Vaturisu calls 'stop killings on Efate'

ALL people living on Efate soil, including Tannese chiefs and their people, have been asked to respect Efate and its people and stop killing innocent lives, says the Efate Vaturisru Regional Council of Chiefs.
The interim president of the Efate Vaturisu Council of Chiefs and Eratap paramount chief Andrew Kalpoileb made the urgent plea this week following the Good Friday murder at Eruiti area.

A Paama man was seriously assaulted and then died in front of his children and family members.

Chief Kalpoileb called upon the President of Tanna Nikoletan Council of Chiefs, Chief Simo Shem, the Tanna representative responsible for looking after Tannese community in Port Vila, to stop these kinds of  deadly assaults leading on Efate.

He called on all respectful Tannese chiefs to inform their people to remember that Efate has been declared 'a peaceful island' by its high chiefs during the colonial days before Independence.

He said that 'any blood shed on any of the land within Efate, becomes a cursed land' until appropriate customary ceremonies are done to appease 'the spirits' and bring back lasting peace and blessing on the land concerned.

Mr Kalpoileb said that he made the call on behalf of the Efate Vaturisu, because now Efate is the home to many people from every island of Vanuatu and expatriates including investors who now make Vanuatu their home.

His plea was also made on behalf of Chief Kass Kolou of Eton and his people who are saddened over the homicide.

The Efate Vaturisu Council of Chiefs also received a report that an employee from Paama working for the prominent businessman Dominique Dinh was murdered while trying to stop people who insisted they go on to Eruiti beach for an Easter Picnic.

The Vaturisu said that it understood that the area surrounding Eruiti sea coast has been jointly declared a marine protected site by the Dinh family and Chief Kass Kolou of Eton village.

The Efate Vaturisu told The Independent they believed this was not the first incident of this kind at Eruiti-Eton, with people trying to gain access into the site, although it is 'taboo'.

Meanwhile, the Efate Vaturisu chiefs wish to remind the public of Efate that almost all the sea coastline areas around the island of Efate have now become marine protected zones,  governed by the respective Efate chiefs and their village councils, aimed for the benefit of all people living on Efate.

Chief Kalpoileb advised that the Eruiti murder will be dealt with according to Efate customary land laws and that a customary fine would be imposed and a ceremony would also be conducted by groups of concerned people.

The Efate Vaturisu Council of Chiefs is taking the opportunity through The Independent to send its condolences to the family of the victim, especially the children who were at the scene. “We pray for God's love and grace be with all always,” they said.

The tragic Eruiti death happened only four months after the death of the New Zealand local farmer Dick Eade who was shot at his Teouma farm.