Independentists
pp. 28-29 · Read in the full issue
the month
Independentists ride the tiger
France’s overseas territories minister, Georges Lemoine vi sited New Caledonia from October 16 to 19 on an eleventh-hour mission to per suade militant independence seekers not to wreck the November 18 Territorial Assembly elections. France plans that the elections will usher in a five year autonomy period, with an act of self determination to be held in 1989.
The FLNKS (Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front), formed on September 24, plans to boycott and disrupt the elec tions, and is calling on France to grant sovereignty and an act of self-determination to the Kanak people alone. However, the LKS Party of Nidoish Naisseline split from the ranks of the then Independence Front in late July over the election disruption strategy, and are presenting candidates for the November 18 elections.
The FLNKS boycotted Mr Lemoine’s visit and so did not directly hear his message. In public statements the FLNKS reminded the minister they had rejected his autonomy plans, and said they would only meet him if he had proposals to make which would lead to an act of self-determination and sovereignty for the Kanak peo ple. Speaking on Noumea TV during his visit, Mr Lemoine said he was ready for dialogue with all, but without conditions being imposed.
Speaking at a meeting at the town hall in Canala on the east coast Mr Lemoine said: “I have the feeling the choice has be come very simple, even for those who want independence - there are those who want independence with France, others who want independence with Libya ... it’s up to you on November 18 to take the re sponsibility and choose.”
Mr Lemoine’s comments were a reference to recent FLNKS contacts with Libya, and to the five weeks “training” received in Libya by 17 young FLNKS men.
The minister made an emotional appeal to Kanaks not to boycott the elections, remin ding them that their fathers had struggled for the right to vote, which was granted in 1952.
The following day on Mare Island (in the Loyalty Group), the Kanak people were told by the minister that they “must choose between Jesus and Marx”. He was referring to the strong church influence among the Kanaks. At the Mare town hall Mr Lemoine urged Kanaks not to break off the dialogue with France, and reminded them of the gains made with the current French government, and that CFP 10 billion will be spent under the five year plan.
Mr Lemoine said: “The choice is clear; to continue the dialogue with France, with all the institutional gains that have been made, or to take the risk of adventurism, the outcome of which no-one can possibly
know. ”
The minister alleged later that the FLNKS had made direct contact with the Soviet Polit buro and that the contact had been made in Moscow. The minister’s Mare visit was marked by an incident in which two French Army helicopters, and the French High Commis sioner’s Navajo aircraft, were sprayed with anti-colonialist graffiti, and some of the minis ter’s entourage were delayed from leaving the island for one hour. A group of 60 Kanaks from the FLNKS, some armed with iron bars, had taken over the helicopters at the airport at La Roche while the minister and his party were at lunch at Tardine, 20km away. Earlier, the helicopters had been pre vented from landing at the Tardine soccer field by FLNKS demonstratgors. Instead, it landed near the road.
The Kanaks, led by Yeiwene Yeiwene, had invited the two riot policemen on guard to stay inside the helicopters, and had then painted slogans over the machines, and the Navajo. The undercarriages of the helicop ters were given particular atten tion for the benefit of spectators on the ground. The graffiti warned Mr Lemoine “you have raped our land and you have come without authorisation,”...
“Get out, Lemoine,” and “Lemoine, this is Kanak land.”
Speaking to journalists Mr Yeiwene said: “We took the planes, which are a symbol of the French presence here, and we’ll smash them up if they send in the riot police.”
The two riot policemen charged with guarding them said they had not been afraid, and had wanted to avoid pro vocation.
The minister left Mare on a third helicopter and the High Commissioner and journalists were allowed to leave one hour after the scheduled departure.
Mr Lemoine was attacked over the incident the following day when Henri Mariotti, an anti-independence mayor, ac cused the French government of “capitulation” and of allow-
ing the incident to go ahead.
“Caledonians won’t stand for this any more they have had enough,” Mr Mariotti said, asking the minister how he could guarantee the safe run ning of the elections when he couldn’t even protect his helicopters.
Tension rose in New Caledo nia after the minister’s visit when the FLNKS set up a roadblock on Saturday, Octo ber 20, at Tibarama, a village just south of Poindimie, on the east coast. The roadblock was set up to stop the annual tour of Caledonia cycle race which the FLNKS said was designed to make the Kanak people forget their problems. They said their actions were along the same lines as the painting of the helicopters.
A section of the race was thus turned back on the Saturday, and the race resumed on the west coast on Sunday, with one east coast section cancelled.
The roadblock was lifted on the Sunday evening after agree ment was reached between tour organisers and the FLNKS that the tour would not pass through the northwest Paci- Camuki region.
On the Sunday morning, at Poindimie, the Hotel d’Amoa was attacked by a group of 20 young Kanaks from the nearby Tieti village, leaving the owner and his wife injured, and the hotel totally vandalised.
The attack was swiftly de
Jacques Lafleur
Noumea Notebook
Helen Fraser
nounced by the FLNKS, who described it as an act of vandal ism. Later in the week French gendarmes entered Tieti village and arrested 18 youths on charges ranging from theft with violence to wilful assault. Dur ing the arrest operation rocks and fishing spears were thrown by Kanaks, with tear gas being fired by the gendarmes.
The LKS mayor of Poindi mie, Francis Pouadouy, was ambushed at Tieti on his way home following the police round-up, receiving facial in juries. In protest against the violence at Poindimie all shops were shut and 400 people demonstrated in support of the mayor and the owners of the Hotel d’Amoa. The French administrator at Poindime told the crowd he shared their con cern.
During the night of Sunday, October 21 Molotov cocktails
were thrown at the home of an FLNKS leader, Jean-Louis Dion, destroying his car and setting fire to the lounge room of his suburban Noumea home.
While Mme Dion and two in fants left through the back door, M. Dion put out the fire. An unexploded Molotov cocktail was also found on the lawn of Mr Yeiwene’s home.
In reaction, the FLNKS at Oundjo, north of Kone on the west coast, set up a roadblock and called for the cancellation of the cycle race, and later the east coast roadblock was again set up. French authorities can celled the race on Tuesday, October 23, accusing “certain people of intending to incite clashes” and said they were determined not to respond to “a provocaion employed to cre ate a climate of extreme tension before the forthcoming Territo rial Assembly elections.”
The statement from the French High Commission said the race had been cancelled to prevent it from being used as a means of “political agitation. ”
Following the cancellation, right wing groups set up a road block at La Foa, on the west coast - a similar block had been set up at Bourail in reprisal for the FLNKS roadblock at Poindimie - and blocked the main entrance to the French High Commission in Noumea, The La Foa obstruction was lifted after a few hours, but the Noumea demonstration by the Caledonian Front was maintained until Wednesday afternoon when the cyclists returned to Noumea to a welcoming crowd of several thousand at the Noumea town hall.
Republican Party leader, Jacques Lafleur warned after the race cancellation that “if French authorities don’t stop (terrorist
demonstrations) we are close to an insurrectional state.” Mr Laf leur described the cancellation as “capitulation to a minority,” and demanded the cancellation of the (Kanak) soccer final, warning that if this was not done he would call on the population to prevent it from taking place. The match was cancelled by the French authorities with a statement by the High Commissioner saying that sport “should not be the occasion for clashes between the people of the territory.”
On Sunday, October 28, the campsign for the November 18 elections was opened, with 348 candidates from 11 parties con testing the 42 seats. French High Commissioner, Jacques Roynette, warned “those who want to disrupt the free exercise of democracy” that the forces at his disposal had been doubled.
Helen Fraser in Noumea.