KEY POINTS:
Land and ethnic disputes were the primary security concern in the South Pacific, a parliamentary committee was told yesterday.
Parliament's foreign affairs, defence and trade select committee is holding an inquiry into New Zealand's relationship with the South Pacific.
Yesterday it heard from the New Zealand chapter of Transparency International, a world-wide movement which aims to combat corruption and promote transparent decision-making and accountability.
In its submission to the inquiry, the group said external threats to the Pacific were "currently insignificant".
"Non-traditional threats, mainly in the area of land/ethnic disputes, represent the primary concern. Environmental issues and resource depletion are also factors."
That statement concerned National MP John Hayes, who said external threats could include "the people that are stealing fish from Pacific Island communities".
People enjoying "corrupt practice" in the Solomon Islands to extracttropical timber under the peace imposed by the Regional Assistance Missions to the Solomon Islands (Ramsi) could also be seen as an external threat to that country, Mr Hayes said.
There was also the threat to communities in Papua New Guinea from illegal Asian migrants, now being housed in big compounds, who were entering the country through corrupt immigration officials, he said.
"We've got similar problems in Fiji, Tonga, across the Pacific."
The riots in the Solomon Islands were because of "perceived external bribery and threats" on the part of two Asian countries, Taiwan and China.
It did not "add up" to say external threats to the Pacific were currently insignificant, he said.
A spokesman for the group clarified its report by saying that "traditional external threats" were for many years regarded as foreign forces "prowling" around the Pacific.
But "non-traditional threats ... are now perhaps becoming traditional in their own right".
For instance, the comment had been made that Ramsi was there to keep the peace in the Solomons while Malaysian loggers continued to strip its forests.
"Why is Taiwan paying $58 million to the Solomons Government? Certainly not because they like them."
Rather, Taiwan wanted Solomons fishing resources.
- NZPA
