Asia Times: Fiji's cyber secession



	February 5, 2000	atimes.com

Oceania

Fiji's cyber secession
By Craig DeSilva

HONOLULU - An anthropologist who has created a web page for Rotumans said the tiny island will always be wrapped in controversy over whether to succeed from Fiji.

Alan Howard is professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and creator of Noa'ia 'e Mauri, a website focused on providing information about Rotuma (http://www.hawaii.edu/oceanic/rotuma/os/hanua.html). He has also written an article on the subject in the Spring 1999 edition of The Contemporary Pacific called "Pacific-Based Virtual Communities: Rotuma on the World Wide Web".

Howard said although he doesn't think it's economically or politically feasible for Rotuma to break away from Fiji and become an independent nation, there is valid argument for the issue to be raised. "There is dissatisfaction in the way development has been slow on the island," said Howard. "But that's not universally shared. Most people are content with being part of Fiji."

The issue of whether Rotuma should succeed from Fiji was raised earlier this week when convicted fraudster David Korem, 46, also known as Mark Pedley, visited the island to draft a constitution to help Rotuma gain independence from Fiji through "a state within a state".

Korem, a Californian, was in Fiji on a visitor's permit. He calls himself the "Head of the House of Elders of the Dominion of Melchizedek". His Filipina wife, Elvira Gamboa, goes under the name "Ms Pearlasia", the president. While the group seems only to exist on the Internet, US officials warn that it is part of a major international fraud, which has been perpetrated worldwide since 1990.

Although Korem is believed to have left Fiji, police there are on alert to deport him if he returns to the country.

Rotuma - home to around 3,000 people - is located 400 kilometers north of Fiji's main islands.

Alan Howard first became interested in Rotuma in 1959, when he first visited the island to do research for his doctorate. Then a 25-year-old graduate student, Howard instantly fell in love with the small volcanic island, which he said is one of the most beautiful places on earth. He has returned at least 10 times in the last 41 years.

His website gets about 60 hits a day. Since there is no Internet access on Rotuma, the site is geared to the 10,000 Rotumans worldwide, many of whom live in New Zealand and Europe. The site is also used by a broadcast news organization in Sydney. "It's a good opportunity to create a cyberspace to share news and post information for Rotumans who want to know the value of their culture," he said.

Howard earlier created an open message board on the website, but had to take it off when people were anonymously posting vulgar messages. Now, those who want to participate in the message board must first register their name and e-mail address with Howard before entering the chat room. "It has lessened the spontaneity of the site, but it has also cut down on a lot of nasty messages," he said. "Rotumans are much happier with it now."

Despite the latest news on the Rotuma succession scheme, Howard said there haven't been many rumblings about it from visitors to the web page. He said many Rotumans are not comfortable about making their opinions publicly known.

Although succession from Fiji is not a popular idea, Howard said the issue is sure to continue. "It's something Rotumans need to discuss to get all the pros and cons out in the open," he said. "Whenever an island has its own distinct language and culture, there will always be a move to be independent."

Pacific Islands Report is a service of the East-West Center and the University of Hawaii. For news in depth, link to the PIR website: http://pidp.ewc.hawaii.edu/pireport