Over 150 Evicted in ‘MCI OPS’ in Tagabe
More than 150 people, including children had to find shelter last night after police executed a Court order to evict them from the MCI area in Tagabe.
Field Commander, Inspector Willie Amkori said the tenants were given time to move but they failed to comply and at the end of the day, no one is above the law.
Earlier yesterday an urgent application was filled to stay the order but it was refused by the court.
The proceeding was filed to give more time to the residents in the affected area behind MCI in Tagabe to move their belongings.
The applicant — Maliwan Philip of Tanna — who was affected by the eviction order told the court with his lawyer, Erick Molbaleh, that the property they were living in was registered under the name of Ginette Dousseron, the respondent.
But the court noted that property title No. 12/0633/1139, 12/0633/1140 and 12/0633/1141 were the properties of the respondent of this case (both Philip Paget and Mrs Dousseron) and Mr Maliwan Philip has no legal standing in the matter.
“It is hereby ordered that the application to stay the enforcement warrant issued on the August 28, 2018 is not granted,” Deputy Master Aurelie Tamseul said.
“The Sheriff is to proceed with the execution of the enforcement warrant”.
The eviction, dubbed ‘MCI OPS’ was carried out successfully with no physical threats under the supervision of Inspector Amkori and under the watch of more than 15 police and mobile officers who were deployed to remove the occupants off the property.
Daily Post’s investigation has found that the properties were registered under the name of Mrs Dousseron but she had mortgaged the land some years ago and failed to pay back her mortgagee (Bred Bank).
In another enforcement order issued on August 28, 2018, Mrs Dousseron was ordered by the Bank to pay more than Vt8.4 million with an interest of more than Vt3.4 million plus but she failed to do so.
The court then granted Bred Bank the right to seize and sell the titles registered under the name of Mrs Dousseron as the debtor in this case.
The investigation also revealed that Mrs Dousseron sold out the lease NO. 12/0633/1138 to satisfy her other liabilities and failed to payback the Bank as the mortgagee.
In the same matter, Master Cybelle Cenac-Maragh empowered the Mortgagee (Bred) to sell and transfer the leasehold property contained and described as title NO. 12/0633/1139, 12/0633/1140 and 12/0633/1141 on April 26, 2016.
“That pending such sale and transfer the claimant (Bred) as mortgagee or any agents duly authorized by it in writing be empowered to enter the property and acting all respects in the place and on behalf of the proprietor of the leases, and to apply in reduction monies due and owing to the Applicant (Bred) all or any rent received in respect of the said property,” she said.
Yesterday morning when the enforcement officers arrived at the scene, Mrs Dousseron was not around but Inspector Amkori said that she left the previous night before with her belongings.
A Tanna man who wished to remain anonymous said that they lived there before Mrs Dousseron became the proprietor of the property and they lived with her but in the final hours before the eviction, she left.
He said they were living as one community of Tanna, North Efate and Ambae on the property. Part of the community reside inside the affected area, however the eviction has forced the victims to move to the other side.
The community told Daily Post that the unaffected side belongs to Ifira custom landowners and they settled there through some agreements, while others have sought refuge to other relatives in Port Vila suburbs.
A lands officer was also called to the scene yesterday after Philip Paget had wrongly marked the property, compared to the one they had on the map and forced some people who were not supposed to move to demolish their houses out of fear.
They had to build a new house again after the land officer marked the property.
After four hours of eviction, Inspector Amkori handed the property to the new owner at 12.30pm. The victims were allowed on the property to take their possessions and salvage materials to build new shelters.
The Inspector said he is sorry for the victims but police were simply executing court orders.
He appealed to people in similar situations not to wait for police to go and move them off a property, but comply with court orders once they got served.
At the Devil Point Thieves Assault Expat, Steal Gun
A gun has been reported stolen after an attack at the Devil’s Point during an alleged house robbery last weekend, police told Daily Post.
Commander South Superintendent Jackson Noal said police attended the incident and asked communities around the area to cooperate if they saw any suspicious activities and have information that might lead to the suspects.
Mr Noal said no one has been arrested in relation to the attack so far but confirmed that according to eyewitnesses, four people were involved.
That was when the men assaulted him and took the gun.
Superintendent Noal said the owner of the house was on his way to the property due to an earlier call he received from the victim before he was attacked.
He said the victim was not seriously injured but the case itself is a serious by its nature.
He described the incident as ‘brazen and confronting’.
Devil’s Point area has been the location of serious robberies in the past and some cases are still pending investigation. Police said thieves are targeting the expatriate community in the area.
Mr Noal said stealing the gun poses a threat to the communities on Devils Point road and other surrounding communities.
He said police officers are patrolling around the clock and any information to what might give a good trail needed to be reported the police before someone else gets hurt.
The case is now under police investigation but any collaboration or tip-off would be appreciated.
Residents in the Devil’s Point area are advised to remain inside their houses at night and call the police immediately on their toll free line – 111 to report any suspicious activities.
Apakah pariwisata di Pasifik berhasil mengukuhkan pembangunan?
Oleh Joseph Cheer, Stephen Pratt, dan Denis Tolkach, (lewat Jubi )
Citra Kepulauan Pasifik sebagai utopia yang tenteram – surga eksotis di kelilingi lambaian nyiur hijau, pantai berpasir keemasan, dan penduduk lokal yang tersenyum ramah – adalah sisa-sisa zaman kolonial yang masih bertahan sejak kontak pertama mereka di era lalu dengan orang pendatang dari Eropa.
Tema-tema dengan klise yang serupa masih sering terlihat dalam berbagai kampanye pariwisata dan iklan modern untuk mendorong dan menggugah turis asing: ‘Where happiness finds you’ (Fiji), ‘Discover the treasured islands’ (Samoa), ‘Islands the way they use to be’ (Tahiti), ‘A million different journeys’ (Papua Nugini), dan ‘Seek the unexplored’ (Kepulauan Solomon).
Ini adalah wajah yang diciptakan oleh industri pariwisata. Dalam penelitian kami, diterbitkan dalam sebuah artikel baru-baru ini, kami bertujuan untuk menemukan apa yang berada di belakang topeng ini.
Apakah sektor pariwisata berhasil menyumbangkan lebih dari sekadar remah-remah roti, di atas meja makan kepada penduduk Kepulauan Pasifik? Apakah pariwisata telah membantu, atau menghalangi persepsi masyarakat luar mengenai konteks nyata di negara-negara kepulauan Pasifik? Apakah fokus yang terlalu ditekankan kepada sektor pariwisata menutup peluang-peluang lainnya, mengingat ia bisa menjadi jalur ambigu menuju pembangunan?
Status quo
Industri pariwisata di Negara-negara Kepulauan Pasifik (Pacific island countries; PICs) saat ini, berfungsi sebagai industri unggulan dalam prospek ekonomi di wilayah tersebut. Namun, ada beberapa tema utama dan pertanyaan mengenai prospek sebenarnya dari industri ini.
Beberapa tantangan lebih bersifat praktis dan operasional. Perusahaan-perusahaan penerbangan milik negara yang beroperasi secara nasional dan internasional di negara-negara Pasifik, memiliki riwayat gelap dimana sebagian besar dari mereka memerlukan intervensi asing. Tidak seperti destinasi-destinasi Asia Tenggara, kurangnya permintaan pasaran dan persaingan meningkatkan biaya perjalanan udara ke Pasifik sehingga tiket pun sangat mahal.
Tantangan-tantangan lainnya berasal dari daya tarik. Sudah jelas bahwa konteks geopolitik Pasifik akan membawa pengaruh yang kuat pada arus pariwisata di masa depan. Pasar-pasar yang lebih tradisional adalah Australia dan Selandia Baru. Namun, yang masih menjadi pertanyaan adalah apakah tren ini akan berlanjut, atau akan bergeser ke wisatawan asal Tiongkok.
Bagaimanapun juga, dengan meningkatnya aktivitas dan peminat pariwisata dari Tiongkok, ada dua pertanyaan penting yang tersisa untuk dijawab: ‘Apakah wisatawan Tiongkok ingin mengunjungi negara-negara Kepulauan Pasifik?’, dan ‘ Apakah negara-negara PIC siap untuk melayani mereka?’
Dan kemudian ada juga tantangan dalam mencari uang atau pencapaian ekonomi saja. Indikasi keberhasilan industri pariwisata umumnya dikaitkan dengan jumlah kunjungan dan pembelanjaan, yang dilakukan oleh pengunjung internasional selama berada di negara tersebut.
Tetap, penting juga untuk mengakui dampak non-ekonomi, termasuk kepemilikan lahan, kelangsungan sosial, dan kelestarian lingkungan. Efek kebocoran dan keterkaitan dengan sektor lain juga harus diawasi, untuk mengoptimalkan keuntungan ekonomi bagi komunitas pariwisata.
Mengembangkan ketahanan industri pariwisata di komunitas destinasi tujuan itu sangat penting, jika kita ingin mempertahankan cara hidup Pasifik. Ini berarti pada dimensi non-ekonomi, yaitu kesejahteraan dan sumber mata pencaharian seperti melestarikan adat dan tradisi, serta hubungan yang menjadi fondasi suatu masyarakat, yang harus dipertahankan.
Industri pariwisata sebagai penunjang pembangunan
Organisasi-organisasi internasional percaya akan potensi pariwisata di kawasan Pasifik.
Organisasi Pariwisata Dunia PBB (UNWTO) menyatakan tahun 2017 sebagai Tahun Internasional Pariwisata Berkelanjutan untuk Pembangunan, International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, dan menetapkan sejumlah target untuk menghubungkan pariwisata dengan Tujuan Pembangunan Berkelanjutan (SDGs).
Bank Dunia adalah pendukung berat pertumbuhan ekonomi yang dipimpin oleh industri pariwisata, dan aktif menempatkan industri ini sebagai sumber pemasukan utama di Pasifik. Dalam programnya yang dinamai Pacific Possible, Bank Dunia memproyeksikan bahwa pada tahun 2040, kawasan ini dapat mendatangkan 1 juta pengunjung internasional tambahan dengan nilai AS $ 1,8 miliar setiap tahunnya, menghasilkan hingga 128.000 lapangan pekerjaan.
Tetap saja, kekhawatiran tentang pariwisata dan pembangunan sudah ada sejak tahun 1980-an. Diperkirakan bahwa dalam upayanya untuk menyambut pariwisata, PICs akan terjerat dalam suatu sistem global di mana mereka hanya memiliki sedikit kendali. Ahli geografi terkenal, Stephen Britton, berpendapat bahwa peran industri pariwisata dalam mengukuhkan pembangunan sebenarnya masih dipertanyakan.
Sudah jelas bahwa pariwisata memiliki potensi untuk memberikan peluang pemberdayaan kepada masyarakat setempat. Namun, riwayat kesuksesan pariwisata sebagai penunjang pembangunan masih belum terbukti: hal ini hanya dapat dicapai dengan tata kelola yang efektif dan dengan keterlibatan tingkat lokal.
Di balik wajah pariwisata
Di balik argumen ekonomi yang optimis, wajah kampanye pariwisata dan gambar-gambar di media sosial Instagram, ada prospek lain yang mengancam juga turut bermain.
Yang pertama adalah skenario hari kiamat yang terus mendekat: perubahan iklim dan naiknya permukaan laut menunjukkan bencana yang akan terjadi dalam waktu dekat untuk beberapa negara PICs.
Kedua adalah sejumlah halangan yang terus-menerus ada dan tidak pernah berubah, untuk mendorong hasil pembangunan menjadi lebih baik. Meskipun arus bantuan pembangunan asing terus mengalir, kemajuan komunitas Pasifik masih tersendat-sendat. Pembangunan dalam bidang kesehatan dan kesejahteraan masyarakat pun nampaknya sulit untuk dicapai.
Semua bidang itu tetap sama saja meskipun kebijakan pembangunan dengan orientasi pariwisata, terus berkembang selama beberapa dekade terakhir.
Meskipun tidak adil jika kita meletakkan kelambanan dari perkembangan pembangunan di kaki industri pariwisata, kegagalan itu memicu berbagai pertanyaan tentang hipotesis pembangunan yang dipimpin industri pariwisata, gagasan yang didukung oleh Bank Dunia dan mitra-mitra pembangunan utama, Australia dan Selandia Baru.
Kalau bukan pariwisata, lalu apa?
Melihat dampak ekonominya, penduduk Kepulauan Pasifik tampaknya menginginkan lebih banyak pariwisata, bukan lebih sedikit.
Hal ini menunjukkan adanya urgensi dalam menyusun kebijakan dan rezim tata kelola, yang memungkinkan untuk bisa mengatasi kendala-kendala, dan meningkatkan keberhasilan industri pariwisata. Kedua reformasi kebijakan tersebut harus diupayakan dan dipertahankan.
Faktanya adalah ketergantungan pada industri pariwisata itu punya risikonya sendiri. Untuk negara-negara PICs, industri pariwisata memang menawarkan prospek ekonomi paling kuat. Masa depan mereka pun mungkin akan tetap sejalan dengan jalur itu. (The Interpreter Lowy Institute, 21/08/2018)
Tanna Land Dispute: Seven Arrested
A middle-aged man in Middle Bush, Tanna had three of his fingers cut off after an angry mob stormed his village over a land dispute.
Police told Daily Post the mob also burned down a 4 bedroom house and a Four-Wheel Drive vehicle that was used by villagers in the Middle Bush area.
Police also confirmed the arrest of seven men in the village that were allegedly directly involved in the incident.
Lawyer John Less Napuati said the trio are from one grouping. The other four who are still on remand are from the other disputing party.
Information relating to the attack is still sketchy but sources in the village back in Lamnatu said the fight stems from a long-time land dispute between the two families well before independence.
They said a group went to clear a garden in an area inside the disputed land and this sparked tension.
Reports said the unhappy party came to meet and solve the issue with the group who cleared the garden, but a fight broke out.
They said the matter is now under the control of police and the chiefs but the tension remains.
The dispute is said to be between the tribes of Natiang, Niere and Yauko.
The villagers said the matter has been an outstanding issue for a very long time and there were many custom meetings but they couldn’t resolve the issue. They said in the past there was a major dispute between the people of Lamnatu and Lamlu. This issue has been resolved.
The current issue a serious in-house dispute and the authorities in the village must look at ways to resolve it.
The last major land dispute in the same area around three years ago resulted in an old man knifed down in the village and three men in the community sentenced to lengthy imprisonment sentences.
Police told Daily Post that the area is gaining a reputation of having violent people.
They said the matter is now in the hands of the police and some police officers have been deployed to Tanna to help with the investigations.
Ambae is in crisis
Yesterday’s report that people refused to board an evacuation ship to Maewo only underlines the difficulty of communicating and supporting this massive and long-term relief effort.
Yet few of us are properly focused what is clearly becoming a crisis. People are everywhere on the issue. Some are vehement in their demands that we cover the slow-moving disaster more closely. Others tell us not to dwell on people’s misery. Some say they’re not being listened to. Others say they’re not speaking through proper channels.
Some people blamed a film crew for exacerbating the volcano when they walked to the summit of Mt Lombenben. They did perform a kastom ceremony and received permission from the chiefs of the village they departed from. It’s hard to accept, but it’s in the public interest.
We have to be frank and honest about the situation. We also have to be inclusive.
A delegation of Ambaeans that came to the Daily Post office this week represented a significant number of people. No matter what their formal status, they need access to authorities in order to ensure that their concerns and ideas are being heard.
That’s happening, but not consistently. We sent a request to discuss this issue to the Prime Minister’s office, but received no response. Speaking informally, however, more than one high-ranking source has expressed impatience with people demanding to be heard. That’s understandable, but not helpful.
The government needs to be communicating more, not less. They need to be listening more, not less. They need to be offering more options, not fewer.
Yes, it’s difficult, and resources are already stretched, but it’s clear that the level of support being offered in Maewo is not sufficient to handle the few who are already there. The government’s own emergency response team recommended removing the children who are staying in Gambule and Nasawa schools. These medical professionals report that the children are undergoing a ‘traumatic experience’.
The discontent is only going to grow unless authorities focus more resources on the problem, and apply them with greater transparency. Confusion abounds. Reports have circulated of teachers being falsely informed that their salaries will be withheld if they don’t embark their students. Donated shipments of goods are reportedly sitting undelivered on the wharf. Witnesses tell us that even the government workers on the island are at their wits end.
In response to this, the government has issued a number of statements and directives. Some of these statements lack detail, some lack clarity, and many don’t address the numerous different alternatives being considered by Ambaeans.
Some islanders want to stay, and feel they can. Some want to leave, and return later. Some realise they’re never going home. There is no single solution. And there is no range of solutions that will please everybody all the time. There are some people who will have to be forced to accept a change in circumstances. It’s painful to say so, but it’s the simple truth.
The people and the government of Vanuatu have always excelled at helping each other out when times are tough. We know how to respond to immediate need.
But this crisis is entirely different from a cyclone, tsunami or earthquake. And it is clear that our response so far has been insufficient. That applies on all sides.
Ambaeans need to find a way to speak with a unified voice. That hasn’t happened yet.
The government needs to prepare a mandate to listen to that voice. The current communications channels are simply not working. There is a growing and disturbing amount of discontent surrounding this crisis. And regardless of the legal correctness of the current protocol, it’s not addressing some pretty important concerns.
For better or for worse, Maewo is simply not working as an alternative for too many Ambaeans. You can argue all you like about the whys and the wherefores. The reality is that it’s not sufficient to point to one location and refuse assistance to people seeking an alternative.
Everyone in this nation—media included—needs to stop acting like the frog in the boiling pot. We’ve got to accept that we’ve got a national crisis on our hands, and focus on coping with it.
Source: Vanuatu Daily Post,
Fiji will continue lead in Pacific climate campaign
NICOLETTE CHAMBERS, Fiji Times
FIJI will be continuing its lead in the Pacific campaign in addressing the impact of climate change and will also use its leadership position to advance climate talks on the international stage.
This was mentioned by Fiji’s Head of Mission to the European Union and COP23 Climate Envoy to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Ambassador Deo Saran at a conference in Hanover, Germany, on Climate Change Adaptation in Small Islands Developing States.
He also highlighted on the vulnerability of Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) saying that “these extreme weather patterns impede economic development, hamper residents’ ability to access clean water, and destroy the soil that nations rely on for agriculture and fundamental food security”.
“As the region of the world that is destined to bear the worst brunt of the effects of climate change, we have been given a crucial platform to put, not just Fiji’s case, but also that of other small islands developing states that are impacted by climate change,” Mr Saran said.
“Pacific islands leaders meeting at the Pacific Islands Development Forum summit in 2015 issued the Suva Declaration, a call to the world to take firmer action on climate change.
“Fiji has a Green Growth Plan and has aggressively pursued and implemented policies to promote sustainable development in the country, all while partnering with the private sector and international organisations to elevate the issue on the global stage.”
Associate Professor at the University of the South Pacific (USP) Dr Joeli Veitayaki who was also present at the event said that while the human, social, environmental and economic costs of inaction or insufficient action were unacceptable, the Pacific Island states were moving forward with plans aimed at adapting and creating greater resilience to climate change.
Efate Custom Governance pilot site launched
Custom governance implementation pilot launching for Efate has taken place at Emua village, North Efate.
The launching followed the launching of the Malo and Ambae pilot sites and it will be followed by the launching of the Tanna pilot site in early August.
The President of Malvatumauri council of chiefs, Chief Seni Mao Tirsupe, is leading the launching of the pilot sites with the goal of returning the importance of custom governance to the islands.
As part of the importance of enforcing two important legislation for dealing with land disputes, the Customary Land Management Act and the Land Reform (Amendment) Act, the Government has put the responsibility on the shoulders of the President of Malvatumaiuri.
And it is his duty to tell the chiefs in the islands of their duties and responsibilities to support the pilot sites program.
Malvatumairi Chief Executive Officer, Jean-Pierre Tom, explains that the work of the pilot sites will be to implement the 19 resolutions of Malvatumauri, which constitute the road map of the institution.
The work involves identifying the area and village custom boundaries of islands, true and rightful chiefs of villages and sacred sites of the islands so that Malvatumauri through the Customary Land Management Office (CLMO) can deal with land issues that keep coming up with major challenges to resolution as seen from past experiences.
He says they plan to complete the program on the four islands this year and to move to other islands next year and following years.
National Coordinator of the Customary Land Management Office, Alicta Vuti, says experience has shown that after the new legislation, the Customary Land Management Act and Land Reform (Amendment) Act, came to being, the office is still having difficulty administering the acts.
This he says is due to governance challenges.
“So, this is the right time the governance project through the 19 resolutions that is now kicked off, it gives us some hope at the CLMO that through this initiative/program it will open the way for the work of land matters to progress to much without hindrance,” he adds.
President of Malvatumairi, Chief Tirsup, was represented at the Efate pilot site launching in his absence by Executive member of Malvatumauri and President of Port Vila Council of Chief Isaac Worwor.
Also present were representatives of the Minister of Justice and Community Services and the Minister of Lands, who also could not attend due to other commitments, the CEO of Malvatumairi, National Coordinator of the Land Management Office, and all the chiefs of Vaturisu council of chiefs of Efate. Leaders of Shefa Provincial Government Council also witnessed the launching.
Jonas Cullwick, a former General Manager of VBTC is now a Senior Journalist with the Daily Post. Contact: jonas@dailypost.vu. Cell # 678 5460922
Declared Port Vila land owners visit President
On Monday last week the declared custom land owners of the land Port Vila town has been built on met President Obed Tallis to officially inform him of the declaration.
The declaration was reportedly made in May last year by the Efate Island Court last year.
During the meeting with the Head of State, the delegation presented the green certificate for the land that was issued by the Customary Land Management Office.
With this assurance, the President told the delegation that the people of Efate have a good heart to allow people to settle on their land.
He said the development pace of Efate today is testament that reflects the good nature of Efate people.
The President thanked people of Efate for allowing people from other islands to reside in areas like Teouma and Etas.
Ambae’s volcano up close
Vanuatu Daily Post – An exclusive peek into the mouth of Ambae’s volcano. This image, exclusive to the Daily Post, was taken last week when a team trekked up to the summit of mount Lombenben and flew a drone directly over the smoking crater.
The team reported that the landscape on the summit and its approaches had been completely transformed by month’s of ashfall. All roads to west Ambae are cut. Massive mud flows have utterly erased the roads in two locations, the team reported. The entire west side of the island is now accessible only by sea or by air.
The team trekked eight hours to the summit, through a landscape made desolate by the volcano. They report widespread damage and massive disruption to the local population.
They will be presenting their findings to the National Disaster Management Unit later today. The Daily Post will be following up with extensive coverage of the disaster.