for self-government

"Tahitians living in hovels "

Radical leader in new call for self-government

About half the people in the heavily populated area of Tahiti between Mahina (Point Venus) and Punaauia are living in un healthy hovels as a direct result of France’s nuclear testing project in the Pacific, according to the President of French Polynesia’s Territorial Assembly, Mr. John Teariki.

Mr. Teariki said this in Papeete in October in a speech to open the budget session of the Territorial Assembly.

The speech was trenchantly critical of the French Administration and made yet another call for internal self-government for the territory.

With Mr. Francis Sanford, French Polynesia’s representative in the French Chamber of Deputies, Mr.

Teariki leads the radical majority coalition in the Assembly which has constantly pressed for internal self government over the past two or three years.

Mr. Teariki began his speech with an onslaught on the territory’s new Governor, Mr. Pierre Angeli, for presenting an “optimistic, if not idyllic, picture” of the territory’s economy at the last session of the Assembly in June.

Bomb tests

He said the economy was, in fact, “too fragile”; that although there had been “explosive development” in recent times as a result of the French bomb tests, it was dangerous to live beyond one’s normal means.

“Official speeches bristle with marvellous figures,” Mr. Teariki went on. “But if one thinks seriously about the day by day problems of our work ing people, one goes from disenchant ment to disenchantment.

“Thus, we learn from a document produced by a commission of inquiry on urbanism that 3,988 unhealthy dwellings have been enumerated in the urban and suburban zone ex tending from Mahina to Punaauia.

Of these, 2,140 are in Papeete.

“These hovels shelter some 22,400 people.

“The inhabitants of these shanties do not seem to enjoy the economic

euphoria so often described by officialdom.

“Fifteen per cent, of them receive salaries of less than 7,500 Pacific francs [about $A75] per month.

Thirty per cent, earn less than 10,000 francs; and 50 per cent, less than 15,000 francs. Only 5 per cent, gain more than 25,000 francs per month.

Juvenile delinquents

“Most of these people are im migrants from the outer islands, who previously lived healthier lives on the products of their lands and from their fishing than they do now. Their children make up the biggest groups of juvenile delinquents in the terri tory.

“An inquiry in the Vaininiore district has revealed some 400 people living in only 58 homes, or an average of seven persons per dwelling. Each of these dwellings has an average income of only 13,000 francs [sl3o] per month.

“Another investigation in the Bel Air-Vaitupa quarter of Faaa showed 350 people in 59 dwellings with an average income of 11,200 francs per month.

“Can one, in the light of these facts, speak of a high standard of living?

“These, however, are the social consequences, in the urban area, of the ‘development’ due to the nuclear testing project.”

Mr. Teariki went on to criticise the French Administration for its frequent failure to answer questions put to it by the Territorial Assembly through the Council of Government.

He claimed also the Admin istration was continually encroaching on the powers of the Assembly, and that it was strongly rumoured in “certain auarters well known for their servility to the Central Power”

that the French Government planned to introduce legislation soon that would further weaken local institu tions.

“One should not attach too much importance to these rumours,” Mr.

Teariki said. “But this provides me with the occasion to recall certain historical and philosophical facts which it would be dangerous to ignore.

“Up to now, no colonial power has been able to oppose successfully the universal movement for freedom which followed World War II in the overseas countries, and which con tinues to this moment.

“The reason is simple liberty is invincible because it lives in the hearts of men. This being so, what ever means are used to oppose it, whether violent or otherwise, it will always triumph in the end.

“God, in creating us, gave us free will. No man can deprive his brother of this faculty, which permits him to think and act for himself. This faculty becomes even stronger as the average standard of education rises.

“French Polynesia is taking part in this general movement. Our young elite grow in numbers year by year as they return from France at the end of their studies.

“These young people have a role to play—a role which cannot be limited to the blind execution of orders from France. The direction of the territory’s affairs must be in their hands.

We must demand

“It is necessary therefore to give French Polynesia the institutions which our times, our geographical position and our degree of evolution demand—in a word, internal self government.

“It is our duty to demand this.”

The Governor of French Poly nesia who spoke after Mr. Teariki said he would have liked to reply to all the important points raised in his predecessor’s speech. However, he “profoundly regretted” that he could not do so because a copy of the speech had not been given to him beforehand, as was customary.

Footnote : Pouvanaa a Oopa, Tahiti’s veteran radical political leader, who was recently pardoned after spending nine years in exile in France, was visiting relatives in New Zealand in September. Speaking about Tahitian politics in a Press interview he said: “The French can stay in Tahiti, the Chinese can stay, but the Tahitians should be ruled by them selves in their own way”.

And while Pangu and Mr. Barnes

Tull executive power' within

12 months, demands NG party

From JOHN RYAN in Port Moresby New Guinea’s Pangu Political Party has again crossed swords with the Minister for External Territories, Mr. Barnes, in demand ing radical constitutional changes to give the House of Assembly much greater executive power within 12 months.

are hotly engaged, the Independent group in Parliament, headed by Mr.

W. A. Lussick (Manus and New Ireland) is near to officially forming its own political party, a move shunned last year when territory businessmen offered professional and technical help and a party platform.

Just off-stage, the newly-elected chairman of New Guinea’s new Parlimentary Select Committee on Political and Constitutional Develop ment, Mr. Paulus Arek, has re portedly joined the Pangu Party.

The new dialogue between Mr.

Barnes and Pangu began on October 20 when the Minister published a booklet showing trading developments and potential in New Guinea—and in which Mr. Barnes ventured that New Guinea might be ready for self determination within 10 years.

Earlier, his estimates had ranged up to 50 years.

Pangu’s most prolific writer of anti- Ministerial documents and anti- Canberra constitutional proposals, Mr. Cecil Abel (MHA for Milne Bay), retaliated within a week.

Getting help from Mr. Percy Chatterton (MHA for Moresby) who is strongly sympathetic to, but not an official member of, Pangu, he published a document demanding “full executive authority” for the House of Assembly next year.

Mr. Abel’s document, signed by Mr. Chatterton and official Pangu leaders, Mr. Michael Somare, Mr.

Paul Lapun and Mr. Tony Voutas, charged that— • The 10 departmental directors and District Commissioners with seats in Parliament were, in fact, a strongly financed Canberra - backed political party which, by telling the elected native Ministerial and Assis tant Ministerial Members how to think, act and vote, wielded tremen dous power which acted against reasonable political and constitutional development in New Guinea.

What Pangu demands is real ministerial power for elected MHAs —complete control over departments, and a final say (a caucus quasi

government divorced from the Ad ministration?) in Parliament on the handling of all key issues—especially police actions of the type carried out at Rorovana and Rabaul.

Pangu wants to break the govern ment’s party power in Parliament, in crease rapidly the power of native ministers, look at the possibility of an alternative system, get rid of Mr.

Barnes and have his department transferred to the Department of External Affairs, and have the Ad ministrator re-titled “High Com missioner”.

'Unrealistic

“This pretence of preparing us (says the Pangu statement) and the Ministerial Members for self government is unrealistic, time wasting and patently hypocritical . . . to continue as we are (with this system) is to virtually waste another two years in impotence and frustra tion while some of our best potential leaders in the House of Assembly are absorbing attitudes of intolerance on the one hand, and humiliating subservience to bureaucracy on the other.”

But the community of New Guinea is rural and unknowing—and central government (so its leaders say) will not submit to Pangu or any other radical development until the huge rural community knows what it’s all about, and is ready to play a part in deciding the constitutional develop ments.