the month
pp. 29-30 · Read in the full issue
Vanuatu on show in Noumea
Many thousands of New Caledonians visited the Vanuatu exhibition held at the old Noumea town hall in late March. The exhibition was opened by Noumea’s Mayor Roger Laroque, and gave New Caledonians a taste of the music, culture and art of Vanuatu with the Banks Island traditional dancers, the Fatuana string band, and art by Pilioko and Michoutouchkine.
The delegation of 54 who came to Noumea to sell Vanuatu as a destination for New Caledonian tourists included the Minister for Tourism and Finance Kalpokor Kalsakau, and the Minister for Health, Willy Korisa, who is from Tanna Island. Vanuatu’s Director of Tourism Warwick Purser told PIM they are hoping to double the number of New Caledonians visiting Vanuatu each year. He said New Cale donia at present comprised
only 10 per cent of the visitors to Vanuatu, compared with 26 per cent before independence, when New Caledonia was second to Australia.
New Caledonia’s anti-inde pendence pressure group, the Caledonian Front, protested about the exhibition and urged Caledonians to boycott it. “It is unthinkable that Caledonians accept the politics of this state by the money they will spend there, and even by their pre sence at the exhibition,” it said.
The Caledonian Front asked people not to forget that the French “had been savagely ex pelled from the New Hebrides without compensation, they were beaten and robbed, and their dignity as human beings was assailed.” They also ac cused Vanuatu of serving as a refuge for New Caledonia’s In dependence Front.
Australian travel
agents visit
The week following the Vanuatu exhibition saw 170 Australian travel agents come to Noumea at the invitation of the French airline, UTA and Air Caledonie International. While in the territory the agents saw tourist sites around Noumea, looked at 48 stands set up in the town hall by hotel owners, tour operators, etc., and attended a reception given by the French high commissioner.
The aim was to increase the familiarity of Australian travel agents with New Caledonia and to encourage the selling of New Caledonia to Australian tourists.
Magenta’s new
control tower
The new control tower block of Noumea’s domestic airport (Magenta) was opened in March by French high commis sioner Jacques Roynette. The block, which features a control
tower of nearly 19 metres, a weather station and technical services, cost the territory near ly CFP6O million (about $A400,000) to build. The old control tower had become obsolete. Last year over 130,000 passengers used Magenta Airport and Stanley Camerlynck, the Government councillor in charge of tourism and transport, said Magenta’s
Kalpokor Kalsakau
Noumea Notebook
Helen Fraser
Warwick Purser
runway would be extended to 1500 metres later this year. This would enable the airport to develop international links with close neighbors, Mr Camer lynck said.
Yacht found
in Darwin
The 12-metre yacht Ouvea was returned to Noumea and its owners, Noumea Yacht Char ters, in March. The yacht had been stolen last September after having been chartered by New Caledonian school teacher Michel Orvoen. The yacht was recovered in Darwin in late
December and Mr Orvoen was arrested by Australian authori ties for the use of false docu ments. He had also attempted to disguise the boat. In January, Mr Orvoen was sentenced to two months jail and his extradi tion to New Caledonia was expected. A crew of three were hired in Darwin to bring the Ouvea the 3000 miles back to Noumea.
A memorable
weekend ...
Saturday, March 24 was a day of general mobilisation by the Independence Front (IF), with
15 European farms occupied and symbolic traditional - huts built on most. IF leaders told newsmen on the eve of March 24, that their aim was to make the French Government under stand their claim to Kanak independence, and their de termination to achieve it.
The leaders of the five parties said they did not intend chasing people out of New Caledonia, but wanted France to recognise the legitimacy of Kanak inde pendence.
In reply to the charge of Republican leader Jacques Laf leur that the land occupations were “Marxist terrorism” and that the IF sought to instal “Kanak Marxist Independence” in New Caledonia, Nidoish Naisseline said the IF had never claimed to be Marxist.
Mr Naisseline said this was a cynical attempt by Mr Lafleur to set non-Kanak workers against the IF by a campaign of fear. Mr Lafleur was also accused of hypocrisy in, on the one hand attacking the Australian and French governments, and on the other strengthening his commercial dealings with these governments.
Mr Lafleur and the Republi can Party’s senator in the French parliament, Dick Ukeiwe, had called on Caledo nians to mobilise on March 24, and to reply to the IF with occupations of IF leaders’ homes. The Caledonian Front had warned that if the authori ties did not do their duty and maintain respect for French law and for democratic principles, their members would do it in their place.
On March 23, the French high commissioner addressed the population as tensions appeared to be mounting. Mr Roynette said “it seemed the territory could be the scene of an agitation which threatens the security of people and property, and which puts public order at risk”.
Mr Roynette assured the population that state authorities would assume their responsibi lities and would be present at all places judged useful. The high commissioner said he was cer tain “there was still a place for measure, sang froid and reason, and that this appeal would be heard”.
The sale of alcohol was ban-