STRICTLY 4 THE ISLANDS: WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IN THE MOANA

 Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney

WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IN THE MOANA

The Rock’s horrific wig in the live-action Moana was not the only distressing thing in the Pacific news landscape this month. Movies I don’t plan on watching because they look AI generated aside, there is much to be discussed about the ever-changing ocean we all inhabit. So let's run down some of the significant stories from July, from further escalations in occupied West Papua to even more security agreements.

But first, critical minerals. This resource remains at the forefront of Donald Trump’s mind, and not too long ago the USA revealed their intentions to begin mining for them in one of their Pacific island territories—American Sāmoa. Nothing is concrete as of yet—the waters around the islands have only proposed a lease to those interested to begin the mining. But the idea has had quite a bit of opposition, with around 70,000 comments being submitted in opposition as of writing this. Of course, people opposing this can only do so much. According to Maria Hernandez, of the Micronesia Climate Change Alliance in Guam, the Pacific peoples who live within the American territories struggle to compete with the power and decision making process of the government in Washington; “When decisions about our communities' sacred waters and ecosystems are made in Washington without equal representation, it exposes the undemocratic system imposed across the US territories.” China has long held a strong grip on the market for these minerals, but as the competition between powers grows, the USA seems hellbent on creating a new supply pipeline for itself. Its Pacific territories remain an attractive solution, but the environmental impacts could be massive, and the benefits for the island nations who will bear the brunt of these impacts have yet to show themselves.

The Prime Minister of independent Sāmoa, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataʻivao Schmidt, was in New Zealand recently on his first official visit since his election win in 2025. He met with Christopher Luxon and an audience of 700 Samoan seasonal workers, discussing key issues such as labour mobility and trade. The Regional Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, which provides pathways for people from overseas to gain the right to work in NZ, was at the forefront of the conversation. Things like the RSE provide many Pacific families with employment opportunities that could otherwise be hard to come by, and those RSE workers in attendance at meetings in Hawke’s Bay and other regions provided feedback on the quality of the conditions. Schemes such as these have often become hotbeds for migrant exploitation in Aotearoa as well as abroad, so any step where those involved can provide their thoughts is a welcome development.

Regional issues were, of course, also discussed. No word seems to be said on the deals as Australia, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea have made regarding mutual defence, but it’s hard to imagine this wouldn’t have come up if the pair got a moment to themselves. Sāmoa doesn’t actually have its own military, and relies on countries like NZ for that assistance already, but that doesn’t rule out their involvement in the ever-changing security landscape of the region. Security for Sāmoa also includes their growing meth issue, something affecting many other neighboring countries. On July 24, over 20 people were arrested in Togafu’afu’a during a police raid that saw police confiscate four drums and two containers of what they suspect is methamphetamine. Other nations like Fiji have sought cooperation to combat this crisis, and meth remains a huge issue in Aotearoa as well.

In the wake of this changing security relationship in the Pacific, NZ and PNG have agreed to strengthen cooperation concerning defence. The Statement of Intent on Defence Cooperation 2026-2029 was signed between the two nations, which will allow for further collaboration between the NZ and PNG defence forces among other things. This follows a similar deal signed with PNG and Australia as well as a separate one with Australia and Fiji. These deals allow countries to collaborate further on maritime security issues like drug smuggling and the protection of fisheries, while also keeping Chinese influence at bay. PNG Prime Minister James Marape believes that these deals are not being signed in a colonial fashion, asserting that “each nation remains fully sovereign. The Papua New Guinea Defence Force answers only to the Government and Commander of Papua New Guinea ... This does not diminish our sovereignty in any way.” The decision to close the representative office for Taiwan in PNG reflects this to some degree. 

Less understandable foreign policy agreements continue to be made by Pacific nations, like Nauru’s decision to open an embassy in Israel. Fiji and Sāmoa have already committed to and carried out similar actions, with many leaders using the religious significance as part of the justification for such acts. Normalising ties with Israel can provide further access to certain markets, development opportunities, and a nice pat on the back by the USA, but the consistent failure from so many Pacific states and leaders to recognise the ethnic cleansing campaign Israel has and continues to conduct in occupied Palestine shows the cost of having those normalised ties.

West Papua has seen further escalations in violence, as the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) continues to find itself at odds with Indonesian authorities. Three civilians were killed by the TPNPB after it was alleged that they were working with Indonesia and were the cause of death for multiple members of the TPNPB. The Indonesian military was deployed in the Yahukimo district where this took place to stabilise the area, and Habema Operational Command Commander Major General Yudha Airlangga has stated that they are “continuing security operations and strengthening engagement with communities in Yahukimo so residents can work together with us to maintain security and public order.” The Habema Operational Command was established to streamline military and police cooperation in the highlands of West Papua, where the TPNPB continue to wage armed struggle for independence from their Indonesian occupiers. Attacks on innocents are nothing new in this war that spans decades, and as Indonesia continues its military build up within West Papua, it seems unlikely it will slow down. The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has released a statement arguing that civilian planes are being used to shepherd Indonesian forces into conflict-stricken regions like the aforementioned Yahukimo, while they also hijack civilian infrastructure and force indigenous Papuans from their homes.

Benny Wenda, Interim President of the ULMWP, finished the statement with the following: “I therefore call on the UN, the MSG, PIF, and OACPS, to increase the pressure on Indonesia to allow a UN visit to West Papua urgently. Indonesia must also allow journalists to operate in West Papua. If the conflict is to cease, international observers must be allowed to know what is going on. Ultimately, Indonesia must come to the table with the ULMWP to discuss a referendum. This is the only long-term path to a peaceful solution in West Papua.” Where this goes, only time will tell.