Kanaks accuse Eriau

France’s High Commissioner in the Pacific, M Jean-Gabriel Eriau, has been accused of following “ personal” and “ aberrant” policies in New Caledonia.

Replying to a threat made by M Eriau in a June 18 speech that those who took the “separatist path” in New Caledonia would be liable to punishment under security laws, a statement released by New Caledonia’s Union Multiraciale, which favours independence for the ‘Kanak ’ people, says: “The general policy of the colonial power has led to the granting of independence to the Comoro Islands, Djibouti, and the New Hebrides, and to setting French Polynesia on the same course.

“In such a political situation, Monsieur High Commissioner Eriau is pursuing a policy in Caledonia which is personal, aberrant . . . and inappropriate to a person holding his position.”

The statement asked whether M Eriau might not himself be liable to prosecution under the security laws for having engaged in official talks with “separatist” parties in the New Hebrides.

Recalling that President Giscard d’Estaing had declared on television “France is decolonising”, the statement added: “The High Commissioner has not yet understood the lesson of the history of the recent decolonisation. With his personal, unrealistic, illegitimate policy, he can think of nothing but penal repression of those who support independence. But the President of the Republic is seeking decolonisation in peace.

“M Eriau is thus himself creating the conditions for all the human dramas of decolonisation in Caledonia . ”