Samoa’s campaign to stop violence against women began early this week on Savaii island with a debate on gender equality.

Men and women will take part in the debate as part of a 16-day campaign organized by the family haven group, Mapusaga o Aiga or MOA.

Its CEO, Salanieta Uesele Uili, says a main cause of reported domestic violence cases involves a man who believes he is superior to his wife. The organization says it is looking at other ways of dealing with domestic violence cases.

Mapusaga o Aiga hopes other NGOs in Samoa will also join the campaign.

MAN AWAITS SENTENCING AFTER ESCAPE TO N.Z.

Police have returned to Samoa a man who fled to New Zealand seven years ago while awaiting sentencing for manslaughter.

Ropati Nauer was able to leave the country in 2002 despite the confiscation of his travel documents, because his sister Luisa Westerlund obtained another passport for him.

Westerlund and her husband Ricky, who helped transport him to the airport, were later jailed for conspiring to defeat the course of justice.

RNZI correspondent Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia says Nauer was able to hide out in New Zealand for seven years until now.

“I’ve been told by some sources in the police that since being a member of Interpol last month and also the Transnational Crimes Unit, the Pacific Unit is based in Samoa, the police here managed to arrest him in New Zealand and brought him back to face that sentence of manslaughter,” said Autagavaia.

Autagavaia says Nauer is currently in the high security wing of Tafaigata prison and is scheduled to appear in the Supreme Court on Monday, where he could face fresh charges related to his escape.

NEW WAVE OF SUFFERING FOLLOWING SEPT. 29

Samoa is experiencing a new wave of people suffering from mental disorders or displaying anti-social behavior following the September 29 tsunami.

Homes, businesses and resorts were destroyed on Upolu’s south coast by the destructive waves, leaving the area’s residents homeless and many without jobs.

The national hospital’s clinical manager, Dr. Lemalu Limbo Fiu, says while acute psychological disorders have decreased in recent weeks, health staff are now seeing a steady stream of patients with mental health problems.

“There are more and more people going into the district hospitals, people have been assessed with depression, having a low mood, some people getting aggressive and there’s an increase in young people taking alcohol and engaging in violent episodes,” said Fiu.

Fiu says psychologists are counseling these patients, and are training teachers and priests on how to deal with the problem.

Non-governmental organizations are also involved in giving help to those affected.

ASIAN MAN FLEES SAMOA

A Chinese man alleged to have been involved in the illegal harvest of sea cucumbers has left Samoa before the fisheries division launched an investigation into his affairs.

The assistant CEO of the fisheries division, Mulipola Atonio, says the business man left before a stop notice was issued by the immigration department of the Ministry of the Prime Minister.

This follows the discovery of 20 bags of dried sea cucumbers that were to be shipped to Hong Kong.

Mulipola Atonio says several other Asian business operators in the country are also being investigated for involvement in the illegal harvest of sea cucumbers.

A ban against the harvesting of sea cucumbers has been in place in Samoa since 1997.

SAMOA CONCERNED OVER CHILD VENDORS IN STREETS

Samoa’s umbrella organization for non-government groups, SUNGO, is concerned that a breakdown in family values has led to a rise in child vendors operating on the streets, especially in Apia.

SUNGO’s president, Vaasilifiti Moelagi Jackson, says often families in town are more removed from the traditional values found in a village setting.

She says money is often tight and financial pressures can force families to seek income where they can, even if means exploiting their children.

The NGO, Mapusaga O Aiga, which helps abused women and children, wants a law changed to stop the child vendors and Vaasilifiti backs this.

“Because the families are now being broken up, diversified, because of individualism, and especially those who are moving into town so that’s where the break-up of families are and this is where child vendors are starting to increase,” said Jackson. “So therefore I think its about time that we have such a law not only to control but to protect the children.”

Samoa’s Victim Support Group says that work is ongoing with the Ministry of Justice to find solutions to this problem.

Spokesperson Viliamu Paese says that the number of children selling at all hours of the day is unfortunately on the rise and it is getting out of control.

He says that there is already a law prohibiting children selling on the streets at least during school hours, but that law isn’t well enforced at the moment by authorities.

“Samoa Victim Support Group believes that the law is there and it is just a matter of enforcing it. We already have the law (on) education for it to be compulsory and the parents to be fined $1000 tala if they don’t abide,” he says.

Paese says more public awareness especially targeting parents is needed.

(Source: Radio New Zealand International)