Indonesian repression in West Papua. Cartoon: © Malcolm Evans / PJR

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By PMC news desk

The killing and abduction of journalists in Indonesian-occupied West Papua has been highlighted in a special new report on Pacific media freedom over the past year by Pacific Journalism Review.

“By far the most serious case of media freedom violations in the Pacific is in West Papua—far from international scrutiny,” says the journal in an editorial.

The 39-page report on the state of media freedom in the Pacific in 2011 notes that in August, in particular, “sustained repression has also hit the news media and journalists”. Read more »

Flashback to Nuku'alofa 2006 ... Pacific-wide fear of rioting, fuelled by jobless youth. Photo: SMH

THE 42nd Pacific Islands Forum came and went, but Pacific youth advocates are pleading with leaders to wake up to the increasing number of young people involved in crime and violence in the Pacific.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Christopher Chang

At 3:30pm on 16 November 2006, the first stone was thrown in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. Within three hours, rioters had tipped over cars and looted shops.

The Pacifica Royale hotel and ANZ Bank crackled under the blaze of fire. Eight people were killed.

The rioters were of all ages, but most were young males. It is a situation that Pacific youth advocates are still fearful of, five years on. Read more »

Governor Tagiola of American Samoa making his speech before the Pacific Islands Forum. Photo: Savali

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Tupuola Terry Tavita

Government leaders, heads of top international organisations and funding agencies have been moved by an emotional address by American Samoa governor Togiola Talalelei Tulafono.

It was an address that best highlighted the importance, and relevance, of the Pacific Islands Forum – for small island governments, territories and Pacific people – in this, its 40th year anniversary.

American Samoa – during the Forum plenary session at the SkyCity convention centre – presented its application for observer status. Read more »

Oxfam launched its GROW campaign for the Pacific in Auckland. Featured in the street theatre are "trader" Tim McPoland and "farmer" Maria Vai. Photo: Glenn Welch

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Yvonne Brill

The Pacific region is at risk of falling victim to a “broken food system” with supplies being hit by environmental crises such as climate change, says Oxfam in a new global campaign.

Barry Coates, executive director of Oxfam New Zealand, said there was a growing global crisis in the world’s food system.

This view was supported by evidence from a new report released yesterday in conjunction with the launch of Oxfam’s GROW campaign. Read more »

Together with the Joint Committee for the Abolition of the Death Penalty, anti-death penalty activists protest outside of the Chinese representative office in Hong Kong. Photo: AI

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By the Pacific Media Centre news desk

The Pacific is the only region with a clean slate and no executions or death sentences over the past decade, says Amnesty International in a new report today about the global state of death penalties.

Only two Pacific nations or territories have been singled out for mention in the report – Fiji where 2000 attempted coup leader George Speight was sentenced to death for treason and then his punishment was commuted to life imprisonment within hours.

Fiji still has the death penalty on its lawbooks for treason and mutiny in the military code although it has been abolished for other crimes. Read more »

Samoan elections posters. Photo: Cherelle Jackson/PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Alex Perrottet of the Pacific Media Centre

Samoa is holding its legislative election this weekend and citizens are preparing to line up to vote for, most likely, one of the two major parties.

The incumbent party, the Human Rights Protection Party (HRRP) led by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, currently enjoys a more than 70 per cent majority in Parliament.

In April 2006, the HRPP won 35 of the 49 seats, improving on its narrow victory at the 2001 poll. However, the party has effectively been the major power in Samoa since 1982. Read more »

Money transfers from overseas vital part of economic development in many Pacific nations. (Photo: Kiva.)

Although many people are leaving Pacific Islands nations such as Samoa and Tonga, their economies are not suffering and the countries are in a better shape than people may think.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Imogen Crispe.

University researchers and Pacific Island people alike are claiming that not all Pacific Islands are as vulnerable as they may seem.

Geoff Bertram, senior economics lecturer at Victoria University and an authority on small Pacific Island societies, says that the situation in the Pacific Islands is not as bad as people seem to think. Read more »

Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale at Sinalei Reef Resort (Photo: Alex Perrottet/PMC.)

Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale is one of the paramount chiefs of the Falealili district on the south coast of Upolu. It was one of the worst affected areas in last year’s tsunami, which took away his wife Tui and his mother in law. Here he speaks about his private grief and an amazing little miracle as his new life begins.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Alex Perrottet in Apia.

In Poutasi village in Falealili district, the children are having a Fun Day. Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale, one of the paramount chiefs, has organised a full day of activity and has just returned from Apia with a big tub of ice cream.

“We need to raise their spirits,” Tuatagaloa says. “And I’m grateful to the US Peace Corps for raising the money for the event.” Read more »

The honeymoon suite where Wendy and Chris Booth were hit by the tsunami. (Photo: Alex Perrottet/PMC.)

SAMOA TSUNAMI SERIES 1: A year ago this week, the tsunami devastated southern Samoa and also hit American Samoa and parts of Tonga. At least 192 people died, most of them in Samoa. The disaster struck just a month after Pacific Scoop had been launched. Here we begin a series of special reports to mark the anniversary of that fateful day last September 29.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Alex Perrottet in Apia.

Down the south coast of Upolu are a collection of tourist operations ranging from high-end resorts to basic beach fales.

Many are family businesses and they all provide employment from the surrounding villages. Tourism is an essential commodity and without being able to operate, many have had to survive months without a livelihood. Read more »

Aisake Casimira, programmes coordinator for the Pacific Conference of Churches: “This is a social problem.” Photo: Joe Yaya/PCC

Church leaders at this month’s Pacific Conference of Churches meeting were called on to help deal with the issue of HIV and AIDS in the Pacific, with a focus on family and discouraging “outdated” cultural norms.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Alex Perrottet

Church leaders must face the facts about HIV/AIDS in the Pacific and drop long-held prejudices about those living with the virus, says a regional advocate.

Steven Vete of UNAIDS said prejudice and discrimination prevent access to treatment for those most in need. Read more »