New Zealanders stuck among riots and civil unrest in New Caledonia’s capital say they feel abandoned by their own country, having received little help from the government.

Nouméa descended into chaos on Monday, with clashes between indigenous Kanak pro-independence protesters and French security forces.

They were sparked by anger at a proposed new law that would allow French residents who have lived there for more than 10 years to vote — which critics say will weaken the Kanak vote.

Since then, five people have died, including two police officers, and hundreds have been injured in the French Pacific territory.

Late on Friday there were reports of clashes between police and rioters around a domestic airport near Nouméa, as New Caledonia’s capital entered its fourth night under curfew.

Local media reported rioters on the airfield at Magenta airport threw hammers and stones at police, and police responded with tear gas and stun grenades.

Police warned the military was authorised to use lethal weapons if they could not contain the situation otherwise. A local told RNZ Pacific the Kanaks were not going to back down, and things could get “nasty” in the coming days if the army could not contain the crisis.

New Zealanders feeling marooned
Four friends from North Canterbury landed in Nouméa on Monday as part of a “lifetime dream” trip.

Shula and Wolf Guse, and Sarah and William Hughes-Games, were celebrating Shula’s birthday and Sarah and William’s 40th wedding anniversary.

But fresh off their flight, it became clear their celebrations would not be going ahead.

“As we left the airport, there were blocks just everywhere . . . burning tyres, and people stopping us, and lots of big rocks on the road, and branches, and people shouting, waving flags,” Shula Guse said.

They wanted to get out of there, but had barely heard a peep from New Zealand government organisation SafeTravel, Sarah Hughes-Games said.

“All they’ve done is send us a . . .  general letter, nothing specific,” she said.

“We’ve contacted the New Zealand Consulate here in Nouméa, and they are closed. This is the one time they should be open and helping people.”

It was not good enough, she said.

“We’ve basically been just abandoned here, so we’re just feeling a little bit fed up about the situation, that we’ve just been left alone, and nobody has contacted us.”

It was unclear when they would be able to leave.

Struggling to find food
Meanwhile, another person told RNZ they had family stuck in Nouméa who had registered on SafeTravel, but had heard nothing more from the government. They were struggling to find food and were feeling uneasy, they said.

“They don’t know where to go now and there seems to be no help from anywhere.”

Air New Zealand confirmed it was forced to cancel its upcoming flights between Nouméa and Auckland on Saturday and Monday, with the airport in Nouméa closed until at least Tuesday.

“Even when the airport does reopen, Air New Zealand will only operate into Nouméa when we can be assured that the airport is safe and secure, and that there is a safe route for our ground staff and customers to reach the airport,” it said.

MFAT in ‘regular contact’ with impacted New Zealanders
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it had activated its emergency crisis system, and consular officials in Nouméa were in regular contact with impacted New Zealanders, New Caledonia authorities, and “international partners”.

The Consulate-General was open, but staff were working remotely because it was hard to get around, it said. Those who needed immediate consular assistance should contact the 24/7 Consular Emergency line on +64 99 20 20 20.

“An in-person meeting was held for a large group of New Zealanders in Nouméa yesterday [Thursday, 16 May 16] and further meetings are taking place today,” a spokesperson said.

“Consular officials are also proactively attempting to contact registered New Zealanders in New Caledonia to check on their situations, and any specific health or welfare concerns.

“Regular SafeTravel messages are also being sent to New Zealanders — we urge New Zealanders to register on SafeTravel to receive direct messages from consular officials.”

The ministry was also speaking regularly with New Caledonian authorities about airport operations and access, and access to critical supplies like food and medicine.

“New Zealanders in New Caledonia should stay in place and avoid all protests, monitor local media for developments, and comply with any instructions and restrictions issued by local authorities.”

There are currently 219 New Zealanders registered on SafeTravel as being in New Caledonia.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report the government was doing all it could to get New Zealanders home.

That could include using the Air Force, he said.

The Defence Force confirmed there had been discussions with officials.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Worried New Caledonian expats in Aotearoa admit they are “terrified” for friends and family amid ongoing violence and civil unrest in the French Pacific territory.

The death toll remained at four tonight, and hundreds have been injured after electoral changes sparked widespread rioting by pro-independence supporters in the capital of Nouméa.

French President Emmanuel Macron has declared a 12-day state of emergency and about 1200 police enforcements are due to arrive from France.

Many worried locals have been confined to their homes.

New Zealand-based New Caledonians have explained how the situation in their homeland has left them on edge.

Pascale Desrumaux and her family have been in Auckland for two years.

With parts of the country in turmoil, she said she was scared for her family and friends back home in Nouméa.

“I’m terrified and I’m very stressed,” Desrumaux said.

“[My family] are afraid for their lives.”

‘Locked in’
The precarious situation is illustrated by the fact her family cannot leave their homes and neighbouring stores have been ransacked then torched by protesters.

“They are locked in at the moment, so they can’t move — so they feel anxiety of course,” Desrumaux said.

“On top of that, shortly they will run out of food.

“The situation is complex.”

Desrumaux is checking in with family members every few hours for updates.

Amid the current climate, she said she had mixed emotions about being abroad.

“This shared feeling of being relieved to be here in New Zealand and grateful because my kids and husband are not in danger,” she said.

“At the same time I feel so bad for my friends and family over there.”

‘A beautiful place’
She stressed her home country remained “a beautiful place” and hoped the crisis could be resolved peacefully.

Fellow Auckland-based New Caledonian Anais Bride said she had been left distraught by what was unfolding.

In the past 48 hours, her parents have vacated their Nouméa home to stay with Bride’s sister as tensions escalated.

Based on her conversations with loved ones, she said that international news coverage had not fully conveyed the fluid crisis facing citizens on the ground.

“It took my mother a little while for her to accept the fact that it was time to leave, because she wanted to stay where she lives.

“My sisters’ just told her ‘at the end of the day, it’s just your house, it’s material’.

“It’s been hard for my parents.”

One supermarket standing
She said there was only one supermarket left standing in Nouméa, with many markets destroyed by fire.

Kevin, who did not want his surname to be published, is another New Caledonian living in New Zealand.

While his family has not seen much unrest first hand, explosions and smoke were constant where they were, he said.

He said it was hard to predict how the unrest could be straightened out.

“It’s hard to tell,” he said.

“The most tragic thing of course is the four deaths, and many businesses have been burned down so many people will lose their job.

“The main thing is how people rebuild connections, peace and of course the economy.”

‘Timely exit’ from Nouméa
Christchurch woman Viki Moore spent a week in New Caledonia before making a “timely exit” out of Nouméa on Monday as civil tension intensified.

“There was a heavy police presence out at the airport with two [armoured vehicles] at the entrance and heavily armed military police roaming around.

“Once we got into the airport we were relieved to be there in this sort of peaceful oasis.

“We didn’t really have a sense of what was still to come.”

She admitted that she did not fully comprehend the seriousness of it until she had left the territory.

Warnings for travellers
Flights through Nouméa are currently grounded.

Air New Zealand said it was monitoring the situation in New Caledonia, with its next flight NZ932 from Auckland to Nouméa still scheduled for Saturday morning.

Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer Captain David Morgan said this “could be subject to change”.

“The safety of our passengers, crew, and airport staff is our top priority and we will not operate flights unless their safety can be guaranteed,” he said.

“We will keep passengers updated on our services and advise customers currently in Nouméa to follow the advice of local authorities and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The revelation that police have carried out what is believed to be one of Fiji’s biggest drug busts after a surprise raid in Nadi at the weekend is a wake-up call for us all.

Acting Police Commissioner Juki Fong Chew yesterday confirmed the raid and that substantial amounts of white drugs were seized.

The tip off, he said, came from Nausori, subsequently allowing officers to conduct a raid at a warehouse in the West. It is arguably one of the biggest haul in Fiji. As investigations continue, one thing is certain.

This is a national issue, and it is big. It’s a chilling wake-up call, exposing something we have been seeing glimpses of over the years. It is difficult to shrug aside the fact that the drug trade is a major challenge for us as a nation.

We have been talking about the consequences, which are far reaching, and threatening the very fabric of life as we know it.

Addiction is a major challenge we face as well and given the fact that we do not have well equipped rehabilitation centres, we are staring at a blankwall, and that places us in a rather frightening situation.

The impact of drug addiction on the family structure, on society and our country are not good at all.

The minds of tourists
The last thing we want is for our country to lose its shine on the minds of tourists because of a drug challenge. We look up to the powers that be to put in place measures that will assist in the fight against drugs, and addiction.

That is why we have been pushing for rehabilitation centres and for people to be trained to work in these facilities. In saying that, we are encouraged by this latest revelation.

There is a glimmer of hope when such events happen because they take a swipe at the illicit trade. While it is a testament to the efforts and the vigilance of the police, we are still reminded about the fact that we have a problem!

In this instance, awareness is key. Educational campaigns targeted at youth, families, and communities must dispel the myths and expose the brutal reality of drugs.

We also need to be talking, and assisting Fijians make informed choices.

We need those rehabilitation centres set up urgently, and equipped by trained professional staff.

Then there are the social challenges that range from poverty, and unemployment to consider.

This is not just a matter for the police to deal with. It’s a fight we all must participate in. It is for our future!

This editorial was published in The Fiji Times today under the title of “Drug challenge”.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The board chair of the Office of Hawai’ian Affairs says the Maui wildfires were caused in part by climate change and colonisation.

Carmen Lindsey said as kānaka (Native Hawai’ians), no words could describe the devastation of the losses in Lāhainā, the former capital of the Hawai’ian Kingdom, on the island of Maui.

“The fires of today are in part due to the climate crisis, a history of colonialism in our islands, and the loss of our right to steward our ʻāina and wai,” she said.

“Today we have watched our precious cultural assets, our physical connection to our ancestors, our places of remembering — all go up in smoke.

“The same Western forces that tried to erase us as a people now threaten our survival with their destructive practices.”

She said the Office of Hawai’ian Affairs was ready to help with community needs.

The Wiwoʻole #MauiStrong benefit concert on Saturday will raise essential disaster relief funds to support and sustain the victims of the wildfires.

‘Born out of activism’
The Office of Hawai’ian Affairs is a semi-autonomous state agency responsible for improving the wellbeing of native Hawai’ians, for example by annually providing Native Hawai’ian students $500,000 in scholarship money.

It says it was “born out of activism in the 1970s to right past wrongs suffered by Native Hawai’ians for over 100 years”.

According to the 2019 US Census Bureau estimate, about 355,000 Native Hawai’ians or Pacific Islanders reside in Hawai’i, out of a total population of about 1.4 million.

At least 110 people are confirmed dead, while many others remain missing.

But Hawai’i Governor Josh Green told CNN the number of residents still unaccounted for was “probably still over 1000”.

Help from American Samoa
Six members of the American Samoa National Park Service Fire crew are mobilising to respond to the fires.

In partnership with Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, the National Park of American Samoa trains staff and local villagers in the skills required to fight fires at home and within other areas of the United States.

The fire crew is made up of National Park Service employees, and employees of the American Samoa government and local businesses.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Epidemiologist Sir David Skegg, who along with his team has been providing advice to the New Zealand government on the covid-19 response, says more border restrictions may ease soon, as the opposition National Party calls for all visitors to be allowed into the country.

Yesterday, the government announced that from 11.59pm on Wednesday, vaccinated New Zealanders returning to the country and who test negative on pre-departure will no longer have to self-isolate on arrival.

The move brings forward step two of the phased reopening of the border, but the National Party says that does not go far enough and is calling for the border to be open to all visitors, to jump-start the tourism industry.

The government relied on urgent advice from the Strategic Covid-19 Public Health Advisory Group — chaired by Sir David — before making the changes.

Sir David told Morning Report the next few weeks were expected to be very challenging on the health system as the peak of the omicron outbreak evolves, so it was best to wait until then before making decisions about opening to tourists.

“We still don’t know where it’s going to end. The number of people going into hospital every day is increasing, so I’m not surprised that they’re [the government] just going to take a bit of time to decide about that, but I expect that tourists will be welcome to New Zealand earlier than we expected,” he said.

“And it’s funny everyone calls for certainty, but actually this is a case where the uncertainty has been beneficial to those interests because the dates are coming forward.”

Tourism industry planning
However, National Party Covid-19 response spokesperson Chris Bishop told Morning Report that the tourism industry needed that certainty from now to plan ahead.

“If you talk to people involved in the tourism industry, they are literally borrowing money on their credit cards, mortgaging their houses to try and get through. And so what we can do for them is reconnect New Zealand to the world, open those borders, and allow tourists to come here,” he said.

“You’re probably not going to see a massive influx of tourists straight away in the next two to three, four weeks, you know, airlines have got to put flights on.

“But it is really important that we send signal to the airlines and to the airport that tourists are going to come and they’re going to come soon because airlines are making those bookings for the next few months and the next year right now so they do need some certainty, they do need that time frame.”

Bishop said while there would be some risk in such a decision, it was about considering the “relative risk”.

“The relative risk of allowing people who are vaccinated, who have passed the pre-departure test, to arrive into New Zealand, going into a country with one of the highest reproduction rates in the world right now and with 15,000 covid cases per day, the relative risk is much lower.

“But you’ve also got to weigh that up against the incredibly tough circumstances that our tourist parts of the economy have been in over the last two years.”

‘Minimal effect’ on NZ
On the other hand, Bishop said yesterday’s announcement was undoubtedly good news for the grounded New Zealanders who would be excited to once again be able to see their friends and whānau here.

Sir David said the changes announced yesterday would only have a “minimal effect” on New Zealand’s situation.

“The impact of this on the progress of our epidemic in New Zealand will be very small, really quite slight. The fact is that we’ve got thousands of new cases occurring every day … the number of people turning up at the airport who are infected at the moment it’s an average of about 10 a day.

“That number will go up, of course, with more people coming into New Zealand, but it will have a minimal effect on our epidemic.”

The government has asked the advisory group to now review the role of vaccine passes and mandates for the future.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The Wellington region moved to alert level 2 at 6pm today after an Australian tourist who visited the New Zealand capital on the weekend tested positive for covid-19 on his return to Sydney.

Wellington, Wairarapa and Kāpiti Coast are now at alert level 2 until 11.59pm on Sunday but the rest of the country remains at alert level 1.

Cabinet is expected to review the alert level settings again on Sunday.

The Sydney man and his partner flew into Wellington on flight QF163 arriving in the capital shortly after midnight on Saturday and returned to Sydney at 10.13am on Monday.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said in a briefing this afternoon the man had worked at a healthcare centre in Bondi where a positive covid-19 case was seen and the information suggests that it is likely he was infected before travelling to New Zealand.

The man had one dose of AstraZeneca vaccine about 10 weeks ago and thoroughly used the Covid Tracer App while in New Zealand, Hipkins said.

When the person left Sydney there were only four community cases of the virus, though that had since grown significantly. Because of the links to Bondi, New Zealand officials are working under the assumption they have the Delta variant.

Quarantine-free travel paused
Quarantine-free travel with New South Wales had already been paused at 11.59pm last night, for at least 72 hours, but that was before officials were notified about the positive case.

The Wellington covid-19 scare. Video: RNZ News

Alert level 2 means people can go to school and work but should follow public health measures and consider others around them.

• If you are sick, stay home. Do not go to work or school. Do not socialise.
• If you have cold, flu or covid-19 symptoms, call your doctor or Healthline on 0800 358 5453 and get advice about being tested.
• If you have been told to self-isolate you legally must do so immediately and call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for advice on testing

Alert level 2 conditions also mean no gatherings of more than 100 people, strict rules on hospitality and social distancing.

Testing centre booked out as demand spikes
The Ministry of Health advises people who have been at locations of interest in Wellington to call Healthline, but this afternoon an answering machine stated that due to “exceptional call volumes” the call could not be answered telling callers that further information was available online.

People on social media have been complaining about extremely long wait times if they do get through.

A central Wellington covid-19 testing site in Taranaki Street this afternoon prioritised people with symptoms or who had been at locations of interest today.

At times today there were up to 100 people queuing from Taranaki Street around the corner onto Arthur Street, and dozens of cars were driving through the testing clinic.

Many were being turned away if they had not booked a time to be tested, and were handed information to call Healthline by the staff managing the site.

This evening Capital and Coast District Health Board (DHB) confirmed the centre was already fully booked for tomorrow, though other centres would be available.

A new testing centre opened at Hataitai Park Netball courts this afternoon and the DHB said testing was still available there tomorrow, as well as at primary care facilities.

A GP clinic testing in Karori said it had done about 10 times its usual number of tests.

Locations of interest
The Ministry of Health issued a list of locations visited by the tourist on Saturday and Sunday.

People who visited some locations are being advised to get a test immediately and self isolate for the full 14 days.

That includes the 600 people who visited the Surrealist Exhibition at Te Papa Tongarewa from 4pm to 5.45pm on Saturday, June 19. The national museum closed for a deep clean and up to 2500 visitors and staff may be required to isolate.

Whitby Collegiate School closed for the remainder of the week as a precaution after holding its senior school ball at Te Papa on Saturday night. Eight of its staff were there to set up for the ball at the same time as the new case visited, and their absence would also mean reduced staffing.

People who visited Jack Hackett’s Irish Bar on the corner of Taranaki Street and Inglewood Place on June 19 between 8.45pm and 12am are also being advised to get a test immediately and self isolate for the full 14 days.

The list includes Wellington restaurants and cafes Floridita’s, Lido, Pickle & Pie, One Red Dog and Highwater Eatery at certain times on either Saturday or Sunday.

The tourist stayed at the Rydges Hotel in Featherston Street which is also on the ministry’s list.

Four close contacts of the person have been identified, two are in Palmerston North and two are in Tauranga. All four are isolating and returned negative initial Covid-19 tests today.

Some 58 passengers who came into New Zealand from Sydney early on Saturday morning are considered close contacts and will have been contacted, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said.

They would all have been notified last night and will be ringing Healthline directly.

• Updates on the locations of interest are on the Ministry of Health website here.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Pacific Media Watch Newdesk

A Kiwi photographer was stabbed last week during a roadside robbery in Papua New Guinea.

Colin Monteath, 71, and Australians Chris Hoy and Greg Mortimer had all their belongings stolen near the city of Mt Hagen while on their way to visit the popular destination Rondon Ridge Lodge, reports the Otago Daily Times.

Their car was stopped at a road block by six people armed with knives and axes.

READ MORE: PNG police minister to use social media to keep citizens safe

Monteath sustained machete wounds to his wrist when he refused to hand over his camera gear.

He survived because the weapon directly struck his wristwatch, which shattered upon impact, reports stuff.co.nz.

After the attack, a local woman helped find their car keys which had been thrown in the jungle.

They then drove to Mt Hagen Hospital where Monteath received surgery on his wrist and was discharged that same day, June 5.

At least six men have been arrested after the local community helped track them down.

Most of the stolen equipment was also recovered and returned.

Monteath told stuff.co.nz that the locals were very helpful and apologetic and he still loved Papua New Guinea despite what happened.

Australian Greg Mortimer said the incident was unfortunate but there are bad people all over the world, reports the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier.

Trans Niugini Tours owner Bob Bates, who runs Rondon River Lodge where the victims had been heading, said nothing like this attack had ever happened in the 13 years of their operation.

“It is just disgusting that the elderly tourists would be attacked the way the three men were,” Mr Bates said.

Monteath is a Christchurch based polar and alpine photographer who has been taking international geographic photos for magazines and books since 1973.

After returning to New Zealand, he told his family, “Unless you’re defending your family, never ever defend any material goods,” reports stuff.co.nz.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz