Independence groups at forum

Press, 3 August 1985, Page 16

Independence groups at forum

By

ROY VAUGHAN

in Rarotonga

The provisional Governments of French Polynesia and New Caledonia have moved to Rarotonga in force with big delegations to present their cases to the South Pacific Forum.

In both cases the provisionals claim they are the legitimate Governments of their countries Kanaky (New Caledonia) and Maohi (French Polynesia) and that the presidents of their territorial assemblies, who will also be at Rarotonga, are French stooges. President Mai Tetua, of the Vanuatu based Maohi (Maori) Socialist Liberation Front, is calling on the forum to take up four points: immediate independence; immediate inscription of French Polynesia on the United Nations list for decolonisation; recognition of his provisional Government and himself as its president; and an end to French nuclear testing at Mururoa.

His front has the support of six different political parties in Tahiti and claims a membership of 26,000. A spokesman for the front, Mr Teai Rafael, coordinator of the group said, “We are actually ready to take over the running of our own country.” The Maohi “Government” set up a provisional base at Vanuatu on April 30, 1982, and has now drawn up a constitution for independence.

It has appointed 14 Ministers with shadow portfolios. “We do not support a referendum on independence. The Maohi (Maori) people did not get one in the French annexation decree which made us a colony,” he said.

“Race does not matter to us. We will consider anyone Maohi if they support our country,” he said. “I am part-Chinese, part-German, Scottish, and my mother came from Hamilton,” he said.

“Every time Maohi talks

of independence it gets opposition from France. Gaston Flosse (president of Tahiti’s territorial assembly) is here to try to cut off our plea for independence,” he said. The Maohi front was a democratic socialist party.

“Our president is a Presbyterian and I am the son of the chairman of Tahiti’s Presbyterian Church,” he said.

Soon after the provisionals arrived at Rarotonga yesterday they were joined by members of New Caledonia’s F.L.N.K.S. independence movement. The senior F.L.N.K.S. leader, Mr Yann Uregei, said the forum may have little time to help reach a peaceful settlement The latest French Government plan to carve up Kanaky (New Caledonia) into four regions had been drawn up without the consultation Of the Kanaks (Melanesians), he said. “It has been forced on us and is unacceptable to us,”

he said. It was likely that Kanaks would take part in a referendum due to be held in September so that the front could try to gain control of two or three of the partitioned areas, he said. “We are certain to win the north 4 region and the Loyalty Islands. The central region will be tough and Noumea difficult,” Mr Uregei said. “We are not satisfied with the referendum because the French soldiers can vote and there are about 7000 in the country. There is no regulation for them. They can vote on the day they arrive,” he said. Under the French plan, New Caledonia’s four regional administrations will have limited powers to organise education, land, and monetary matters and development. “We would like to take these regions to create structures to help get independence,” Mr Uregei said. Under the scheme,

Noumea became almost a separate white State with a French military base, he said. A change of Government in Paris after the March elections would be a big setback for the F.L.N.K.S. he said. He believes the forum has to move now to support the F.L.N.K.S. before that election because of fears that a French Gaullist Government would reverse what few moves towards independence had been made. “I think the forum is going to be very important for us, as the Melanesian countries have taken a very strong stand on our behalf. “Of course we have to wait for the result. It is clear that if the forum does nothing the Melanesian countries will — at the United Nations level.” The F.L.N.K.S. is again seeking forum support to have New Caledonia inscribed on the United Nations’ list for decolonisation.