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Pacific Nuis PNG === United Front Against Privatisation Formed in Papua New Guinea (PNG) A new coalition of trade unions, NGOs, women's groups, churches, student organisations and grassroots activists was formed in August this year to campaign against the PNG Government's program to privatise State-owned assets. The coalition, called the Anti-Privatisation Alliance, was officially announced on 22 August at the office of PNG Trade Union Congress as a result of a long consultation process after a couple of false starts. Since March this year a few issues of national concern had been discussed amongst different organisations and individuals and it was decided that privatisation was an issue that needed most attention. The Government was seen as "hellbent on going ahead with privatisation" without listening to voices of concern about the negative effects of the policy. The Alliance has thus embarked on an awareness campaign to inform and educate the public with the intention of stopping the sale of State assets. The first public forum was held on 6 September at the Institute of Public Administration (a government-run education facility) in the National Capital District (NCD). About 200 people attended the one-day program during which leaders from trade unions, NGOs, women's groups, churches and student organisations along with concerned grassroots aired their views and opinions and questioned the purpose of the privatisation program. All speakers were totally opposed to the program going ahead. The campaign of the Anti-Privatisation Alliance has then gained momentum. A full-page public notice was published on 27 September in one of the daily newspapers to state the position of the Alliance opposing the propaganda of the Privatisation Commission, which only aims to 'sell' the idea of privatisation as something desirable and good for PNG. A two-hour anti-privatisation rally was held on 19 October at Sir John Guise Indoor Stadium, which is within the main sports complex in the capital of PNG, Port Moresby, with the attendance swelling to almost 1000 people. Prior to the rally students from the University of Papua New Guinea conducted awareness programs at public markets around NCD. There was also a rally in Lae (the second largest city in PNG) on 21 October and in Madang (another major centre) on 11 November. To put pressure on the Government to drop the privatisation policy, the PNG Trade Union Congress led a nation-wide stop-work on 13 November. The members of various trade unions walked off their jobs to attend meetings and protests held in a few major centres in the country, notably Port Moresby, Lae and Madang. The stop-work affected mainly the waterfront and air traffic, although other services also experienced disruptions throughout PNG. The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea refused to meet the Anti-Privatisation Alliance representatives, who wanted to present him a petition to stop privatisation, thus the rallies continued in Port Moresby for four consecutive days until the Deputy Prime Minister and the Privatisation Minister agreed to receive the petition on behalf of the Government. The PM has been defending the privatisation policy saying it is 'the only alternative' for PNG. He is unlikely to yield to the pressure yet, but at least now the Government seems to be ready to hear the views of the Alliance. The Anti-Privatisation Alliance is determined to continue the campaign until it gets a favourable answer from the Government. The members of the Alliance continue to voice their views through press releases, letters to the opinion pages in newspapers, talk-back shows on radio and during public gatherings. The trade unions are ready for industrial action, if or when it becomes necessary. The Anti-Privatisation Alliance in Papua New Guinea is appealing for help to run their campaign more effectively as they don't have much resources. You could help by coming to PNG as a volunteer to assist in organising programs or by donating funds or equipment, such as computers, printers, scanners, photocopiers or portable amplifiers/sound systems. The Alliance welcomes any ideas or information. You can contact them by telephone on 675- 325 7642 or 325 2619, by fax on 675- 323 0887 or 325 7642, by email through mitrananda@fnmail.com or by writing to PO Box 6371, Boroko, NCD 111, Papua New Guinea. Fiji ==== Fiji tourism television advertising breaches code of ethics A Fiji Visitors Bureau television advertisement portraying the Fiji Islands as unchanged after rioting and a coup in May has been found to have breached New Zealand's advertising code of ethics and has been modified. The advertisement - broadcast on state-owned New Zealand Television's one and two channels, and private Television Three - showed idyllic scenes from Fiji¹s tourism, including waves breaking on a deserted beach, diving in clear blue water and paddling a canoe. The NZ Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint about the programme by the Auckland-based Coalition for Democracy in Fiji which claimed the words "Fiji before' and "Fiji after" superimposed on a visual of a beach were misleading. A voice-over claimed "the only thing that's changed is the price" and the CDF said this implied that the coup led by failed businessman George Speight had no lasting effect on Fiji. Speight and 13 of his fellow rebels are now detained awaiting trial on treason charges. The authority's complaints board said the advertisement specifically referred to Fiji, rather than isolating tourism as being unchanged - and this was "clearly not accurate". Parts of Fiji were still subject to curfew and this would have an affect on tourists and locals alike, the ruling said. "The advertisement left the viewer with the impression that the adverse effects experienced by many people had been glossed over and dismissed, and this in the majority view was unacceptable in terms of the social responsibility expected of advertisers," it said. Although the board noted that a minority view accepted the advertisement, a majority held that it breached Principle 4 and Rule 2 of the Code of Ethics. Principle 4 says "all advertisements should be prepared with a due sense of social responsibility to consumers and society". Rule 2 says "truthful presentation - advertisments should not contain any statement or visual presentation or create an overall impression which directly or by implication, omission, ambiguity or exaggerated claim is misleading or deceptive, is likely to deceive or mislead the consumer, makes false and misleading representation, abuses the trust of the consumer or exploits his/her lack of experience or knowledge". The Fiji Visitors Bureau said the authority had approved a changed version that implied "Fijian holidays", not Fiji itself, were still the same. Phillipines =========== Radio broadcaster killed in Mindanao In a letter sent to Filipino Minister of Interior Alfredo Lim, RSF expressed its concern after the murder of Olipio "Jun" Jalapit, journalist and broadcaster with the private radio station DXPR in Pagadian, in the province of Zamboanga (Mindanao Island, south of the country). The press freedom organisation asked the minister to "intervene personally in order that the security services may identify the person responsible for this killing". RSF asked to be kept informed of progress in the inquiry. "The journalist had received death threats a short time before his murder," noted Robert Ménard, RSF's secretary-general. According to information collected by RSF, on 17 November 2000, Jalapit, broadcaster for several programmes of the private radio station DXPR, was murdered in front of a school in Pagadian City. An unidentified person opened fire on the journalist and his driver before making a getaway. Jalapit was killed by a bullet in the neck. His driver was not injured in the attack. According to the authorities, the broadcaster had "many enemies" because of his programmes, in which he denounced corruption in the province. He recently investigated the disappearance of funds from an educational foundation. His colleagues said he received threats after these programmes. DXPR is part of the RMN radio network, based in Manila. DXPR broadcasts to Pagadian City and the south-west of Mindanao Island..
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