Independence For
pp. 27-28 · Read in the full issue
Britain's View On
Small Territories
The Banabans’ hopes for in
dependence of their original
home, phosphate-rich Ocean
Island in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, were further dashed in February in the House of Commons. The Commons also heard a statement on Britain’s attitude to indepen dence of small territories.
During the second reading of a bill to grant aid of £BO,OOO to the Banabans for the development of Fiji’s Rabi Island, where they now live, the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. William Whitlock, declared that independence for either Ocean Island or Rabi Island was “entirely out of the question”.
He was replying to a question from Mr. Brooks, MP for Bebington, who had asked whether it was possible for Ocean Island to become inde pendent.
Mr. Whitlock referred to a state ment made last October by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, who said then that the people of the GEIC had made it absolutely clear that they would not agree to the exclusion of Ocean Island from their territory.
In dealing with dependent territories, Britain adhered to the principle that she must be guided by the wishes of the people as a whole.
Out of the question
After reading the Minister’s state ment, Mr. Whitlock said it was also out of the question to consider the exclusion of Rabi Island from the Fiji Group.
“The Fijians would not consider any severance of the island from Fiji,” he said.
“There would certainly be reper cussions from Fiji politicians if we were in any way to suggest that that is possible.
“There seems no question of an agreement that Rabe should be separated from Fiji and Ocean Island from the GEIC and made into one state.”
On the question of independence
for small island territories, Mr. Whit lock said most of the territories for which independence was the goal had either attained it—or were close to it.
For the most part, Britain’s task was to work out arrangements for small island territories whose leaders recognised that they could not hope to sustain separate sovereign inde pendence. In many cases, the terri tories in question wished to retain some form of continuing link with Britain.
“We are glad that there is a grow ing realisation that independence may not be the solution for very small territories. We have indicated our support for a United Nations study of smaller territories which is due to begin soon,” Mr. Whitlock said.
Returning to the future of the Banabans, he said he was satisfied that on Rabi they would be able to provide for a prosperous future for the community.
“The Banabans in Fiji are lucky to be residing in a territory which, by Pacific standards, enjoys modest prosperity and has a stable social background,” he said.
“It is true that the phosphate revenue (on Ocean Island) will eventually cease, but even then, pro vided that the Banabans co-operate in developing Rabi to its optimum extent, they will still have a valuable asset to cushion them against the problems of the future.”