VANUATU
DAVID ROBIE PRESENTS EYES OF FIRE TO PM LINI

Award-winning journalist and author David Robie has presented a copy of the memorial edition of his book Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior to the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Ham Lini. Lini's brother Walter wrote the original foreword in 1986

By LORA LINI

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NEW ZEALAND award-winning journalist and author Associate Professor David Robie yesterday presented a copy of the latest edition of his book Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior to the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Ham Lini.

The book's Foreword was kindly written by Prime Minister Lini's brother and former Prime Minister of Vanuatu. the late Walter Lini.

"In 1985 the late Father Walter Lini, who wrote the Foreword to David Robie's Eyes of Fire, was another who welcomed those of us on the Rainbow Warrior as kindred spirits in the struggle for a Nuclear Free Pacific," wrote Bunny McDiarmid, from Waiheke Island, who wrote the Preface of the memorial edition of the book in Auckland in June 2005.

"Lini in the 1980s was an inspirational leader and wanted to see an independent and nuclear-free Tahiti," continued McDiarmid.

Walter Lini wrote in the Foreword: "David Robie was the only journalist on board the Rainbow Warrior when she left Port Vila for Auckland where she was put out of action by the DGSE agents.

"He was on board for 11 weeks, covering the evacuation of the fallout-ravaged people of Rongelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

"Thus he is well placed to provide us with this vivid account of the Rainbow Warrior's last voyage and the connection of Rongelap and Moruroa with colonialism in the Pacific."

Dr Robie also took the opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of some of his former students to the Vanuatu media industry.

Robie presents Eyes of Fire to PM Lini - Vanuatu Daily Post story

* Lora Lini is daughter of the late Prime Minister Walter Lini.