Correspondent's Notebook

Criticism and confusion over Fiji’s future

27 February 2009

Over the past two week’s Fiji’s coup leader, and interim prime minister has been in a war of words with his critics.

On a speaking tour of Australia ousted Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, has told crowds the Commodore and his cabinet are sending Fiji broke. And in a sign of disunity among Pacific nations, the prime minister of Samoa accused him of lying. In response, the Commodore has hinted Mr Qarase will be banned from leaving Fiji again, and declared Samoa’s PM is unpacific.

All this is happening as a result of Commodore Bainimarama’s refusal to allow a return to democracy. Pacific Correspondent Campbell Cooney has been in Fiji for the past week reporting and broadcasting for Radio Australia, and he filed this report.

A rebuilt Banda Aceh faces new challenges

13 February 2009

The massive task of reconstructing Banda Aceh is drawing to a close, with $US4.5 billion spent on it since the devastating tsunami in 2004.

But Australia Network’s Jakarta correspondent, Gavin Fang, also finds that Indonesia’s Aceh province is facing political and economic challenges that go beyond disaster-relief.

Desperate limbo for Rohingya asylum seekers

6 February 2009

In a week that saw multi-billion dollar economic stimulus packages and the intensifying conflict in Sri Lanka, one of the most disturbing news stories was the plight of almost 200 ethnic Rohingya asylum seekers from Burma.

They were rescued this week off the coast of Sumatra and taken to an Aceh hospital to recover.

Australia Network’s Jakarta correspondent, Gavin Fang, visited the refugees to try to verify their claims.