Pacific

Opinion

Pariah of the Pacific

Nobody can say we were not forewarned about France’s

deplorable decision to bring

nuclear testing back into the South Pacific next month. The writing had been on the wall for some time.

On October 13, 1993, Jacques Chirac said; “we can’t wait two more years before resuming and completing our nuclear tests ... then we will need another 15 tests to master the technology of simulated test

ing.”

On May 8 this year, Alain Juppee, then France’s Foreign Minister and now Chirac’s Prime Minister, said: “My per sonal belief is that France may need a few test campaigns to maintain its deterrent force.”

All we can now hope is that Chirac’s prediction of 15 more tests was wrong.

The eight he announced in June to be held between September and May next year is eight too many for the Pacific and a post- Cold War world that had hoped the major powers were putting nuclear insanity behind them.

Whether or not the tests are “safe” - as the French and some scientists claim (even the scientific community is hopelessly divided on that question) - the decision itself has renewed old strains on France’s relations with New Zealand, Australia and the island states.

It came as the diplomatic and econom ic environments had improved to their best condition in a decade. This is the real tragedy of Chirac’s readiness to accept the

urging of a single-minded French military

machine that showed with the Rainbow

Warrior sinking a decade ago it had no concern for any body’s interest but its own.

Since the Matignon Accords brought peace to New Caledonia in 1988 and for mer President Francois Mitterand’s mora torium on testing four years later, France had shown a new face to the Pacific.

Its entire philosophy towards the region underwent a total change. Suspicion was replaced with entente cordial, self imposed isolation with co-operation - and the whole of the South Pacific was better for it.

As a matter of deliberate policy, France opened up its territories politically to inte grate their economies with those of the other island states, significantly from New Zealand’s point of view opening up the market of New Caledonia (its nearest neighbour) which had previously been vir tually closed to all but French and other

European Union goods.

Over previous years, New Caledonia, driven by internal strife over an indepen dence issue Paris refused to address, had become even more introverted, confirming its role as not so much a member of the Pacific island community, more alienated piece of France thousands of miles away from home.

French Polynesia wrestled with its own dilemma: many citizens reluctant hosts of nuclear testing programme few liked but depended upon for their economic well

being.

France was pilloried on the internation al stage on both counts - having to defend itself at the United Nations in 1986 when

South Pacific Forum countries moved to have New Caledonia inscribed on the list of non-self-governing territories, and under increasing global attack for its con tinued nuclear testing.

The change of attitude was encouraged by New Zealand and Australia, which never wanted to see France and its territo ries isolated from the rest of the region, and widely welcomed by the island states.

France showed itself ready to work with the Forum, even though its territories were not members. It attended a number of Forum technical meetings and even - iron ically, in the light of Chirac’s about-face joined the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme.

It signed a tripartite agreement on Pacific disaster relief with New Zealand

and Australia, guaranteeing co-operation

and agreeing not to duplicate efforts. It Co-operated with the Forum Fisheries Agency (though not a member) in mar itime surveillance, undertaking to assist in monitoring the Exclusive Economic Zones of Vanuatu and the Cook Islands.

It stepped up aid to the region to a level of about US$55 million a year.

The Forum welcomed the new look France but the welcome was always condi tional. The communique from last year’s Brisbane meeting noted “if France were to cease testing permanently this would con tribute significantly to improving further the relations between France and Forum countries”.

And it warned: “Any resumption of testing would be a major setback to the current positive trend in relations between France and the region.”

That setback has already occurred with Chirac’s announcement and can only worsen when next month’s Forum meeting in Papua New Guinea coincides with the threatened resumption of tests.

It will be a tragedy for the region if all the progress of the last few years is lost and France, by whim of a new President, again reverts to the role of pariah of the Pacific.

From

David Barber

in Wellington