Samoa to support Vanuaak in UN

Mana (Auckland), Volume 2, Issue 3, 4 May 1978, Page 3

Samoa to support Vanuaak in UN

The Estern Samoa Government has informed the Vanuaaki Pati, the largest political group in the British-French colony of the New Hebrides, that is was prepared to advance the cause of Vanuaaku through the United Nations.

The assurance as contained in a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Department following the visit to Samoa of Father Walter Lini, president of Vanuaaku. He was in Samoa at the invitation of Prime Minister Tupuola Efi from March 20 to March 24. “The Western Samoan Government told Father Lini that it would be prepared to advance the cause of Vanuaaku for independence in the United Nations in New York. This offer was welcomed by Father Lini and the Vanuaaku Pati will be in contact with the Western Samoan Government at the appropriate time,” the statement said.

At a press conference held after meeting Tupuola, Father Lini explained why he wanted Samoa to speak for Vanuaaku. “It is likely that if things continue as they are today, violent confrontation is likely. We want Western Samoa to tell all revolutionary governments and other governments at the United Nations of the desperate need to put pressure on the British and the French to give independence,” Father Lini said.

Vanuaaku wants early independence for the New Hebrides, and when the colonial powers disagreed with the idea, Vanuaaku boycotted the elections for regional representatives. However Father Lini told the press conference that his party had set up a provisional government and taken control of large areas of the country, “The tension (between

Vanuaaku and the colonialists) has continued because we’ve taken over a lot of control. The British and the French cannot go into our territory, they control only the towns. The rural areas are under our control. “This has created a difficult situation because the British and the French cannot visit any village and they cannot keep law and order in our areas. We’ve said the customary chiefs must keep the law and not the colonial rulers.”

Father Lini said French planters were armed and were wanting a fight with Vanuaaku. He said his organisation was not armed, “but a lot of people own their own guns and rifles, so the situation is not good. Our people can shoot down any planter any time.”

In the statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Department, the Western Samoa Government said it agreed with the objectives of the Vanuaaku Pati.

“The Government welcomed the likelihood of early independence for Vanuaaku and expressed concern that events in Vanuaaku threatened the early and peaceful achievement of this objective. The Government was also concerned that it had not been possible for the Vanuaaku Pati, as the largest political group in Vanuaaku. to participate in the present Representative Assembly.

“The Government felt that it would be in the interest of Vanuaaku to have a fully representative government in this period leading up to independence, and believed that this would be achieved if the recent proposal by the Vanuaaku Pati for fresh elections later this year could be accepted by all political elements in Vanuaaku.”