promises

Rocard’S Visit

Promises, promises

MICHEL Rocard’s whirlwind tour of the Pacific last month co vered seven destinations and left a trail of promises and hope. There was disappointment, however, when the French Prime Minister visited the nuc lear lest site at Mururoa, his last destina tion on a week-long tour of the region.

Rocard said his government would not give in to pressure from Pacific Islands governments for an end to French nuc lear testing in the region. He said a plan ned reduction in the number of test blasts each year could even be “re viewed”, a hint that such a review could be upwards. This was a backtrack from a statement he made in June suggesting the number of test explosions at Murur oa would be cut from 1990. He said this could be reviewed “if the international context demands, as the sufficiency of our nuclear deterrent and its credibility must be assured”. He pointed out that talks to be held in Papeete on the nuc lear tests base would have “no decision

making authority”.

In Fiji Rocard promised to increase development aid to meet the country’s “numerous needs”. He mentioned dis cussion with Cabinet over the possibilities of French help for solar energy projects, agricultural projects and motor vehicles maintenance programmes. The army clearly missed out when Rocard said his government had no intention of provid ing military aid to anyone in the region.

But army commander Major-General Sitiveni Rabuka was decorated with the Insignia of the Commander of the Le gion of Honour by French ambassador Daniel Dupont in the presence of Rocard. The decoration was for bravery in Lebanon in 1980 when Rabuka went to the assistance of a French soldier under heavy fire and saved his life.

Then in an embarrassing event, the Fiji Military Forces were late for Rocard’s

departure from Nausori Airport, forcing

the French Prime Minister to leave Fiji without the guard of honour which he was to have inspected on the way to boarding his plane. Rabuka said there was going to be an internal inquiry.

The big promise in New Caledonia was the possibility that Paris might par don Kanak separatists jailed last year af ter violence erupted in the French terri

tory, resulting in kidnapping and shoot outs with troops. Such an amnesty could free 20 Kanaks. Rocard told the north ern regional assembly in New Caledonia that violence was no longer a political instrument in the territory. And he promised economic aid to boost develop ment throughout the territory, a move seen as an effort to bolster support for the Matignon Accord, a treaty signed in Paris last year allowing for a referendum on independence in 1998.

In Papeete, Rocard agreed to more autonomy for French Polynesia, agreeing in principle to a blueprint for such an arrangement. Discussions centred on proposals for the creation of five councils representing the five island groups. This is aimed at helping to decentralise pow er. The promise in French Polynesia was the assurance that Paris would sponsor a roundtable discussion this year to hear views on nuclear testing at Mururoa.

The issue was cause for a protest which greeted Rocard on his arrival at Papeete.

At least 350 people, waving placards and singing chants crowded a bridge where the prime ministerial motorcade was to have passed. The protest was led by staunch anti-nuclear activist Oscar Temaru, leader of the Tavini Huiraatira Party. □