The independent Solomons

Press, 18 July 1978, Page 16

The independent Solomons

Among all the regions of the world, the South Pacific has the greatest number of emerging nations The independence celebrations of the Solomons have been added to a string of such ceremonies across the Pacific. Tuvalu, once known as the Ellice Islands, will become independent on October 1 this year: the Gilberts, which once formed a group with Tuvalu, are likely to become independent in the first half of next year: and the New Hebrides will probably attain their final independence in 1980. The Micronesian islands, now American trust territories, are likely to receive some constitutional independence one day and this will leave the French possessions in the Pacific as the only groups without independence. New Zealand will have two representatives in the Solomons and plans have already been made to increase New Zealand’s aid contributions from the $323,000 in the last financial year to about $500,000. The Solomons have already had observers at meetings of the South Pacific Forum and will become a full member when the forum meets in Niue later this year. Honiara, the capital of the Solomons, will one day become the headquarters of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Agency set up by the forum to co-ordinate fisheries research and policies throughout the Pacific. Some of New Zealand’s trade with Asia passes through the Solomons. In

another way the Solomons form a bridge for New Zealand. Apart from Papua New Guinea most of New Zealand’s close links with Pacific islanders have been with Polynesians. Papua New Guinea and the Solomons are peopled mainly by Melanesians. The Solomons should have a brighter future than some other Pacificcountries. The Solomons do not have the poverty of Tonga and Western Samoa. Some bauxite deposits have been found, and exports include timber, palm oil, and the inevitable copra. Fisheries also hold some hope. Japanese investment has been attracted to the Solomons and Britain plans to hand over about $4O million to its former colony. The 200,000 people live on a fairly extensive land area and overpopulation is not a problem. Reports since the independence celebrations have shown that there is a good deal of dissension among the islanders. New states rarely avoid some friction. The closeness of the islands of Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea, has inspired the suggestion that Bougainville might become part of the Solomons. Little is likely to come of this; talk of secession in Bougainville, once strong, has quietened recently. Given support and freedom from interference, the new State of the Solomons has a fair chance of success and already has the elements of economic viability.