New report sheds light on conditions at Waimea prison

Author: Raj Keresoma

Apia, Samoa – July 16, 2024 – The Waimaya Heritage Report, just released by a research team from the National University of Samoa, reveals the true situation of Waimaya Prison during Samoa’s colonial period.

One explanation is the number of prisoners who were hanged at the time. One theory is that only one prisoner was hanged during the New Zealand government, while nearly 100 prisoners were hanged during the German government.

However, the new research report found that only six prisoners in Waima prison were sentenced to death by hanging.

Of the six people hanged, four were Chinese citizens and two were Samoans.

In 1913, three Chinese laborers were hanged for murder, and in 1914, a Samoan man was hanged for serial crime.

In 1928, another Chinese labourer was hanged for the murder of two women. The last hanging was in 1952 when a Samoan man was hanged for murder. There have been no more hangings outside the prison in the past, as some have suggested.

history Soldier Headquarters
According to Samoa Land Commission (SLC) records, the history of Waima Prison began with the transfer of Samoan land in 1877.

“During our research we found some interesting documents that represent the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) which mention that the lands were originally purchased by German settlers and subsequently changed hands several times,” said Samoa Centre researcher Dr Dionne Fangoti.

After the German government took over Samoa in 1903, Waima was designated Soldier This was the original Samoan Police Force.

These 30 men were personally selected by Matafa.

“This is clothing This was established by Malietoya some years before, but in 1900 things started to change, so Soldier Those who become German government officials are selected from elite Samoan families,” Fonoti said.

So when the German government took over, they chose Vaimea because there was already Soldier and the types of organizations that exist in Vaimea.

Professor Lealaimanu’a Emma Kruse Vaai, Vice-President of the National University of Singapore, Dr. Dionne Fonoti, Research Fellow of the Samoa Centre and Professor Tuifisa’a Patila Amosa, Vice-President of the National University of Singapore.

Open prison
The original prison at Waima consisted of a few open Samoan houses and a few wooden huts for the German warden.

The report cited several comical incidents of prisoners walking out of open prisons as if nothing had happened and recounted a famous case involving a man named Sitivi from the village of Lawli.

“Several jailbreaks were recorded and the prison administration stated that the security level of the prison was not adequate to house the inmates,” the report said.

In 1906 the German government decided to build a new concrete block with 6 units, and in 1910 3 more concrete units were added.

The record documents the contribution of the Samoan people in assisting in the construction of new prisons and developing the prison system.

When the New Zealand government took over administration of Samoa, new changes began to emerge, such as the rebirth of Samoa’s prehistoric Mao movement.

The study was funded by the New Zealand Government and the New Zealand High Commissioner to Samoa, and Si’alei Van Toor praised the researchers and the National University of Singapore for the initiative.

Professor Tuifuisa’a Patila Malua Amosa, Vice-President of the National University of Singapore, thanked the research team and the New Zealand Government for their support.

The prison is now used as a storage place for old government assets.

“The report provides a detailed historical assessment of Waima Prison, demonstrating its profound significance as a cultural heritage, tracing its links to Samoa’s indigenous resistance movements, including the Mauaple and Mao movements, and highlighting the struggles and sacrifices made by Samoan leaders and people in their fight for our land, culture and sovereignty,” Professor Tuifuisa said.

She said the study also explored the role of the prison in documenting the first instance of land transfer in Samoa’s history and the impact of settler machinations on Samoa’s physical and social landscape.

“In addition, the study pays tribute to the first all-Samoan police force, the Fita Fita Native Guards, which played a vital role in shaping the history of policing in Samoa, and documents the evolution of the Samoan Police Force,” she said.

The Waimea prison still exists today and is used as a warehouse for government assets.

The report says Waima Prison has the potential to become a multi-functional educational space, such as a museum or heritage house dedicated to Samoa’s history of resistance, and an important site for cultural and historical heritage that can be enjoyed by both Samoans and visitors to Samoa.