Caledonians

take a new hard line . . .

Prom a Noumea correspondent A call for independence for New Caledonia has been made by a predominantly-Melanesian party, fol lowing the French Government’s re jection of the formula for internal autonomy demanded by Roch Pidjot, New Caledonia’s Melanesian deputy in the French National Assembly.

The call for independence has been made bv the Union Multiraciale party, led by the President of the New Caledonian Territorial As sembly, Mr Vann Celene Uregei.

The announcement of his party’s new hard-line policy with France was made in Noumea late in June. This followed the action of four Mela nesian autonomists who walked out on Paris meetings with the French Government during talks to modify the territory’s political statutes.

Interviewed about these proposed French changes to the Governor’s Ad visory Council (Conseil de Gouverne rnent), Mr Uregei was quoted as say ing, “Actually all power still remains concentrated in the hands of the Governor who will continue to con trol territorial affairs, as in the past . . . with the aid of his public service heads”.

The communique issued by the Union Multiraciale said the party had decided “cost what it may, to wage a campaign for the indepen dence of New Caledonia and the Caledonian nation. This policy is open to the outside world”.

The latter sentence was locally be lieved to be a threat that the matter could be taken to outside bodies such as the United Nations.

The party holds the French Gov ernment responsible for this “irrevoc able step in favour of independence” in view of the French failure to re spect the “legitimate aspirations of the majority of the Caledonian people and for wanting like every colonialist, to base its policy mainly on nickel without worrying about the Cale donian people, especially the Mela nesians”.

The Union Multiraciale now calls for maximum co-operation with the territory’s major autonomist party, Union Caledonienne.

This open challenge to the Paris government was issued less than three weeks before the celebration of the

French national day, July 14. It was immediately followed by a com munique signed by Deputy Pidjot and Assembly President Uregei, plus five other Melanesian Assembly members, five additional Melanesian political groups and others. They urged sending a Kanaka delegation to the UN as well as the setting up of a uniquely-Kanaka party and called for a referendum on the inde pendence issue.

Of course, the anticipated hostility immediately broke forth from the pro-administration Press in Noumea, and it was not expected that the Melanesians would succeed in their demands. However, in the words of Uregei, who is a Protestant-educated Loyalty Islander from near Lifou, “Give us time to work for our free dom . . . even if the Melanesians are not in the majority that does not stop them from becoming aware of their identity ... we have been de manding autonomy for a long time and no-one has taken any notice . . . there will be Caledonians following the Melanesians on the path to inde pendence”.