A Pacific trouble spot

Press, 9 August 1976, Page 14

A Pacific trouble spot

The clear victory of the National Party of the New Hebrides in the popular elections for the Representative Assembly held last November is embarrassing the French more seriously than it seemed at first it would. The New Hebrides are ruled jointly by France and Britain, but the French are more adamantly opposed than the British to early independence for the island group. The French stake in the New Hebrides themselves is not great but the effects of full independence there in New Caledonia and Tahiti—where the French have significant economic and strategic interests—must give the French pause. The National Party is pledged to secure early and complete independence for the New Hebrides. When the party fared badly in the municipal elections held in August, 1975, the French seemed in a good position to be able to stem any rapid advance towards even interna] self-government. Their November electoral victory did not give the members of the National Party an opportunity to press successfully for full Independence or to implement their administrative, economic, educational, and social programmes. The assembly’s membership is weighted heavily against the indigenous New Hebrideans and its powers so circumscribed that even with a majority in the popular election behind it, the party has little chance to influence the affairs of the group decisively.

In their frustration some members of the National Party appear to be

becoming more militant. An appeal for support addressed to the South Pacific Forum was couched in language highly critical of the British and French colonial administration. The party is planning to put its case again to the United Nations Committee on Decolonisation The National Party is convinced that the present condominium government of the group is impeding economic and social development in the group which would benefit the indigenous New Hebrideans. But some form of continuing association with Britain and France is both advantageous and necessary to the New Hebrides. By thwarting the aspirations of the majority of New Hebrideans towards self-government today the French may be impeding the establishment of friendly and mutually beneficial relations with an independent New Hebrides tomorrow. The French would do better to concede self-government and concentrate on fostering ties with an independent New Hebrides, as New Zealand has done with the island States which were formerly dependent on it. The difficulty is that this would cut across the grain of French policy towards its Pacific territories. Britain, in this situation, would do better to devote more effort than it has so far to persuading France to pursue an active policy of steady progress towards independence for the New Hebrides. The alternative is a long period of tension and instability in the New Hebrides which could have grave repercussions elsewhere in the South Pacific.