Page 8 - IB March 2018 Edition

WHISPERS

No to Sundancer movie tions against him. In his on-going battle disrupted the distribution of relief sup-
The length to which authorities can go to unmask the blogger and bring the site plies, forcing emergency workers to work
to make life miserable for political foes is, down, Tuilaepa has resurrected an old throughout the night unloading supplies.
well breath-taking to say the least. This criminal law on libel, got Facebook to Out of the 5 islands visited, this official,
is so true for the and he’s not even a politician, went ashore
former head of the to only one, preferring to stay in the boat
republic of Kiribati when it called on the other 4 islands.
Anote Tong who The whisper was that he was not man
after completing enough to answer to questions about the
his 10 year term many promises of public assistance he
in office last year had the habit of offering over the years.
has been replaced
by a new adminis-
tration which sees t
no reason why the block ‘Ole Palemia’ page and now given
former leader should be travelling with fresh orders to his attorney general to Go public with office commute
a diplomatic passport and stripped of all “take action” against the blogger. He did Looks like someone is eyeing some
the protocols accorded to national leaders. not specify what actions would these be practical solutions to Honaira’s traffic
Even at the premiere of a documentary or in what form would these actions take. mayhem. “Every morning I drive my own
on Tong’s work on climate change at the Asked whether blocking Facebook in car to work. If there are 1,000 drivers who
international Sundancer film festival in Samoa was being considered, the veteran are like me driving themselves to work,
January, the new administration through leader remarked, ‘all options are open.’ we will have 1,000 vehicles on the road.
its newly appointed ambassador at the Now if the 1,000 drivers can go by public
UN (who also happens to be a former t
president), wrote to the festival organisers
to have the film removed from the silver Vanuatu woos Mega flyers
screen. Much fanfare in Vanuatu of the seem-
ingly “positive” outcome of their discus-
t sions with China on a new air services
agreement. A big song and dance is being
Kiribati is overly camera ‘shy’ made by the island nation officials about
Still on the northern Pacific atoll, the upgrades at its main airport in the capital,
world didn’t know of the detention in Kiri- Baurfield as well as the “rehabilitation” of transportation, say a 15-seater bus, we
bati of Canadian film maker Matthieu Rytz two of its airports in the outer islands. A will only need 67 buses on the road.” Then
early this year and the way he sneaked ni-Van official was even quoted as say- the writer dropped a bombshell. “Tomor-
out of the country. He’s the producer of ing that the republic is now better placed row I will catch a public bus to work,”
‘Anote’s Ark,’ a documentary on former to “explore” long haul direct flights from adding “nara problem moa sapos mi arrive
president Anote Tong’s fight to champion China. It may be worth their while though to ofis at 10am instead of 8am” (I guess
the plight of his people who are at the to check on their immediate neighbours there won’t be any problem if I get to the
frontline of global warming and rising sea to the east as to why Fiji is not too keen office at 10am instead of 8am.).
level. Rtyz was apparently filming with his in entertaining long haul flights from the
crew at an outer island in Kiribati when mainland. Struggling and tiny airlines
authorities detained him. The outside of the two countries are no match to the t
world heard nothing of the detention colossal, government subsidised airways
because it took place right about the time in China which will smother and suffocate Special staffer queries
the tragic ferry disaster took place in the competition in no time. ‘What is so special about her’ was a
atoll nation.
recent tweet from a local politician in Fiji
t and the “her” happens to be an expatriate
t staff member of a government ministry.
Powerful official of the island The staff, according to the politician
‘Off in the head’ clampdown The going-ons of a particular public spends six months working in the coun-
People who are “off in the head” are official at a recent cyclone damage assess- try and other months working overseas,
using technology the wrong way. That’s ment boat trip raised many an eye brow begging the question, what’s so special
the warning from the longest serving when islanders, who have just survived about her? She is apparently in charge of
prime minister in Oceania, Tuilaepa a category four storm, came to the boat human resources of the ministry, having
Lupesoliai Neioti Aiono Sailele Maliel- with sacks of coconuts and fish for this come into the country initially to work as
egaoi. (And yes, he could easily hold particular official. At one particular island, adviser to the election office only to be side
the title of the leader with the longest he diverted the government-chartered ship transferred to the new ministry of public
name too.) His issue is the anonymous to an uninhabited island some hours of service to head public sector reforms.
blogger ‘Ole Palemia’ which he claims sailing away only because he needed to
publishes false and defamatory allega- stock up on his coconut and fresh lob-
ster supplies. This unscheduled sailing t

8 Islands Business, March 2018