Vanuatu won't attend the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts
Updated
Vanuatu has rejected American Samoa's offer to pay for two people to perform at the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts.
Vanuatu had planned to send nearly 70 children to sing at the Festival, but has now withdrawn its contigent because of a lack of government funding.
American Samoa had hoped to host the first Pacific arts festival with all 27 member countries in attendance, so the festival committee offered to sponsor two artists from Vanuatu to attend.
The Director of Vanuatu's Cultural Centre, Marcelin Ambon, has rejected the offer, saying it wouldn't be fair on the children who had planned to go.
"I think it's not fair for the kids because they prepare themselves for the festival and since the government reducing the budget it's not fair for them because they the already prepare, and so they said two people to come over to Samoa," he said.
"It's not fair for them so I said to withdraw all of members of the group."
