Re: Kawenu beach

Dear Editor,

I have already instructed my lawyer, Mr. John Malcolm of Geoffrey Gee and Partners to commence a Supreme Court case against Mr Ah Ku Dinh, a business crony of MP Joshua Kalsakau, and the holder of the title, and the Government of Vanuatu for stealing Ifira land, the day before you published MP Joshua Kalsakau's letter.

As a Member of Parliament, he said: “I wish to maintain that the process of obtaining the lease has been done following the law”.

That is a lot of rubbish! I was sitting across the table having coffee with the former Minister of Lands, and current Minister of Justice, Hon. Ralph Regenvanu one morning when he received a phone call from MP Joshua Kalsakau, threatening and forcing the Minister to sign the lease quickly. On the same morning MP Kalsakau offloaded his Mantana Gangs outside the Ministry of Lands to demonstrate his threatening force. Is that what the MP has led us to believe to be the legal process of obtaining a lease?
MP Joshua Kalsakau then referred to the land as state land and the Minister had all the powers to dispense off the land. My question is who gave the land to the state, and for what purpose? The custom land owners of Ifira and the late Grand Chief Teriki Graham Kalsakau gave the land to the state for “Public Interest”, as it clearly stated in the constitution. As custom land owners, no compensation was ever demanded from the Government. We never gave it to MP. Joshua Kalsakau, or Minister Harry Iauko to sell.

The Government of Vanuatu can only obtain or buy land for the public interest as stated in the Constitution of the Republic. Here we have a clear and classic example of a community giving their land freely to the State for public interest, and two members of parliament had decided to sell the land to their business cronies because of greed, money, and self interest. The total abuse and disregard of the leadership code. This is morally and legally wrong, because this daylight robbery of our land has been legalized by the Government with a leasehold title.

Once more the ruby! The ruby…… ! No one has ever been convicted. Only uneducated people would believe that a ruby - stone can “sell the sovereignty of Vanuatu”.
The MP referred to the 2008 General Elections. The only reason why I lost the election was because MP Joshua Kalsakau had bribed many of my electors. I had proven it in Court that is why the by-election in 2009 took place. The bribery election case is not finished yet, and I will stand again in 2012. MP Joshua Kalsakau may not even be qualified as candidate for 2012 election when I am finished with that legal case.
MP Joshua Kalsakau dwelled on stale propaganda, fishing plants, my private business overseas trips just to mislead and destruct the readers of Daily Post from the real issue at hand which is the “legalized stealing of Kawenu Beach” .
He speaks highly of himself as a young politicians. I have met many young politicians all over the world including Vanuatu who are dedicated, smarter, intelligent, well educated with University degrees, compared to many young politicians like MP Joshua Kalsakau that we have elected into our present Parliament.
MP Kalsakau has forgotten that I was once a young politician, well educated with a university degree. I was more vibrant and more radical than he can ever be. If it wasn't for the vision of the old leaders as myself, Vanuatu would still be New Hebrides, stateless people, no vote, no passport, no flag, no members of Parliament, and the colonial planters would still be owning the land that the MP is selling now.

The only forward looking vision of the young Parliamentarians the MP had referred to are greed, money, selling of lands, and endless motions of no confidences.

MP Joshua Kalsakau has also referred to the Ifira Trustees scam. Mr. Kalpokor Kalsakau and I were never removed from the Ifira Trust. We resigned voluntarily as Directors, and we can also reinstate us tomorrow because Kalpokor Kalsakau and myself are the shareholders of Ifira Trustees Ltd. I would advice the MP to avail himself to the Supreme Court case which will commence on 7th December 2011. At least we did not try to take over the Ifira Trustees by force like MP did in 2008 and was landed with a restraint order from the Supreme Court.

Mr Kalpokor Kalsakau and I had a dream and vision to create the Ifira Trustees Ltd in 1978 for the future of the Ifira Community. It was our dream and vision. Today, everyone on Ifira is benefiting from Ifira Trustees, including MP Joshua Kalsakau, by sending their children to New Zealand with Ifira Trustees scholarship money.

Now we ask MP Joshua Kalsakau, where is your vision for the Ifira people?
Selling Mafira land is not a vision. It is a BAD DREAM with no future.

Like in a boxing ring, I might be old but I am still standing in my red corner! I stood and still standing up for the land rights of my people. The next boxing match is only 10 months away. The young politicians versus the old politicians for the 2012 General Election. Referee's only one rule of the match is “NO BRIBERY”.

For me I will rely only in the words of Mohammed Ali, the Greatest Heavyweight boxer that ever lived: “I will move like a butterfly, and sting like a bee.”

I am
Barak T Sope Maautamte