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ArchivePolitical crisis in the world's smallest nation
28/03/2008 Right now, one of the world's smallest nation's, Nauru, is in the grip of political crisis. For the past fortnight, the country's politicians have been fighting for control of the country, and its parliament. Campbell Cooney, Radio Australia's Pacific Correspondent, reports it's been a dirty little squabble.  Listen or right click to downloadRead transcript > Australian PM heads out on world tour
21/03/2008 Next week Australia's prime minister Kevin Rudd leaves a trip to the United States, Europe and China. Mr Rudd will be discussing Australia's troop withdrawal from Iraq, but the lengthening commitment in Afghanistan. And in Beijing, he'll have to confront the Chinese crackdown in Tibet. Ahead of the tour, Radio Australia's Foreign Affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell filed this report from Canberra. Listen or right click to downloadRead transcript > Malaysia's new political landscape
14/03/2008 It's often said that a week is a long time in politics...and that's certainly been the case in Malaysia. Last Saturday Malaysians went to the polls in a general election...and now there's a new political landscape. In fact it's the biggest change in Malaysian politics since independence, with the opposition PAS and other reformist parties winning control of five states. Radio Australia's Bill Bainbridge went to Malaysia for the election...and he's our correspondent today. Listen or right click to downloadRead transcript > Australia's concern in foreign ownership
07/03/2008 Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is to visit China for three days next month. Trade and investment issues will be high on the agenda when he meets with China's top leaders, President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. Most recently it has been China's investment in Australia that's been making headlines. Last month Kevin Rudd's government announced strict new guidelines for investments in Australia owned by foreign governments. The move follows a flood of cash from state owned organisations in Asia and the Arab world flowing into Western banks and mining companies. Karon Snowdon reports on the international response to the rise of Asia's sovereign funds. Listen or right click to downloadRead transcript > Australian PM heads out on world tour 21/03/2008 Next week Australia's prime minister Kevin Rudd leaves a trip to the United States, Europe and China. Mr Rudd will be discussing Australia's troop withdrawal from Iraq, but the lengthening commitment in Afghanistan. And in Beijing, he'll have to confront the Chinese crackdown in Tibet. Ahead of the tour, Radio Australia's Foreign Affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell filed this report from Canberra. Read transcript > Malaysia's new political landscape 14/03/2008 It's often said that a week is a long time in politics...and that's certainly been the case in Malaysia. Last Saturday Malaysians went to the polls in a general election...and now there's a new political landscape. In fact it's the biggest change in Malaysian politics since independence, with the opposition PAS and other reformist parties winning control of five states. Radio Australia's Bill Bainbridge went to Malaysia for the election...and he's our correspondent today. Read transcript > Australia's concern in foreign ownership 07/03/2008 Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is to visit China for three days next month. Trade and investment issues will be high on the agenda when he meets with China's top leaders, President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. Most recently it has been China's investment in Australia that's been making headlines. Last month Kevin Rudd's government announced strict new guidelines for investments in Australia owned by foreign governments. The move follows a flood of cash from state owned organisations in Asia and the Arab world flowing into Western banks and mining companies. Karon Snowdon reports on the international response to the rise of Asia's sovereign funds. Read transcript > The future of Fiji's media 29/02/2008 For the past week journalists on the Pacific Island nation of Fiji have spent most of their time reporting on themselves, their industry and their future. This report from Radio Australia's Pacific Correspondent, Campbell Cooney. Read transcript > Fiji under Commodore Frank Bainimarama 22/02/2008 This week Fiji's coup leader and interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, confirmed himself as the most powerful person in his country's history. Following his coup in December 2006, Commodore Bainimarama became Fiji's interim Prime Minister, leading a cabinet picked by him. He also remains the Commander of the country's military. Now he's taken control of the country's most respected indigenous institution, the Great Council of Chiefs. Pacific Correspondent Campbell Cooney has been looking at what this means for Fiji. Read transcript > Australia says 'sorry' 15/02/2008 Australia's indigenous peoples - the Aborigines - took centre stage in Canberra this week at the start of the new Federal Parliament. The first act of the new Labor Government was to move a motion of apology to Aborigines. Parliament said sorry for the policy followed through much of the 20th century of taking Aboriginal children from their families to be raised in white society in orphanages or church homes. This Notebook is from our Canberra correspondent, Graeme Dobell. Read transcript > Interest rates in the Year of the Rat 08/02/2008 It was expected but that didn't blunt the howls of pain from some sections of the Australian community and media. Australia's Central bank - the Reserve Bank - raised its main official interest rate on Tuesday, it was the eleventh consecutive rise. Karon Snowdon looks at the first decision this year by the bank and the first under the new Labor Government - just three months in the job. Read transcript > Chinese welcome 'Year of the Rat' 01/02/2008 Chinese the world over next Thursday (feb 7th) celebrates the New Year. Connect Asia's presenter Sen Lam reminisces about the festive season and family reunion dinners, in this, the Year of the Rat... for not just those in China, but the Chinese diaspora the world over. Read transcript > Indonesia ties complex for new Australian leader 21/12/2007 Australia's new prime minister Kevin Rudd couldn't have dreamed of a better reception from the Indonesian press upon his election this year. Editorials were united in the view that a Rudd government will spell better ties with Indonesia. Kevin Rudd's career as a diplomat in Asia, his fluency in Mandarin and his promise of an independent foreign policy all received widespread approval. Joanna McCarthy, who was in Indonesia during the election in Australia of a new government and was the Australian winner of the inaugural Elizabeth O'Neil journalism prize, wonders if Mr Rudd's champions in Jakarta are placing too much faith in the man. Read transcript > Bali heats up for climate change talks 14/12/2007 The Indonesian resort island of Bali has played host to two weeks of talks on climate change. Linda Lopresti was there. Read transcript > One year on from the Fiji military coup 07/12/2007 Last Wednesday, December the fifth, marked the 12 month anniversary of military rule in Fiji. On that day in 2006 soldiers shut down parliament, arrested ministers and government officials, and suspended the office of President and Vice President. The Commander of the military Commodore Frank Bainimarama then assumed executive control of the country. 12 months on Commodore Bainimarama is now "Interim Prime Minister Bainimarama" with an interim cabinet, back by the military, which is still exerting a major influence on all aspects of Fijian life. So what is life like now in Fiji 12 months after the coup Pacific Correspondent Campbell Cooney has this report. Read transcript > An end of an era in Australian politics 30/11/2007 Australia's new Labor Government has been sworn in, after an extraordinary week of change in Australia's capital, as our Canberra correspondent Graeme Dobell reports. Read transcript > Climate change and the media 23/11/2007 Hello and welcome to Correspondent's Notebook. I'm Deborah Steele - the head of news and current affairs, here at Radio Australia. This week, a distinguished panel of international scientists released the final instalment of its report on global warming - and told the world to start adapting to "abrupt and irreversible" climate change. Read transcript > History not assured in Australian poll 16/11/2007 The campaign for Australia's election next Saturday has entered its final week, with the Howard Government confronting defeat. The opinion polls are predicting that the Coalition - in office for nearly 12 years - will lose to Labor. In his final notebook on the campaign, our Canberra correspondent, Graeme Dobell, looks at the contest between the Prime Minister, John Howard, and the Labor leader, Kevin Rudd. Read transcript > Interest rates dominate closing weeks of election campaign 09/11/2007 In Australia's election race, the Prime Minister, John Howard, will make his formal campaign speech on Monday and the Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd, will present Labor's policy on Wednesday. The launches are key points in what will be the second last week of the campaign before Australia's election on November the 24th. In the past week of the campaign, the key issue was an increase in interest rates.....as our Canberra correspondent, Graeme Dobell, reports in his weekly notebook on the election. Read transcript > Australia's election campaign reaches half-way 02/11/2007 It's the mid-point of the six week campaign for Australia's national election on November 24, and Canberra correspondent, Graeme Dobell delivers his latest dispatch from the campaign trail. Read transcript > Week two down in Australia's election campaign 26/10/2007 Australia has completed the second week of campaigning for the national election, with four weeks to go to the vote on November 24. Graeme Dobell takes a step back to look at the foreign policy dimensions of the contest. Read transcript > Big spending promises as Australia's election campaign kicks off 19/10/2007 The first week of Australia's election campaign has kicked off with a billion-dollar-bang. Graeme Dobell is on the campaign trail. Read transcript > Pacific Forum meets under credibility cloud 12/10/2007 This week the prime ministers and presidents of the Pacific gather in Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting. This year, the leaders and the forum face some major challenges. To see how they fare, we've sent along our Pacific correspondent Campbell Cooney. Read transcript > Policy gives Australia little room to move on Burma 28/09/2007 As Burma's military regime cracked down this week on its own people, Australia expressed deep concern and announced targeted financial sanctions against Burma's leaders. Read transcript > Jargon causes communication breakdown 21/09/2007 In the Pacific, it is an unfortunate fact people are being increasingly subjected to public language that they can't understand. Bruce Hill explores the implications. Read transcript > Australian government MPs questio Howard's leadership 14/09/2007 The Australian government's pre-election nerves turned into panic this week as cabinet ministers questioned whether the prime minister, John Howard, should lead them to the national election, due to be called in the next two months. Graeme Dobell explains. Read transcript > Climate change a peculiar APEC focus 07/09/2007 Karon Snowdon asks why John Howard chose to make climate change the number one priority to headline the final statement to come from the APEC summit. Read transcript > APEC summit preview 31/08/2007 Sydney is about to be invaded by Prime Ministers, Presidents, Foreign Ministers, Trade Ministers for APEC - the annual summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group. Read transcript > When 'off the record' is the public interest 24/08/2007 It gets tricky it when sources go "Off the Record". It's something Campbell Cooney had to deal with in the past week, so he feels it's worth explaining. Read transcript > Samoans unite for celebration of sport 17/08/2007 Next to the Olympics, the biggest athletic event on our island is the South Pacific Games, which this year is being held by Samoa. Tanya O'Shea reports. Read transcript > Economic pain should be no shock to Fiji coup leaders 10/08/2007 Fiji's interim government says it has no money! What does that actually mean? A country has no money! Our correspondent this week is the host of Pacific Beat, Geraldine Coutts. Read transcript > Change deferred again in Nauru 04/08/2007 In many ways 2007 looks like being the year of the Pacific election, and you can now add the impoverished nation of Nauru to the mix. Pacific correspondent Campbell Cooney has this report. Read transcript > Vale Sir Tom Davis 28/07/2007 When Radio Australia's Bruce Hill first started out in Pacific journalism in 1993, he was told that there was one subject above all others that Pacific island people were interested in, and which he should always pay attention to - the deaths of great men. Sir Tom Davis was one. Read transcript > China's food fight 20/07/2007 United States President George W Bush this week issued an executive order that impacts on one of the most important trading relationships for the US - China. Radio Australia's finance and business reporter Karon Snowdon reports. Read transcript > Matters big and small in PNG's poll 13/07/2007 Pacific correspondent Campbell Cooney just spent the past couple of weeks in Papua New Guinea assisting the ABC's correspondent there, Steve Marshall, cover the voting in the PNG national elections. Read transcript > Hong Kong's East-West dilemma 06/07/2007 Ten years ago, when the-then British colony of Hong Kong was handed back to China, many foretold doom for the Asian economic tiger. But as the years unfolded, the sky did not fall in, and Hong Kong has shown itself to be a very resilient city. The presenter of Radio Australia's Connect Asia program, Sen Lam, was in Hong Kong for the tenth anniversary celebrations, and shares his thoughts. Read transcript > China's struggle with media freedom 29/06/2007 For journalists from western countries events like riots, disasters and other emergencies are the exciting topics to cover. However, for media workers in China, these topics could be a mine field, at least until very recently. The head of Radio Australia's Chinese service, Julian Chen, reports. Read transcript > Australia's broadband battles 22/06/2007 This week we are considering the broadband battles that have raged recently in Australia, culminating in this week's government policy backflip. Karon Snowdon brings you Radio Australia's Correspondent's Notebook. Read transcript > NZ expulsion from Fiji widens coup's impact 15/06/2007 On Thursday the interim government of Fiji announced it was expelling New Zealand's high commissioner. Our Pacific Correspondent Campbell Cooney has been looking at the past few days in regional politics, and what it may mean for the future. Read transcript > East Asia's concern in Cold War rhetoric 08/06/2007 East Asia is thinking about the danger of a new Cold War - with the United States and Japan on one side and China on the other. Radio Australia's foreign affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell, covered both conferences and filed these thoughts from Kuala Lumpur. Read transcript > The impact of coups on the Pacific's local reporters 01/06/2007 The recent PINA convention boasted a strong line-up of journos from Fiji and Solomon Islands, with a bit to say on the subject of human rights. Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat host Geraldine Coutts reports. Read transcript > Fiji ignoring trade blocs at peril 25/05/2007 By ignoring calls from Pacific leaders, the EU and US for elections within two years, Fiji risks losing its vital subsidies. Campbell Cooney, Pacific Correspondent for Radio Australia, reports. Read transcript > Australia's international ghosts 18/05/2007 With the Tibet's Dalai Lama about to visit, Australia again reviews its ethical relationship with China, a nation that has become one of its biggest trading partners. Radio Australia's foriegn affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell, looks at the issues. Read transcript > Athletes gather at Australia's Arafura Games 11/05/2007 In the preparations for the South Pacific Games, atheltes are gathering in Australia for the Arafura Games. Radio Australia's sports reporter Tanya O'Shea looks at the hot contenders. Read transcript > Sri Lanka's war on a new front 04/05/2007 After waging a war against the Sri Lankan governement since the 1970s, the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or Tamil Tigers) have found a new front for their ongoing conflict. Linda Lo Presti has the story. Read transcript > Not-so-simple Tongan politics 28/04/2007 Tonga is a monarchy struggling with calls for increased democracy and its traditional powerbase. Pacific Beat's Bruce Hill looks inside the kingdom and its parliament. Read transcript > Never again for Asian economies 21/04/2007 A shiver ran through Asia this week when a United Nations report warned that the region is vulnerable to a repeat of the financial meltdown of a decade ago. It was an unwelcome reminder of the tenth anniversary, coming up this July, of the financial tsunami that began in Thailand and swept Asia. Radio Australia's Foreign Affairs correspondent Graeme Dobell gives his insights. Read transcript > Aftermath in Solomon Islands 13/04/2007 Counting the cost of the recent tsunami in Solomon Islands, Radio Australia's Pacific Correspondent Campbell Cooney visits the remote islands and main streets of this island paradise lost. Read transcript > Election day in East Timor 06/04/2007 In its second election East Timor's post-independence factions are struggling to create a future for the young nation. Radio Australia's correspondent Karon Snowdon creates a political portrait of this crucial point in the nation's history. Read transcript > Swimming upstream 02/04/2007 For many Pacific Islanders with a talent for swimming, the challenge of competing in the water starts at simply finding a pool to train in. Tanya O'Shea reports. Read transcript > Taking counsel in Vanuatu 26/03/2007 Amid charges of black magic and traditional rivalries, violence recently swept the streets of Port Vila. Radio Australia's Pacific correspondent Campbell Cooney talked to Vanuatu's chiefs explore the issues. Read transcript > The politics of security pacts 20/03/2007 Radio Australia's foreign affairs and defence correspondent, Graeme Dobell, explores some of the ironies behind the recent signing of a security pact between Australia and Japan. Read transcript > China's changing talks 12/03/2007 In China party meetings were once exercises in kowtowing formality, but recent debates have controversially discussed the environment and the traditional taboo of homosexuality. Radio Australia's Executive Producer of Radio Australia's Chinese Program Unit, Julian Chen, reflects on the shift from hot air to winds of change. Read transcript > China's market shake-up 02/03/2007 The world has been rocked by the biggest stock market sell-off since 9/11 in response to China's market jitters. Radio Australia's finance and business correspondent, Karon Snowdon, reflects on the financial drama in Shanghai. Read transcript > Pacific media meet 26/02/2007 As the Pacific gears up for the Pacific Island News Association conference, Taiwan has opened up its chequebook to become the event's benefactor. Radio Australia's head of news and current affairs, Deborah Steele, examines the issues. Read transcript > Australia's Pacific diplomacy 20/02/2007 When the prime ministers of New Zealand and Australia met for talks in Wellington recently, John Howard commented that the region was anything but Pacific at the moment. Radio Australia's Foreign Affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell, looks at Australia's role in the headaches confronting the Pacific. Read transcript > Tongan minister falls 12/02/2007 Pacific politics has rarely seen a fall from grace as dramatic as that of Clive Edwards - once minister of police and now in their custody. Pacific Beat's Bruce Hill analyses Edwards's chequered career. Read transcript > Developing Doha 05/02/2007 The recent gathering of the World Trade Oraganisation (WTO) in the capital of Qataar hit obstacles as the US, India and the EU tried to resolve their differences on free trade. But as Radio Australia's finance and business correspondent, Karon Snowdon, explains many of the big decisions are in the hands of the big players. Read transcript > Reflections of a Correspondent 26/01/2007 In November 2006, Radio Australia's latest Pacific Correspondent began working his new beat which takes in some of the world's smallest but also most volatile nations. Here Campbell Cooney looks back on what has made his job so unique and the challenges of journalism in the Pacific. Read transcript > Beyond Fiji's Coup 15/12/2006 When Commodore Frank Bainimarama took control in Fiji it was a low key form of political upheaval and little seemed to change in dowtown Suva. Radio Australia's Campbell Cooney offers a look inside the changing media environment after this casual coup. Read transcript > Behind Tonga's Troubles 08/12/2006 As Tonga counts the cost of rioting and looting in the capital, Radio Australia's Bruce Hill of the Pacific Beat program has just returned from the island nation and uses his experiences to examine how attitudes to the law could be at the root of the violence. Read transcript > Dark days for Australian business 01/12/2006 An inquiry headed up by Commissioner Terence Cole found that the Australian Wheat Board (AWB) illegally funnelled money to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as part of the Food-for-oil program. Radio Australia's finance and business correspondent Karon Snowdon looks at the implications for Australian businesses internationally. Read transcript > Fiji's path to a coup 24/11/2006 As Fiji teeters on the verge of another coup, Pacific Beat's James Panichi looks at the constitution and the culture that makes this island nation so vulnerable to political upheaval. Read transcript > APEC puts Vietnam centre stage 17/11/2006 Hanoi is hosting 21 nations for the meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) signalling Vietnam's economic and political arrival. From the streets of Hanoi, Radio Australia's Graeme Dobell observes the profits and losses of this communist country. Read transcript > Asian Cup preparations kick off 14/11/2006 As South East Asia readies its stadiums for the Asian Cup, some host countries are getting the boot from the Asian Football Confederation. Radio Australia’s Sports journalist Tanya O’Shea sees which host nations are on the ball. Read transcript > Fiji on coup watch 06/11/2006 With all eyes in the Pacific on Fiji, Radio Australia's Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Graeme Dobell, explains how the current crisis has its roots in the in the political chaos that rocked Suva in 2000. Read transcript > North Korea's tests draw diplomatic fire 31/10/2006 As North Korea escalates the rhetoric to keep pace with its nuclear tests, the UN is talking about increased sanctions while the US is freezing bank accounts. Radio Australia's Karon Snowdon looks at the impact of sanctions and other diplomatic manoeuvring. Read transcript > Australia's Pacific role considered at forum 25/10/2006 As leaders from across the Pacific prepare to gather in Nadi for the Pacific Forum, Radio Australia's Bruce Hill looks at Australia's role in the Pacific. Read transcript > North Korea's nuclear fallout 23/10/2006 After North Korea's recent "nuclear test", Australia is backing the imposition of a United Nations regime on Pyongyang, but has stopped short of cutting diplomatic relations with the Stalinist state. Along with Australia's attacks on North Korea, there have also been some pointed comments about the challenge now facing the United Nations. Radio Australia's foreign affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell, reports Australia is also musing on how the nuclear test might unbalance the de facto settlement that has been in place in north east Asia for 50 years. Read transcript > Beyond broadcasting 09/10/2006 The head of news and current affairs at Radio Australia, Deborah Steele, was recently invited to look beyond broadcasting at a conference on new media platforms. She found that technology offers both opportunities and challenges to Radio Australia. Read transcript > Indonesia's mud disaster 03/10/2006 Radio Australia's Jakarta reporter, Katie Hamann, says no one in Indonesia has the answer to the latest disaster to hit the country - a seemingly unstoppable mud flow. Read transcript > Singapore - still the best for business? 25/09/2006 Radio Australia's Karon Snowdon reports that a recent 'mega-conference' in Singapore shone the spotlight on the city state's lack of tolerance for dissent - which may prove bad for business. Read transcript > Taiwan's president under pressure 11/09/2006 On a weekend where thousands of demonstrators are planning a sit-in calling for the resignation of Taiwan's president, we look at the political fallout of months of corruption allegations directed at Chen Shui-bian's family and friends. Sen Lam, the presenter of Radio Australia's breakfast current affairs programme, Connect Asia, looks at the predicament President Chen finds himself in. Read transcript > Who keeps the peace in the Pacific? 05/09/2006 Australia's recent decision to boost the size of its army has been met with mixed reactions in the Pacific. Our Pacific correspondent, Bruce Hill, reports. Read transcript > The value of land 22/08/2006 Radio Australia's Bruce Hill says attitudes towards the ownership of land are changing - slowly - in the Pacific. Read transcript > Media freedom in China 15/08/2006 Radio Australia's Karon Snowdon says despite the strict censorship of internet content in China, the web may be an 'unstoppable force' for democracy on the mainland. Read transcript > The changing face of ASEAN 31/07/2006 The annual meeting hosted by the ten foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) wrapped up in Kuala Lumpur recently. This year the meeting - the most important week on South East Asia's diplomatic calendar - spent a lot of time on Asia's two rogue states: North Korea and Burma. Radio Australia's foreign affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell, reports on how ASEAN is changing. Read transcript > ASEAN's annual meeting 25/07/2006 This week foreign ministers from across the Asia Pacific will gather in Malaysia for one of the key weeks in Asia's diplomatic calendar - the set conferences hosted by ASEAN. Radio Australia's foreign affairs and defence correspondent, Graeme Dobell, will be covering the talks. Read transcript > Tonga: royal festivals and friendly connections 17/07/2006 Radio Australia's Clement Paligaru was pleasantly surprised to find a recent working trip to Tonga wasn't everything he expected. Read transcript > Facing the harsh reality of AIDS 11/07/2006 Radio Australia’s Christine Webster has just returned from Bangkok as part of an annual exchange program held by Radio Australia and the Mass Communication Organisation of Thailand. During her travels she visited a hospice for AIDS patients in Central Thailand's Lopburi Province, 120 kilometres north of Bangkok. Read transcript > A political dinosaur? 03/07/2006 Radio Australia's Pacific correspondent, Bruce Hill, takes a look at the reasons why Fiji's Labour Party is in such turmoil. Read transcript > Disaster tour 26/06/2006 Radio Australia's Marion MacGregor was part of a group of journalists from Indonesia and Australia who visited Indonesia's central Java a month after the huge earthquake struck, killing more than 5,000 people. Marion reported from the worst-affected areas of Yogyakarta and Bantul, where she heard the stories of survivors and aid workers. Read transcript > Thankyou and goodbye 21/06/2006 Radio Australia's Pacific Correspondent for the past six-and-a-half years, Sean Dorney, is leaving us to join our television equivalent, ABC Asia Pacific Television. He'll still be heard occasionally on Radio Australia and but Sean's main job from now on will be covering the Pacific for television not radio. In his final Correspondents Notebook as our Pacific Correspondent, Sean reflects on the solitude that job has often entailed. Read transcript > Football fever 12/06/2006 This weekend marks the start of the World Cup. Thirty-two teams will compete in Germany over the next four weeks for the great prize there is in football - the culmination of three years of matches involving 197 teams. Our sports editor, Tanya O'Shea, looks at the greatest sporting event on the planet. Read transcript > Mad as hell: the Japan-China argument continues 02/06/2006 Japan's Cabinet has approved plans for a sweeping redeployment of United States military forces in Japan - giving Tokyo greater responsibility for security in Asia. The decision follows the April agreement between Japan and the US to streamline American forces. The moves to raise Japan's security role in Asia has become another element in the war of words between Japan and China. Radio Australia's Foreign Affairs and Defence Correspondent, Graeme Dobell has been watching the Japan-China argument at annual security conferences this week in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Read transcript > Does size matter? Finding a way forward for the Pacific's negotiations with Europe. 31/05/2006 Pacific Beat's James Panichi writes from a meeting in Port Moresby of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific grouping of countries. It's a somewhat disparate collection, but a grouping that is essential for relations with the European Union. Read transcript > Vale Robert Keith-Reid 19/05/2006 Sean Dorney, Radio Australia’s Pacific Correspondent, pays tribute to Robert Keith-Reid, the late publisher of the Fiji based Pacific news magazine, Islands Business, who died on Saturday May 13 in hospital Brisbane. Read transcript > Home truths from Australia's Treasury 16/05/2006 Australia's Treasury has dismissed the Australian Government's quest for bilateral free trade deals in Asia as producing no clear benefits. And Treasury's annual series of statements - delivered with the recent budget - lifts China above Japan in the world league table. Our foreign affairs and defence correspondent, Graeme Dobell, reports from Canberra. Read transcript > Testing times for Australia and Indonesia 08/05/2006 Relations between Australia and Indonesia have soured in recent months, since Australia granted asylum to 42 people from Indonesia's Papua province. Indonesia has recalled its ambassador from Canberra in protest, and the two countries are negotiating to set up a meeting between their foreign ministers to discuss the issue. Our foreign affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell, looks at the strain between the neighbours. Read transcript > Conferencing in China 28/04/2006 The Boao Forum For Asia, held in China recently, was more about China than Asia, reports Karon Snowdon. Read transcript > Behind the Solomons riots 21/04/2006 Pacific Beat producer, James Panichi, on the challenges of covering the unrest in Solomon Islands capital, Honiara. Read transcript > Australian style justice in Solomon Islands 13/04/2006 The people of Solomon Islands have voted in the first elections since the intervention by the Australian led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, RAMSI, in mid 2003. Our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, was in Honiara for the election. He reflects on the differences between this election and the previous one in December 2001 when there was far less order and precious little application of the law. Read transcript > Australia China relations 07/04/2006 China's chopsticks diplomacy was on show in Australia and the South Pacific this week. Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, visited Canberra to witness the signing of the safeguards agreement to buy Australian uranium. He then went on to Fiji for the first summit between China and Pacific Island states. Our correspondent, Graeme Dobell, has been looking at the possible stress lines in Australia's relations with China - especially in the Pacific. Read transcript > Solomon Islanders head to the polls 31/03/2006 The people of Solomon Islands are going to the polls on Wednesday, in the first national elections since the intervention by the Regional Assistance Mission, RAMSI, in 2003. Our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, is covering his fourth Solomon Islands elections and today he explains why no two election campaigns in the Solomons are ever the same. Read transcript > Let the games begin 10/03/2006 Melbourne is gearing up to host the biggest ever Commonwealth Games, reports sports editor, Tanya O'Shea. Read transcript > Australia and India 03/03/2006 Australia's prime minister, John Howard, flies to New Delhi this weekend for an official visit designed to take Australia's relationship with India to a higher level. Over the next days there'll be much discussion of a new stage or a new start in the Australia-India relationship. But it's not the first time that Australia and India have done this dance of partnership. Our correspondent, Graeme Dobell, begins this look at the future by looking back to a report he filed 20 years ago on an earlier India-Australia summit. Read transcript > Deportation dilemmas 27/02/2006 The internal affairs minister in Vanuatu, George Wells, tried to deport a Free West Papuan independence activist a couple of weeks ago. But he discovered that the man in question was very hard to get rid of. Our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, was not surprised. Read transcript > Tonga's nobles face less certain future 20/02/2006 Tonga is evolving, and the focus is on ability not nobility, reports Pacific Beat's Bruce Hill. Read transcript > Pacific politics 13/02/2006 The Abramoff plea-bargain could offer a rare insight into Pacific politics, writes James Panichi, senior producer of Pacific Beat. Read transcript > Australia's defence question 06/02/2006 Australia has a new defence minister - the fifth to hold the post in the 10 years of the Howard Government. Dr Brendan Nelson was sworn in to the defence post a week ago after a ministerial reshuffle. Our foreign affairs and defence correspondent, Graeme Dobell, ponders the view from the defence minister's desk. Read transcript > Baton's Pacific journey 30/01/2006 From the Highlands of Papua New Guinea to an underground gold mine in Fiji, the Queen's baton made its way around the Pacific en route to Melbourne for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Radio Australia sport editor, Tanya O'Shea, relives the journey. Read transcript > Security tight in Jakarta 16/12/2005 Earlier this month Linda Lopresti from the Asia Pacific program attended a key regional security conference in Jakarta. She soon realised what it means to be in a city where security is a constant and very real concern. Read transcript > The long road to the East Asia Summit 09/12/2005 Next week Australia joins the Asia club when Prime Minister John Howard flies to Kuala Lumpur for the first East Asia summit. The trip has been 10 to 15 years in the making, because that's how long it took for Australia to overcome the veto of the former Malaysian prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad. The Asia summit draws together 16 countries - the 10 ASEAN states of Southeast Asia; three from Northeast Asia, China, Japan and South Korea; and then India, Australia and New Zealand. Our correspondent, Graeme Dobell, is in Kuala Lumpur and he reports on the road that led to this summit. Read transcript > Nauru opens up 02/12/2005 The reformist government in Nauru has laid out its plans for the country's continued survival to representatives of eight countries and a dozen or more international organisations at its first ever Donors Round Table meeting. Our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, says that what was once one of the most secretive countries in the Pacific is opening up its books and admitting its mistakes. Read transcript > Times are changing in Tonga 25/11/2005 Just returned from a media conference in Nuku'Alofa, Deborah Steele reports that change is coming to Tonga. Read transcript > From fashion to finance 18/11/2005 The leaders of the Asia Pacific have been meeting in South Korea where they discussed terrorism, trade and the dangers of bird flu at the 13th annual summit of APEC, the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum. Our foreign affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell, has been to 10 of those summits and he prepared this notebook on the significance of APEC, from fashion to finance. Read transcript > Anwar Ibrahim's return to Malaysian politics 14/11/2005 Malaysian-born presenter of the Asia Pacific program, Sen Lam, has followed Malaysian politics closely throughout his 25-year career as a journalist - including the plight of Anwar Ibrahim. Here Sen looks at the news that Anwar will campaign for the opposition Parti Islam in a by-election next month. Read transcript > Nations cooperate in bird flu fight 08/11/2005 Asia Pacific reporter, Karon Snowdon, attended the two-day APEC meeting on bird flu held in Brisbane at the end of October. The meeting brought together the leading emergency planners - as well as the health and agriculture officials - of the 21 APEC members. And as Karon found, the message was all too clear. Read transcript > Conference focuses on Pacific challenges 28/10/2005 Reporter James Panichi says the "Globalisation, Governance and the Pacific Islands" conference, held recently in Canberra, provided for uninhibited discussion of the challenges facing the region. Read transcript > Pacific leaders charting future course 24/10/2005 This week, the 16 leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum gather in Papua New Guinea to chart a course for the region over the next 10 years. The Forum is meeting in PNG to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the country's independence from Australia. Our foreign affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell, will cover the forum. Here he reflects on the relationship between the leader's of PNG and Australia. Read transcript > Reflecting on New Zealand's election 10/10/2005 Bruce Hill, from Radio Australia's daily current affairs program Pacific Beat, reflects on last month's election in his homeland, New Zealand. Read transcript > Double blow for Indonesia as fuel prices rise 06/10/2005 Last weekend saw another act of terrorism in Indonesia when suicide bombers struck in Bali. The timing was a double blow for Indonesia, which last Saturday cut fuel subsidies, resulting in price increases of up to 50 per cent, says executive producer of Radio Australia's Indonesian service, Nuim Khaiyath. Read transcript > Pacific public broadcasters underfunded 03/10/2005 Our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, shares his first impressions of a major report that has just been released on the state of the media in the Pacific Islands. Called Informing Citzens, it has been funded by AusAID under the Australian Government's Pacific Media and Communications Facility. Read transcript > Reflecting on PNG's 30 years 16/09/2005 Pacific Beat reporter, Caroline Tiriman, reflects on 30 years of independence in Papua New Guinea. Read transcript > Some Indonesians fear consequences of Aceh peace deal 13/09/2005 Nuim Khaiyath, the executive producer of Radio Australia's Indonesian service, reflects on the Aceh peace agreement and what it means for the government of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Read transcript > Dissecting the cost of oil 05/09/2005 Finance and business reporter, Karon Snowdon, this week attended the Forbes meeting of more than 300 of the world's leading corporate and economic heavyweights in Sydney, where the number one discussion topic was oil. Read transcript > Changing times in Tonga 01/09/2005 Bruce Hill, correspondent for our current affairs program Pacific Beat, has been tracking the public service strike in Tonga since day one. He is motivated in part by his job description - filing on key events in the Pacific - but also by his great interest in the country. Here, Bruce reflects on the changing times in the Pacific's only kingdom. Read transcript > Mistaken identity in Tonga 25/08/2005 Today our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, provides an insight into his coverage of the public servants' strike in Tonga, and he relates an amusing tale of mistaken identity. Read transcript > Doing it the Paluan way 18/08/2005 Sports editor and Friday presenter of In the Loop, Tanya O'Shea, covered the South Pacific Mini Games in Palau for Radio Australia and hasn't stopped talking about it since: the five kilometre swim; the badges and pins; the dancing... Read transcript > Reflecting in Vientiane 09/08/2005 Correspondent Graeme Dobell recently went to Vientiane to cover the ASEAN foreign minister's conference and he recalled what it used to be like filing from Indo-China. Read transcript > The life and death of Francis Ona 01/08/2005 Our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, was Papua New Guinea correspondent for most of the duration of the Bougainville war. He travelled regularly to and from Bougainville and shares his perspective on the man who started that war, Francis Ona, who was buried in his village above the abandoned Bougainville copper mine this week. Read transcript > Vanuatu commemorates 25 years of independence 20/07/2005 Vanuatu is preparing to commemorate its silver jubilee year of independence and next year there'll be another anniversary. It will be 100 years since the New Hebrides come under the Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands from 1906 until independence. Pacific Beat presenter Geraldine Coutts will be in Vanuatu for next week's celebrations and she prepared this week's Correspondent's Notebook. Read transcript > Heading for the Mini South Pacific games in Palau 11/07/2005 This week's Notebook comes from our sports editor, Tanya O'Shea, who is about to head off to the Mini South Pacific games in Palau. The Games provide small Pacific states with the chance to host athletes from other island nations and to show-case their own country and culture. Read transcript > Islam in Indonesia 07/07/2005 Asia Pacific reporter, Kanaha Sabapathy, has recently returned from a trip Indonesia, organised by the Asia Pacific Journalism Centre. The trip focussed on the role of Islam in Indonesian society, and as Kanaha discovered, that role takes many different forms. Read transcript > Acehnese still picking up the pieces 29/06/2005 Six months since the Indian Ocean tsunami killed at least 180,000 people, Asia Pacific reporter, Kanaha Sabapathy, visited the hardest hit area, Banda Aceh, and found the locals trying to get on with life. Read transcript > Back in Tuvalu 22/06/2005 Our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, was in Tuvalu running a workshop for Pacific Islands journalists covering the recent Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting. In this notebook, he reflects on the changes in the 21 years since he last visited Tuvalu. Read transcript > Unity bill dividing Fijians 15/06/2005 The proposed Promotion of Tolerance, Reconciliation and Unity Bill is dividing Fijians, says James Panichi, senior producer of Pacific Beat. Read transcript > Challenges ahead for Bougainville's new leaders 08/06/2005 Now the election is over, Bougainville's new leaders face the challenge of making their province viable and one day independent, says Papua New Guinea correspondent, Shane McLeod. Read transcript > Tour of Dili 31/05/2005 To mark the third anniversary of East Timor becoming an independent nation on May 20, Radio Australia conducted a series of special broadcasts from the capital, Dili. Read transcript > Trilateral dialogue 24/05/2005 Foreign affairs and defence correspondent, Graeme Dobell, looks at the development of the Japan-Australia-US dialogue. Read transcript > Expatriate influence 20/05/2005 Pacific Beat reporter, Bruce Hill, looks at the effect of lobbying by expatriate Pacific communities on the politics of their native countries. Read transcript > Growing tensions over Australia-PNG aid program 13/05/2005 This Correspondents Notebook is by our Pacific Correspondent, Sean Dorney, who spent several days in the far north of the Australian State of Queensland earlier this month attending the twenty-first annual meeting of the Australia Papua New Guinea Business Forum. The Forum this year attracted a record number of 180 delegates. While there were upbeat assessments of the performance and prospects of the PNG economy and a lot of talk about the Australia-PNG partnership, Sean says the growing tensions surrounding Australia's $850 million Enhanced Cooperation Program were detectable. Read transcript > Understanding the controversy over Fiji's gay laws 03/05/2005 This Notebook comes from James Panichi, the senior producer of Pacific Beat, which has led the field in the coverage of the enforcement of Fiji's sodomy laws. Read transcript > Can Australia work with China without 'taking sides'? 26/04/2005 The Executive Producer of Radio Australia's Chinese Program Unit, Julian Chen, reflects on the visit to Beijing by Australian prime minister John Howard. Read transcript > Missing something? 20/04/2005 This week's Correspondent's Notebook is by Radio Australia's finance correspondent, Karon Snowdon, who recently attended a China - Australia business forum in the Australian city of Brisbane. Read transcript > Australia - more than just Asia’s appendix? 13/04/2005 This week our foreign affairs and defence correspondent, Graeme Dobell, reflects on the visits to Australia by the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and the prime minister of Malaysia, Abdullah Badawi. Graeme joined Radio Australia in 1975 and he has been writing about regional affairs ever since. Read transcript > An emotional journey back in time 07/04/2005 A very special Correspondent's Notebook this week, from the executive producer of Radio Australia's Vietnamese service, Hue Nguyen. Hue arrived in Australia in 1987 after a harrowing journey by boat from Vietnam via a refugee camp on the island of Bidong, in Malaysia. Last month, he joined a group of other Vietnamese ‘boat people’ to mark the 30th anniversary of Vietnamese resettlement in the third countries. They visited Bidong and the site of another camp on Galang Island in Indonesia. Read transcript > Political instinct 21/03/2005 Our correspondent, Sen Lam, says it's too early to write off Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim as a potential political force. Read transcript > Outside influence 16/03/2005 Our correspondent, Bruce Hill, says emigration and modern telecommunications are exposing Tongans to the rest of the world. Read transcript > Developing democracy 08/03/2005 Our reporter James Panichi looks at the challenges that upcoming elections pose to democracy across the Pacific. Read transcript > The puzzle of 'foreign policy' 28/02/2005 Our foreign affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell, tries to find a common thread in recent developments between Australia and Asia. Read transcript > Change in the air 22/02/2005 Despite the lack of a clear winner in French Polynesia’s latest poll, our correspondent Nic Maclellan says there’s a feeling in the French Pacific territory that change is inevitable. Read transcript > Year of the Rooster 11/02/2005 Asia Pacific presenter Sen Lam speaks fondly of Chinese New Year celebrations. Read transcript > Tonga fascinated by public debate 01/02/2005 Pacific Correspondent Sean Dorney reports that Tonga is gripped by an unusually public discourse involving the Crown Prince of Tonga and a former Police Minister tunred democracy campaigner. Read transcript > Thailand’s troubled south 20/12/2004 Our correspondent, Tom Fayle, found himself on a surprise journey to the south during an exchange program in Thailand. Read transcript > Losing it 15/12/2004 Papua New Guinea’s law and order problem became personal for our correspondent, Shane McLeod, when his office was robbed recently. Read transcript > Join the club 07/12/2004 Our foreign affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell, reflects on the recent ASEAN leaders’ summit in Laos, at which Australia and New Zealand were offered ongoing places in ‘the club’. Read transcript > The politics of confusion 29/11/2004 Our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, says the actions of Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Serge Vohor, are keeping everyone guessing. Read transcript > Royalty, reform and rumours 22/11/2004 Our correspondent, Bruce Hill, says speculation is rife in Tonga about the motivation behind recent democratic reforms. Read transcript > Accepting defeat 15/11/2004 Radio Australia’s Nuim Khaiyath says Indonesia’s defeated president, Megawati Sukarnoputri, is still having trouble accepting her election loss. Read transcript > Managing alliances 08/11/2004 Radio Australia's Canberra correspondent, Graeme Dobell, looks at the challenges Australia faces in maintaining its strong relationship with the United States. Read transcript > Covering Nauru's election 03/11/2004 Our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, discovered the quirks of Nauru's voting system - and its media - when he covered the island state's recent election. Read transcript > Number crunching 26/10/2004 Our reporter Bruce Hill wonders whether the people of Nauru have their heads in the sand when it comes to the island’s population count. Read transcript > Dancers with a difference 19/10/2004 Our reporter, Karon Snowdon, gets tangled up with Eksotika in Indonesia. Read transcript > A quiet victory 12/10/2004 Radio Australia’s Hidayat Djajamihardja considers why it was so easy for Indonesia’s president-elect, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to hold back from declaring victory, and so hard for the president, Megawati Sukarnoputri, to concede defeat. Read transcript > Too close to call 04/10/2004 Our Canberra correspondent, Graeme Dobell, reflects on how Australia's current highly-polished election campaign compares with those of the past. Read transcript > Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono 24/09/2004 Executive producer of Radio Australia's Indonesia service, Nuim Khaiyath explains why Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to be a good choice for Indonesia. Read transcript > The rumour mill 20/09/2004 During Tonga’s recent cabinet reshuffle, the government’s tight rein on the media backfired, encouraging journalists to fill the information void with rumour, innuendo and gossip. Our correspondent, Bruce Hill, reports. Read transcript > Sports strategy 13/09/2004 Just returned from covering the Athens Olympics for Radio Australia, Brendan Telfer reviews the state of international sport in the Pacific. Read transcript > Seeds of change 06/09/2004 Our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, hopes that the seeds of a new approach to life are taking root in Nauru. Read transcript > Pacific ties 30/08/2004 Our foreign affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell, ponders the changing face of relations between the Pacific Islands and the wider region. Read transcript > Echoes of the past 23/08/2004 Our foreign affairs correspondent, Graeme Dobell, attends a forum at Australia’s old Parliament House, where he finds memories of his early career mingle with echoes of Australia’s past attitudes to Asia. Read transcript > Pacific relationships 16/08/2004 Our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, discovered a new attitude towards Australia - and new tensions elsewhere - when he attended the annual Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Samoa. Read transcript > Press freedom fighter 09/08/2004 Our correspondent Karon Snowdon remembers Indonesian journalist Mochtar Lubis, a champion of press freedom and democracy. Read transcript > A question of credibility 03/08/2004 Our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, believes a recent Australian report on Solomon Islands will be widely discussed in Honiara - but for the wrong reasons. Read transcript > The rule of law 27/07/2004 Our correspondent, Bruce Hill, discovers the majesty of the law in action in a Suva court room. Read transcript > Indonesia's big day 19/07/2004 Indonesia's first direct presidential election played on the nation's weakness for the number five, but as Nuim Khaiyath discovers, it was not enough to inspire much enthusiasm for the landmark event. Read transcript > The tides of change 12/07/2004 Whether the people of Vanuatu are queuing to vote or visiting the supermarket, our correspondent, Bruce Hill, believes that change is in the air. Read transcript > The battlers of Burma 05/07/2004 Karon Snowdon meets the famous Moustache Brothers - a trio of traditional Burmese performers who refuse to be silenced by the military regime. Read transcript > Slow change in Kashmir 28/06/2004 During a visit to Kashmir, Kanaha Sabapathy discovers a new sense of hope in the air, along with constant reminders of the conflict. Read transcript > A new day for French Polynesia 21/06/2004 Our reporter Nic Maclellan looks at the dramatic shift in fortunes for French Polynesia’s pro-independence movement. Read transcript > Along the road 14/06/2004 Returning to Malaysia and Singapore, Foreign Affairs and Defence Correspondent Graeme Dobell finds a few things have changed since he was based there a decade ago. Read transcript > Finding faith 07/06/2004 Radio Australia's Karon Snowdon explores some of the facets of Islam during a trip to Indonesia. Read transcript > Politically active 31/05/2004 Papua New Guinea correspondent, Shane McLeod, looks back at one of PNG's most active political weeks in years. Read transcript > Challenging times 25/05/2004 Kanaha Sabapathy has an interesting time reporting from India. Read transcript > Sweet nothing 18/05/2004 Sean Dorney casts a disappointed eye over the latest developments in attempts to save Fiji's sugar industry. Read transcript > The Mahathir effect 10/05/2004 Graeme Dobell reflects on how Australia's relationship with the region has changed since Mahathir Mohamad retired. Read transcript > Behind the voices 03/05/2004 This week's notebook is from our stringer in Solomon Islands, Dorothy Wickham, who has been visiting Radio Australia in Melbourne. Read transcript > Charming, witty and talented 26/04/2004 Pacific correspondent Sean Dorney remembers Sir Anthony Siaguru. Read transcript > Rising from the Ashes 19/04/2004 Nuim Khaiath from Radio Australia's Indonesian service considers the hopeful outlook Indonesians seem to have when it comes to the country's political future. Read transcript > Candid camera 12/04/2004 They say a picture tells a thousand words, but when it comes to our Pacific correspondent, Sean Dorney, the accompanying caption can be even more revealing. Read transcript > Democracy in Taiwan 05/04/2004 Sen Lam, recently returned from Taiwan where he reported on the presidential election and referendum, considers how the democratic process has unfolded. Read transcript > Democracy in action 29/03/2004 Karen Snowdon reviews the many elections coming up in Asia in 2004. Read transcript > Land of the Thunder Dragon 22/03/2004 Barry Clark takes you to Bhutan, where success is measured according to Gross National Hapiness. Read transcript > Policy on the run 15/03/2004 Graeme Dobell looks at the ups and the downs of Australia's South Pacific policy. Read transcript > An Indonesian perspective 23/02/2004 The Executive Producer of Radio Australia's Indonesian language service, Nuim Khaiyath, is reminded that the world looks different when viewed from home. Read transcript > New Australian aid program for Pacific media 16/02/2004 Sean Dorney outlines Australia's new focus when it comes to media and communications in the Pacific. Read transcript > Making noise 09/02/2004 Waitangi Day inspires Bruce Hill to consider race relations in New Zealand. Read transcript > Delicate balance 02/02/2004 What role does Commodore Bainimarama play in Fiji’s delicate power structure? Sean Dorney explains. Read transcript > Political stalemate 26/01/2004 The Executive Producer of Radio Australia's Khmer service, Ta Rath, explains why six months after Cambodia's national election, there's still no government. Read transcript > What’s in a name? 17/01/2004 In 2003, three new Indonesian provinces were created out of the province of Papua – formerly known as Irian Jaya. Radio Australia’s Indonesian broadcaster Hidayat Djajamihardja explains what’s behind the move. Read transcript > From Iraq to the South Pacific: the year that was 10/01/2004 Graeme Dobell looks back at 2003. Read transcript > ‘The past is a foreign country…’ 03/01/2004 Graeme Dobell delves into the Canberra archives to take a look back 30 years. Read transcript > The giant stirs 27/12/2003 Bruce Hill considers the reasons behind Australia's involvement in the South Pacific. Read transcript > Australians connecting with the South Pacific 20/12/2003 Clement Paligaru looks beyond the headlines to reveal Australia’s diverse connections with the Pacific region. Read transcript > Bringing it all back home 15/12/2003 This week Bruce Hill reveals the many ways in which expatriate Islanders influence their communities. Read transcript > Helping out 08/12/2003 In Correspondent’s Notebook this week, Sean Dorney looks at the relative success of two different approaches to international co-operation. Read transcript > Policing for a peaceful Pacific 03/12/2003 This week Radio Australia’s James Panichi examines initiatives aimed at maintaining regional security and suppressing crime. Read transcript > Playing by the rules 24/11/2003 This week Radio Australia’s Defence and Diplomatic correspondent, Graeme Dobell, looks at the games governments play. Read transcript > A slip of the tongue 10/11/2003 This week, Radio Australia’s Defence and Diplomatic Correspondent, Graeme Dobell, reveals that anyone – even a world leader – can make a mistake. Read transcript > Diplomatic niceties 07/11/2003 This week, the head of Radio Australia’s Mandarin service, Julian Chen, takes us behind the scenes of the Chinese President’s state visit to Australia. Read transcript > Cannibalism 30/10/2003 This week Sean Dorney looks at the controversial issue of having people for dinner. Read transcript > The Legend of the Lost Gold 20/10/2003 This week the ABC’s Papua New Guinea correspondent, Shane McLeod, braves the Bismarck Sea in a dinghy, negotiates his way around mudholes and is accosted by soliders, while in search of a remote mountain cave, hidden treasure and a good story. Read transcript > When worlds collide 15/10/2003 This week, Bruce Hill assesses an escalating row over press freedom and royal privilege. Read transcript > Mahathir's Malaysia more confident than ever 06/10/2003 This week, a visit to Malaysia provides Asia Pacific’s Sen Lam with an excuse to indulge in a little daydreaming. Read transcript > The islands are calling 30/09/2003 This week Radio Australia Correspondent, Sean Dorney, looks at the high cost of communicating in the Pacific. Read transcript > Australia on a sharp learning-curve 22/09/2003 This week, Graeme Dobell examines the twists and turns of Australia’s foreign policy in the Pacific. Read transcript > Against the odds 19/09/2003 In this week’s report, Jemima Garrett highlights heroism of a business nature in the Pacific. Read transcript > The issue of church and state 10/09/2003 In this week’s report, Pacific Beat’s Bruce Hill examines the recent suggestion, by the Reverend Jioni Lagi of the Methodist Church, that Fiji should declare Christianity the state religion. Read transcript > Times may be changing in Tonga 02/09/2003 This week, Pacific Beat’s Bruce Hill examines a very big dispute in a very small nation. Read transcript > Reporting on the reporters 25/08/2003 In today's Correspondent's Notebook, our Pacific Correspondent, Sean Dorney, reflects on how the media covered this year's Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Auckland, New Zealand. The meeting was the Forum's first since the sudden adoption two months ago of a new Pacific Policy by John Howard's Australian Government, that of co-operative intervention. Read transcript > Canberra looking for economic 'mateship' 20/08/2003 This week Graeme Dobell, Radio Australia's Defence and Foreign Affairs correspondent, wonders how the Australian government can hope to negotiate a free trade agreement with the United States in less than a year. Read transcript > Cambodia - More of the same 11/08/2003 This week Asia Pacific's Tricia Fitzgerald revisits Cambodia and finds, to her disappointment, that very little has changed. Read transcript > South Pacific Games - Fiji style 06/08/2003 Every four years the South Pacific Games bring together athletes from across the region for two weeks of competition and celebration. Radio Australia's Brendon Telfer summarises the sport and spectacle he witnessed in Fiji's capital, Suva. Read transcript > Solomon Islands – the quest for Pacific co-operation 23/07/2003 Radio Australia’s Sean Dorney examines the latest moves towards co-operation between the nations of the Pacific, and sees the possibility of a peaceful, more stable future. Read transcript > Aceh – A history of resistance
19/07/2003 In the first episode of this new series, the head of Radio Australia’s Indonesian Service, Nuim Khaiyath, looks at the troubled history of this deeply religious, strife-torn province. Read transcript > |
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