Tepid moves by France, East Timor

France, East Timor

THE UN’s Special Committee on Decolonisation does not often praise colonial powers, but France’s “Positive measures... to promote political, economic, and social development” were noted in a resol ution to be moved by Fiji and PNG at the General Assembly.

“Acknowledging the close links be tween New Caledonia and the peoples of the South Pacific, and the positive action being taken by the French authorities to facilitate the further development of those links, including the development of closer relations with the member countries of the South Pacific Forum,” the resolution calls upon all parties to continue their

dialogue in a “spirit of harmony”.

The sting in the tail was to recom mend that it be kept on the decolonisation watch list. France still does not transmit information to the committee, despite a 1986 UN resol ution declaring New Caledonia to be a non-self governing territory.

Jacques Boengki of FLNKS ad dressed the committee to point out that the continuing flow of immigrants to New Caledonia, and the short period of residency required, allowed the con tinuing flow of immigrants to tip the balance against the Kanaks. He called

for keeping the territory on the list of non-self governing territories and for a UN visiting mission.

Another Pacific territory considered was East Timor. This attracted a wide range of petitioners representing the Timorese Democratic Union, FRETILINM, Portugal and Cape Verde on behalf of the Portuguese speaking African countries, and organ isations and parliamentarians from Canada, Japan, Australia, Portugal.

International organisations like Am nesty International and Asia Watch also came to support the East Timorese.

Indonesia was unimpressed, it op posed allowing petitioners into the Committee and allowing the question onto the agenda.

However, next month should see the

long delayed Portuguese parliamentary

delegation to East Timor actually get under way. UN Secretary General Perez De Cuellar reported that both sides had ratified an agreement he brokered on June 27.

In return for the Portuguese stopping off in Jakarta and meeting the Speaker of the Indonesia House of Representa tives, the Indonesians would waive visa requirements. The Portuguese claim that in accordance with UN resolutions, East Timor still is a Portuguese terri tory, so they should not need visas.

The party, with UN staff, will spend 10 days obtaining “first-hand infor mation on the situation in the territory, on the understanding that the visit will not be investigative in nature”. □