Vanuatu Trade Commissioner to Australia, Donald Pelam, has made an emphatic plea in support of Australian shortwave services to the islands. He has appeared in a video produced by Friends of the ABC, highlighting the risks to relying on FM and internet during times of cyclones, tsunami and other disasters. "If the ABC shortwave closes down, it will be a disaster," he says. End of shortwave transmission affects not just Pacific Island communities across a vast ocean, but also Aboriginal communities across a vast land. Reaction to the closure has raised alarm among shortwave supporters from London to Beijing. Read more below : MORE Silencing Australia’s shortwave voice in the South Pacific https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/silencing-australias-shortwave-voice-south-pacific/ ABC defends decision to axe NT's shortwave radio service amid emergency update concerns http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-20/abc-defends-shortwave-axe-radio-nt-emergency/8134690 ABC will stand by decision to axe NT shortwave service http://swling.com/blog/2016/12/abc-will-stand-by-decision-to-axe-shortwave-service/ Reaction to Radio Australia's planned shortwave closure https://london-shortwave.blogspot.co.nz/2016/12/reaction-to-radio-australias-planned.html Reddit comments on shortwave closure https://www.reddit.com/r/shortwave/comments/5gq4pi/radio_australia_to_end_shortwave_broadcast/ News association urges Australia's ABC to review closure of shortwave service to Pacific http://www.radyonatin.com/story.php?storyid=15048 Regional groups oppose Australia’s plan to end Shortwave Transmissions to Pacific http://www.loopvanuatu.com/vanuatu-news/regional-groups-oppose-australia%E2%80%99s-plan-end-shortwave-transmissions-pacific-48731 Save our shortwave - plea from Australian Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZh546j69cE . . .