Nauruans Uneasy Following
pp. 19-20 · Read in the full issue
UN Mission's Visit
From “PlM’s” Nauru Correspondent Nauru is filled with rumour and speculation following the visit in early April of the United Nations Mission under Sir Hugh Foot. The Mission has left the impression here that it favours the Australian plan to move the Nauruans to the Aus tralian mainland, where they will lose their identity.
AS a result some surprising things are being put forward publicly.
Nauruans have suggested that the phosphate be sold to other countries, that it should be stopped from leav ing Nauru (there has even been talk of using arms!), and that legal and political assistance should be sought in Australia.
What it all amounts to is that many Nauruans are becoming more con vinced that the chance of obtaining a new island, and with it independ ence, is becoming less a reality. And as opportunity appears to recede, so does Australian popularity.
The Mission left the impression that it did not feel the Nauruans were able to govern themselves, and that the Nauruans needed some sense drummed into them. Individual members in private discussions on social occasions were very strongly in support of the Australian proposal —especially the Bolivian delegate, Ambassador Salamanca. Some mem bers of the Nauru Local Government Council got the impression that Mission members think the Nauruans don’t really know what they want and that they are perhaps a little stupid.
Mr. Dudley McCarthy, an Assist ant Secretary of the Australian De partment of Territories, who accom panied the Mission, told one meeting of Nauruans that the Australian Gov ernment would never agree to Nauruan independence on an island in the vicinity of the Australian main-
All-in-all, the Nauruans are realis ing that it is going to be a crisis year for Nauru, and they are not very happy at the anticipation.
The UN Mission arrived on April 4 by TAA chartered Sky master from Sydney and left on April 7 by the same aircraft for Rabaul, to begin its New Guinea visit. The Mission mem bers held several talks. Many points were raised by the Nauruans (includ ing the phosphate dust menace, future of the air strip, liquor, and phos phate royalties) but the main question undoubtedly was on the matter of finding a suitable new home. Sir
Hugh Foot stressed that this was the main question exercising the minds of the Mission members.
One meeting with the Council members was held out of doors at night, with no record of the proceed ings being taken. Everybody was en couraged to talk freely—and they did.
The Nauruans are still convinced that they must find an island home of their own. Council members will look at other islands later in the year, and two that they want to look at are Woodlark, in Papua, and Groote Island, in Australia’s Gulf of Car pentaria.
As reported in PIM, Head Chief De Robert and councillor Joseph Detsimea, in February, made a visit of inspection to Prince of Wales Island and Fraser Island. They flew in a chartered flying boat, accom panied by a senior officer of the De partment of Territories. They made a scanty examination, and saw ex cessive sand and mangroves, and a lack of harbour, but they feel a longer and closer investigation must be made later. They asked Mr.
Hasluck to arrange further inspections of other islands—although one hopes these inspections won’t be made with the same secrecy that surrounded the February inspections.