leaves police dead

New Caledonia clash leaves police dead

Two French gendarmes were killed and six other people wounded in a clash between military police and Melanesian villagers near La Foa, 120 kilometres from Noumea, on January 10.

The gendarmes had gone into the area to recover equipment belonging to sawmill owner Mr Barbou.

The equipment had been bar ricaded off for two months by villagers in a long dispute over alleged pollution caused by the sawmill. The villagers have claimed pollution of their drink ing water, and that their yabbies (freshwater crayfish), a source of livelihood for them, have disap peared. They have asked for $50,000 compensation from Mr Barbou. The sum would also cover timber taken from custom ary land, they said.

As the police convoy was leaving with the sawmill equip ment, rocks, Molotov cocktails and other missiles were thrown by the Melanesians. Teargas was fired by the police, and after calm was restored the convoy continued. It was then that shots were fired which killed the two gendarmes and wounded six other people. More teargas was fired at the villagers and return shots were fired by the gen darmes who then left the scene.

Next morning a large search operation was mounted in the area by more than 100 military police, assisted by five helicop ters. In all, 18 people were ar rested. Ten guns, two unused Molotov cocktails, and various

tools which could be used as weapons, were seized by the police.

The killings immediately led to increased tensions in the al ready seriously polarised New Caledonian society, with Inde pendentists and anti- Independentists raising the tone of their mutual denunciations.

On January 13, 13 of 18 sus pects appeared briefly in the Noumea Court for the laying of charges. Ten men are in the Noumea prison, Camp Est, on charges of assassination, at tempted assassination or compl icity in assassination. Eight others are awaiting trial on lesser charges.

The two lawyers for the de fence, Gustave Tehio and Fran cois Roux, claim in a press state ment that the police fired 20 teargas canisters at the Melane sians before the shootings oc curred. They displayed to jour nalists the empty teargas canis ters and also a stun grenade, and claimed that the villagers had believed, after the teargas was fired, that a “form of war” had broken out.

It was then, the lawyers al lege, that the villagers went to fetch their hunting guns and fired into the cloud of teargas.

At a Noumea war memorial on January 14, more than 5000 peo ple laid wreaths in honor of the two gendarmes. The following day several thousands attended funeral services in Noumea cathedral. Following the memo rial service the conservative RCPR party thanked mourners for their attendance and asked them to disperse quietly and solemnly.

However, shortly afterwards, I was assaulted by a large group who shouted abuse and anti- Australian comments. (I am Noumea correspondent for Radio Australia, as well as for Pacific Islands Monthly and The Age, Melbourne). My hair was pulled and my shirt tom, and a journal ist from Radio Vanuatu was also roughed about. We were both unhurt, but shaken.

Police and officials from the RCPR came to my aid and rush ed me to safety in the nearby central police station. More than 100 people then converged on the police station, shouting abuse for a further 15 minutes.

A spokesman for the Aust ralian Department of Foreign Af fairs said later that the Depart ment regretted that an Australian journalist was attacked in the course of duty. The statement noted that French police came quickly to assist me and provide

protection.

Helen Fraser.

Third PM in

year for

W. Samoa

Tofilau Eti, 58, leader of the Human Rights Protection Party, became Western Samoa’s third prime minister in 12 months on December 30. Tupuola Efi, who became prime minister in Sep tember, resigned when parlia ment rejected his Budget a few days earlier.

Tofilau Eti’s Cabinet is the same as that appointed by Prime Minister Vaai Kolone in April, with the exception of newcomer Tuilaepa Sailele, who has been appointed associate finance minister. Prime Minister Eti holds the finance portfolio. Head of State Malietoa Tanumafili 11, who decided to appoint Tofilau Eti as prime minister instead of ordering another general elec tion, told Tofilau Eti and Tupuo la Efi, at the swearing-in of the new prime minister, that his per sonal preference was for a coali tion government.

Prime Minister Eti rejected the suggestion, saying he believed his party had a very strong fol lowing outside Apia, the capital.

He was confident that, with his party in the government, there would be a marked change for the better in the country’s economy within 18 to 24 months.

Former Prime Minister Vaai Kolone, who lost his seat by court order, has won the by election for the seat, giving the Human Rights Protection Party a majority of three in parliament.

He is the founder of the party.