Tjibaou: “Why We Fight”

New Caledonia

The FLNKS leader speaks out.

By David Robie

KANAK LEADER Jean-Marie Tji baou has warned French auth orities for several years that their policies risked plunging New Caledonia into an Algerian-style war of independ ence against France.

While the previous Socialist govern ment had embarked on reforms directed at “independence in association” with France, the conservative Government of Prime Minister Jacques Chirac refused to negotiate with or to listen to the Kanaks.

“The truth is that France has created a system of apartheid here,” says Tjibaou, President of the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS). “French rule is based on delusions: it fosters the illusion that there is no problem here yet it turns our country into an armed camp with 9000 troops. It spreads the illusion that tourists are welcome, yet stops them coming to Kanak areas on the pretext that they are not ‘safe’.”

One of the most provocative acts prior to the recent elections was the jailing of the then president of the Loyalty Islands re gional government, Yeiwene Yeiwene, for a week at Christmas 1987. Both he and Tji baou were accused of making “subver sive” speeches after they had called on Kanaks to take steps to defend them selves. Yeiwene was freed only after judi cial intervention from France.

Now Tjibaou, a 51-year-old former Jes uit priest regarded as a “moderate” among the FLNKS leadership, regards the elec tion-time bloodshed with resigned sad ness. He attempted without success to negotiate a path through the New Cale donian minefield . . . and the inevitable uprising occurred.

Tjibaou has also repeatedly warned of the consequences of the military nomad isation of Kanak areas on the east coast of Grande Terre, a strategy of intimidation adopted during the Algerian War. “Kan aky looks like an occupied country,” he says. “The troops deployed everywhere is just like France at the end of World War II.” It is estimated there is one paramili tary gendarme, policeman or soldier for every six Kanaks.

After the attack on the Fayaoue gen darme barracks on Ouvea Island, Tjibaou spelt out his views in a broadcast from Ra dio Djiido, the independent Kanak radio station: “My first reaction is that it was a distressing result of the despicable, parti san politics of the Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (RPCR). People searching for somebody to blame should lay the respon sibility at their door.

“Instead, today we confront the [Pons] statute, which crowns a system that refuses to take into consideration the Kanak people and their revindication [reclaiming their rights]. This is controlled by a clique that ruins the land, drives the Kanaks from their own land and that occupies the mines and controls business. It is this RPCR ‘state’ that Mr Mitterrand has denounced in France. And it is these people who are today learning a lesson they failed to learn after the killing of 10 Kanaks in the Hienghene massacre.

“Their sort of politics. .. is institutionalised violence. Our people have never accepted colonialism, never accepted being colonised by France: as a consequence, there has always been action and reaction, “The year 1878 [when an insurrection against French rule was led by Kanak Chief Atai] was among our most important dates. There was 1917 [another insurrection], and more recently 1984 [the election boycott that resulted in 32 deaths]. There have been the death of Pierre Declercq, the French-born independence leader murdered in 1981, the death of Eloi Machoro, assassinated by French police marksmen in 1985, the Hienghene Ten, the militants of Ouegoa, and those of Thio . . .

“For all these killings there has been no judgement, nor any reaction from the RPCR. In fact, the colons have approved, even encouraged it as ‘justice’ served on our people “The problem is the presence of the Kanak people and their return to liberty in their own country. Mr Pons pretended we are a tiny group and that we don’t speak

for more than about 12-13,000 people. He would not accept the revindication of the Kanak people as the basic problem. Thus we have been forced to struggle for our cause, the freedom of our people and we will always do so.

“Before the referendum we said it, we stated it again before these elections and we are still saying it: we must claim our right to independence, our place in the United Nations, and our militants must win the battle. The quitters at the toughest moments will be judged by history.

“RPCR leaders claimed they would harass and prevent the ‘manipulators and instigators of the violence’ moving around, and threatened Kanak leaders who called for a boycott of the elections, but they’ve done that since they stole our country; they’ve always done that. The Indegenat code repressed Kanaks and prevented them moving around with freedom the RPCR statement is nothing new: coloni alism continues.

“They just repeat what their grandfath ers did in stealing our country. But what is important is to denounce these leaders, because it would have been possible to ne gotiate with Mr Chirac if it hadn t been for this local clique and their political Mafia.

It’s always the same thing. The thieves re fuse to recognise their own subversive ways. From the moment when they stole our country, they have tried to eliminate everybody who denounces their evil deeds.

“I hope public opinion will grasp the truth about this clique, which has been bailed out by Mr Chirac. I hope Jhe new Government will sort things out. □

Tjibaou warns the French: “Our people have never accepted colonialism