Tahiti's

Year Awaiting Trial [?]ht Years For Tahiti's [?]eftist Leader

being held in gaol in Tahiti ut one year, the leader of eme native nationalist party eh Polynesia, Pouvaana a is, on October 23, sentenced iminal Court in Papeete to iment for eight years, and n to live in Papeete for 15 on charges of attempted arson, and the illegal m of arms. punishment follows a series olitical events in 1958, which ; summarised in PIM of y (page 19) and in No -1958. ana’s political Party (the gained a majority in the ;sembly late in 1957; and 1958 Pouvaana a Oopa and erusalemy led a new Gov in Tahiti. They introduced tax and spoke in favour of a Republic, independent of -plans which were bitterly and resisted by most of the ea n population and the Tahitians, ivilian non-official popula- Papeete rose in revolt on , 1958, and the Pouvaana lent was forced out of id the French Governor took In September, 1958, French a, was asked to vote for or the new Constitution pro y General de Gaulle, and a fought strongly for a :e. ;ober, 1958, having been de i political activities and in srendum, Pouvaana and a : supporters made a strong ration in Papeete, tempt was made to burn lected buildings with bottles >1 (Molotov cocktails) and as conflict with the police, a’s residence was found to ped like a fortress. He and score of others were arrested. delay occurred in the rhile the authories tried to trial procedure which would of local prejudices, ourt, under the presidency ge recently transferred from , tried 16 men on various connected with the in of October 10, 1958.

Pouvaana’s chief helper, got s gaol and is banned from for 15 years; another leader years gaol and five years lent; and the others got entences of up to six years.

A correspondent reports that although there was intense public interest in the long-delayed trial, the verdict was received calmly.