AsiaPacificReport.nz

As aid has started to flow to parts of Fiji left devastated by severe tropical cyclone Winston, the Fiji Times chief editor says that this country once used to coping with fierce storms has been left vulnerable.

In his reflective series of editorials, Fred Wesley wrote that it was encouraging to see the international community rallying in support but “the real cost to our nation” was not yet known.

Fijians had been “prepared” for the cyclone but the sheer scale of the disaster was “overwhelming”.

“Thousands [of Fijians] had made a beeline for stores to stock up on food and water, and batteries for torches and radio sets. They fixed their homes,” Wesley wrote.

“Some had been proactive and converged on evacuation centres to sit out the cyclone.

“But clearly no one was prepared for the raw power and strength of Winston. The devastation caused by this massive system was overwhelming.”

The editorial, headlined “International support” said:

International support
FIVE days after the most destructive cyclone to hit land in the southern hemisphere struck us, rehabilitation assistance is slowly getting to affected people around the country.

For some, there is relief as the state assistance machinery reaches them. For some others, it is probably not fast enough as food and water supplies start to dwindle.

The process of prioritising areas to target first has been made difficult by the fact that quite a large number of people and areas were badly affected by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston on Saturday. Add to that the rising death toll and injury list. There can be no doubts about the fact that people were prepared for a cyclone.

Thousands had made a beeline for stores to stock up on food and water, and batteries for torches and radio sets. They fixed their homes. Some had been proactive and converged on evacuation centres to sit out the cyclone.

But clearly no one was prepared for the raw power and strength of Winston. The devastation caused by this massive system was overwhelming. No one was prepared for Winston’s average winds of up to 220km an hour and momentary gusts of up to 315km an hour close to its centre.

That was terrifying strength that turned Winston into a fully-fledged Category 5 mega-storm.

As it swept over Lau, and took a path straight through Lomaiviti, many Fijians battened down for the night, anticipating “just another” cyclone.

Because we are a country prone to such natural disasters, perhaps that has ingrained in us a sense of acceptance of our fate, and of cyclones in general.

That has now changed in the wake of Winston.

As the eye moved over Lomaiviti, the entire country for a moment was enveloped by this massive system that brought with it rain, very strong winds, flash floods and giant waves.

Winston left behind a nation that is now vulnerable. Fijians may be resilient. However, the devastation left behind by Winston is shocking and the recovery process will run into millions of dollars.

The real cost to our nation is yet to be known.

We may even guess the length of our recovery period.

As much as we may insist on being strong to get back on our feet, in such times, the assistance of our friends will be welcomed.

It is encouraging to see the international community rallying in support, to back the recovery process.

They are aiding state efforts by providing supplies, manpower and humanitarian assistance.
Because the cyclone left many Fijians without adequate food, water or shelter and cut-off from essential medical services, there will be some urgency to provide these.

The Indian Government, Australia, the US, the People’s Republic of China, France, New Zealand, Japan, French Polynesia, Tonga, Nauru, and the Asian Development Bank have made pledges in support of the State efforts.

In this, our time of great need, it is good to know that the international community is prepared to come to our assistance. This great show of support and concern is appreciated and will aid in our recovery process.

The onus now is on the powers that be to put in place measures to get needed assistance immediately to every affected Fijian around the country.

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AsiaPacificReport.nz

One of 44 people who perished in Fiji from severe tropical cyclone Winston was a 72-year-old woman, Selai Waqa, from Nauouo village on Ovalau island.

She saved her favorite church dress plus a pocket Bible in her last moments.

Her younger brother recalled the last moments he spent with her before she died after the church collapsed on top of her last Saturday evening as reports came in of mounting international aid pledges to cyclone-ravaged Fiji topping F$15 million.

“‘What happened was when we started getting warnings from the radio, we had our last lunch together and she cooked sausages and after that people came in and told us if they could move into the church,” said Inoke Ravuetaki, Selai’s younger brother

Selai’s only son is a soldier serving in Afghanistan as a Fiji peacekeeper under the United Nations.

Not far from where Selai was laid to rest, her sister-in-law Susan Ravuetaki was struggling to her feet.

Buried in rubble
Susan was buried with Selai under the rubble of the church for almost two hours and she thought she wouldn’t survive.

” I thought we were going to die, that nobody could come and get us because the wind was just too strong. I was watching the people all inside the lali house and when I looked up it looked like the telegraph pole was going to fall.

“Then I saw them all run and I heard Selai crying out for help. I said to Selai, ‘Just lie down because nobody can come and get us now because the wind is just too strong for us’,” said Susan Ravuetaki.

Villagers of Nauouo fled from the first evacuation center which was the church hall before it was destroyed.

They then moved the community hall which later fell before they found shelter at the church and it was not long before it collapsed.

Selai only saved two items from her home before she was moved to the evacuation centre.

” When she came to church for shelter she had a little bag and in that bag we saw on Saturday night when she died was her Bible and her church dress so she came to church ready,” said Inoke Ravuetaki, Selai’s younger brother.

Selai was buried on Sunday morning without a burial order from police.

The village headman, Mataiasi Dakuitoga, said it was a priority for the woman to be laid to rest and he was even willing to go to prison for his actions.

Only one house was spared by Winston in this village.

They may have lost a loved one but for now they will have to be strong.

120,000 children affected
The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund estimates that up to 120,000 children across Fiji may be the worst affected by the cyclone.

Its estimate comes as the full picture of the worst cyclone ever to hit Fiji becomes more apparent.

The Fiji Times reported UNICEF Pacific representative Karen Allen said children were often the most vulnerable during emergencies and UNICEF continues to support the Fijian government’s efforts in addressing the needs of children.

The organisation has already started its relief work in the affected areas and its officials are also out in the field.

Damage estimated at $1 billion
The estimated cost of damage sustained around the country by Winston is about F$1 billion, the Attorney-General and Minister for Finance, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, announced at a press conference.

According to Sayed-Khaiyum, this was not an “official” figure, however the estimation was derived from inspections of damage around the country.

The Indian government has pledged more than F$2.1 million as a cash grant to the Fijian government for relief efforts and recovery activities, along with medicine, food, tents and transportation helicopter to deliver relief materials.

The Australian government has provided F$7.7 million in humanitarian aid-in-kind. The Australian government has also provided four helicopters for aerial surveying and the transportation of relief supplies, along with two aircraft for aerial surveying.

New Zealand government has provided F$$424,000 in humanitarian aid-in-kind along with four military helicopters, medical supplies, and medical teams.

The HMS Canterbury has also departed for Fiji to provide 40 military personnel to help deliver relief assistance.

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AsiaPacificReport.nz

By Adam Elliott

Journalist Veronica Hatutasi will launch her new book on the Bougainville crisis, Behind the Blockade, today in Port Moresby.

Based in Port Moresby, she has worked for a long time as senior reporter for Word Publishing’s Wantok newspaper.

The book starts in Toniva, just south of Kieta, as the conflict builds and follows Hatutasi’s story from there back to Monoitu in the Siwai District of south Bougainville.

Here Veronica stayed with her family until late 1992 when, in August of that year, she was able to get herself and her family to Port Moresby.

The book focuses on her personal experiences in the village as the crisis played out and then, from 1993, on her role as a journalist covering the Bougainville story from Port Moresby.

Hatutasi gained many insights into the conflict and how it affected the Bougainville people from repeated trips back to the island over the years and her book covers the restoration, reconstruction, reconciliation and peace processes.

Behind the Blockade will be launched at the Grand Papua Hotel.

The book is entirely Hatutasi’s initiative.

I worked with her through the late 1990s when I was based at Aitape after the tsunami, then for a few more years when based in Madang.

The book is 233 pages long and published by Word Publishing (ISBN 978 9980 89 024 5). It is available from Veronica Hatutasi and you can email her here for further information.

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AsiaPacificReport.nz

On September 18, 2013, two Greenpeace International activists were arrested during a peaceful protest in the Russian Arctic. A week later, the entire 30-member crew of their ship was in a Russian jail awaiting trial on charges of hooliganism and piracy. The story of the Arctic 30, as they came to be known, was one heard around the world, and one that Peter Willcox — skipper of the original Rainbow Warrior which was bombed by French secret agents in Auckland Harbour in 1985 — writes about in his new book Greenpeace Captain. Read an exclusive excerpt here.

Maggy had been watching a live Greenpeace feed in our home in Maine, anxiously awaiting the moment when my head would pop out from behind the huge prison door. Just before I walked out, the video feed was lost and she missed the big moment. She didn’t know I was out until I called her from the car to tell her I was drinking Alexander’s brandy.

While I was relieved to be out of jail, during the car ride from Kresty Prison to the hotel my joy was tempered by worrying about the reception I would receive there from the Arctic 30 who had been released before me. Would they blame me for their incarceration?

I had certainly made decisions that contributed to our arrest and the arrest of the ship, but then again, not one of us had anticipated the muscular response from the Russians. As I exited the car and walked into the lobby of the hotel, my concern grew. Would they vent their anger at me, or would I just get the cold shoulder?

The first people I saw were my shipmates Sini, Camila Speziale, and Alexandra “Alex” Harris. They saw me in the same instant and immediately moved toward me with their arms raised. I realized the three were all opening their arms to me. Seconds later we were in a group hug. Their shoulders were anything but cold. It was the best I had felt in a very long time.

The hotel had been selected by the police so they could keep an eye on us while we were out on bail. We assumed the hotel was bugged, and there was an undercover cop in a van parked across the street from the hotel.

While we wanted to give him the finger, we would flash him the peace sign instead. That probably pissed him off even more. Having him there was their way of keeping us under pressure. The peace sign was our way of saying, “We don’t give a shit.”

Although we were out on bail, we were still under indictment and not allowed to leave the city. It was kind of like being in purgatory, but after being in prison it was still a major improvement in living arrangements. I was able to see my wife, my daughters, Skype with friends, and — of course — be interviewed by newspapers, websites, and TV and radio broadcasters all over the world.

At this same time, Putin was preparing a mass amnesty bill. Officially, the amnesty bill was to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Russian constitution. The reality was the bill was an attempt to polish up Russia’s record on human rights just weeks before the start of their Winter Olympics. Our lawyers were hoping that the Arctic 30 would be included in the bill, but no one knew for sure who was included or not. The more publicity we got, the better the chance we’d make it into the bill, so we focused on that.

In prison we had been cut off from the outside world. We were pretty much in the dark (literally, in some cases) and just trying to keep our spirits up.

There were a few TVs in prison, but since the government controls the media we didn’t see any news covering the efforts to put pressure on Putin to release us. We got some reports via our lawyers, Greenpeace, letters and, eventually, phone calls with loved ones, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Every written word we received in the prison was read by the Russians and translated into Russian before we got them. Everything we received had typed notes with Russian translations that were taped or stapled to the originals, including the ‘Free the Arctic 30’ greeting cards made by eight-year-old children in Africa. I still have a stack of them with all of the Russian translations.

Peter Willcox, writing with Ronald Weiss in the forthcoming book “Greenpeace Captain”

Now that we were on the outside, it was just becoming apparent to me (and to the rest of the Arctic 30) just how much publicity we were getting. It’s an amazing feeling to realize that hundreds of “Free the Arctic 30” protests demanding your release have taken place in dozens of countries around the world. Words can’t describe it, so I won’t try. The bottom line is that the international reaction makes me believe that what Greenpeace is doing is deeply appreciated and important.

Thousands of people had protested in front of numerous Russian embassies. Letters from statesmen, world leaders, religious leaders, celebrities, actors, and media figures from every corner of the globe joined in the effort to release us. It’s an impressive list, and it’s not just the length of the list that’s amazing, it’s the breadth of it: twelve Nobel Prize winners. Paul McCartney. The Pope. Madonna. (It’s not too often that the Pope and Madonna are in agreement on anything!) Angela Merkel, François Hollande, and David Cameron. Desmond Tutu. Even the VP of Iran, Dr Masonmeh Ehtekar (she’s also the head of Iran’s EPA) supported us. The list goes on and on.

One protest letter that was especially important to me was written to Putin by Pete Seeger, the family friend, folksinger, and my boss on the Clearwater so many years before. It was Pete who put me on the path I was still following years later. Pete passed away at age 94 just a few weeks after I got back to Maine, so I never saw him again.

When you’re in prison you have a lot of free time on your hands. Often you find yourself thinking about happier times and places and people that you miss. A lot of those times were with Pete, singing and sailing and saving the river.

It was hard on Maggy to have me imprisoned in a hostile country, particularly since it happened such a short time after we were married. And a good chunk of that time I had been at sea on other actions. For her part, she always put up a brave front, and never stopped fighting for our release.

She helped organise rallies from Maine to Connecticut, wrote letters and editorials, and urged governors and senators to write Putin. Maggy was a real emotional anchor for me during this stormy period of false dawns and dark threats. She’s an amazing woman and I’m lucky to have finally landed her.

All of us in Saint Petersburg (the Arctic 30, family, friends, lawyers, diplomats, and supporters) were holding our breath until the amnesty bill was passed. When it passed, it released close to 25,000 prisoners — some petty criminals, some political prisoners, all kinds of people — but not us. The bill did not include “hooligans” — our “category of criminal.” It was, yet again, another shock and disappointment.

Still, there was some hope. A few days later, the Duma (the Russian legislature) passed an amendment to the bill that included those charged with hooliganism — that meant us, and Pussy Riot, among others. We were greatly relieved, of course.

We were close to home free. (“Home” and “free,” two words that will always mean a little more to me now.) Still, we had to wait for the inevitable paperwork to get processed, getting our passports back etc.

Who knew how long that was going to take? It looked like “I’ll be Home for Christmas” wasn’t on the cards, but we were hoping to be back in time for New Year’s Eve.

There is a video called “Thank You” that Greenpeace put together after we were released. It shows highlights of the protests all around the world, and then we — the Arctic 30 — thank all of the people who took action to secure our release. (You can watch it yourself.)

I think I speak for all of us when I say that if it were not for all of their support, we might still be languishing in a Russian prison somewhere.

Thank you. Thank you. Spasibo. Spasibo.

This excerpt was with permission from the author from chapter 19 of Greenpeace Captain: My Adventures in Protecting the Future of Our Planet, by Peter Willcox with Ronald Weiss. Available from Thomas Dunne Books. Copyright © 2016. Learn more about the forthcoming book Greenpeace Captain, available April 19, 2016.

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AsiaPacificReport.nz

By Shayal Devi of The Fiji Times

Fiji’s coastal district of Nakorotubu, Ra, which includes more than 10 villages and a population of more than 5000 was completely flattened by severe tropical cyclone Winston.

Describing the situation in the province as “ugly”, Commissioner Western Manasa Tagicakibau said initial assessments indicated all homes were destroyed.

“Initial reports state that all homes were blown away,” he said.

A total of 275 evacuation centres are now active in the Western Division, providing temporary shelter to 22,181 people and the death toll has risen to 44.

Ra, one of 14 provinces of Fiji,  northern area of the largest island, Viti Levu, has 91 evacuation centres, the highest in the division. The Yasawa islands are just off the northern coast.

The Emergency Operations Centre in the west has not been able to collate data on the number of evacuation centres and evacuees in maritime zones.

As a result, the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in the Western Division has redirected all manpower and resources to the Ra province.

He said the EOC had established communication with heads in Nakorotubu and a team was sent to the province to assess damage.

Brienfings ‘not good’
“The briefings were not good,” he said.

“Ra is an ugly situation and even the EOC team were victims of TC Winston.”

Forty one villages in the province have yet to report their status to the Ra provincial administrator’s operation team in Rakiraki.

A team from the Fiji Times was in Rakiraki yesterday where it was confirmed that out of the 93 villages in the province, 41 have yet to establish contact with authorities.

Also confirmed by state officials was that 12,339 people in the province were being sheltered in 107 evacuation centres.

Meanwhile, parts of Nakorotubu District and coastal villages were accessible and relief items will be delivered today.

Up 11 military engineers, 10 police personnel and six engineers from the Fiji Corrections Service will be deployed to the province to conduct damage assessments.

Camp out
Tagicakibau said the team would camp out on the field while collating data.

He said the team would be given ample time to report on the situation in Ra given that communication lines were still affected.

According to Tagicakibau, they needed to ensure that help was provided to the people as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports that Malake Island also suffered a similar fate.

44 now confirmed dead

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AsiaPacificReport.nz

By Dr Alan Knight in Sydney

Moderate Muslims were losing the media war with ISIS, according to leading Turkish journalist, Kerim Balci.

”Authentic” Muslims were losing to “radical so called Muslims” because of the obvious symbiosis between journalists and terrorists.

“Ten thousand Muslims may be doing good things but it’s not reported,” he said. “One Muslim makes something bad and its headlines!

“The voice of extremism is always multiplied through world media!” Even Muslim media were guilty of this.

Kerim Balci is editor of the Turkish Review, a bimonthly journal published by Zaman Media Group.

Balci studied physics and political science and international relations in the Bosporus University of Turkey. He has an MA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the city where he served as the representative of Zaman Turkish Daily for eight years. Balci is currently a linguistic philosophy PhD candidate at Durham University. He was in Sydney at the invitation of the Affinity Intercultural Foundation.

Balci said social media could have been an alternative where “authentic” Muslims could promote peaceful Islam.

“Unfortunately, ISIS uses social media much better than us. The videos that are produced by ISIS for Youtube are much better than even the movies produced for the market in many Muslim countries”.

Mainstream conflict
Mainstream Muslim media could also find themselves in conflict with their own governments.

In Turkey, journalists had revealed the government had been engaged in secret negotiations with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), regarded by the state and in the West as a terrorist organisation.

“There is the paradoxical situation where you are stuck between the national interest and journalistic ethics”.

Turkish newspapers published the story. The government was “quite angry” and two journalists were jailed, accused of treason.

“It’s not the duty of journalists to keep those things secret,” Balci said.

Meanwhile, some [radical] religious Muslim media branded any journalists who identified terrorist groups, as “infidels” .

“In fact one of them is sitting in front of you, ” he said with a grin. “I wrote an article calling Hamas terrorists,” Baldi said. ”And a [radical] religious paper called me an infidel!

‘More harm’
“As a religious person, I believe the terrorists are hijacking my religion and doing more harm to religious Muslims than they are doing harm to the West”.

ISIS had killed many more Muslims than Westerners.

“As a journalist, I have a duty to inform the public. But there is also an inescapable duty to educate the public about our religion.”

In this “post modern era” many people got their information on religion from newspapers.

“Those of us who cover religious conflicts are actually setting the tone for the people. We have to realise that what we say may be perceived by our readers as if we are the preachers in the mosque.”

An Armenian journalist was killed in Turkey by a “religiously motivated” nationalist young man, as a result of what he had read in a religious newspaper, Balci said.

Terrorism was too often defined as what your enemy was doing. In a mirror image of the more belligerent Western newspapers, many Muslim publications called Western actions “terrorism” while being reluctant to apply the term to Muslim atrocities.

“Suicide bombings are never OK, no matter who does it,” Balci said.

“We journalists need to be sincere, frank and consistent about the language we are using,” he said. “Language is never innocent. We have to understand it won’t stay in the newspaper. It will influence people!”

The article was first published on Professor Alan Knight’s blog Online Journalism and is republished here with the author’s permission.

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AsiaPacificReport.nz

Rosa, who is from Mavana village, chartered a sea plane to make the 90 minute flight, taking relief supplies to the island.

The owner of popular bakery chain, Cakes 2000, Rosa said her top priority had been to check on the health of her mother who lives on Vanuabalavu.

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AsiaPacificReport.nz

When help finally arrived on Koro Island and the media flew in to bear witness, the scenes were of total devastation.

The sign pointing to Sinuvaca village is still, there but the village itself has vanished. Torn apart by the category 5 severe tropical cyclone.

Fiji Times editor-in-chief Fred Wesley writes in his third editorial in his Cyclone Winston series:
“When problems disappear” …

You only have to look at pictures from the island of Koro to understand and appreciate the strength of what was the strongest cyclone to ever hit Fiji.

Fiji Times photographer Jona Konataci flew to Koro early yesterday morning and returned with pictures that told a story of pain and helplessness. His pictures brought to life the predicament of the people of Koro and spoke of the vulnerability of human beings in the face of mother-nature.

Against a system that was powerful and massive, the people of Koro could only hold on to hope, and pray for an end to the frightening fury of Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston.

It rained on Saturday. That wasn’t the problem though. The rain came in with the cold. But the people of Koro were not prepared for a massive system such as Severe TC Winston.

Cut a path
Packed with average winds of up to 220kmh and momentary gusts of up to 315kmh an hour close to its centre, Severe TC Winston, now a fully-fledged Category 5 mega-storm, swept over Lau, and moved west to cut a path through Lomaiviti.

Koro Island was right in the way. It met the cyclone head on. It was a nightmare. It was terrifying.

Roofs were torn off by the ferocious winds. Homes were blown away and concrete structures looked like they had been pounded by a tank. Nothing, it appeared could withstand the fury and the immense power of Severe TC Winston.

Death stared at the people of Koro.

Of the total number of homes destroyed around the country, 315 alone were on Koro.
The pictures you will see in today’s edition tell a story of destruction. However, there is a touch of hope lurking somewhere there.

Like many other Fijians, the people of Koro are resilient.

As Konataci shot his pictures at the devastated village of Sinuvaca, children posed beside their destroyed school library, standing beside shelves that surprisingly still held neat rows of books.

Out towards one end of the village, a group of men held on to the signpost that pointed out their village.

It read “Sinuvaca Vill”, shortened for “village”.

The only difference was that it now pointed towards a village that was no longer there, flattened by Severe TC Winston.

Playfully pushing
Out on the waterfront, children playfully pushed each other to be seen in a picture taken by Konataci.

Rather instinctively, they gave the victory sign. They smiled for the camera.
Severe TC Winston was gone. They were back to being village children.

As the state machinery shifts a gear to attend to their plight this week, they are beacons of hope for us all.

Innocent, playful and friendly, they can still manage smiles in the face of great adversity. For a few minutes, all the troubles in their little world disappeared.

The harsh reality though is that they need urgent assistance as do thousands of others in affected areas around the country.

We can only hope you will keep them in your thoughts today.

PMC’s Storify daily file on the Winston disaster

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AsiaPacificReport.nz

Gradually it is sinking in with the people of Fiji how “powerful and ruthless” severe tropical cyclone Winston has really been with entire villages being flattened, schools destroyed and the death toll mounting.

The Fiji Times, the country’s oldest and most influential daily newspaper, has published for the second day running tributes to the courage of many Fijians in cyclone-stricken areas.

“It is difficult to shrug off the massive impact Winston has left in its wake, financially, physically and emotionally,” wrote editor-in-chief Fred Wesley. “As we start picking up the pieces, tales of heroism are slowly coming out as well. Such moments in time, for some unknown reason, bring out heroes.

“They are men and women who will shrug off any thoughts about their own safety to ensure their fellow human beings are safe.”

Under the heading, “Danger lurks,” Wesley wrote:

As damage assessment teams send in their reports from around the country, it is becoming increasingly clear that Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston was powerful and ruthless.

By yesterday, the national death toll in the wake of the Category 5 cyclone sat at 21. [PMW editor: Tonight this figure stood at 29.] Twelve of them died in the Western Division.

As state emergency teams head out to troubled spots around the country, there is hope that this is the final figure.

Early assessments, however, are not positive at all.

In many areas, entire villages have been affected by the powerful winds brought by Winston.

Homes were missing their roofs yesterday, some blown off their foundation and some torn to shreds by the angry winds.

The National Disaster Management Office has confirmed that 8438 evacuees are billeted in more than 50 evacuation centres in the four divisions.

As our report on Page 3 reveals, there are nine evacuation centres in the Eastern Division with 121 evacuees; 20 centres in the Central Division housing 1177 evacuees and 22 centres up North with 1260 occupants.

For the Western Division, there are a total of 5880 evacuees. As government officials headed for cyclone-stricken areas, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has urged them to respond promptly to the needs of those affected.

Director NDMO Akapusi Tuifagalele revealed that preliminary costs of damage to schools in the Western Division alone stands at $2.2 million.

The true impact of Winston is slowly, but surely, coming to the fore.

It is difficult to shrug off the massive impact Winston has left in its wake, financially, physically and emotionally. As we start picking up the pieces, tales of heroism are slowly coming out as well. Such moments in time, for some unknown reason, bring out heroes.

They are men and women who will shrug off any thoughts about their own safety to ensure their fellow human beings are safe.

Many may never be known. And some such as Atunaisa Raralevu (No.3) made the ultimate sacrifice.

The 24-year-old farmer wasn’t famous at all. He was loved by his family though.

At the height of Winston’s fury, this young farmer tried to save 15 people trapped in a house.

He did what many probably wouldn’t have done.

He had already carried a woman, her three children and another girl to the safest house in the village.

He will be remembered by those he touched that night. His reassurance and bravery in the face of overwhelming danger will mean a lot to those who survived.

This is just one of the many tales of courage that embraced the terrifying night when Winston wreaked havoc on Fiji.

Now more than ever, our country needs us to unite in our rehabilitation efforts.

We must ensure we remember Winston. This powerful system should serve as a constant reminder of the dangers that we live with.

Visit other Asia Pacific Report stories on the PMC’s cyclone Storify page

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AsiaPacificReport.nz

By Benny Mawel in Jayapura and Ryan Dagur in Jakarta

Indonesian police are seeking to question a Catholic priest over possible treason charges for leading a prayer service attended by members of an alleged Papuan separatist group.

Father John Djonga was summoned by police to appear at the station in Wamena on February 19. However, the priest refused to appear, saying that police also needed to contact his superiors at the Jayapura Diocese and that he needed to retain counsel before agreeing to meet with investigators.

Father Djonga led a prayer service on February 15 to inaugurate the office building of the Papuan Customary Council, where a banner of the separatist United Liberation Movement for West Papua was unveiled.

“I came to the programme as a priest on behalf of the Catholic Church. I just led the service,” he said.

“The council fights for the Papuan people so that they can be free from poverty. It also fights against human rights violations and for other social issues. I prayed for this during the service.”

Father Djonga, a noted human rights activist in the province, said he told police to send him a second letter in which diocesan officials also were notified “as I serve the diocese”.

He faces up to four months in prison by declining to answer the initial summons.

Diocese response
Father Yulianus Bidau Mote, chairman of the diocese’s Commission for the Laity, said Father Djonga’s presence at the ceremony was as a priest representing the diocese, therefore police needed to contact the diocese before summoning one of its priests for questioning.

“Don’t just send a letter. As an institution, the local police must be able to provide the diocese with notification,” he said.

Police said they wanted to interview Father Djonga as a possible witness to an act of treason; it was unclear if the priest was a suspect himself.

According to Papua police chief Inspector-General Paulus Waterpauw, police had questioned three witnesses so far.

Meanwhile, the Sydney chapter of the Australia West Papua Association (AWPA)  has written to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop concerning the intimidation of West Papuan representatives from the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and other activists who attended the opening of an office in the town of Wamena in the Papuan Highlands on the February 15.

The Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, Luhut Pandjaitan has also told the ULMWP to leave the country as it could pose a threat to the country’s territorial integrity.

The Jayawijaya Resort police have questioned a number of activists who attended the opening.  The security forces are trying to tarnish the ULMWP representatives as “separatists”, which raise grave concerns for their security as human rights defenders, and peaceful activists are regularly arrested because of accusations that they are so-called separatists.

Father Djonga faces possible treason charges because he led a prayer service on that day to inaugurate the office building of the Papuan Customary Council, where a banner of the ULMWP was unveiled.

Joe Collins of AWPA  said,  “We are urging the Foreign Minister to raise concerns about the threats by the security forces to representatives of the ULMWP with the Indonesian government,” said Joe Collins of AWPA.

“We also urge the Foreign Minister to encourage the Indonesian government to respond favourably to the request by the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) leaders to allow a PIF fact-finding mission to investigate the human rights situation in the territory.

Concern for human rights activists in Papua

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AsiaPacificReport.nz

Compensation for the victims of three decades of French nuclear tests in the South Pacific was a focus of President François Hollande’s visit to French Polynesia this week, his first stop on a tour of Oceania and Latin America.

Hollande‘s first move was to lay a wreath at the grave of Pouvanaa a Oopa, the campaigner for Tahitian independence considered the founder of Tahiti’s modern political culture.

But the focus of the visit was very much on the victims of 193 nuclear tests carried out by France between 1966 and 1996 on the atolls Moruroa and Fangataufa.

The French president acknowledged on Monday in Pape’ete that the nuclear tests conducted in French Polynesia had affected the environment and the health of the islands.

“I recognise that the nuclear tests conducted between 1966 and 1996 in French Polynesia had an environmental impact, and caused health consequences,” he said.

Hollande said he wanted to “turn the page” on nuclear tests, while hailing Polynesia’s crucial role in developing France’s nuclear capabilities.

Without its overseas territories, “France would not now have nuclear weapons and the power of dissuasion”, he said, using the French expression for nuclear deterrence.

Process review
Hollande also announced a review of the application process for compensating the victims of the tests. Only about 20 people have received compensation for the spread of cancers allegedly linked to the tests from among some 1000 plaintiffs.

France’s “nuclear debt” owed to Polynesia, dubbed the “Chirac Billion” (in francs, now worth about NZ$25 million), is an annual payment to the islands that has been reduced year after year, and which Polynesians want to be made permanent.

Hollande’s arrival in the Wallis and Futuna islands marked the first time a French president had visited Wallis since Valéry Giscard d’Estaing in 1979 and the first-ever visit to Futuna.

The far-flung Pacific islands are among many French Overseas Departments and Territories scattered around the world, vestiges of France’s colonial empire that today still boast an aggregate coastlines, or Exclusive Economic Zones, second only to those of the United States.

Hollande was due to fly to Peru, followed by Argentina and Uruguay later in the week – where he is set to promote scientific, cultural and university ties.

Although he is travelling with a delegation of business leaders from top French firms such as Carrefour and Thales, no major economic deals are expected to be signed on the trip.

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By TJ Aumua in Auckland

Auckland’s Fiji community have mobilised together to action disaster relief efforts for their families back home in the Fiji Islands.

Community members assembled in Mangere last night fuelled with emotion and desperate to send help back home.

Those affected in Fiji have requested donations of imperishable foods, water, blankets, fishing rods and tools that can be used to help the rebuilding process.

The Fijian Community Association of Auckland and the Auckland Mayoral Committee confirmed two shipping containers would be made available soon so those wanting to contribute to relief efforts can donate.

Two main drop-off points:

West Auckland’s Church Limited and South Auckland’s City Impact Church.

More details will be released by the FCCA later today.

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By Cheerieann Wilson of Fiji One News

February 20, 2016, will be a date every single villager on Koro Island in Fiji will never forget.

As the first outsiders to visit since tropical cyclone Winston wreaked havoc over the weekend, cameraman Jese Tuisinu and I were met with heart-wrenching stories of terror and survival.

Pictured is just one of several devastated villages on the island of Koro.

Here 163 people crawled to safety after strong winds and rain wreaked havoc.

Whatever was spared by the strong winds, only to be washed away later by the huge waves crashing on shore.

“We have been used to strong winds when a cyclone warning is issued. This time we did not take it seriously because we have never experienced this kind of weather before,” says  Mosese Kikau Daulakeba of Sinuvaca village.

“We did not take it seriously. So when the weather deteriorated we began run around looking for a safe place.”

‘Swimming in the village’
Salala Nadakeke says: “We were swimming in the village. Corrugated iron flying over us while we were trying to swim to safety. We carried our children and grandchildren. The current was too strong.

“I managed to climb up a until I started to lose grip and float around. I then managed to grab a coconut tree which swung me a few times then I managed to secure myself onto the tree.

“Then I managed to grip onto a .. which kept me above water.”

While most children survived – here two lives were lost that fateful day – a 78-year-old grandmother and an infant.

“The father of the child was carrying him, first rush of high current, the second, the third current he did not realise he had lost hold of his child. He realised that his child was dying by his hand,” Daulakeba explains.

Methodist lay preacher Meli Savu Buliti has been living in the village of Sinuvaca for the last four years.

After 40 years, the church underwent renovations last year – now it’s gone.

Shelter in the church
“Many of the villagers looked for shelter in the church because they did not expect the tidal waves. They were only expecting strong winds. The elderly and the weak found temporary shelter in my home – my house at the foot of the hill which the villagers found shelter in,” says Buliti.

“At about 3pm to 4pm the tide began to rise then we began crawling uphill. We tried to safer ground in the school. we then carried the weak, the children and then they crawled up the hill because the current was too strong.”

“When strong winds began more than a hundred houses were destroyed – only one still stands. We then took shelter in a double storey but its roof had been blown off in the wind. We then took shelter at the bottom of the house,” says Amenio Timoci of Namacu village.

“At about 11 o’clock in the morning we began feel very strong winds, the tidal waves came at about 1pm. The wind destroyed all the houses in its path, those concrete houses that remained standing no longer had roofs. It was the strongest winds I’ve experienced,” Timoci says.

“When the tidal waves began to come in, the winds were already causing havoc, we then began to move before the tidal waves reached us. We moved to higher ground,” says Masilina Cabe of Nadakeke, Sinuvaca.

Cyclone Winston aftermath on PMC’s Storify

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According to news reports, “monster” Cyclone Winston, which hit over the weekend, brought winds of more than 325 kmh, torrential rain, and waves of up to 12m high.

A month-long state of disaster has been declared, while Oxfam in the Pacific regional director Raijeli Nicole said communication blackspots were making it very hard to assess damage and determine the scale of the response required.

The impact can be seen in the videos on the Storify file of the monster cyclone with the Pacific Media Centre.

Twenty-nine people have been confirmed dead so far, but as Nicole noted: “Given the intensity of the storm and the images we have seen so far, there are strong concerns that the death toll won’t stop climbing today and that hundreds of people will have seen their homes and livelihoods completely destroyed.”

More than a few experts were quick to link Cyclone Winston to human-caused global warming, saying the extreme weather event was “more painful evidence” of climate change.

Its low-lying coral atolls make the frontline nation “especially vulnerable to sea level rise,” Weather Underground meteorologists Jeff Masters and Bob Henson noted on Friday:

Storm surge from Winston is of particular concern for Fiji, where sea level rise and coastal erosion have already begun to displace people. The nation includes more than 300 islands; some are volcanic in origin, while many of the smaller islands are low-lying coral atolls especially vulnerable to sea level rise.

The nation has already assisted one small village, Vunidogolo, in moving to a new location as part of its climate change adaptation programme. More than 30 other Fijian villages have been identified as vulnerable.

Although it represents only a tiny share of the world’s fossil fuel emissions, Fiji is doing its part to reduce them.

On February 12, Fiji became the first nation on Earth to ratify the global pact on reducing greenhouse emissions that was hammered out at the UN Conference of Parties meeting (COP15) last December in Paris.

Fiji has pledged to boost the renewable share of its electricity generation from around 60 percent in 2013 to near 100 percent by 2030. Together with energy efficiency improvements, this will reduce Fiji’s carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in 2030 by roughly 30 percent compared to a business-as-usual approach.

Slate staff writer Eric Holthaus pointed out this inherent irony over the weekend. “Fiji is responsible for just 0.04 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions,” he wrote, “and the confluence of this week’s events there highlights the brutal injustice posed by a warming world.”

Republished from Common Dreams with permission under a Creative Commons Share-Alike 3.0 licence.

Visit other Asia Pacific articles on the Fiji cyclone disaster

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The Prime Minister has set up a disaster relief fund in response to the devastation caused by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston.

The Department of Information issued a statement to say monies received in the newly established bank accounts would be used to directly benefit Fijians who have been left homeless, without adequate food, water and essential services. Emphasis would be placed on those in rural and maritime communities.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston, the most devastating storm on record in the Southern Hemisphere had destroyed homes, livelihoods and living many without telecommunications and medical services.

The  statement said the government was working hard to coordinate rescue and recovery efforts but said there was a great need for additional resources.

Donations can be made through the bank accounts below and all fees including those for overseas transactions have been waived.

International and local donations can be made to:

Bank: Australia New Zealand Banking Corporation
Account Number: 12628523
Account Name: Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation: Cyclone Winston
Swift Code: ANZ BFJFX
BSB: 010 890

Local donations can be made to:

Bank: Westpac Banking Corporation
Account Number: 9806094927
Account Name: Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation: Cyclone Winston

Bank: Bank of the South Pacific
Account Number: 80399804
Account Name: Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation: Cyclone Winston

Bank: Home Finance Corporation Bank
Account Number: 17822 s10
Account Name: Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation: Cyclone Winston

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By Sikeli Qounadovu of The Fiji Times

All Fijian Atunaisa Raralevu (No.3) hoped to do was to be able to save 15 people trapped in a house at the height of severe tropical cyclone Winston at Naseibitu Village in Tailevu, Viti Levu.

The 24-year-old farmer had already carried a woman, her three children and another girl to the safest house in the village.

Around 7pm his efforts to try and assist in the evacuation proved fatal, when the then 8m by 5m corrugated iron house that provided shelter for the 15 tilted and buried him.

“He had just returned from the farm and had already saved the woman, her three children and another girl and came to me for a hammer to try and save another 15 who were in that house – that was the last time I saw him,” said his uncle Atunaisa Raralevu (No.2).

He said by the time all 15 had run for cover, his namesake was nowhere to be seen.

It was after strong winds carried the house downhill, that they found his lifeless body lying on the ground with blood gushing out from his nose, ears and eyes and mud filled his mouth.

“He was carried to a nearby house, but all efforts to try and revive him proved futile.

Swam flooded road
“He lay there the whole night and during the day [Sunday], some men from the village swam across the flooded road to call police.

“Police arrived and confirmed the death and when we tried to take him to the Korovou mortuary, police said that was impossible because the power was off.”

Raralevu said they informed their Talatala [spiritual leader], who then conducted a sermon and on Sunday, his namesake was laid to rest.

“What hurts us the most is that he was a very good young man,” he said.

“He always listened to us and carried all church and vanua obligations without any complaining.”

Villagers said it was just unfortunate that he was not accorded a perfect hero’s funeral.

Fiji death toll now 21

More Fiji Times stories from Winston survivors

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AsiaPacificReport.nz

Indonesia’s Environmental Affairs and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya says her ministry’s team has found some 370 to 500 “hotspots” of forest fires in the West Papuan province of Papua earlier this year.

“It is a matter of worry since there was no hotspot in Papua last year, and this year the number is already around 370 to 500,” Nurbaya said.

The fires were not being caused by any act of corporations but resulting due to the indigenous people’s lifestyle habits, she said.

Her ministry and the newly set up Peatland Restoration Agency (BGR) continue to coordinate to curb forest fires in Papua, which is one of  seven Indonesian provinces being closely monitored.

The ministry sent a team to Papua in January and found local people burning old grass in order to prepare the ground to grow fresh grass for cattle.

Besides, fires were also lit up on purpose along the banks of rivers and lakes to catch fish.

The central and local governments need to inform the communities regarding certain traditional slash and burn methods that are allowed, the minister said.

“It should be firmly ensured that there must be no fire in peatland area, and that it is allowed in other areas with clear restrictions,” she said.

She said use of fire in hunting must be avoided because it could spark a bigger fire.

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The death toll from severe tropical cyclone Winston in Fiji has reached 21 and disaster officials fear this will rise as communications is restored to remote villages.

More than 8000 homeless Fiji people were taking shelter in 50 evacuation centres around the country.

During a media briefing in Suva yesterday, the National Disaster Management Office said there were 20 confirmed deaths.

However, at a later briefing, NDMO director Akapusi Tuifagalele confirmed there had been another death, taking the toll to 21 so far.

The death toll from the monster cyclone is expected to rise still further, reports Dreu Vukailagi for The Fiji Times.

Officials said 8438 people were forced to flee their homes to take shelter in government-designated centres during the height of cyclone.

NDMO’s Tuifagalele said there were nine evacuation centres in the Eastern Division with 121 evacuees, 20 centres in the Central Division housing 1177 evacuees and 22 centres in the Northern Division with 1260 occupants.

In the Western Division, 5880 people from 1032 families are in evacuation centre, reports Losalini Rasoqosoqo.

Rakiraki badly hit
Fiji One News reports that Rakiraki, on north-west Viti Levu, suffered one of its worst ever cyclones.

Getting through and rebuilding their community is the toughest test yet for the province’s people.

Rakiraki village is home to more than 200 families.

For the elderly who have lived in this village for the past 90 years, TS Winston is the strongest they have experienced.

“I have experienced many cyclones but this is the strongest I have come across,” said 90-year-old Ana Vulavono.

“We did not expect the cyclone to be this strong,” said 73-year-old Malili Bete.

Rakiraki village was affected by strong winds for five hours and this was first cyclone experienced by the younger generation.

100 homes lose roofs
In the village, more than 100 homes are without roof tops and walls.

“Like the cyclone in 1972, we went through the same experience on Saturday night,” said 76-year-old Sikeli Naitura

Even at Namu-i-mada village, the situation was dire.

The elders are coming together to assess the full brunt of cyclone Winston.

“This is the worst ever cyclone to hit this village,” said Emosi Naituna.

Na-viti-levu village is also badly affected.

For these people, they were doing all they could before the government assistance would arrive.

New Zealand will send another Defence Force flight to Fiji and provide an extra $1.8 million in funding, said Foreign Minister Murray McCully.

The new funding, announced yesterday, would bring the total contribution to relief efforts following cyclone Winston to more than $2 million.

The category 5 cyclone made landfall on Saturday, with wind gusts of up to 325kmh and average winds of 230kmh.

How New Zealanders can help
New Zealanders can help efforts on the ground by donating to Red Cross’ Pacific Disaster Fund, which ensures New Zealand Red Cross can respond quickly when a cyclone hits. Donate online at: www.redcross.org.nz

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By Michael Neilson in Jakarta

Walk down almost any street in Indonesia and you are bound to find street vendors, selling everything from fried tofu to a fresh new haircut.

Known as “kaki lima”, or five legs, food vendors are a vital part of the Indonesian economy, feeding the city’s workers, and even becoming a point of pride.

They have even been admired for their resilience, following the global financial crisis, and their calmness in the face of last month’s Jakarta terror attacks.

However kaki lima vendors are often evicted from busy precincts such as Jakarta’s old city, or Kota Tua, with authorities claiming they are unhygienic eyesores that clog the streets.

So when Dr Rizal Muslimin, an architecture lecturer at the University of Sydney, needed a practical project for his students he was drawn to the street vendors in Bandung, Indonesia’s third largest city, where he first attended university.

The students were tasked with developing a sustainable street vendor shelter for Jakarta vendors.

Dr Muslimin and his counterpart at the Bandung Institute of Technology, Professor Aswin Indraprahasta, came up with an exchange programme where architecture students would spend a week in Sydney designing shelters for street vendors, and another week in Bandung building and testing them.

Real-life experience
They wanted to challenge their students to use design to address a social issue and also give them rare real-life experience.

A group of six students from Sydney and eight from Bandung took part in the exchange during the last two weeks of January.

They split into groups of three, each with a different brief to design shelter structures that could replace the existing ramshackle designs. The designs were to be not only attractive, but functional and user-friendly. They also had to take into account cost and local materials, with most using bamboo.

Australian student Matthew Naivasha said they created structures that could adapt from serving food in the day to clothes stalls in the evening.

The designs could fold up or incorporate street lamps or poles.

“The vendors felt touched. The government doesn’t like them, doesn’t think they look nice, and so for the Aussies to come and to try and make it a better place, they really appreciated that,” says Arum Larasati, a student at the Bandung Institute of Technology.

The project aligns neatly with Bandung’s “Creative City” concept, promoted by Mayor Ridwan Kamil, which harnesses Bandung’s creative community to make the city more vibrant and liveable.

Dr Muslimin believes the shelters could also be used in markets in Australia.

“The needs of stallholders in Australia’s own community markets are not dissimilar to the Indonesians. They both need something that that is easy to transport and set up and pull down in a short space of time,” says Dr Muslimin.

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Fiji Times editor-in-chief Fred Wesley today praised the people of Fiji for their resilience and courage after severe tropical cyclone Winston punished the country in a “blaze of fury and power” at the weekend.

He described the sudden power the savage storm unleashed on the country as “shocking … frightening”.

Wesley said the daily newspaper had sent out teams of journalists across the country yesterday, leaving at dawn on their mission, to bring back stories and pictures of “five hours of horror” during the category 5 cyclone. Here is his Fiji Times editorial:

By Fred Wesley, editor-in-chief of The Fiji Times

Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston went past us in a blaze of fury and power. Winston left behind a trail of destruction that the State is still assessing and people are still coming to terms with.

The official line is that five people have died in the wake of Winston’s severe beating of many parts of Fiji.

The power Winston unleashed on the country was shocking. We are yet to truly know the extent of its destructive sweep through Fiji.

Picking up strength after Tonga, Winston developed into a massive Category 5 system that was frightening.

It was unpredictable. At first the projected path curved through the Lau Group and pointed to the southwest of Viti Levu. It was expected to pass pretty close to the capital city.

Winston had other ideas. Picking up power, Winston moved straight to the West, cutting through Lau, Lomaiviti, and brushed over Ra before curving down south again. In its wake, it left flattened houses, uprooted trees, roof-less homes, flooding, frightened people, and death.

Scenes of destruction met first responders.

Today we try to bring you a picture of the destruction caused by Winston.

In the face of the horror are tales of heroics intertwined with sadness, frustration, and hope.

We sent teams around the country yesterday. They left at the break of dawn and travelled through scenes of devastation and sadness.

Five hours of horror
They returned with pictures and reports of the five hours of horror many Fijians faced on Saturday night.

It was the strongest cyclone Fiji has faced in recorded history. Many relived their night of terror. They spoke of the sense of frustration and helplessness they faced in their own homes. Perhaps it is apt that we shower all those who are working to bring back normality to the lives of thousands of affected people around the country with acknowledgment.

Everyone from the disaster management teams, relief suppliers, NGOs, various charitable bodies, volunteers and the security forces deserve acknowledgment. As the State machinery picks up pace in disaster relief work, perhaps we all should see Winston as a reminder of the power of nature.

We live in a country prone to cyclones and the wrath of mother-nature. Faced with scenarios they came across yesterday, first responders would have been inspired though by the resilience of the people.

And this is something special about Fijians.

We are resilient. To be greeted with smiles, and offered what little they had in the face of the devastation, would have moved even the toughest man and woman.

As we go about our daily chores today, perhaps it would be appreciated if we gave those less fortunate than us some thought as they try to get back on their feet.

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