Govt pressing for Santo settlement

Press, 7 June 1980, Page 6

Govt pressing for Santo settlement

PA Wellington The Government will continue to press both the British and French Governments to make every effort to settle the unrest on the island of Espiritu Santo, in the New Hebrides, and to restore' order there, said the Ministeri of Foreign Affairs (Mr Tai-! boys) yesterday. i The Government was also! appreciative of the assistance of the British and Australian Governments in removing New Zealand citizens from Santo. Mr Taiboys welcomed the announcement, made in the British House of Commons this week, that Britain and France have agreed on July 30 as the date for New Hebridean independence. Mr Taiboys reiterated .that I New Zealand strongly sup-1 ported the emergence of an independent New Hebrides. | A South Pacific Games, gold medallist, Carl Bay, ar-1 rived jin Vila on Wednesday, after a dramatic 150-mile trip from Espiritu - Santo in an open 5m boat. Waiting-to meet him was his wife and their year-old son, who had arrived in Vila from' Santo two days earlier after a “horrific” trip in al small British launch crammed with 50 Fijian, British, Aus-I

ftralian, and New Zealand iwomen and children. !. Mr Bay said that apart ’from the capture of about 20 I policemen and the attack on , the British administration | compound by the Na-Griamel ; followers, the situation was (Strangely calm, with no loot-! ling or burning.. ; ; Mr Bay said it was com|mon knowledge that French ■businessmen and planters were backing the Na-Griamel leader, Mr Jimmy Stevens, strongly because they were opposed to plans by the Government of the Chief Minister (the Rev. Walter Lini) to restore freehold estates to former native owners. A Phoenix Foundation! spokesman yesterday denied reports that it was financing ! the rebellion on Espiritu ■Santo, but expressed hopes that the rebellion would succeed. Interviewed in Amsterdam by British commercial television, the foundation official, Mr Robert Doorn, denied; backing Mr Stevens. “There is nothing at all for us in it, and we have no financial gain whatsoever for an independent New Hebrides except that we very much hope that Jimmy Stevens will be successful, and he should be successful because the

l| local people support him,” he : ; said. :i At Vila yesterday two Bri-j i tish defence officials dis-; I cussed with authorities the! military options for ending ithe secessionist rebellion. ! The advisers, who arrived; I this week from London, have; I been examining the possibility of armed intervention to! quell the insurrection. “It does not imply that a| decision to use force has been! made,” the British Resident; Commissioner (Mr Andrew! Stuart) told Reuters. But the! authorities had to be informed of the options, he! said. ; i Mr Lini, who will lead the ■Government at independence,!: yesterday renewed his radio I ■ appeal to the rebels to lay|, down their arms and attend; the conference table. I He offered to discuss increased autonomy for the island if the secessionists ended the rebellion and released a district commissioner and 12 policemen held prisoner since the take-over two weeks ago. The last of 2000 people who fled Espiritu Santo reached the main island of c Efate yesterday. Some com- 5 plained of houses and shops c having been looted by. the ' rebels. '