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RNZ News
2 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Pacific leaders demand respectful involvement in memorial for unmarked graves
Daniel Chrisp speaks at the Family Forum beside the cemetery chapel, as Mayor Anita Baker and whānau gather to honour 1,800 patients buried in unmarked graves. Photo: Friends of Porirua Cemetery Facebook Porirua City Council is set to create a memorial for more than 1800 former patients of the local hospital buried in unmarked graves. But Pacific leaders are asking to be meaningfully involved in the process, including incorporating prayer, language, and ceremonial practices. More than 50 people gathered at Porirua Cemetery last month after the council's plans became public, many of whom are descendants of those buried without headstones. Photo: Daniel Chrisp, the Cemeteries manager, says it was encouraging to see families engaging with the project. Chrisp's team has placed 99 pegs to mark the graves of families who have come forward so far. One attendee told him that it was deeply moving to photograph the site where two relatives were buried. "It's fantastic that we've got to this point, having the descendants of those in unmarked graves encouraged to be involved," he says. "These plots represent mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children and other relatives, so it's important to a lot of people." The Porirua Lunatic Asylum, which later became Porirua Hospital, operated from 1887 until the 1990s. At its peak in the 1960s, it was one of Aotearoa New Zealand's largest hospitals, housing over 2000 patients and staff. As part of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, the Government has established a national fund for headstones for unmarked graves. Porirua City Council has applied for $200,000 to install a memorial that will list every known name. Some pegs that mark the resting places of former patients buried in unmarked graves. Photo: Porirua Council Some Pacific community leaders say they were never consulted, despite Pacific people among the deceased. Teurukura Tia Kekena, chairperson of the Porirua Cook Islands Association, says this is the first she has heard of the project and is concerned Pacific communities have not been included in conversations so far. "If there was any unmarked grave and the Porirua City Council is aware of the names, I would have thought they would have contacted the ethnic groups these people belonged to," she says. "From a Cook Islands point of view, we need to acknowledge these people. They need to be fully acknowledged." Kekena learned about the project only after being contacted by a reporter, despite the council's ongoing efforts to identify names and place markers for families who have come forward. The council's application for funding is part of its response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry. A photograph shows Porirua Hospital in the early 1900s. Photo/Porirua City Council Photo: Porirua City Council Kekena says it's important how the council manages the memorial, adding that it matters deeply for Cook Islands families and the wider Pacific community, especially those with relatives buried at the site. She believes that a proper memorial should reflect Pacific values, particularly the importance of faith, family, and cultural protocol. "It's huge. It's connecting us to these people," she says. "Just thinking about it is getting me emotional. "Like I said, the Pākehā way of acknowledging is totally different from our way. When we acknowledge, when we go for an unveiling, it's about family. It's about family. It's about family honouring the person that had passed. "And we do it in a way that we have a service at the graveside with the orometua [minister] present. Yeah, unveil the stone by the family, by the immediate family, if there were any here at that time." She also underscores the connection between remembering the deceased and healing intergenerational trauma, particularly given the site's history with mental health. "It helps a lot. It's a way of healing the trauma. I don't know how these people came to be buried in an unmarked grave, but to me, it's like they were just put there and forgotten about. I wouldn't like to have my family buried in a place and be forgotten." Kekena urges the council to work closely with the Cook Islands community moving forward and says she will bring the matter back to her association to raise awareness and check possible connections between local families and the names identified. Yvonne Underhill‑Sem, a Cook Islands community leader and Professor of Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland, says the memorial's emotional significance, noting her personal connection to Whenua Tapu as a Porirua native. "In terms of our Pacific understandings of ancestry, everybody who passes away is still part of our whānau. The fact that we don't know who they are is unsettling," she says. "It would be a real relief to the families involved and to the generations that follow to have those graves named." A Porirua City Council spokesperson says they have been actively sharing the list of names with the public and encourages all communities, including Pacific groups, genealogists, and local iwi, to help spread the word. So far, 99 families have come forward. "We would encourage any networks such as Pacific, genealogists and local iwi to share the list around for members of the public to get in touch," the spokesperson says. The list of names is available on the Council's website and includes both a downloadable file and a searchable online tool here. Moze Galo and Izzy Ford, 19 07 2025 caption: Pacific voices in council - Porirua councillors Izzy Ford and Moze Galo say the memorial must reflect Pacific values. Photo: Porirua Council/RNZ Porirua councillors Izzy Ford and Moze Galo, two of the three Pacific members on the council, say Pacific families must be central to the memorial process. Ford says burial sites carry deep cultural weight for Pacific communities. "We know that burial sites are more than just places of rest, they are sacred spaces that hold our stories, our ancestry and dignity - they are our connection to those who came before us." She says public notices and websites are not enough. "If we are serious about finding the families of those buried in unmarked graves here in Porirua, we have to go beyond public notices and websites." Ford says government funding will be limited, and Council must work with trusted Pacific networks to reach families. "It means partnering with groups who carry trust in our community... Pacific churches, elders, and organisations, communicating in our languages through Pacific radio, social media, community events, churches, and health providers." Galo agrees and says the memorial must reflect Pacific values in both design and feeling. "It should feel warm, colourful, spiritual, and welcoming. Include Pacific designs, carvings, and symbols... there should be room for prayer, music, and quiet reflection," he says. "Being seen and heard brings healing, honour, and helps restore our connection to our ancestors. It reminds our families that we belong, that our history matters, and that our voice is valued in this space." Galo says the work must continue beyond the unveiling. "Community involvement shouldn't stop after the memorial is built, we should have a role in how it's maintained and used in the future. "These were real people, with families, love, and lives that mattered. Some were buried without names, without ceremony, and that left a deep pain. Honouring them now is a step toward healing, and a way of saying, you were never forgotten." Members of the public who recognise a family name on the list are encouraged to get in touch by emailing cemeteries@ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Call for wider consultation on memorial for patients' unmarked graves
Some of the pegs marking the burial places of former patients of Porirua Hospital, buried in unmarked graves at Porirua Cemetery. Photo: Supplied/ Porirua City Council A memorial is being set up to recognise the more than 1800 former patients of Porirua Hospital who were buried in unmarked graves. Porirua City Council is creating the memorial and Pacific leaders want to be meaningfully involved in the process, by incorporating prayer, language and ceremonial practices. More than 50 people gathered at Porirua Cemetery in June, after the council's plans became public, many of whom were descendants of those buried without headstones. Porirua cemeteries manager Daniel Chrisp was encouraged to see families engaging with the project. Daniel Chrisp speaks at a Family Forum held beside the Porirua Cemetery chapel. Photo: Supplied/ Facebook - Friends of Porirua Cemetery Chrisp's team placed 99 pegs to mark the graves of families who had come forward so far and he said one attendee told him it was deeply moving to photograph the site where two relatives were buried. "It's fantastic that we've got to this point, having the descendants of those in unmarked graves encouraged to be involved," Chrisp said. "These plots represent mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children and other relatives, so it's important to a lot of people." The Porirua Lunatic Asylum, which later became Porirua Hospital, operated from 1887 until the 1990s. At its peak in the 1960s, it was one of Aotearoa New Zealand's largest hospitals, housing more than 2000 patients and staff. As part of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, the government established a national fund for headstones for unmarked graves. Porirua City Council applied for $200,000 to install a memorial that would list every known name. However, some Pacific community leaders say they were never consulted, despite Pacific people being among the deceased. Porirua Cook Islands Association chairperson Teurukura Tia Kekena said this was the first she had heard of the project and was concerned Pacific communities had not been included in conversations so far. "If there was any unmarked grave and the Porirua City Council is aware of the names, I would have thought they would have contacted the ethnic groups these people belonged to," she says. "From a Cook Islands point of view, we need to acknowledge these people. They need to be fully acknowledged." Porirua Hospital in the early 1900s. Photo: Supplied / Porirua City Council Kekena learned about the project only after being contacted by a reporter, despite the council's ongoing efforts to identify names and place markers for families who had come forward. The council's application for funding was part of its response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry. Kekena said it was important how the council managed the memorial, adding that it mattered deeply for Cook Islands families and the wider Pacific community, especially those with relatives buried at the site. She believed a proper memorial should reflect Pacific values, particularly the importance of faith, family and cultural protocol. "It's huge," she said. "It's connecting us to these people - just thinking about it is getting me emotional. "Like I said, the Pākehā way of acknowledging is totally different from our way. When we acknowledge, when we go for an unveiling, it's about family. "It's about family. It's about family honouring the person that had passed and we do it in a way that we have a service at the graveside with the orometua [minister] present. "Yeah, unveil the stone by the family, by the immediate family, if there were any here at that time." She also underscored the connection between remembering the deceased and healing intergenerational trauma, particularly given the site's history with mental health. "It helps a lot, it's a way of healing the trauma. I don't know how these people came to be buried in an unmarked grave, but to me, it's like they were just put there and forgotten about. "I wouldn't like to have my family buried in a place and be forgotten." Kekena urged the council to work closely with the Cook Islands community moving forward, and said she would bring the matter back to her association to raise awareness and check possible connections between local families and the names identified. Yvonne Underhill‑Sem, a Cook Islands community leader and professor of Pacific studies at the University of Auckland, said the memorial had emotional significance, noting her personal connection as a Porirua native to Whenua Tapu , another Porirua cemetery. "In terms of our Pacific understandings of ancestry, everybody who passes away is still part of our whānau," she said. "The fact that we don't know who they are is unsettling. "It would be a real relief to the families involved and to the generations that follow to have those graves named." A Porirua City Council spokesperson said they had actively shared the list of names with the public and encouraging all communities, including Pacific groups, genealogists and local iwi, to help spread the word. So far, 99 families had come forward. "We would encourage any networks, such as Pacific, genealogists and local iwi, to share the list around for members of the public to get in touch," the spokesperson said. The list of names is available on the council's website and includes both a downloadable file and a searchable online tool . Porirua City Councillors Izzy Ford and Moze Galo say the memorial must reflect Pacific values. Photo: Supplied/ Porirua City Council - RNZ Porirua City Councillors Izzy Ford and Moze Galo - two of the three Pacific members on the council - said Pacific families must be central to the memorial process. Ford said burial sites carried deep cultural weight for Pacific communities. "We know that burial sites are more than just places of rest,"Ford said. "They are sacred spaces that hold our stories, our ancestry and dignity - they are our connection to those who came before us." Public notices and websites were not enough, she said. "If we are serious about finding the families of those buried in unmarked graves here in Porirua, we have to go beyond public notices and websites." Government funding would be limited and council must work with trusted Pacific networks to reach families, Ford said. "It means partnering with groups who carry trust in our community... Pacific churches, elders and organisations communicating in our languages through Pacific radio, social media, community events, churches and health providers." Galo agreed, and said the memorial must reflect Pacific values in both design and feeling. "It should feel warm, colourful, spiritual and welcoming," he said. "Include Pacific designs, carvings and symbols... there should be room for prayer, music and quiet reflection. "Being seen and heard brings healing, honour, and helps restore our connection to our ancestors. It reminds our families that we belong, that our history matters and that our voice is valued in this space." Galo said the work must continue beyond the unveiling. "Community involvement shouldn't stop after the memorial is built. We should have a role in how it's maintained and used in the future. "These were real people with families, love and lives that mattered. Some were buried without names, without ceremony and that left a deep pain. "Honouring them now is a step toward healing and a way of saying, 'You were never forgotten'." Members of the public who recognise a family name on the list are encouraged to get in touch, by emailing cemeteries@ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Arab News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Fiji says China military base not welcome as Pacific islands steer between superpowers
SYDNEY: Fiji is opposed to China setting up a military base in the Pacific Islands, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said on Wednesday, adding that it did not need such a base to project power, as shown by an intercontinental ballistic missile test. Strategically placed between the United States and Asia, the Pacific Islands are a focus of rivalry between Washington and Beijing for security ties. The islands were trying to cope with a big, powerful China seeking to spread its influence, Rabuka told the National Press Club in the Australian capital, adding that Beijing understood he would lobby other Pacific leaders against such a base. 'Pacific leaders in all their recent discussions have tried to go for policies that are friendly to all and enemies to none — and it is a fairly tough course to steer, but it is possible,' he added. The Pacific would feel the impact of any conflict over the Taiwan Strait between major powers, a possibility already being planned for by China and other nations, he said. Fiji opposes establishment of a military base by China, he said, in response to queries on Beijing's security ambitions in a region where it already has a security pact with the Solomon Islands and a police presence in several nations. 'If they want to come, who would welcome them?' he said. 'Not Fiji.' China's embassy in Fiji did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Beijing has previously ruled out establishing a military base in the Solomon Islands. China did not need a base to project power, Rabuka added, as Beijing tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in September that flew over Fiji to land in international waters. China showed off its coast guard to 10 visiting leaders of Pacific islands in May, after registering two dozen of its vessels with a regional fisheries commission last year, though it has yet to start South Pacific patrols. China's coast guard would need to 'observe our sovereignty, our sovereign waters,' Rabuka said. Fiji's cooperation with China to develop infrastructure should not affect how it interacts with Australia, New Zealand and the United States, he added. To manage strategic competition in the region, Rabuka is trying to build support for an Ocean of Peace treaty to ensure outsiders respect its unity and the 'rejection of coercion as a means to achieve security, economic or political advantage.' Leaders of the 18 members of the Pacific Islands Forum will consider the pact at a meeting in September.
RNZ News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Australia to boost cyber security and provide vehicles for Solomon Islands Pacific Islands Forum
By foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic , ABC In short: What's next? Pat Conroy met Jeremiah Manele this week in Solomon Islands. Photo: Supplied / Australian High Commission, Solomon Islands Australia will provide Solomon Islands with dozens of vehicles and cybersecurity support to help it host a high-profile meeting of Pacific leaders in September, as well as ramping up funding for aerial surveillance to track illegal fishing flotillas across the region. The Pacific Minister Pat Conroy is in Honiara on Thursday, where he will announce a $20 million support package for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting. Leaders at the meeting will grapple with a host of issues, including climate finance and Australia's bid to co-host a Conference of the Parties climate meeting, a new "Oceans of Peace" security framework championed by Fiji's prime minister, and a potentially contentious review of the Pacific's diplomatic architecture. But the gathering will also inevitably be seen as a litmus test of China's sway in Solomon Islands, where Beijing has rapidly built political influence since establishing ties with Honiara in 2019. Earlier this month China's ambassador to Solomon Islands handed Acting Prime Minister Fredrick Kologetoa a $US1 million ($1.5m) donation to buy 27 vehicles which will ferry Pacific leaders around at PIF. Jeremiah Manele met Anthony Albanese in Canberra last year. Photo: Reuters / Kirsty Needham Australia's $20 million package will be broader, providing funding for about 60 vehicles, cybersecurity, road upgrades and logistics support. Australia has not directly criticised China's contribution to the meeting, but MrConroy said the Pacific was "best served by Pacific-led institutions and processes". "Australia's commitment to Solomon Islands and the broader Pacific is steadfast. We are stronger together," Conroy said. China is also expected to push for its policing teams to play a visible role providing security at the leaders meeting, something Australia will be keen to prevent, in order to burnish its credentials as a security partner for the Pacific. During an interview with the ABC on Tuesday while visiting Papua New Guinea, Conroy reiterated that China was "seeking a permanent security presence in the Pacific". When the ABC asked him if China might try to leverage its Pacific policing links to help it establish "dual use" commercial infrastructure which it could exploit for military purposes down the track - something Australian officials have warned of privately - Conroy said that was a "reasonable conclusion" to draw. "We've made it very clear that we don't think it's appropriate for nations outside the region to be looking at securing policing footholds like that," he said. The ABC has been told the pacific minister will also use his visit to Honiara to announce the government will deliver on its 2022 election promise to double funding for aerial patrols delivered under the Pacific Maritime Security Program, which he will cast as a major win for regional security. Pacific nations have become increasingly alarmed by the illegal fishing in the region, which has devastated ecosystems and livelihoods, costing them up to $500m in lost revenue over recent years. In 2022 Labor promised that if elected it would increase funding to the program by $12m a year from 2024-25, and federal government tender documents - first reported on by Reuters - suggest the government will pour a total of up to $477m into the program over the next decade. While there is only limited public data available on illegal fishing in the Pacific, analysts have previously told the ABC that vessels from China and Taiwan are responsible for much of the devastation. While in PNG Mr Conroy took a thinly veiled swipe at Beijing on illegal fishing, labelling it a "scourge" and saying countries that failed to rein in it were "literally stealing food out of the mouths of Pacific Island people". "We will use every resource available to us to outlaw that scourge," he said. "And I would urge all balanced observers to reflect on the countries that allow that activity to occur and think: Do they have the interests of the Pacific islands of the heart if they allow that illegal fishing to occur?" - ABC
ABC News
25-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Australia to boost cyber security and provide vehicles for Solomon Islands Pacific Islands Forum
Australia will provide Solomon Islands with dozens of vehicles and cyber security support to help it host a high-profile meeting of Pacific leaders in September, as well as ramping up funding for aerial surveillance to track illegal fishing flotillas across the region. The Pacific Minister Pat Conroy is in Honiara on Thursday, where he will announce a $20 million support package for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting. Leaders at the meeting will grapple with a host of issues, including climate finance and Australia's bid to co-host a Conference of the Parties climate meeting, a new "Oceans of Peace" security framework championed by Fiji's prime minister, and a potentially contentious review of the Pacific's diplomatic architecture. But the gathering will also inevitably be seen as a litmus test of China's sway in Solomon Islands, where Beijing has rapidly built political influence since establishing ties with Honiara in 2019. Earlier this month China's ambassador to Solomon Islands handed the Acting Prime Minister Fredrick Kologetoa a $US1 million ($1.5 million) donation to buy 27 vehicles which will ferry around Pacific leaders at PIF. Australia's $20 million package will be broader, providing funding for about 60 vehicles, cyber security, road upgrades and logistics support. Australia has not directly criticised China's contribution to the meeting, but Mr Conroy said the Pacific was "best served by Pacific-led institutions and processes". "Australia's commitment to Solomon Islands and the broader Pacific is steadfast. We are stronger together," Mr Conroy said. China is also expected to push for its policing teams to play a visible role providing security at the leaders meeting, something Australia will be keen to prevent, in order to burnish its credentials as a security partner for the Pacific. During an interview with the ABC on Tuesday while visiting Papua New Guinea, Mr Conroy reiterated that China was "seeking a permanent security presence in the Pacific". When the ABC asked him if China might try to leverage its Pacific policing links to help it establish "dual use" commercial infrastructure which it could exploit for military purposes down the track — something Australian officials have warned of privately — Mr Conroy said that was a "reasonable conclusion" to draw. The ABC has been told the pacific minister will also use his visit to Honiara to announce the government will deliver on its 2022 election promise to double funding for aerial patrols delivered under the Pacific Maritime Security Program, which he will cast as a major win for regional security. Pacific nations have become increasingly alarmed by the illegal fishing in the region, which has devastated ecosystems and livelihoods, costing them up to $500 million in lost revenue over recent years. In 2022 Labor promised that if elected it would increase funding to the program by $12 million a year from 2024-25, and federal government tender documents — first reported on by Reuters — suggest the government will pour a total of up to $477 million into the program over the next decade. While there's only limited public data available on illegal fishing in the Pacific, analysts have previously told the ABC that vessels from China and Taiwan are responsible for much of the devastation. While in PNG Mr Conroy took a thinly veiled swipe at Beijing on illegal fishing, labelling it a "scourge," and saying countries which failed to rein in it were "literally stealing food out of the mouths of Pacific Island people". "And I would urge all balanced observers to reflect on the countries that allow that activity to occur and think do they have the interests of the Pacific islands of the heart, if they allow that illegal fishing to occur?"
