Drowning Pacific nation abandoned by Australia

The Uniting Church of Australia has warned that the Australian 
Government must take seriously its responsibilities to rescue the tiny 
island nation of Tuvalu as it faced the prospect of being swept into the 
Pacific Ocean due to climate change.

Recently returned from Funafuti, the capital of Tuvalu, the leader of the 
Uniting Church in Australia, Reverend Professor James Haire, said: "Tuvalu 
is the world's smallest nation and it is at risk of literally being drowned 
by rising sea waters caused by global warming. Yet, Australia has insisted 
it will not make special provision for the acceptance of its residents 
should this happen.

"In fact, through the Minister for Immigration, Mr Ruddock, Australia has 
said 'they will have to apply to come to Australia just like anyone else'."

Professor Haire said Australia can "become an ark for the 11,000 Tuvaluans 
who desperately need to know they have a future".

He said the best thing Australia could do is to help prevent their drowning 
is sign the Kyoto protocol and assure the people they can 'call Australia 
home' if the ocean does swamp their islands.

"Australia is by far the largest polluting nation in the South Pacific. We 
are therefore, a prime cause of this problem now being imposed on a host of 
small Pacific island states, and our response so far has been lacking in 
generosity, to put it mildly.

"The law of the sea demands that people left drowning must be rescued. The 
same principal must surely apply to our neighbours as their country slowly 
but surely sinks into the sea."

Already one island in the Tuvalu group has disappeared off the face of the 
map.

"Australia has lolled around like a tourist on a lilo in the Pacific on 
issues like the Kyoto protocol, and has all but ignored the pleas of the 
Tuvalu people whose homeland is drowning.

"It would help greatly if Australia would sign up to the Kyoto protocol, 
and therefore make a real contribution to secure the future existence of 
Tuvalu. But if the worse comes to worst we as the regional power must 
generously accept the people of Tuvalu into our nation."

Professor Haire had three meetings with the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Mr 
Saufatu Sopoanga, whilst on a tour of Pacific nations.

The Uniting Church in Australia has long historical relations with the 
Church of Tuvalu, (through its Congregational Church background) which 
makes up about 95 percent of the population.