Need the Dcmielssons

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Need the Dcmielssons fear an accident?

Poisoned Reign. French Nuclear Colonialism in the Pacific. By Bengt Danielsson and Marie-Therese Danielsson.

Published 1986 by Penguin Books Australia. ISBN 0 14 008130 5. Price $9.95.

On June 15, this year, in a large tree grove on the grounds of Chateau Vencennes, at the end of one of the Paris Metro lines, thousands of Frenchmen gathered in front of three stages for music and speakers, around dozens of food (mainly) and information stalls for a Peace Festival.

Amidst the familiar slogans (albeit, in French), I looked for familiar themes. Where were the stands against uranium min ing and nuclear power? The reactor disaster at Chernobyl had been only a few weeks before.

And, where were the stands against (French and/or Amer ican) nuclear testing in the Pacific?

There was one display, against the French, by a travel ling artist, consisting of large paintings of Polynesians in va rious stages of agony, that attracted some attention, main ly from photographers.

But there was nowhere a mention of the French sabot age, sinking and murder, in Auckland harbor in 1985, of the “Rainbow Warrior”, on that sunny Parisian afternoon.

On sunny days in Papeete, too, one is hard pressed to find even a peace festival, let alone mention of the French nuclear establishment, a few island groups away.

Nor is there a mention of the 25,000 “metropolitans” (Euro pean French) who along with that establishment, provide the

town with its sleek chic, from the downtown Vaiama Centre to the elegant mansions over looking sea views of Mahina, Punaauia, Paea and other deli cious names.

Just so. Designer spies, Major Alain Mafart and his “wife” for a few days, Captain Dominique Prieur of the GDSE (Gallic dirty tricks department) will be not very far from that Tahiti serving their “confinement” on Hao atoll, not far from Moruroa, in the picturesque Tuamotus.

Amid the most recent videos from Paris, comprehensive water sports facilities (including skin diving, one presumes) and disco nights, those who carried out the bombing of a peace boat, killing one of its crew, are

to spend the next three years.

They are, after all, agents only following orders.

People who “only obey orders” had a rougher time of it forty years ago, at Nuremberg; today, the same excuse rates a kind of Club Med version of Devils Island.

The confinement of Mafart and Prieur is part of a deal negotiated by the UN Secretary General, Mr Javier Perez de Cuellar, between Paris and Wellington that includes a gen eral apology (but not explana tion) for the commando opera tion (see the book below) on New Zealand soil, payment of some millions in compensation and an end to French obstruc-

tion of New Zealand imports to the EEC.

Under the banner of liberte (for obedient agents), egalite (except for Polynesians), fratemite (but not with Green peace), the nuclear tests are to continue. Once again, a big country proves what a cynical world knew all along: that might (and trade sanctions), makes right.

Does anybody care?

The Danielssons do and they have updated their 1977 Moruora Mon Amour study of French colonialism in the Paci fic to provide the context of the extraordinary “Rainbow War rior” episode.

The details of the poison story begin in the 18th century explorations, and end in an Epilogue dated February 1986.

Whilst Reign is based on a mountain of published and un published material, the Daniels sons wear their scholarship lightly.

The style is highly accessible, though openly polemical, and belongs to quality feature journalism that is all too scarce these days in our print media.

Unlike many other modem historians, the Danielssons are not only keen chroniclers of the trials, deceptions and bureaucratic brutality they de scribe, but also witnesses for more than thirty years from their lagoon-front home. Marie- Therese Danielsson, as a local councillor, is an active partici pant in the political arena, as well.

What will the French make of this book? Need the Daniels sons fear an “accident”, more competently carried out than “Rainbow” for their outspoken opposition?

Will the French deny in particular the chapter, “An un

Marie-Therese and Bengt Danielsson.

healthy situation”, wherein offi cially supplied health statistics show the deteriorating health situation for Polynesians for cases of cancer, as well as other medical and environmental damage they report?

As with the “Rainbow War rior”, there may be some French people who will criticise the competence (or incompe tence) of those responsible for what the Danielssons describe.

They may even be temporarily disciplined.

The French Defence Minister during the time of the “War rior” sabotage, Hemu, was forced to resign and Admiral Lacoste, of Intelligence, was relieved of his post.

But Hemu is still a close colleague of French President Mitterand and enjoyed con siderable electoral success in

the recent elections. As for the Admiral, he was recently appointed head of the Founda tion for National Defence Stu dies.

No one, it seems, of any significance in France questions the legitimacy of “la bombe” or France’s right to test it in the South Pacific which, they argue, is French territory in any case.

And, Australia and New Zea land government protests and opposition?

The motives of antipodean governments, some French in tellectuals say, are far from pure. From a French perspec tive, the goal of both Canberra and Wellington is to remove the more powerful France from a region that they regard as their inheritance.

It was, after all in 1888, in

Melbourne, that these two countries got together even be fore they were both separate from the mother country and divided up their part of the world.

With France in New Caledo nia (in Australia’s Melanesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand’s sphere), these two cannot easily dominate their smaller neigh bors. With the more powerful France absent and some sort of independence for the French territories, Canberra and Wel lington could call the tune in stead of Paris.

And, what about the Polyne sians?

They seem to be scarcely remembered, even at festival time little more than the exotic meat in the fast food sandwich

(or, is it a pie?).

Grant

McCall.