Is Vanuatu part

of the Pacific?

While other Pacific island nations were up in arms over the French decision to resume nuclear testing, Vanuatu tried to justify the decision.

Was the French aid talking? PATRICK DECLOFFRE reports.

On 14 June, Vanuatu prime minis ter Maxime Carlot Korman reacted to the resumption of French nuclear tests in a communique say ing President Chirac’s decision was a “sovereign” one, and that he did not believe the resumption of these tests can affect the environment of the Pacific.

Carlot, whose government enjoys a close relation with France and its Pacific Territories of New Caledonia and French Polynesia, said Vanuatu was “not favourable to the development and dissem ination of the nuclear weapon.”

“As the majority of the people of the Pacific, Vanuatu is not favourable to the development and dissemination of the nuclear weapon. Vanuatu is not concerned either, and does not wish to be concerned, with the use of nuclear force for civil pur poses, in particular in the field of energy,” he said, adding he wished the Pacific be a zone where “economic development and respect of the environment go together” and where development must be linked

“peace and mutual respect.”

“Respect of each state’s sovereignty is a fundamental rule,” he added.

However, Carlot said President Chirac’s decision is “a sovereign deci sion.”

“The people of Polynesia has decided until now to live in the framework of French sovereignty, and to respect its rules. Only the President of the govern ment of Polynesia has the right to express the choice of French Polynesia’s popula tion regarding the resumption of French nuclear tests.”

Carlot said that he did not believe that “the resumption of these tests, which is limited in time and number, can affect the environment of the Pacific. These tests therefore do not justify interference from other Pacific nations in Polynesian affairs.”

Vanuatu benefits from the highest French aid in a world to a country on a per capita basis, with over eight million US dollars a year for its 160,000 inhabitants.

Carlot later wrote to French Polynesia President Gaston Flosse, saying he could

not believe France has used its authority to

impose nuclear tests resumption against

the Polynesian government’s will. Carlot however asked the Polynesian leader to explain what is the “exact position” of French Polynesia’s government.

“I cannot believe that France uses its authority to impose its tests against the elected government of Tahiti. If such was the case, it would be a duty for all people and governments of the Pacific to support you, and I would be the first to defend the cause of mutual help among Oceanians,”

Carlot wrote.

Carlot, however, adds that if, on the contrary, the resumption of nuclear tests was made after consulting elected authori ties of French Polynesia, “other Pacific countries’ interference is limited to debat ing possible risks (of these tests) in the region.”

Carlot also said he saw it “ill-fitting” that “other Pacific countries decide what French Polynesians must think or decide for themselves.”

Paul Keating’s statement as Chairman of the South Pacific Forum, of which Vanuatu is a member, on 15 June criticized the French decision, expressed the Forum heads of governments’ “unequivocal oppo sition to France’s decision. The statement was said to be supported by Vanuatu, Foreign Affairs Director Jean Sese said end of June. Sese Vanuatu’s support to the Forum’s statement “did not contradict”

Carlot’s reaction.

On a party level, Carlot’s party, ruling Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), made a statement attacking Greenpeace and say ing France had “good reasons” to resume nuclear testing. UMP Secretary General, Pete Malsungai, said in a statement that UMP could not interfere with the French government’s decision to resume its nuclear tests in the Pacific “with good rea sons”.

Malsungai added it was “ironic” that the Greenpeace movement concentrates on the Pacific region, when “in other parts of the world, nuclear testings are still going on and there is no solution to store billions of tons of nuclear waste”.

The party official said Greenpeace and other anti-nuclear organizations should “help small Pacific dominated nations solve their economic and employment problems”. However, Malsungai’s state ment was later contested by other UMP officials, including its President Serge Vohor (who is also minister for Economic Affairs) and Treasurer Willie Jimmy (Vanuatu’s minister of Finance), who said Malsungai had not consulted them before making the statement. Meanwhile, on the government side, efforts were made to make sure Vanuatu was exempt from any critics against the French decision, even in the national media: a few days after the announcement of the French resumption, verbal instructions were given by the Prime Minister’s office to the Director of govemment-run Radio Vanuatu and Vanuatu Weekly newspaper not to carry any more news related to the subject.

Vanuatu government spokeswoman Yvette Sam did not confirm and said the government “was not aware” of the ban.

The ban, however, which was supposed to affect both local and international news bulletins sometimes relayed live from overseas radios and Radio Vanuatu, was only respected for a couple of days, after it as realized it could not be sustained.

Reactions from opposition mainly came from one of its main components, Donald Kalpoka’s Vanuaaku Pati: on 16 June, Kalpokas said the French decision brought into question France’s commit ment to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Newly-formed Independent Front leader Patrick Crowby, who has just bro ken away from Permission was denied by Police authorities here.

Following a regional call from the Pacific Concerns Resource Center, Vanuatu’s association of Non- Governmental Organizations, VANGO, also planned to hold two anti-nuclear demonstrations, one in Port Vila on 14 July, the French nations Bastille Day, and another one in northern Luganville town, to protest against the French decision.

VANGO, which groups NGOs in Vanuatu in the fields of religion, women’s rights, and unions, announced the protest would be in the form of a “peaceful march”.

Although authorities in Fiji granted permission, they did not in Vanuatu. It was however pointed out that permission would be granted to the protesters, but not before the middle of August.

Meanwhile, since last June and as everywhere else in the South Pacific, secu rity measures have been reinforced at the French Embassy in Port Vila, with two plain clothes officers from the metropoli tan French Gendarmerie discretely back ing up the existing local staff. The job, however, is much quieter here than in Australia. ■