The Fourth South Pacific Festival of Arts

When the South Pacific Festival of Arts was first held in 1972, in Suva, Fiji, it was intended as the opening of a grand, quadrennial exhibi tion of the rich community of cultures which populate the region. It was a splendid occasion.

Much the same atmosphere surrounded the second and third festivals in Rotorua and Port Moresby. National pride was involved, but politics were kept out.

But the fourth festival, to be held in Noumea next month is threatened by some of the militants passionately bound up in the in creasingly tense argument over the manner in which France will grant independence to New Caledonia and the pace at which that process shall proceed.

PlM’s correspondent in Noumea Helen Fras er, here reports on all the attitudes.

The politics of it all

By the first week in October, opinion in New Caledonia’s political circles was split at least three ways on what to do about the Fourth South Pacific Festi val of Arts, due to be held there in December.

Four parties of the former Independence Front, the UC, UMP, FULK, and PSC, which had just formed themselves into the FLNKS - the Kanak Social

ist National Liberation Front (see The Month, this issuer announced that they intended to take part in the festival, but to politicise it.

FLNKS spokesman, Eloi Machoro, told newsmen that the South Pacific Festival of Arts would be a cultural event, but also ”a political tribune for the independence struggle of the Kanak people.”

New Caledonia . . . traditional regalia.

He said several meetings had been held with the organising committee of the festival, and they had decided that the political struggle should be integrated into the festival activities,

‘A political tribune for the independence struggle of the Kanak people'

Mr Machoro said the 27 foreign delegations attending the festival would be welcomed by either the FLNKS, or the provisional government plan ned to be set up by December 1. He said the (new national) Kanaky flag would fly during the festival and that one day would be set aside for a political forum at which the peoples of the Pacific could inform each other of their political situations.

However, a spokesman for the Liberation Kanake Socialiste (LKS) party, Henri Bailly, told a news conference that to use the arts festival as a political tribune was to ’’folklo rise” or trivialise the claims of the Kanak people. Bailly said

that after the festival Kanaks would just return to their homes, and nothing would be changed for them.

The LKS recently split away from the other four parties of the former Independence Front largely due to the latter’s deci sion to withdraw from official territorial institutions, particu larly the Territorial Assembly.

Mr Bailly accused the FLNKS of being a ’’front” for the leaders in the same way that the IF had been, and said the most pressing question was to elabo rate the content of a viable independence.

The LKS stressed that although they had quit the IF, they had not moved towards the centre - that is, between the FLNKS and the major anti independence force, the RPCR - but were part of the move ment for Kanak socialist inde pendence.

'Using the festival festival politically Kanak Claims’

Mr Bailly said support com mittees for the LKS position

New Caledonia . . . door decoration, east coast.

had been formed in Canala, Yate, Ouvea, anf the SLN (nickel) works. The committees included people from all the independence parties who pre ferred a policy of staying inside the official institutions.

“drop it - avoid any problems”

The major anti-independ ence party, the RPCR, had in the past threatened to disrupt the arts festival if the Territorial Assembly elections were de layed. But now that they feel confident that elections will be held in late November, they have not repeated the threat.

However, RPCR leader, Jac ques Lafleur, said that the festi val should be cancelled, be cause, he believes, it ’’would be a source of problems. ”

Helen Fraser

New Caledonia . . . festival participant in full dress rehearsal, 1984.