Howled down as hoax

tire mapping program, but after 1960 France retained topograph ical mapping while the British undertook geological mapping.) The French-made maps clearly showed the islands as part of the New Hebrides, within the ad ministrative jurisdiction of the Tanna district agent.

The French had, in fact, been mapping the islands as part of the New Hebrides for more than a century.

Thus it was no surprise when Vanuatu, upon its independence in July 1980, repudiated the be lated French claims to its territory.

Now Vanuatu has gone ahead

and successfully asserted its au thority over the islands by raising its flag on Hunter Island.

An official government party led by Tafea local government council secretary, Joe Joseph, hoisted his country’s colors on March 9.

Radio Vanuatu broke the story two days later, but in New Caledonia it was howled down as a hoax by the pro-French media.

The media claimed that Vanuatu could not bypass French navy radar, that Hunter Island wqs almost impossible to land upon, and that the island did not smoke in the way described in Vanuatu reports.

On March 10, the French pat rol vessel Dunkerquoise met up with the Vanuatu government vessel Euphrosyne on its way back to Aneityum from Matthew Island. Discounting its radar, all the Dunkerquoise may have seen

was the Euphrosyne rounding,

and then leaving, Matthew Island.

At least this appears to be what was reported to the French au thorities. It led to France’s De fence Minister Charles Hemu de nying that the Hunter Island flag raising took place.

But the question remains, did France turn a blind eye?

In Port-Vila French Govem

merit officials had spoken know ingly of Vanuatu’s intentions a week before the event.

In any case, the French dip lomatic response had been to continue to repeat its assertion that its claims to the islands are “incontestable”. Unlike the Vanuatu Government, France

has studiously avoided publish

ing any evidence to support its “claims”.

For its part the Vanuatu Gov ernment refuses to accept that any French claim to the islands exists. All that exists, it says, on the French side is a half-hearted attempt at annexation.

Vanuatu strongly contrasts the

The Vanuatu flag is raised to the masthead on Hunter Island, watched by government officials, observers, traditional chiefs and crew members of the government ship Euphrosyne. Opposite page: Craggy Hunter Island shows its profile, and the ship stands off the rocky inlet while the landing party goes ashore.

basis of its sovereignty to the Matthew and Hunter Islands based on customary ownership, to the colonial territorial ambi tions of the French.

To emphasise this point, three custom chiefs accompanied the government team and performed custom ceremonies on Hunter Island before the flag was raised.

The chiefs were from South Tan na, Futuna and Aneityum. All three islands have strong custom ary ties to both Matthew and Hunter Islands.

It was on this basis that New

Caledonia’s Independence Front last year recognised the sovereignty of Vanuatu over both islands.

That Vanuatu’s tour of Matth ew and Hunter Islands was suc cessfully carried out under the nose of the French navy has caught some Pacific nations by

surprise.

Vanuatu has proved that it is free to come, put up its flag, and go, with practically no interfer ence. All the French did was

wave goodbye.

At least one Pacific state, Fiji,

whose delimitation agreement with New Caledonia implicitly recognises French control of the area, must be left wondering about that.

Other countries, such as Aust ralia, who have publicly declared themselves neutral in the dispute, are simply hoping France accepts reality and agrees to the Vanuatu request to come to the table to resolve the matter as soon as

possible.

Special correspon-

dent in Vanuatu.

See Page 5: French helicopters on Hunter Island.

The French Dunkerquoise which shadowed the expedi tion, and a map showing the islands.