Kanaks to lobby Forum for independence support

Press, 3 August 1985, Page 10

Kanaks to lobby Forum for independence support

NZPA-AAP Rarotonga The New Caledonian independence front, F.L.N.K.S., yesterday announced a general mobilisation against the French military presence in the territory. A F.L.N.K.S. spokesman, Yann Celene Uregei, issued a communique announcing the move following what he described as the “brutal aggravation” of French authorities in sending 400 armed police into the mining region of Thio on Monday. Mr Uregei, vice-president of the provisional Government of Kanaky (New Caledonia), called on South Pacific Forum nations to condemn French policy in the territory when they

meet in Rarotonga next week.

Mr Uregei said that the 32 “struggle committees” F.L.N.K.S. had set up throughout New Caledonia would mobilise in support of their comrades in Thio. F.L.N.K.S. also pledged to seek assistance from outside countries if the forum refused to support its campaign for reinscription onto the United Nations decolonisation list.

Mr Uregei warned that the Kanaks would have to look elsewhere for support if the 13 forum nations continued to deny them political status.

F.L.N.K.S. is applying for observer status at the forum.

It has the support of the

three Melanesian countries — Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands — in its bid for reinscription at the United Nations.

Last year F.L.N.K.S. accepted support from Libya, and sent more than a dozen of its supporters to Libya for training. Asked whether F.L.N.K.S. would seek further support from Libya, Mr Uregei said, “The devil is not Libya — the devil is the French military presence in New Caledonia.” He accused France of hypocrisy in taking economic sanctions against South Africa because of that country’s apartheid policies while denying basic human rights to the people of Ka-

“If F.L.N.K.S. has to seek support from countries outside the forum it will not be the fault of those countries, it will be the fault of colonialism,” he said. F.L.N.K.S. has sought observer status at the forum for the last six years, but Mr Uregei said that he believed the situation in New Caledonia was now totally different.

He cited the deaths of 16 Kanak people in the past year, the stationing of 7000 military and police in the territory and the establishment of a strategic military base at Noumea.

“The forum can no longer play the role of an observer. It is time for the forum to act,” he said.