Jimmy Moses Takes

His Land Problems

To The Un

From SUE WENDT in Suva

“Chief Moses” of the New Hebrides has sent a petition to the United Nations Secretary-

General, seeking intervention in

the dispute over ownership of land in the condominium.

The petition claims that New Hebrides people are “passing through a slow process of genocide”, for which the administering powers—the British and French Governments— are directly responsible.

Bearded “Chief Moses” is presi dent of the organisation, Nagriamel, which claims 22,000 members and pledges itself to “protect and pre serve the cultural, ethnic, linguistic and political rights of the indigenous people of the New Hebrides”.

Their fight for land rights has had increasing publicity since Chief Moses (his full name, he says, is Chief James Tupou Patuntun Steven Moses, but he used to be known as plain Jimmy Stephens) visited Fiji a couple of months ago, talking of self government and possible revolution.

He was in Suva again in February in connection with the UN petition, issued on his behalf by Nagriamel’s legal representative, Mr. K, C. Ram rakha.

Chief Moses claims in his petition that protests by the indigenous peoples have been ignored. “The administration says it must honour the land laws. Natives are being imprisoned and in many cases they have been terrorised off the land,” he said.

“The administrations have proved extremely callous and indifferent to the cries of the indigenous peoples and new and sophisticated methods of clearing us off our land have been devised. The methods of using police dogs have struck a new terror in the hearts of the indigenous peoples,” he declares.

In his petition he says that the islands are one of the most backward and most neglected areas of the Pacific and “your petitioner is dis appointed that no United Nations team has come to visit the New Hebrides in the same way teams and missions have been sent to Papua- New Guinea or to West Irian”. (over)

He claims that the UK and France “took over” the territory under a joint Protocol of 1914 but that “no act of choice” similar to that given in West Irian had ever been given to the indigenes of the New Hebrides.

“We of the New Hebrides are quite ready to rule ourselves, and if there is a transfer of power we will be able to rule the country better than either the joint government or either of the two governments,” said the Nagriamel leader.

The "petition goes on to say that substantial tracts of land are being cleared and natives driven out, because the land laws favour those who acquire land for “a mere song”.

“The present laws which provide for notice in the gazette, place the onus on the indigenous people to prove that the land was acquired through fraud, etc., and in such cases, since these cases are heard after so many years, the indigenous people are unable to offer any proof even if the original alleged transferor of the land is alive,” it says, On the issue of marriage, the petition claims that the inclinations of the local people are being ignored.

They are requested to follow the condominium laws and customary marriage laws are not recognised, Dealing with liquor, the petition claims that protests by Nagriamel

over the free sale of alcohol had been ignored by the authorities.

“The naive explanation given to us is that ‘this is like boy and girl—it is up to them if they want to become engaged’. The administration leaves it to us, the chiefs among the people, to dissuade people to drink.”

“Liquor is sold freely and to people of all races. There is no real control and indeed, many indigenous people drink freely and pay the conse quences dearly in broken homes, broken lives and broken jobs.”

The petition says that no real attempt had been made to educate the indigenous people and that the burden of education was borne by the missions. There was a grave shortage of teachers and the division into French-speaking and English speaking indigenous people was dividing the country into two.

Chief Moses concluded by entreat ing the United Nations to: • Conduct a direct voting “act of choice” in New Hebrides on the issue of independence—and if in favour of independence, the same be granted in 1971. • That world sanctions along the same lines as Southern Rhodesia be enforced against the UK and France if these two powers do not move not to disturb the occupance of land

by indigenous people.

• That an immediate commission of enquiry on land be set up, since there is considerable speculation on land. • That a United Nations mission visit the country forthwith. • That alcohol be outlawed. • That customary marriage laws be recognised and steps taken to pre serve language and customs.

As an alternative, Chief Moses requested that the UN pay the ex penses of six Nagriamel representa tives so that they could be heard before the Committee on Colonial ism. • Trips by hippies with limited means of support to the New Guinea Highlands were criticised by Father John Nilles (Chimbu) in the P-NG House of Assembly in March. Father Nilles said the hippies left “bad im pressions” with the native people.

Replying, Ministerial Member for Trade and Industry, Mr. Angmai Bilas, said he was not aware of hippies in the Highlands. However, visitors to the territory needed a current ticket out of the country; they might also be required to pro duce evidence of means of support during their stay.