Tagata o te Moana is a weekly Pacific programme, broadcast on Radio New Zealand National (Saturdays at 5.30pm). It features news, interviews, and discussion of issues. Presented by Don Wiseman.
The programme for 10 March 2007 includes the following:
- Police in Vanuatu have made at least 160 arrests in the wake of the deadly tribal clashes in Port Vila over the weekend. The clashes took place in the Black Sands squatter settlement on the fringe of the capital, and left three men dead and several others seriously injured. A two-week state of emergency was declared. Johnny Blades reports, and there are comments from George Wells (Minister for Internal Affairs), and the Prime Minister Ham Lini.
- Fiji’s military is hunting the authors of the website intelligentsia.com, who have been raising concerns over human rights abuses and claim that four people have died at the hands of the military since the December coup. The country’s media has been threatened to the point that they won’t report on the true situation in Fiji. Margot Staunton reports.
- The Niuean government of Young Vivian easily withstood a vote of no confidence this week, but it continues to be plagued by financial difficulties. The vote had been initiated by opposition MP Terry Coe. The country has recently experienced shut downs of the electricity system, leaving residents without power for several hours at a time. There are comments from Young Vivian.
- The Kiribati government is taking steps to combat the ongoing problem of young girls going on board Korean fishing vessels as prostitutes. Linda Skates reports that the HIV/AIDS task force says there are 80 to 100 girls active on the docks, some as young as thirteen. The issue is compounded by the lack of job opportunities.
- The man claiming to be the heir to the Tahitian kingdom says France is an occupying power that has been collecting taxes illegally. Prince Royal of Taha, Tauatomo Mairau, says documents support his move to take possession of what he calls ‘royal land’ because, according to him, the French presence is not based on international law. Walter Zweifel reports, and there are comments from Tauatomo Mairau.
- There is widespread concern in the Solomon Islands over plans for Papua New Guinean police to provide the close personal protection unit for the Prime Minister and Governor General. The Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, has negotiated an arrangement for PNG police to fill the role after dropping an earlier, highly unpopular, push for armed Solomons police to man the unit. There has been concern of the behaviour of PNG police, including over human rights abuses. Correspondent Dorothy Wickham reports.
- The International Olympic Committee has made an award to five women from each continent to mark their contributions to women’s sports. One of the recipients is the Vice President of Papau New Guinea’s National Olympic Committee, who picked up the Oceania trophy. Elma Maua reports.