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo, there was nothing to celebrate about the outcome of the case.

    Former Fiji PM Voreqe Bainimarama jailed
    Former Fiji PM Voreqe Bainimarama jailed for perverting the course of justice. Image: APR screenshot RNZ

    Former Fiji prime minister Bainimarama was sentenced to  one year in prison for perverting the course of justice.

    Bainimarama, alongside suspended Fiji Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho appeared in the High Court in Suva last Thursday for their sentencing hearing for a case involving their roles in blocking a police investigation at the University of the South Pacific in 2021.

    Qiliho was sentenced to two years jail for abuse of office.

    “We don’t celebrate anybody that is going into jail,” said Rabuku.

    Worked ‘without prejudice’
    “All we can say is that at the end of the day justice wins in this case.

    “We will not celebrate the fact that a former prime minister and a former police commissioner have gone in.”

    Rabuku said his team of prosecutors had achieved what the state had set out to do.

    “I think our team are seasoned prosecutors.

    “They looked at all of the facts and worked to prosecute without any prejudice.

    “That is something that we have maintained throughout this whole case.

    “Again, from our side, at the end of the day justice wins.”

    Republished from The Fiji Times with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • NZ delivers humanitarian supplies to disaster-hit PNG provinces

    PNG Post-Courier

    New Zealand High Commissioner Peter Zwart and PNG Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph welcomed a C-130 Hercules to Port Moresby this week to support Papua New Guinea’s response to the March 24 earthquake and recent severe flooding.

    “Papua New Guinea has requested New Zealand’s assistance to transport emergency relief items from Port Moresby to affected areas,” said High Commissioner Zwart.

    “I am delighted that the New Zealand Defence Force has been able to provide an aircraft to help get these items to provinces and vulnerable communities that have been significantly impacted.”

    New Zealand High Commissioner Peter Zwart (second from right) and PNG Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph (second from left)
    New Zealand High Commissioner Peter Zwart (second from right) and PNG Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph (second from left) welcome the RNZAF crew to Papua New Guinea. Image: PNG Post-Courier

    The aircraft will stay in Papua New Guinea for about three days and is expected to deliver humanitarian supplies to several disaster affected provinces.

    The New Zealand High Commission remains in close contact with PNG government officials as the response continues.

    High Commissioner Zwart said: “New Zealand has a long-standing commitment to working with and supporting Pacific partners to respond to disasters and address humanitarian need, including in Papua New Guinea.”

    Republished from the PNG Post-Courier with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • TVNZ breached union pact when deciding on programme cuts, ERA rules

    RNZ News

    Television New Zealand has breached its collective agreement with the E tū union when deciding on discontinuing programmes, the Employment Relations Authority has ruled.

    It was announced in March that 68 staff members who work for news programmes Midday and Tonight, consumer justice programme Fair Go, current affairs programme Sunday, and the youth programme Re: and in-house video content production were affected by redundancy.

    Last month, the company confirmed the axing of Fair Go and Sunday, along with its midday and late night news bulletins.

    Yesterday, the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) ordered the broadcaster to go into mediation with E tū union.

    “The Authority finds that TVNZ has breached cl 10.1.1 of the collective agreement,” the ruling stated.

    It said that if after mediation, matters were not resolved, an order would be made against TVNZ to comply with its collective agreement.

    Executives, staff gave evidence
    TVNZ executives and staff were among those giving evidence in an investigation meeting at the ERA in Auckland on Monday relating to the state broadcaster’s alleged breaches in its redundancy process.

    E tū union took the case against TVNZ, arguing the company did not follow the consultation requirements under its collective agreement with its members.

    E tū wants more of a role in the initial decision-making, which it said TVNZ was obliged to do under the collective agreement.

    But TVNZ opposed the application, claiming there had been no breach and that the company had clearly communicated to staff and unions that redundancies would take place.

    In a statement, TVNZ said: “We are disappointed by the decision today from the Employment Relations Authority. We will now take the time to consider the decision and our next steps”.

    Staff still employed
    E tū negotiator Michael Wood told RNZ Checkpoint yesterday that the determination was a very clear one and any redundancy notices that had been issued were therefore not valid.

    Staff still continue to be employed during this mediation because “there has not been a legitimate process to result in their redundancies”, Wood said.

    It had been a “botched process”, he said.

    E tū negotiator Michael Wood
    E tū negotiator Michael Wood . . . a “botched process” by TVNZ. Image: RNZ

    “If you have an agreement with someone that says you’re going to work through something in a particular way, you need to follow it and TVNZ did not follow it in this case and the ERA has affirmed that.”

    It had been an incredibly disruptive time for stuff and they were “really happy about this outcome”, Wood said.

    The ERA said the clause that TVNZ had breached was an uncommon provision, but Wood said the company signed off on it.

    “We would like to meet as soon as we reasonably can.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • NZ’s first Pinoy Green MP Francisco Hernandez talks climate policy and activism

    Asia Pacific Report

    Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member.

    This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to take up a green investment advisory role.

    Hernandez talks about his earlier role as a climate change activist and his role with New Zealand’s Climate Commission, and his life experiences.

    Barangay New Zealand's Rene Molina
    Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina . . . interviewer. Image APR

    The interviewer — educator, digital media producer and community advocate Rene Nonoy Molina — is also a member of the Asia Pacific Media Network (APMN).

    “I was involved in the New Zealand climate crisis movement as an activist,” Hernandez says.

    “I was involved in a group called Generation Zero, which is the youth climate justice group and that’s how I ended up getting involved in the New Zealand youth delegation that went to Paris.

    “So that’s separate from my Climate Change Commission work which came after.”

    Hernandez is the son of a member of Joseph Estrada’s ruling party in the Philippines before its government changed in 2001, according to the Otago University magazine.

    He migrated to New Zealand with his family when he was 12 and is a former president of the Otago University Students’ Association with an honours degree in politics.


    Francisco B. Hernandez talks to Rene Molina.    Video: Barangay NZ

    He has also worked as an advisor at the Climate Commission, reports RNZ News.

    He stood for Dunedin in the last election, coming third with more than 8000 votes — not far behind National’s Michael Woodhouse (over 9000) but far behind the more than 17,000 votes of Labour’s Rachel Brooking.

    Published in collaboration with Barangay New Zealand.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Pacific journalists are world’s ‘eyes and ears’ on climate crisis, says EU envoy

    By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva

    Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert.

    Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press Freedom Day last Friday, Plinkert said this year’s theme, “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the environmental crisis,” was a call to action.

    “So, I understand this year’s World Press Freedom Day as a call to action, and a unique opportunity to highlight the role that Pacific journalists can play leading global conversations on issues that impact us all, like climate and the environment,” she said.

    PACIFIC MEDIA CONFERENCE 4-6 JULY 2024
    PACIFIC MEDIA CONFERENCE 4-6 JULY 2024

    “Here in the Pacific, you know better than almost anywhere in the world what climate change looks and feels like and what are the risks that lie ahead.”

    Plinkert said reporting stories on climate change were Pacific stories, adding that “with journalists like you sharing these stories with the world, the impact will be amplified.”

    “Just imagine how much more powerful the messages for global climate action are when they have real faces and real stories attached to them,” she said.

    The European Union's Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert
    The European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert delivers her opening remarks at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day seminar at USP. Image: Veniana Willy/Wansolwara

    Reflecting on the theme, Plinkert recognised that there was an “immense personal risk” for journalists reporting the truth.

    99 journalists killed
    According to Plinkert, 99 journalists and media workers had been killed last year — the highest death toll since 2015.

    Hundreds more were imprisoned worldwide, she said, “just for doing their jobs”.

    “Women journalists bear a disproportionate burden,” the ambassador said, with more than 70 percent facing online harassment, threats and gender-based violence.

    Plinkert called it “a stain on our collective commitment to human rights and equality”.

    “We must vehemently condemn all attacks on those who wield the pen as their only weapon in the battle for truth,” she declared.

    The European Union, she said, was strengthening its support for media freedom by adopting the so-called “Anti-SLAPP” directive which stands for “strategic lawsuits against public participation”.

    Plinkert said the directive would safeguard journalists from such lawsuits designed to censor reporting on issues of public interest.

    Law ‘protecting journalists’
    Additionally, the European Parliament had adopted the European Media Freedom Act which, according to Plinkert, would “introduce measures aimed at protecting journalists and media providers from political interference”.

    In the Pacific, the EU is funding projects in the Solomon Islands such as the “Building Voices for Accountability”, the ambassador said.

    She added that it was “one of many EU-funded projects supporting journalists globally”.

    The World Press Freedom event held at USP’s Laucala Campus included a panel discussion by editors and CSO representatives on the theme “Fiji and the Pacific situation”.

    The EU ambassador was one of the chief guests at the event, which included Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Secretary-General Henry Puna, and Fiji’s Environment and Climate Change Secretary Dr Sivendra Michael was the keynote speaker.

    Plinkert has served as the EU’s Ambassador to Fiji and the Pacific since 2023, replacing Sujiro Seam. Prior to her appointment, Plinkert was the head of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Southeast Asia Division, based in Brussels, Belgium.

    Kaneta Naimatau is a third-year student journalist at The University of the South Pacific. Wansolwara News collaborates with Asia Pacific Report.

    Fiji's Environment and Climate Change Secretary Dr Sivendra Michael (from left)
    Fiji’s Environment and Climate Change Secretary Dr Sivendra Michael (from left) and the EU Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert join in the celebrations. Image: Veniana Willy/Wansolwara

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • New Caledonia marks Armistice Day with new NZ war memorial

    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

    Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II.

    The ceremony took place in the township on the southwest coast of the main island of Grande Terre in the presence of New Zealand’s Nouméa-based Consul-General Felicity Roxburgh.

    Also present were Boulouparis Mayor Pascal Vittori and French Commissioner (South) Grégory Lecru, as well as military and civilian officials — and to the sounds of school children singing the New Zealand, French and New Caledonia anthems.

    “It’s not a well-known story, but we wanted to value this so we can honour our common values and the strong connections between New Caledonia, New Zealand and France, and the sacrifices during World War II, especially at this time when the region is facing geostrategic challenges,” Roxburgh told local media Radio Rythme Bleu.

    Vittori said: “New Zealanders were with us during the World War II And we wanted this to be remembered . . . and also to enable those New Zealanders who would like to come here and remember.”

    The new monument, which represents a New Zealand soldier, with a plaque at the base, is the result of a joint initiative from the local Veterans Association and the New Zealand Consulate.

    Further North on New Caledonia’s west coast, in Bourail and the nearby village of Nessadiou, a New Zealand cemetery contains the graves of about 246 soldiers.

    Thousands of New Zealand military personnel were based in New Caledonia during World War II, when Bourail was the Headquarters of the 3rd New Zealand Division.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • TVNZ Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver awarded ONZM for investigative journalism

    Pacific Media Watch

    Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News.

    She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many stories uncovering social and economic issues affecting Pacific people living in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

    Her investigative journalism has exposed major fraud, drug smuggling, corruption and human trafficking that has led to multiple arrests and government action.

    Dreaver said it was “quite emotional” to receive the honour.

    “I didn’t realise how special it was going to be until it actually happened. I’m so honoured, it’s hard to put it into words which is unlike me.”

    Dreaver received the honour for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House today.

    ‘Incredible’ family
    Receiving the honour in front of her family “meant everything”, she said.

    “You don’t get what you get without friends and family. My family are just incredible and my parents right from the beginning have been there for me, and I think that’s a big part of it.”

    When asked what was next, Dreaver told 1News it was “back to work”.

    “Keep doing what we do, telling New Zealand stories, telling Pacific stories is something we have to keep doing, and I will.”

    Republished from 1News.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • UN to vote over reviving Palestine’s bid for membership as Biden ‘pauses’ arms for Israel

    Pacific Media Watch

    The United Nations General Assembly is expected to vote later today on a resolution that would grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and that — again — calls on the UN Security Council to favourably reconsider Palestine’s request for full UN membership, reports Al Jazeera.

    The US vetoed a widely backed resolution on April 18 that would have paved the way for full UN membership for Palestine, a goal that Israel has worked strenuously to prevent and Washington has been instrumental in blocking on behalf of its key ally.

    The US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, said yesterday that the Biden administration remained opposed to Palestinian membership.

    During the April 18 vote, Palestine’s application received strong support with a vote of 12 in favour, the UK and Switzerland abstaining, and the US alone in voting no.

    The State of Palestine appealed for support on Thursday, saying a vote for UN membership comes at “a critical moment for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their independent State … [and] rightful place among the community of nations”.

    Palestinians are facing a critical shortage of clean water as Israel continues air strikes on eastern Rafah and blocks humanitarian aid from entering the besieged enclave.

    UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has said that the Israeli military has not allowed anything or anyone to go in or get out of Gaza since its takeover of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday.

    “The closure of the crossings means no fuel. It means no trucks, no generators, no water, no electricity and no movement of people or goods. It means no aid,” he said.

    Hamas says ‘ball in Israel’s hands’
    French news agency AFP is reporting that Hamas announced early Friday that its delegation attending Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo had left the city for Qatar and stated that the “ball is now completely” in Israel’s hands.

    “The negotiating delegation left Cairo heading to Doha. In practice, the occupation [Israel] rejected the proposal submitted by the mediators and raised objections to it on several central issues,” the group said in a statement, adding it stood by the ceasefire proposal.

    “Accordingly, the ball is now completely in the hands of the occupation,” the group said.

    According to Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane, reporting on the US President Joe Biden’s exclusive interview with Erin Burnett this week with CNN, “We saw President Biden come out and say, ‘look, if they do this large-scale invasion of Rafah — there will be no bombs, no artillery shells, perhaps none of the technologies that turn dumb bombs into smart bombs’.

    “And he is not just saying that it is going to happen. He is showing that it is already sort of happening.”

    A shipment of bombs — 1800 900kg bombs that cause massive destruction and 1700 230kg bombs — due for delivery to Israel have been “paused”.

    As student protests calling for an immediate ceasefire and divestment from universities in Israel spread around the globe, academics at two universities in New Zealand have condemned administrations for not standing up for their role as a “critic and conscience of society”.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Samoa’s TV3 closes channel and goes fully online streaming

    RNZ Pacific

    In a first of its kind in Samoa, Apia Broadcasting channel TV3 is moving its station completely to online streaming because it can no longer afford to broadcast traditionally.

    The station had its final broadcast last week on Samoa’s digital television platform.

    General manager Michael Aisea said Samoa was a small market with many players.

    “To run a TV station you need sponsors for different programmes to run the ads on our station. So having eight TV stations in a small market makes for a kind of cut throat industry,” Aisea said.

    “It means you have to work hard to get sponsors for your different programmes and everyone is picking from the same pie.”

    Aisea said discussions about the switch with the company’s directors started at the beginning of the year.

    It cost 23,000 tala a month (US$8333) or 276,000 tala annually to run on Samoa’s television network while online streaming was much cheaper.

    “It is a new era for television in Samoa, nobody has ever tried this, we are the first ones to step into the area to see if it’s going to work.”

    Aisea said current advertisers were committing to follow the channel online. The channel’s 18 staff would also remain employed.

    “If you balance it out, not every home has a TV but every person has a phone, that’s why we decided to stream.”

    Aisea said TV3 created local programmes that were in Samoan targeting a broad audience, which would continue online.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Puna calls for Pacific ‘journalistic vigilance’ in face of climate crisis

    By Kamna Kumar in Suva

    Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme.

    Under the theme “A Planet for the Press: Journalism in the face of the environment crisis”, Puna underscored the critical role of a free press in addressing the challenges of climate change.

    “The challenges confronting the climate crisis and the news profession seem to share a common urgency,” Puna said at the event last Friday.

    PACIFIC MEDIA CONFERENCE 4-6 JULY 2024
    PACIFIC MEDIA CONFERENCE 4-6 JULY 2024

    He highlighted the shared urgency between climate activism and the news profession, noting how both were often perceived as disruptors in contemporary narratives.

    Puna drew attention to the alarming death toll of journalists, particularly in conflict zones like Gaza, and the pervasive threats faced by journalists worldwide, including in the Pacific region.

    Against this backdrop, he emphasised the vital importance of truth and facts in combating misinformation and disinformation, which pose significant obstacles to addressing climate change effectively.

    PIF Secretary General Henry Puna delivers his speech at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day celebration at The University of the South Pacific. Image: Veniana Willy/Wansolwara

    The Secretary-General’s address resonated with a sense of urgency, emphasising the need for journalism that informs, educates, and amplifies diverse voices, especially those from vulnerable nations directly impacted by the climate crisis.

    ‘Frontlines of climate change’
    He said the imperative for a press that reported from the “frontlines of climate change”, advocating for a 1.5-degree Celsius, net-zero future as the paramount goal for survival.

    “A press for the planet is a press that informs and educates,” Puna said.

    “And, of course, for our Blue Continent, it must be a press of inclusive and diverse voices.”

    Puna highlighted the Pacific Islands Forum’s commitment to transparency and accountability, noting the crucial role of media in communicating the outcomes and decisions of annual meetings.

    He cited instances where the presence of journalists enhanced the Forum’s advocacy efforts on climate, environment, and ocean priorities on the global stage.

    Reflecting on past collaborative efforts, such as the launch of the Teieniwa Vision against corruption, Puna underscored the symbiotic relationship between political will and journalistic integrity.

    He urged governments and media watchdogs to work hand in hand in upholding shared values of transparency, courage, and ethics.

    Guests and Journalism students at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day at The University of the South Pacific. Image: Veniana Willy/Wansolwara

    ‘Political will’ needed
    “It takes political will to enforce the criminalisation of corruption and prompt, impartial investigation, and prosecution,” Puna said.

    Looking ahead to 2050, he expressed hope for a resilient Blue Pacific continent, built on the foundations of a robust and resilient press.

    He envisioned a future where stories of climate crisis give way to narratives of peace and prosperity, contingent upon achieving the 1.5-degree Celsius, net-zero target.

    “In 2050, we will have achieved the 1.5 net zero future that will ensure our stories of the code red for climate in 2024 become the stories of a code blue for peace and prosperity beyond 2050,” Puna said.

    He commended the commitments made at the G7 Ministerial in Turin to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, emphasising the pivotal role of media in upholding democratic values and advancing collective aspirations for a secure and free society.

    Puna extended his best wishes to journalists and journalism students, acknowledging their vital role in shaping public discourse and driving positive change in the face of the environmental crisis.

    His plea served as a rallying cry for journalistic vigilance and solidarity in the pursuit of a sustainable future for all.

    Kamna Kumar is a third-year journalism student at The University of the South Pacific. Republished from Wansolwara News in a collaboration with Asia Pacific Report.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Former Fiji PM Voreqe Bainimarama jailed over block of USP probe

    RNZ Pacific

    Former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has been sentenced to one year in prison, Fiji media are reporting.

    Bainimarama, alongside suspended Fiji Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho appeared in the High Court in Suva today for their sentencing hearing for a case involving their roles in blocking a police investigation at the University of the South Pacific in 2021.

    Qiliho has been sentenced to two years jail.


    Bainimarama and Qiliho jailed.      Video: Fiji Village

    Bainimarama, the 69-year-old former military commander and 2006 coup leader, had been found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

    Qiliho had been found guilty of abuse of office by the High Court Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo, who upheld the state’s appeal.

    Bainimarama and Qiliho walked out of the High Court in Suva in handcuffs, and were escorted straight into a police vehicle.

    “The former PM and the suspended COMPOL were found not guilty and acquitted accordingly by Resident Magistrate Seini Puamau at the Suva Magistrates Court on 12 October 2023,” the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said.

    “The State had filed an appeal against their acquittal where the Acting Chief Justice, Salesi Temo then overturned the Magistrate’s decision and found the two guilty as charged. The matter was then sent back to the Magistrates’ Court for sentencing.

    Headlines on the Fiji state broadcaster FBC website today 9 May 2024
    Headlines on the Fiji state broadcaster FBC website today. Image: FBC screenshot APR

    “In sentencing the duo, Magistrate Puamau announced that both their convictions would not be registered. The former PM was granted an absolute discharge while the suspended COMPOL received a conditional discharge with a fine of $1500 on 28 March 2024 by the Suva Magistrates Court following which the State had filed an appeal and challenged the discharge for a custodial sentence.

    “The Acting Chief Justice quashed the Magistrate Court’s sentence and pronounced the custodial sentences respectively.”

    Qiliho walks out of the Suva High Court and escorted by police officers to the be taken to jail. 9 May 2024
    Qiliho walks out of the Suva High Court and escorted by police officers to the be taken to jail. Image: Fiji TV screenshot RNZ

    Earlier today, local media reported an increased police presence outside the Suva court complex.

    “There is more pronounced police presence than usual with vehicles being checked upon entry. A section has been cordoned off in front of the High Court facing Holiday Inn,” broadcaster fijivillage.com reported.

    State broadcaster FBC reported that police only allowed close relatives and Bainimarama and Qiliho’s associates, along with the media, to sit in the courtroom.

    MPs from the main opposition FijiFirst party in Parliament, including opposition leader Inia Seruiratu, Faiyaz Koya were present in court.

    Brief timeline:

    • The duo were sentenced by the Magistrates Court on 28 March.
    • Magistrate Seini Puamau gave Bainimarama an absolute discharge — the lowest level sentence an offender can get and no conviction was registered.
    • Qiliho was fined FJ$1500 and without a conviction as well.
    • The 69-year-old former military commander and 2006 coup leader was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in a case related to the University of the South Pacific; and suspended police chief Qiliho was found guilty of abuse of office by the High Court Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo.
    • Magistrate Puamau’s judgement had left many in the legal circles and commentators in the country perplexed.
    • The State – through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution – had appealed the sentencing straightaway to the High Court.
    • They were back in court 7 days later — during the court appearance at the High Court, the Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo, gave time until the 24 April for the respondents to file their submissions and for the State to reply by the 29th.
    • The sentencing hearing was last Thursday, 2 May.
    • Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo sentences Bainimarama to one year in jail and Qiliho for two years.

    Bainimarama’s attempt to pervert the course of justice charge had a maximum tariff of five years while Qiliho’s charge of abuse of office carried a maximum tariff of 10 years.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘Completely stupid’ – ex-Tuvalu PM plea to NZ to rethink fossil fuel plan

    By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist

    A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people.

    Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP in Tuvalu — says the climate crisis is the “main enemy”.

    “There is nothing more serious and more important than that.”

    His comments come after New Zealand’s Resources Minister Shane Jones said it was “left wing catastrophisation” to suggest that waters would be lapping at towns in Pacific countries as a result of the New Zealand government’s decision on gas and coal.

    Shane Jones
    NZ’s Resources Minister Shane Jones . . . “[New Zealand] keeping the lights on and the hospitals functioning, you can’t hold that type of thinking responsible for the tide lapping around Tuvalu.” Photo: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone

    Vanuatu Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu called on the New Zealand government not to reverse the ban at last year’s Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Rarotonga.

    “We call on them not to do it to be in line with Paris, in line with the 1.5 degree target. The science says you cannot [make] new fossil fuels,” he told RNZ Pacific in 2023.

    Despite this, the current New Zealand government has backed its plans, which Tuvalu is not happy about.

    ‘It’s going to sink Tuvalu’
    “Go ahead and drill and open up new coal mining or get new gas stations,” said Sopoaga, “but don’t forget that whatever you are going to do, it’s going to increase greenhouse gas emissions, which are going to sink the islands of Tuvalu and kill the people.

    “It’s just as a matter of fact, as simple as that.”

    Jones was asked by RNZ’s Morning Report how New Zealand’s Pacific neighbours would feel about restarting exploration of oil and gas, and the associated environmental impact.

    Jones said the Pacific understood Aotearoa needed reliable energy to generate an economic dividend to then be able to contribute to the Pacific region.

    “[New Zealand] keeping the lights on and the hospitals functioning, you can’t hold that type of thinking responsible for the tide lapping around Tuvalu. Come on, give us a break,” Jones said.

    Sopoaga called the comments “daft” and “naive”.

    “I think it’s a completely stupid idea,” he said.

    ‘Early demise, rising sea levels’
    “It’s just logical — the more you open up new gases and the more release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere will simply cause the early demise and rising of sea levels that will affect the islands of Tuvalu.

    “I would appeal to New Zealand to rethink about doing that.”

    Sopoaga was prime minister from 2013 to 2019. He was re-elected as an MP in this year’s election and is part of Tuvalu’s 16-member parliament.

    He now wants Aotearoa to stick with its ban on fossil fuel exploration, and to also contribute to the cost of adaptation.

    Sopoaga said he wanted to remind Jones that “we are working as a global team in the world”.

    “Countries cannot just take up their own initiatives, and then go the wrong way.

    “[We can not] go with the national interests of countries, we have to discipline ourselves so that we don’t break up and claim that we are doing what the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol are telling us.

    “In fact, the Paris Agreement is a legally binding framework, and you cannot just simply say we open up new oil fields in New Zealand and these will not affect the Pacific Island countries.

    “This is a stupid idea,” Sopoaga said.

    NZ urged to pacify US/China
    New Zealand is sending a political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week.

    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has recently spoken about New Zealand’s relationship with China.

    “We strongly believe that in a mature relationship like ours it is possible to discuss differences openly, respectfully, and predictably. We will continue to share our concerns with China, where we have them.

    “China has a long-standing presence in the Pacific, but we are seriously concerned by increased engagement in Pacific security sectors. We do not want to see developments that destabilise the institutions and arrangements that have long underpinned our region’s security.”

    Peters has said he is continuing work started by the previous government to consider partipation in AUKUS Pillar 2, but that New Zealand was a long way from making a decision.

    “I think the role of New Zealand is to de-escalate and pacify the situation, talk to China, talk to Australia, talk to the US,” Sopoaga said.

    “There is no enemy, their biggest enemy is climate change.

    “They are only using this [AUKUS] as a camouflage to move away from responsibility and cause global warming. And they want to ignore their accountability, their responsibility to deal with it,” Sopoaga said.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • US lawyer threatens masked student Gaza protesters with ‘KKK’ felony charges

    Asia Pacific Report

    Ohio’s top lawyer has warned the state’s public universities that a law written to deter Ku Klux Klan demonstrations could be used to impose felony charges on students who wear face coverings while protesting against Israel’s war on Gaza, reports Al Jazeera.

    In a letter sent out this week, after weeks of pro-Palestinian campus protests around the United States, Republican Attorney-General Dave Yost advised the presidents of Ohio’s 34 public universities to forewarn students about the 1953 law.

    “In our society, there are few more significant career-wreckers than a felony charge,” the letter said.

    “I write to you today to inform your student bodies of an Ohio law that, in the context of some behavior during the recent pro-Palestinian protests, could have that effect.”

    Violating this “anti-disguise” law is punishable by a fourth-degree felony charge, up to US$5000 in fines and five years on community control, Yost wrote.

    College campuses around the world have exploded in recent weeks in protests — with the latest at the University of Amsterdam facing a crackdown down by Dutch police — as pro-Palestinian students and faculty members demonstrate against Israel’s war on Gaza, in which almost 35,000 people have been killed.

    Protests in NZ
    In New Zealand, there have been rallies at two of the largest universities in the country, Auckland and Otago, and open letters of protest by academics against government inaction against Israel, while there have been large weekly pro-Palestine demonstrations at more than 20 centres across the country for seven months.

    The global student protests are resonating with Palestinians who have endured the destruction of all 12 universities in Gaza.

    Palestinian university presidents signed an open letter saying the protests serve as a “beacon of hope”.

    Al Jazeera’s The Take podcast series speaks to student protesters as well as advocates in Palestine to examine the issue. Listen to the episode here.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘Reckless’ kina devaluation spells disaster for PNG, says Nomane

    PNG Post-Courier

    Papua New Guinea’s deputy opposition leader James Nomane has accused the government of “reckless economic management” that has forced devaluation to manage loan repayments in foreign currency and placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    Prime Minister James Marape “must stop lying to the people of Papua New Guinea”, he said in a statement responding Marape’s message that devaluation was inevitable and good for exports.

    “The devaluation of the kina was planned — not inevitable. Although the kina devaluation makes PNG exports cheaper, we have not invested in agriculture to increase production and export volumes that will improve our trade deficit,” said Nomane, a former minister in Marape’s government.

    He was responding to a report by an ANZ economist forecasting that the unpegged the kina was expected to continue its depreciation until 2026. The lack of significant new foreign currency inflow was pushing down the kina’s value, with the currency already losing 2.1 percent against the US dollar since the end of 2023.

    Nomane said the devaluation would increase the cost of imports and directly increase domestic prices.

    Continued price increases in basic goods and services such as rice, tinned fish, fuel, water, electricity would raise inflation and make the cost-of-living crisis worse.

    “Marape has been fixated on borrowing to fund Connect PNG and other dubious investments that enrich a small group of his cronies at the expense of the nation,” Nomane said.

    ‘Dubious state guarantee’
    “Sovereign guarantees that will not create jobs or spur economic growth have become the Marape modus operandi.

    “For example, the dubious K2.4 billion (NZ1.4 billion) state guarantee for a solar-power project in Gusap, Madang province, without any due diligence to a K2 Singapore company.

    “Marape seems to imply that the government can tell the Central Bank what to do.”

    This inferred control was dangerous and an affront to Sir Mekere Morauta’s exemplary reforms for total independence of the Central Bank.

    By melding the Treasury and Central Bank, the Prime Minister was preempting the decisions of the Central Bank in terms of interest rates and monetary policy.

    “Devaluation will raise inflation and the cost-of-living, lower creditworthiness, and reduce investor confidence.”

    Republished from the PNG Post-Courier with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Rafah ‘last place of safety’ in Gaza, UN aid boss warns

    RNZ News

    As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”.

    Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) senior deputy director Scott Anderson told RNZ Checkpoint.

    “Most of the infrastructure is intact,” he said.

    “And most importantly, we have 1.4 million of the 2.2 million people in Gaza sheltering here in Rafah. And of that number, more than half are children,” Anderson told Checkpoint.

    “It’s the last place of safety within Gaza.”

    United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) senior deputy director Scott Anderson.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVaZxk9a4-U
    UNRWA’s senior deputy director Scott Anderson . . . “Those two crossings very much are the lifeline of Gaza.” Image: Screenshot RNZ

    He said people struggled daily to find food, water, showers and toilets.

    Palestinians have now been ordered to evacuate parts of Rafah as Israel prepares for a long-threatened assault on Hamas holdouts in the city.

    People displaced five times
    Many of the people had already been displaced five or six times, Anderson said.

    “And now come the evacuation orders and it makes people very nervous and apprehensive.

    “For us it is a concern because Rafah is also where our main supply line for Gaza exists through Kerem Shalom from Israel, or through Rafah Gate from Egypt.”

    He said it would affect aid reaching Rafah.

    A map of southern Gaza showing the "evacuation" area from Rafah
    A map of southern Gaza showing the “evacuation” area from Rafah. Image: LM screenshot APR

    In the north of Gaza, only 30 to 50 trucks could enter a day, whereas Kerem Shalom in the south could accommodate up to 600 trucks.

    The Rafah terminal from Egypt was a path for fuel and diesel to come in.

    “If we don’t have diesel, we don’t have hospitals running, we don’t have food being delivered, water is not being produced, waste isn’t being picked up, and the sewers aren’t running.

    “So those two crossings very much are the lifeline of Gaza, and without those, it could become very much a catastrophic humanitarian situation beyond what already exists.”

    Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators, but Israel said the terms did not meet its demands.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • NZ local council calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza as strikes hit

    By Robin Martin, RNZ News reporter

    A New Zealand local authority, Whanganui District Council, has passed a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemnation of all acts of violence and terror against civilians on both sides of the conflict and the immediate return of hostages.

    It comes as Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators, but Israel said the terms did not meet its demands and pressed ahead with strikes in Rafah.

    Councillor Josh Chandulal-Mackay moved the motion on behalf of the Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA).

    He told council that it had a responsibility to the Palestinian and Israeli families living in Whanganui to make its voice heard.

    “A community which upholds international law and human rights is a safer community for all,” he said.

    “Speaking up has moral and political weight.”

    The motion also called for the New Zealand government to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

    ‘Stand up for human rights’
    “This motion is about us calling on our government to do its bit as part of the international community to stand up for human rights, to stand up for peace and to say that a ceasefire an immediate and permanent ceasefire should be called for in the region and implemented in the region without any caveats attached to it,” he said.

    “So that then negotiations for a two-state solution and for peace can be achieved.”

    Chandulal-Mackay said throughout history collective pressure had always driven social change, pointing to the end of apartheid in South Africa as an example.

    Earlier, councillor Rob Vinsen had been at pains to ensure the immediate return of hostages was included in the motion.

    “I know an Israeli in this community whose family, two of them were murdered during the October 7 attack into Israel. Four of his family were taken hostage. Two still are hostages and that’s why I was motivated to put this clause on here about calling for the release of hostages.”

    Mayor Andrew Tripe spoke in support of the motion.

    “We have 101 different nationalities in Whanganui. We live in a global society basically here in Whanganui and my rhetoric is all about peace and unity here in Whanganui and if we can promote that message for Whanganui but also for the rest of the world that’s something I hold strong to.”

    One abstention
    All but one councillor — who abstained — voted in favour of the motion.

    Earlier, council received two petitions — signed by more than 2000 people — organised by the Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa.

    One called for a ceasefire and the other for the Whanganui council not to do business with companies identified by the United Nations as being involved in the building or maintenance of illegal Israeli settlements.

    PSNA spokesperson Sophie Reinhold told council that criticising Israel did not amount to anti-semitism.

    “We want to see all the hostages brought home. We want to see an end to the mass slaughter. In 215 days over 34,000 Palestinians have been killed, over two thirds of them women and children with thousands more still unaccounted for under the rubble.

    “Nothing justifies this. Nothing. Not self-defence, not human shields. Nothing.”

    She urged council “to give a voice to the call for a ceasefire” in a similar fashion as it had done when it condemned Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine in 2022.

    The council received the petitions.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘Repair colonial violence’ and support Gaza ceasefire, say Otago academics

    Asia Pacific Report

    Following an open letter by Auckland University academics speaking out in support of their students’ right to protest against the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, a group of academics at Otago University have today also called on New Zealand academic institutions to “repair colonial violence” and end divestment from any economic ties with Israel.

    “In order to honour commitments to decolonisation and human rights, universities must act now,” says the open letter signed by more than 165 academics.

    “As a te Tiriti-led university in Aotearoa New Zealand”, the academic staff said they were calling for the University of Otago to immediately:

    1. Endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and disclose and divest from any economic ties to the apartheid state of Israel,
    2. Condemn those universities [that] have called on police to violently remove protesters from their campuses, and
    3. Call for the protection of students’ rights to protest and assemble and endorse the aims of those protests — the immediate demand of ceasefire and longer term demands to end the apartheid, violence, and illegal occupations under which Palestinians continue to suffer.

    The full letter states:

    “Kia ora koutou,

    “As we write this letter, universities across the United States have become battlegrounds. University administrators are sanctioning and encouraging violence against students and faculty members as they protest the genocidal violence in Gaza.

    “Over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed—of those deaths, it is estimated that more than 13,000 of them have been children. Israel has destroyed all 12 universities in Gaza and targeted staff and students at those universities.

    “The recent discovery of mass graves in Gaza, the hands and feet of many victims bound, has shocked the conscience of the world.

    “In keeping with a long tradition of campus protest, students and staff are demanding their universities stop contributing to genocidal violence.

    Student bodies brutalised
    “In return, their bodies have been brutalised, their own universities endorsing their arrests. Universities should, at the very least, offer crucial spaces for protest, debate, and working through collective responses to urgent social issues. Instead, administrators have called in militarised police forces, fully decked out in anti-riot regalia to repress student protests.

    “The results have been predictable: Professors and students have been arrested en masse and physically assaulted (beaten, pepper-sprayed, shot with rubber bullets, knocked unconscious, choked, and dragged limp across university lawns, their hands cuffed behind them).

    “We at the University of Otago, an institution committed to acknowledging, confronting, and seeking to repair colonial violence, are part of a society that extends far beyond the borders of Aotearoa New Zealand.

    “Acknowledging our history, including that history within its students’ experiences and working practices, compels us as a collective to call out and condemn colonial violence as and when we see it. It is not at all surprising that many of the protests in Aotearoa New Zealand calling for a ceasefire in Gaza have been organised and led by Māori alongside Palestinian activists.

    “Most recently, the Ngāti Kahungunu iwi have come out against the genocide, with one of the rally organisers, Te Ōtane Huata, stating “Tino rangatiratanga to me isn’t only self-determination of our people, it is also collective liberation.”

    “If it is to mean anything to be a te Tiriti-led university here in Aotearoa New Zealand, we must include acknowledgment that the history of Aotearoa New Zealand has been marked by consistent and egregious violations of that very treaty, and that such violations are indelibly part of settler colonialism.

    “Violent expropriation, cultural annihilation, and suppression of resistance have been the hallmarks of this project.

    Decolonisation and human rights
    “In order to honour commitments to decolonisation and human rights, universities must act now. We thus call for the University of Otago to immediately:

    “1. Endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and disclose and divest from any economic ties to the apartheid state of Israel,
    “2. Condemn those universities who have called on police to violently remove protesters from their campuses,
    “3. Call for the protection of students’ rights to protest and assemble and endorse the aims of those protests – the immediate demand of ceasefire and longer term demands to end the apartheid, violence, and illegal occupations under which Palestinians continue to suffer.

    “In other words, the University must call for a liberated Palestinian state if it is to conceptualise itself as a university that seeks to confront its own settler-colonial foundations.

    “The above position aligns with the named values of our universities here in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is our duty that we make these demands, particularly as Palestinians have seen the systematic destruction of their universities and educational infrastructure while Palestinian students of our universities have witnessed their families and friends targeted by the Israeli government.

    “If the University of Otago wants to authentically position itself as an institution that takes seriously its role as a critic and conscience of society and acknowledges the importance of coming to grips with ongoing settler-colonial violence, it should take these demands seriously.

    “We further support the Open Letter to Vice-Chancellor Dawn Freshwater from Auckland University Staff in Solidarity with Students Protesting for Palestine.”

    In solidarity,
    Dr Peyton Bond (Teaching Fellow, Sociology, Gender Studies and Criminology)
    Dr Simon Barber (Lecturer in Sociology)
    Rachel Anna Billington (PhD candidate, Politics)
    Dr Neil Vallelly (Lecturer in Sociology)
    Erin Silver (PhD candidate, Sociology)
    Professor Richard Jackson (Leading Thinker Chair in Peace and Conflict Studies)
    Dr Lynley Edmeades (Lecturer in English)
    Dr Olivier Jutel (Lecturer in Media, Film and Communication)
    Lydia Le Gros (PhD candidate & Assistant Research Fellow, Public Health)
    Dr Abbi Virens (Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for Sustainability)
    Sonja Bohn (PhD candidate, Sociology)
    Joshua James (PhD Candidate, Gender Studies)
    Sophie van der Linden (Postgrad Student, Bioethics)
    Dr Fairleigh Evelyn Gilmour (Lecturer in Gender Studies, Criminology)
    Brandon Johnstone (Administrator, TEU Otago Branch Committee Member)
    Dr David Jenkins (Lecturer in Politics)
    Jordan Dougherty (Masters student, Sociology)
    Rosemary Overell (Senior Lecturer in Media, Film and Communication)
    Dr Sebastiaan Bierema – (Research Fellow, Public Health)
    Dr Sabrina Moro (Lecturer in Media, Film and Communication studies)
    Rauhina Scott-Fyfe (Māori Archivist, Hocken Collections)
    Dr Lena Tan (Senior Lecturer, International Relations & Politics)
    Cassie Withey-Rila (Assistant Research Fellow, Otago Medical School)
    Duncan Newman (Postgrad student, Management)

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • End this ‘cruel, barbaric use of force’ on Gaza – WILPF plea to NZ

    Asia Pacific Report

    The Aotearoa chapter of the Women’s International league for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has appealed to the New Zealand government to call out Israel over the “cruel and barbaric use of force” in Gaza and demand a permanent ceasefire.

    The league’s open letter was sent to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters today as Israeli tanks took over the Rafah crossing on Gaza’s border with Egypt and aircraft bombarded residential homes.

    This may be the start of the long threatened assault on southern Gaza where 1.6 million people have been sheltering since the end of last year.

    The border attack comes after Israel announced it would continue its military operation in Rafah even after Hamas had accepted a Gaza ceasefire proposal put forward by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

    WILPF works to end and prevent war, ensure that women are represented at all levels in the peace-building process, defend the human rights of women, and promote social, economic and political justice.

    The WILPF open letter also condemned the closure of the global Al Jazeera television network’s operation in Israel. It said:

    “Kia ora Prime Minister Luxon and Minister of Foreign Affairs Peters,

    “The closure of Al Jazeera media in Israel at the same time as the Israeli occupation forces initiate the long-planned invasion of southern Gaza — an act deplored by many around the world – should prompt all democratic governments to call an end to this cruel and barbaric use of force in Gaza, along with settler violence in the West Bank

    “Palestinians have been ordered to move but, as I am sure you are aware, there is no safe place to move to.

    “Thousands more Palestinians will die if the Israeli government continue their genocidal practices.

    “I call on you as the New Zealand government and representatives of us all to call Israel out and demand a permanent ceasefire.

    “New Zealand governments have spoken up in former times, at the League of Nations and at the United Nations, including against the genocide in Rwanda.

    “Government reiterated its support for a two-state solution but Israeli impunity will prevent that outcome.

    “One small state can start a trend.

    “If the government is unable or unwilling to call an end to the Israeli invasion and a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, can you tell [us] the reasons, please.”

     

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Bougainville ‘other avenues’ report ‘sensationalised’, claims Makiba

    PNG Post-Courier

    Bougainville Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba has described the Post-Courier’s front page story yesterday regarding a meeting between Bougainville and national government leaders as “sensationalised” and without substance.

    The Autonomous Bougainville Government (AGB) had warned it might use “other avenues to gain its independence” should the PNG government “continue to be mischievous” in dealing with the Bougainville independence agenda.

    Makiba said the report was the work of individuals with vested interests and was designed to derail the progress made so far over the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA).

    PNG's Bougainville Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba
    PNG’s Bougainville Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba . . . says report is the work of individuals with vested interests trying to derail progress. Image: Post-Courier

    He also announced that the Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) meeting scheduled for yesterday had been postponed until tomorrow because agendas had not been supplied on time by the joint technical team (JTT) headed by the Chief Secretary and his Bougainvillean counterpart Kearneth Nanei.

    “The restoration development grants, Bougainville Copper Ltd shares, and fisheries revenue sharing agreement were matters being dealt with by the joint technical team due to the technical and legal nature of the process,” Makiba said.

    “The joint technical team comprises departmental heads and technical professionals from both the national government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government [which] will conduct consultations before jointly drawing up agendas for the JSB to deliberate.”

    Makiba said the system currently in place through the joint technical team was very transparent and allowed for constructive discussions from both sides before it got to the political level.

    ‘Sticky subjects’ resolved
    “Any disagreement or issues relating to any sticky subjects are resolved at that committee level,” Makiba said.

    “To suggest or imply that the government is bulldozing matters or turning a deaf ear to any issue is an understatement,” Makiba said.

    He urged both parties to respect the peace agreement.

    The Bougainville warning was sounded by ABG Attorney-General and Independence Implementation Minister Ezekiel Massat just as the ABG delegation headed to Port Moresby for the JSB meeting with the national government.

    The Bougainville delegation, led by President Ishmael Toroama, is due to meet with the national government to discuss the ratification process outlined in the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the constitution.

    Massat said that there had been events that had happened which Bougainville had not been consulted on by the national government, consequently defeating the purpose of the peace agreement.

    He cited the appointment of Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Wagambie Jr and the current JSB meeting which had been called and changed by the national government without consulting ABG.

    Resolution from last JSB
    “While the ABG will be participating, it wants to see the two parties set into motion the resolution from the last JSB, for the parties to agree to call in a moderator to try to resolve the impasse over how results from the 2019 Referendum will be tabled and ratified by the National Parliament,” Massat said.

    The ABG also demands that a bipartisan committee be established comprising national and Bougainville members to urgently communicate awareness about the Bougainville issue and independence agenda to all members of Parliament before the ratification vote.

    Massat said the lack of consultation of the national government might create “suspicion and mistrust” and Bougainville might be forced to pursue other legal means to achieve the “Bougainville people’s dreams of independence” as shown in the overwhelming majority vote in the 2019 referendum.

    Republished with permission.


    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Tackling Pacific media’s crucial role in climate crisis and press freedom

    Wansolwara

    The news media’s crucial role in climate change and environment journalism was the focus of The University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme 2024 World Press Freedom Day celebrations.

    The European Union Ambassador to the Pacific, Barbara Plinkert, and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna were the chief guests at the event last week on May 3.

    Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Secretary Dr Sivendra Michael was the keynote speaker.

    PACIFIC MEDIA CONFERENCE 4-6 JULY 2024
    PACIFIC MEDIA CONFERENCE 4-6 JULY 2024

    Plinkert reemphasised journalists’ role in being public’s eyes and ears on the ground, verifying facts, scrutinising those in power and amplifying marginalised voices.

    Puna’s message was targeted at Pacific leaders in terms of due recognition to the significant role of environmental journalism in sharing the priorities and realities of the resilient Pacific.

    Dr Michael highlighted the need for governments and development partners to work with the local and regional media in mitigating environment and climate change challenges.

    The event ended with a panel discussion on the theme for the 2024 World Press Freedom Day — A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the environmental crisis: Fiji and the Pacific.

    Media ‘poor cousins’
    Associate Professor in Pacific Journalism Dr Shailendra Singh said that the WPFD theme was appropriate since environment and climate change news were relegated to “poor cousins” of politics, sports, business, and entertainment news.

    He said it was to understand why this situation persisted and how to address it.

    Others at the event included USP deputy vice-chancellor Professor Jito Vanualailai, deputy head of the School of Pacific Arts Dr Rosiana Lagi, and the Regional Representative for the Pacific, UN Human Rights Heike Alefsen.

    The event was organised by The University of the South Pacific School of Journalism in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to the Pacific.

    Republished from Wansolwara News in collaboration.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘Don’t mistake Pacific leaders AUKUS quietness’ as support for NZ, says academic

    By Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist

    A Pacific regionalism academic has called out New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS and says the security deal “raises serious questions for the Pacific region”.

    Auckland University of Technology academic Dr Marco de Jong said Pasifika voices must be included in the debate on whether or not Aotearoa should join AUKUS.

    New Zealand is considering joining Pillar 2 of the agreement, a non-nuclear option, but critics say this could be seen as Aotearoa rubber-stamping Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.

    New Zealand is considering joining Pillar 2 of the agreement, a non-nuclear option, but critics say this could be seen as Aotearoa rubber-stamping Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.

    On Monday, Peters said New Zealand was “a long way” from making a decision about participating in Pillar 2 of AUKUS.

    He was interrupted by a silent protester holding an anti-AUKUS sign, during a foreign policy speech at an event at Parliament, where Peters spoke about the multi-national military alliance.

    Peters spent more time attacking critics than outlining a case to join AUKUS, de Jong said.

    Investigating the deal
    Peters told RNZ’s Morning Report the deal was something the government was investigating.

    “There are new exciting things that can help humanity. Our job is to find out what we are talking about before we rush to judgement and make all these silly panicking statements.”

    According to UK’s House of Commons research briefing document explaining AUKUS Pillar 2, Canada, Japan and South Korea are also being considered as “potential partners” alongside New Zealand.

    Peters said there had been no official invitation to join yet and claimed he did not know enough information about AUKUS yet.

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters gives a speech to the New Zealand China Council amid debate over AUKUS.
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters . . . giving a speech to the New Zealand China Council amid the debate over AUKUS. Image: RNZ/Nick Monro

    However, Dr de Jong argues this is not the case.

    “According to classified documents New Zealand has been in talks with the United States about this since 2021. If we do not know what it [AUKUS] is right now, I wonder when we will?”

    The security pact was first considered under the previous Labour government and those investigations have continued under the new coalition government.

    Former Labour leader and prime minister Helen Clark said NZ joining AUKUS would risk its relationship with its largest trading partner China and said Aotearoa must act as a guardian to the South Pacific.

    Profiling Pacific perspectives
    Cook Islands, Tonga and Samoa weighed in on the issue during NZ’s diplomatic visit of the three nations earlier this year.

    At the time, Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa said: “We don’t want the Pacific to be seen as an area that people will take licence of nuclear arrangements.”

    The South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Rarotonga) prohibits signatories — which include Australia and New Zealand — from placing nuclear weapons within the South Pacific.

    Fiamē said she did not want the Pacific to become a region affected by more nuclear weapons.

    However, other Pacific leaders have not taken as strong a stance as Samoa, instead acknowledging NZ’s “sovereignty” while re-emphasising commitments to the Blue Pacific partnership.

    “I do not think that Winston Peters should mistake the quietness of Pacific leaders on AUKUS as necessarily supporting NZ’s position,” de Jong said.

    “Most Pacific leaders will instead of calling out NZ, re-emphasis their own commitment to the Blue Pacific ideals and a nuclear-free Pacific.”

    Minister Peters, who appears to have a good standing in the Pacific region, has said it is important to treat smaller nations exactly the same as so-called global foreign superpowers, such as the US, India and China.

    Pacific ‘felt blindsided’
    When the deal was announced, de Jong said “Pacific leaders felt blindsided”.

    “Pacific nations will be asking what foreign partners have for the Pacific, how the framing of the region is consistent with theirs and what the defence funding will mean for diplomacy.”

    AUKUS is seeking to advance military capabilities and there will be heavy use of AI technology, he said, adding “the types of things being developed are hyper-sonic weapons, cyber technologies, sea-drones.”

    “Peters could have spelled out how New Zealand will contribute to the eight different workstreams…there’s plenty of information out there,” de Jong said.

    Marco de Jong
    Academic Dr Marco de Jong . . . It is crucial New Zealand find out how this could impact “instability in the Pacific”. Image: AUT

    “They are linking surveillance drones to targeting systems and missiles systems. It is creating these human machines, teams of a next generation war-fighitng technology.

    The intention behind it is to win the next-generation technology being tested in the war in Ukraine and Gaza, he said.

    Dr de Jong said it was crucial New Zealand find out how this was and could impact “instability in the Pacific”.

    “Climate Change remains the principle security threat. It is not clear AUKUS does anything to meet climate action or development to the region.

    “It could be creating the very instability that it is seeking to address by advancing this military focus,” he added.

    Legacies of nuclear testing
    Dr de Jong said in the Pacific, nuclear issues were closely tied to aspirations for regional self-determination.

    “In a region living with the legacies of nuclear testing in Marshall Islands, Ma’ohi Nui, and Kiribati, there is concern that AUKUS, along with the Fukushima discharge, has ushered in a new nuclearism.”

    He said Australia had sought endorsements to offset regional concerns about AUKUS, notably at the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting and the ANZMIN talks.

    “However, it is clear AUKUS has had a chilling effect on Australia’s support for nuclear disarmament, with Anthony Albanese appearing to withdraw Australian support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and the universalisation of Rarotonga.

    “New Zealand, which is a firm supporter of both these agreements, must consider that while Pillar 2 has been described as ‘non-nuclear’, it is unlikely that Pacific people find this distinction meaningful, especially if it means stepping back from such advocacy.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Auckland Palestine rally honours Gaza journalists for freedom award

    Asia Pacific Report

    About 500 people honoured Palestinian journalists in the heart of the New Zealand city of Auckland today for their brave coverage of Israel’s War on Gaza, now in its seventh month with almost 35,000 people killed, mostly women and children.

    Marking the annual May 3 World Press Freedom Day “plus two”, the crowd also strongly applauded UNESCO’s Guillermo Cano Award being presented to the Palestinian journalists for their “courage and commitment”.

    Several speakers gave tributes to the journalists, the more than 100 Gazan news workers killed had their names read out and put on display, and cellphones were lit up due to the breeze preventing candle flames.

    Activist MC Anna Lee praised the journalists and said they set an example to the world.


    Shut the Gaza war down chants in Auckland.     Video: Café Pacific

    Journalist Dr David Robie, convenor of Pacific Media Watch, said 143 journalists had been killed, according to Al Jazeera and the Gaza Media Office, and it was mostly targeted “assassination by design”.

    He paid tribute to several individual journalists as well as the group, including Shireen Abu Akleh, shot by an Israeli sniper more than a year before the October 7 war outbreak, and Hind Khoudary, a young journalist who had inspired people around the world.

    The Guillermo Cano Prize was awarded to the Gaza journalists in Santiago, Chile, as part of World Press Freedom Day global events.

    Nasser Abu Baker, president of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS) and vice-president of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), received the UNESCO prize on behalf of his colleagues in Gaza.

    Candles for the Palestinian journalists
    Candles for the Palestinian journalists – named those who have been killed. Image: Asia Pacific Report

    ‘Unique suffering, fearless reporting’
    The UN cultural agency has recognised the “unique suffering and fearless reporting” of Gaza’s journalists by awarding them the freedom prize.

    Apart from those journalists and media workers have been killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza since October 7, nearly all the rest have been injured, displaced or bereaved.

    From the start of the conflict, Israel closed Gaza’s borders to international journalists, and none have been allowed free access to the enclave since.

    A thousand Gazan journalists were working at the start of the war, and more than a 100 of them have been killed.

    “As a result,” reports the IFJ, “the profession has suffered a mortality rate in excess of 10 percent — about six times higher than the mortality rate of the general population of Gaza and around three times higher than that of health professionals.

    PJS president Baker said: “Journalists in Gaza have endured a sustained attack by the Israeli army of unprecedented ferocity — but have continued to do their jobs, as witnesses to the carnage around them.

    “It is justified that they should be honoured on World Press Freedom Day.


    Naming the martyred Gaza journalists.   Video: Café Pacific

    ‘Most deadly attack on press freedom’
    “What we have seen in Gaza is surely the most sustained and deadly attack on press freedom in history. This award shows that the world has not forgotten and salutes their sacrifice for information.”

    IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “This prize is a real tribute to the commitment to information of journalists in Gaza.

    “Journalists in Gaza are starving, homeless and in mortal danger. UNESCO’s recognition of what they are still enduring is a huge and well-deserved boost.”


    Kia Ora Gaza – doctors speak out.      Video: Café Pacific

    Gaza Freedom Flotilla blocked
    Also at the rally today were Kia Ora Gaza’s organiser Roger Fowler and two of the three New Zealand doctors who travelled to Turkiye to embark on the Freedom Flotilla which was sending three ships with humanitarian aid to break the Gaza siege.

    Israel thwarted the mission for the time being by pressuring the African nation of Guinea-Bissau to withdraw the maritime flag the ships would have been sailing under.

    However, flotilla organisers are working hard to find another flag country for the ships and the doctors vowed to rejoin the mission.

    Palestinian children at today's Auckland rally
    Palestinian children at today’s Auckland rally . . . one girl is holding up an image of an old pre-war postage stamp from the country called Palestine with the legend “We are coming back”. Image: David Robie/Cafe Pacific Report

    Pacific Media Watch

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Auckland University staff appeal over Gaza protest in solidarity with students

    Asia Pacific Report

    A group of 65 Auckland University academics have written an open letter to vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater criticising the institution’s stance over students protesting in solidarity with Palestine.

    They have called on her administration to “support” the students who were denied permission to establish an “overnight encampment” by students over Israel’s war on Gaza, and criticised her for “minimising” the seriousness of the seven-month war that has been widely characterised as genocide.

    They have also criticised the vice-chancellor’s announcement for failing to acknowledge that “our students were planning to establish an encampment to urge the University of Auckland to divest from any entities and corporations enabling Israel’s ongoing military violence against Palestinians in Gaza, where at least 34,535 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s military operations since 7 October 2023″.

    Their open letter said in full:

    “Tēnā koe Vice-Chancellor Dawn Freshwater,

    “As members of staff of the University of Auckland, we are deeply concerned by your announcement of 30 April 2024 advising students and staff of your decision to not support the establishment of an overnight encampment by students protesting in solidarity with Palestine.

    “Firstly, we are concerned that your announcement failed to acknowledge that our students were planning to establish an encampment to urge the University of Auckland to divest from any entities and corporations enabling Israel’s ongoing military violence against Palestinians in Gaza, where at least 34,535 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s military operations since 7 October 2023. Importantly, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese recently found that there are ‘reasonable grounds’ to determine that this violence by Israel amounts to the commission of the crime of genocide. Rather than acknowledging this cause, your announcement disappointingly mischaracterised and minimised Israel’s violence as a ‘conflict’ and the resulting humanitarian crisis as a ‘heightened geopolitical tension.’

    “Secondly, we are concerned that in making your decision, you sought advice from the New Zealand Police rather than from your own students and staff. We believe that this approach to such an important matter falls short of the ‘values which bind us as a university community’ you mentioned in your announcement.

    “Thirdly, we are concerned that the reason you have provided for your decision is that the University of Auckland needs to avoid ‘introducing the significant risks that such encampments have brought to other university campuses.’ We believe that this reasoning erroneously places the blame for any safety risks in overseas campuses on students and staff who established peaceful encampments, rather than on university administrators who decided to seek unnecessary police intervention to break up these encampments, which has then led to the unjust arrests and detainments of students and staff.

    “Finally, we are concerned that your decision to seek the advice of the New Zealand Police and blame peaceful encampments for safety risks in other campuses suggests that you intend to call the New Zealand Police on your students and staff who decide to exercise their right to protest with a peaceful encampment on campus grounds. We believe that making such a suggestion to students and staff also falls short of the ‘values which bind us as a university community’ you mentioned in your announcement.

    “Accordingly, we urge you to reverse your decision and to offer your full support to students and staff who may choose to exercise their right to protest by establishing a peaceful encampment on campus grounds.

    “We also urge you not to discipline or penalise students and staff who may choose to participate in peaceful protests and encampments in any way, and to engage with them in good faith and in accordance with the ‘values which bind us as a university community’.

    Ngā mihi nui,

    Auckland University Staff in Solidarity with Students

    Fuimaono Dylan Asafo
    Associate Professor Rhys Jones
    Professor Papaarangi Reid
    Professor Emeritus Jane Kelsey
    Dr Suliana Mone
    Professor Emeritus David V Williams
    Professor Andrew Jull
    Associate Professor Donna Cormack
    Dr Nav Sidhu
    Associate Professor George Laking
    Mia Carroll
    Ankita Askar
    Caitlin Merriman
    Dr Rebekah Jaung
    Dr Eileen Joy
    Sione Ma’u
    Arin Hectors
    Dr Ian Hyslop
    Dr Fleur Te Aho
    Associate Professor Treasa Dunworth
    Professor Nicholas Rowe
    Dr Emalani Case
    Emmy Rākete
    Kendra Cox
    Zoe Poutu Fay
    Kenzi Yee
    Niamh Pritchard
    Associate Professor Lisa Uperesa
    Eru Kapa-Kingi
    Daniel Wilson
    Kate Jack
    Dr Karly Burch
    Sean Sturm
    Campbell Talaepa
    Professor Liz Beddoe
    Erin Jia
    Emily Sposato
    Fahizah Sahib
    Dina Sharp
    Dr Murray Olsen
    Dr Cynthia Wensley
    Sasha Rodenko
    Gabbi Courtenay
    Atama Thompson
    Professor Paula Lorgelly
    Jess Kelly
    Amelia Kendall
    Abigail Siddayao-Ramos
    Bianca Parker
    Georgia Nemaia
    Muhammad Bazaan Ghaznavi
    Erica Farrelly
    Dr Vivienne Kent
    Morgan Allen
    Carrie Rudzinski
    Thomas Gregory
    Lauren Brentnall
    Lily Chen
    Awhi Marshall
    Max Stephens
    Dr. Charlotte Toma
    Sonia Fonua
    Benjamin Kauri Doyle
    Kyrin Bhula
    Isobel Rist
    Kelly Young
    Ngahuia Harrison
    Briar Meads
    Emma Parangi
    Mai AlSharaf
    Dr Anita Mudaliar
    Dave Henricks
    Maryam Madawi
    Yeray Madroño
    Marnie Reinfelds
    Maizurah Maidin
    Nida Zuhena
    Professor Virginia Braun
    Bridget Conor
    Amani Mashal
    Anastasia Papadakis
    Ayla Hoeta Lecturer, Assistant Associate Dean Maaori
    Associate Professor Elana Curtis
    Professor Nicola Gaston
    Nina Dyer
    Renz Alinabon

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Auckland academics call out university stance over pro-Palestine protest

    RNZ News

    A group of academic staff at New Zealand’s largest university have expressed concern at the administration’s move to block a protest encampment that was planned to take place on campus calling for support for the rights of Palestinians.

    This week, the University of Auckland warned that while it supported the right of students and staff to protest peacefully and legally, it would not support an overnight encampment due to health and safety concerns.

    The university’s statement said advice from police had been taken into account, and the university would “work constructively” with the protesters to facilitate an alternative form of protest.

    “This compromise enables students and staff who wish to express their views to do so in a peaceful and lawful manner, without introducing the significant risks that such encampments have brought to other university campuses,” the statement said.

    On Wednesday, more than 100 people gathered at the university’s central city campus for the rally, with those taking part expressing a range of views toward violence between Israel and Palestinians and the war in Gaza.

    Protest organisers Students for Justice in Palestine, said the demonstration was the initial event in a long-term campaign to advocate for Palestinian rights, in “support for justice and peace”, and invited any member of the university to take part, “regardless of background or affiliation”.

    After the university’s statement against the planned encampment, the group changed the event to a campus rally, which they said would make it more accessible to a more diverse range of people.

    Open letter of concern
    However, now an open letter signed by 65 university staff and academics says they held deep concerns about the university’s stance toward the protest.

    The institution’s reaction “mischaracterised” the focus of the protest, minimised the violence in Gaza, and had not acknowledged a call for the institution to “divest from any entities and corporations enabling Israel’s ongoing military violence against Palestinians in Gaza”, the letter said.

    It condemned the university for not seeking advice about the planned protest from its own students and staff, and said the institution’s stance had implied the protesters would “introduce significant risks”.

    One of the signatories, senior law lecturer Dylan Asafo, told RNZ the University of Auckland vice-chancellor had taken poor advice.

    “The vice-chancellor is essentially blaming the violence and unrest that we’re seeing on the newest campuses [overseas] on staff and students who set up peaceful encampments there, rather than on university administrators and police forces who have broken up those peaceful encampments.”

    The academics also want confirmation protesters won’t be punished by the university.

    “We also urge you not to discipline or penalise students and staff who may choose to participate in peaceful protests and encampments in any way, and to engage with them in good faith,” the letter said.

    The university has been approached for comment.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • ICC demands end to threats against court amid Gaza war probe

    Asia Pacific Report

    The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court.

    The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement yesterday that all attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence its officials must cease immediately.

    While the prosecutor’s statement did not mention Israel, it was issued after Israeli and US officials have warned of consequences against the ICC if it issues arrest warrants over Israel’s war on Gaza, reports Al Jazeera.

    “The office seeks to engage constructively with all stakeholders whenever such dialogue is consistent with its mandate under the Rome Statute to act independently and impartially,” Khan’s office said.

    “That independence and impartiality is undermined, however, when individuals threaten to retaliate against the court or against court personnel should the office, in fulfillment of its mandate, make decisions about investigations or cases falling within its jurisdiction.”

    It added that the Rome Statute, which outlines the ICC’s structure and areas of jurisdiction, prohibits threats against the court and its officials.

    Arrest warrants speculation
    Over the past week, media reports have indicated that the ICC might issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the country’s conduct in Gaza.

    The court may prosecute individuals for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The Israeli military has killed nearly 35,000 people in Gaza and destroyed large parts of the territory since the start of the war on October 7.

    News of possible ICC charges against Israeli officials led to an intense pushback by the country and its allies in the United States.

    On Tuesday, Netanyahu released a video message rebuking the court.

    “Israel expects the leaders of the free world to stand firmly against the ICC outrageous assault on Israel’s inherent right of self-defence,” he said.

    “We expect them to use all the means at their disposal to stop this dangerous move.”

    The court has been investigating possible Israeli abuses in the occupied Palestinian territory since 2021. Khan has said his team is investigating alleged war crimes in the ongoing war in Gaza.

    In October, Khan said the court had jurisdiction over any potential war crimes committed by Hamas fighters in Israel and by Israeli forces in Gaza.

    Student protests spread to NZ
    Meanwhile, more than 2200 students have been arrested in the United States as protests against the war on Gaza and calling for divestment from Israel have spread to more than 30 universities in spite of police crackdowns, and have also emerged in Australia, Canada, France, United Kingdom — and now New Zealand in the Pacific.

    RNZ News reports that more than 100 students gathered on Auckland University’s city campus to protest against the war.

    The rally was originally planned as an encampment, but the university said any overnight stand would not be allowed.

    Tents had been set up within the crowd, but protest organisers said the event would be a rally.

    Academic staff have appealed over the administration’s decision against the encampment.


    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Fiji’s media freedom ranking jumps, Papua New Guinea’s plummets

    By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews

    Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs.

    Fiji’s improvement in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index was in contrast to the global trend for erosion of media independence — manifested in the Pacific by Papua New Guinea’s evolving plans for a media law and its prime minister’s threat to retaliate against journalists.

    The Paris-based advocacy group, also known as Reporters sans frontières (RSF), said yesterday — World Press Freedom Day — there had been a “worrying decline” globally in respect for media autonomy and an increase in pressure from states and other political actors.

    “States and other political forces are playing a decreasing role in protecting press freedom. This disempowerment sometimes goes hand in hand with more hostile actions that undermine the role of journalists,” said RSF’s editorial director Anne Bocandé.

    The international community, RSF said, also has shown a “clear lack of political will” to enforce principles of protection of journalists.

    At least 22 Palestinian journalists — 143 journalists in total, according to Al Jazeera — have been killed in the course of their work by Israel’s military during its war in Gaza since October, it said.

    Meanwhile authoritarian governments in Asia, the most populous continent, are “throttling journalism,” the group said, citing the examples of Vietnam, Myanmar, China, North Korea and Afghanistan.

    Only four Pacific countries in Index
    The index covers 180 countries but it reports on only four of two dozen Pacific island nations and territories.

    Excluded Pacific island countries include those with no independent media, such as Nauru, and others with a diversity of media organizations such as Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

    RSF told BenarNews that while it currently does not have the capacity, it hopes to increase the number of Pacific island countries it reports on and to forge relationships with more Pacific media organizations.

    The chief executive of Vanuatu Broadcasting & Television Corporation [VBTC], Francis Herman, said he would welcome Vanuatu’s inclusion.

    “I think it is important that Vanuatu is included. There are challenges around media freedom, the track record in the past is of threats to media freedom,” he told BenarNews at a Pacific broadcasters conference in Brisbane.

    “We are relatively free but that doesn’t mean everything is all well.”

    EW4A2566.JPG
    Chinese state TV interviews Solomon Islands’ Chief Electoral Officer Jasper Anisi in Honiara on Apr. 18, 2024 following a general election. Image: Benar News

    Fiji’s position in the index improved to 44th in 2024 from 89th the previous year, reflecting the seachange for its media after strongman leader Voreqe Bainimarama lost power in a 2022 election.

    Fiji’s attacks in press freedom
    “After 16 years of repeated attacks on press freedom under Frank Bainimarama, pressure on the media has eased since Sitiveni Rabuka replaced him as prime minister in 2022,” said RSF.

    Fiji's new ranking in the RSF World Press Freedom Index 2024
    Fiji’s new ranking in the RSF World Press Freedom Index 2024 . . . a jump of 45 places to 44th after the Pacific country scrapped the draconian media law last year. Image: RSF screenshot APR

    Fiji Broadcasting Corporation said the reform had allowed its journalists to do stories they previously shied away from.

    “Self-censorship out of fear for the possible consequences was the biggest issue in holding power to account,” FBC said in a statement provided to BenarNews on behalf of its newsroom.

    “The 16 years under the media decree meant many experienced journalists left the profession and a generation of journalists couldn’t practice in a free and transparent media environment.

    “Already we’re seeing positive change but it’s going to take some time to rebuild the skills and confidence to report without fear or favor.”

    The win for press freedom in the Pacific comes at a time when China’s government, ranked at 172nd on the index and which tolerates media only as a compliant mouthpiece, is vying against the United States, ranked at 55th, for influence in the region.

    State-controlled or influenced media has a prominent role in many Pacific island countries, partly due to small populations, economies of scale and cultural norms that emphasize deference to authority and tradition.

    Small town populations
    Nations such as Tuvalu and Nauru only have populations of a small town.

    000_347P34A (1).jpg
    Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape shows the inside of his jacket, which is lined with old photographs of himself, during an interview in Sydney on December 11, 2023. PNG’s ranking in a global press freedom index has plummeted during his prime ministership. Image: David Gray/AFP/BenarNews

    The press freedom ranking of Papua New Guinea, the most populous Pacific island country, deteriorated to 91st place from 59th last year.

    The government last year said it planned to regulate news organisations and released a draft media policy that envisaged newsrooms as tools to support the economically-struggling country’s development objectives.

    Prime Minister James Marape has frequently criticised Papua New Guinea’s media for reporting on the country’s problems such as tribal conflicts. He has said that journalists were creating a bad perception of his government and he would look to hold them accountable.

    Belinda Kora, secretary of the PNG Media Council, said the proposed media development law is now in its fifth draft, but concerns about it representing a threat to a free press have not been allayed.

    “The newsrooms that we’ve been able to talk to, especially the members of the council, all 16 of them, are unhappy,” she told BenarNews at a Pacific broadcasters’ conference in Brisbane.

    They see “there are some clauses and some pointers in this policy that point to restricting media, to lifting the cost of licenses for broadcasting organisations,” she said.

    RSF commended Samoa ranked 22nd as a regional leader in press freedom. The Polynesian country is the only Pacific island nation in the top 25 for the second year running, and Tonga is 45th.

    Copyright ©2015-2024, BenarNews. Used with the permission of BenarNews.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • NZ slumps to 19th as RSF says press freedom threatened by global decline

    Pacific Media Watch

    New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3.

    This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its usual place in the top 10.

    However, New Zealand is still the Asia-Pacific region’s leader in a part of the world that is ranked as the second “most difficult” with half of the world’s 10 “most dangerous” countries included — Myanmar (171st), North Korea (172nd), China (173rd), Vietnam (175th) and Afghanistan (178th).

    New Zealand is 20 places above Australia, which is ranked 39th.

    However, NZ is closely followed in the Index by one of the world’s newer nations, Timor-Leste (20th) — among the top 10 last year — and Samoa (22nd).

    Fiji was 44th, one place above Tonga, and Papua New Guinea had dropped to 91st. Other Pacific countries were not listed in the survey which is based on performance through 2023.

    Scandinavian countries again fill four of the world’s top countries for press freedom.

    No Asia-Pacific nation in top 15
    No country in the Asia-Pacific region is among the Index’s top 15 this year. In 2023, two journalists were murdered in the Philippines (134th), which continues to be one of the region’s most dangerous countries for media professionals.

    In the survey’s overview, the RSF researchers said press freedom around the world was being “threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors — political authorities”.

    This finding was based on the fact that, of the five indicators used to compile the ranking, it is the ‘political indicator’ that has fallen the most , registering a global average fall of 7.6 points.


    Covering the war from Gaza.    Video: RSF

    “As more than half the world’s population goes to the polls in 2024, RSF is warning of a
    worrying trend revealed by the Index — a decline in the political indicator, one of five indicators detailed,” said editorial director Anne Bocandé.

    “States and other political forces are playing a decreasing role in protecting press freedom. This disempowerment sometimes goes hand in hand with more hostile actions that undermine the role of journalists, or even instrumentalise the media through campaigns of harassment or disinformation.

    “Journalism worthy of that name is, on the contrary, a necessary condition for any democratic system and the exercise of political freedoms.”

    Record violations in Gaza
    At the international level, says the Index report, this year is notable for a “clear lack of political will on the part of the international community” to enforce the principles of protection of journalists, especially UN Security Council Resolution 2222 in 2015.

    “The war in Gaza has been marked by a record number of violations against journalists and media since October 2023. More than 100 Palestinian reporters have been killed by the Israeli Defence Forces, including at least 22 in the course of their work.”

    UNESCO yesterday awarded its Guillermo Cano world press freedom prize to all Palestinian journalists covering the war in Gaza.

    “In these times of darkness and hopelessness, we wish to share a strong message of solidarity and recognition to those Palestinian journalists who are covering this crisis in such dramatic circumstances,” said Mauricio Weibel, chair of the international jury of media professionals.

    “As humanity, we have a huge debt to their courage and commitment to freedom of expression.”

    Occupied and under constant Israeli bombardment, Palestine is ranked 157th out of 180
    countries and territories surveyed in the overall Index, but it is ranked among the last 10 with regard to security for journalists.

    Israel is also ranked low at 101st.

    Criticism of NZ
    Although the Index overview gives no detailed explanation on the decline in New Zealand’s Index ranking, it nevertheless says that the country had “retained its role as a press freedom model”.

    However, last December RSF condemned Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters in the rightwing coalition government for his “repeated verbal attacks on the media” and called on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to reaffirm his government’s support for press freedom.

    “Just after taking office . . . Peters declared in an interview that he was ‘at war’ with the media. A statement that he accompanied on several occasions with accusations of corruption among media professional,” said RSF in its public statement.

    “He also portrayed a journalism support fund set up by the previous [Labour] administration as a ’55 million dollar bribe’. The politician also questioned the independence of the public broadcasters Television New Zealand (TVNZ) and Radio New Zealand (RNZ).

    “These verbal attacks would be a cause of concern for the sector if used to support a policy of restricting the right to information.”

    Cédric Alviani, RSF’s Asia-Pacific bureau director, also noted at the time: “By making irresponsible comments about journalists in a context of growing mistrust of the New Zealand public towards the media, Deputy Prime Minister Peters is sending out a worrying signal about the newly-appointed government’s attitude towards the press.

    “We call on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to reaffirm his government’s support for press freedom and to ensure that all members of his cabinet follow the same line.”

    Pacific Media Watch compiled this summary from the RSF World Press Freedom Index.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • USP Council votes to bring controversial VC back to Fiji

    By Joe Yaya of Islands Business

    Controversial University of the South Pacific (USP) vice-chancellor and president Professor Pal Ahluwalia will return to be based at the USP main campus in Fiji following a decision by the University Council.

    The vice-chancellor’s return to Suva was a key demand of unions embroiled in an industrial dispute with the university.

    Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week.

    It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union (USPSU) — remain locked in mediation after the unions voted for strike action in March over backdated salary adjustments totaling around FJ$13.8 million (NZ$10.2 million), and other grievances.

    Ahluwalia has been operating from the university’s Samoa campus since 2021, following a short stint in Nauru. That followed his deportation from Fiji in February of that year by the then FijiFirst government of Voreqe Bainimarama.

    Union leaders earlier told Islands Business they had major concerns about the cost overruns from Ahluwalia remaining in Samoa and travelling to and from Fiji, despite a new Fijian government lifting the ban on him last February.

    USPSU president Reuben Colata told Islands Business, the unions “are happy to hear the news he is coming back to Laucala”.

    Concern over expense account
    “That will save money for the university,” he added.

    Colata also told Islands Business that a combined staff union paper was given to members of the USP Council before this week’s meeting.

    Among other things, the paper raised concerns about a new expense account that was created for Ahluwalia in 2021 during his deportation from Fiji and stint in Nauru for six months, before he was relocated to Samoa.

    Colata said that account is recorded in USP’s 2024 Annual Plan under the title ‘VC’s Contingency & Strategic Initiatives’ – and the amount spent in 2021 was $1.3 million.

    “This year (2024) the amount allocated to that account has shot up by 90% to $2.5 million.”

    There is also an uproar among the unions over recently revised per diem rates which they say are higher than what the United Nations pays its staff in Fiji.

    Islands Business has sought comment from Ahluwalia and his management team on the expense account and the per diem rates.

    Ahluwalia’s current contract expires in August. In November, the Council voted to give him an extra two-year term until August 2026.

    Republished from Islands Business with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Vanuatu’s Kalsakau resigns, calls for delay on constitutional referendum

    By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist

    Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader.

    Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he had resigned along with his deputies.

    RNZ Pacific has contacted him for comment.

    On Tuesday, while speaking to RNZ Pacific about the referendum on May 29, he opened up about regrets during his time as prime minister.

    Kalsakau was elected prime minister in November 2022 after a motion of no confidence was filed against the then Prime Minister Bob Loughman.

    There have been a trail of no confidence motions filed since then and two more prime ministers.

    “I was so focused on how to change the country, improving Vanuatu’s image. I just didn’t look over my shoulder to see what was happening behind my back.”

    ‘Learnt his lessons’
    He said he has “learnt his lessons” and gone as far as to say “it’s not gonna happen again.

    “I will not close my eyes,” he said.

    Kalsakau, confirming he was the rightful opposition leader after their were some concerns raised about his appointment recently, said Vanuatu’s upcoming referendum aims to overcome the nation’s persistent political instability.

    The government is putting in front of the people two proposed constitutional amendments:

    • 17A: Vacation of Seat by Party Member.

    Under this amendment if a MP leaves, or is forced to resign from their political party, then their seat will be declared vacant.

    • 17B: Vacation of Seat by Independent Member.

    This amendment would require those MPs elected as independents to choose a political party within three months of being elected, or their seat will be declared vacant.

    While it is a different position to what the former prime minister had when he was in government, he said there was a likelihood he or others, who are not satisfied with the government’s action — or inaction over the planned referendum — could go to the Supreme Court.

    “They can take this matter to the Supreme Court, to get it judged there as to whether what the government is proposing at the moment is constitutional,” he said.

    He said there was a precedent for such a case.

    “In 1988, there has been an Appeal Court judgement, which stipulated, in bold terms, that those fundamental rights are so fundamental to the citizen, that not even a state nor any person, not even a nation, can restrict [them],” he said.

    Delaying the referendum
    When asked if Vanuatu is ready for the referendum, he replied: “Is any country ever ready for a referendum when it traverses the population only two months prior to the date of the vote?”

    He is now asking the government to delay the referendum to give time for public consultation on the matter.

    “I am hoping that that wisdom prevails at the end of the day,” Kalsakau said.

    “If it doesn’t, either way, it can be an option now or it can be an option, after the amendments processed through the referendum.”

    Kalsakau insists he is voting “Yes” in the upcoming referendum and his call for postponement is in the public interest.

    The government has told local media a delay is not possible as the process is already underway.

    However, the former opposition leader disputes that.

    “It’s become a political issue now,” he said on Tuesday.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.