stand alone
p. 11 · Read in the full issue
Tokelau to stand alone
Slowly and quietly, one of the Pacific’s most remote peoples are preparing to take their place in the world community of nations.
For at least 1000 years, they have lived on three tiny atolls, nearly 500 kilometres from their nearest neighbour, largely unaf fected by events in the outside world.
Today, in the colourful language of an Act recently passed by the New Zealand parliament, Tokelau has expressed a wish “to paddle its canoe to the greatest extent
possible”.
The three dispersed atoll communities have agreed, in the words of the Act, “to come together and become stronger, on the basis of their shared language and cul ture, as one family and nation”.
This means Tokelau, legally a part of New Zealand for the past 70 years, is now firmly embarked on a course that will remove it from the United Nations’ list of 17 remaining non-self-goveming territo ries. There is no pressure from New Zealand to shed its last colonial responsi bility. And the Tokelauans have come to their decision perhaps reluctantly and only after considerable thought.
They told three UN missions which visited in the 10 years up to 1986 they were quite happy with the status quo. But two years ago, they advised the fourth mission that they now felt ready to assume more self-reliance.
They confirmed that an act of self determination and a constitution were “under active consideration”.
Their strong preference, they said, was for internal self-government in free asso ciation with New Zealand - the same sta tus Niue and Cook Islands have.
Since then. New Zealand and Tokelau have worked to bring this about. It has not been easy.
Even by Pacific standards, Tokelau is tiny and remote.
Its 1600 people live in three autonomous villages on islets within atolls separated by vast expanses of sea.
No atoll is more than 200 metres wide or higher than five metres above sea level.
Each has a distinctive tradition and the
challenge is to create a form of central government to administer services, such as health, education, communications, that the individual villages cannot manage - not to mention handling external aid funds for development projects and rev enues from Tokelau’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
The problem is that while Tokelau is a cultural entity, with a shared language and customs, it has never been a political one.
Each village council (elderly male-domi nated) has been all powerful - the nearest translation for “law” in the Tokelauan lan guage, for instance, is “custom of the elders”.
This meant, as former New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange told parlia ment, that when he visited Tokelau the maximum penalty for murder was a fine
Of Snz2Oo (Susi 36).
The challenge then is to produce a political system suitable for modem times and capable of dealing with the outside world while still honouring local customs and traditions.
It is not made easier by the fact that Tokelau has been one of the world’s least governed colonies so it has no experience of modem systems of government to adapt.
Since Britain transferred control to New Zealand in 1926, it has been gov erned from Wellington at arm’s length no New Zealand administrator has ever lived there, for instance.
With no pattern of colonial administra tion or institutions to follow, the examples of transition to self-government used in the other former New Zealand colonies - Western Samoa, Cook Islands and Niue cannot be followed.
For Tokelau, a home-grown solution, in harmony with local culture and tradi tions, has to be found.
At the same time, it must be a system acceptable to the United Nations to ensure international recognition of the fledgling nation.
A start was made in the 1960 s when the Tokelau public service was established to deliver enhanced education, health and other services and the General Fono began
working as a national policy-making
body.
The public service, initially based in Apia, was subsequently brought home and in 1994, the New Zealand administrator’s executive powers were delegated to the General Fono and the Council of Faipule (equivalent of a cabinet) when the Fono is
not sitting.
The three Faipule, the elected leaders of each atoll, also assumed the functions of ministers of a national government.
They rotate leadership as Ulu-O- Tokelau, effectively taking the capital or base of government with them - a system that acknowledges equality of the atolls.
The Tokelau Amendment Bill now passed by the New Zealand parliament gives the General Fono power, for the first time, to pass laws - the essential right of a
self-governing nation.
The next stage, at a still unspecified date, will be a referendum to choose the new nation’s political status, or most like ly to confirm self-government in free association with New Zealand.
Although Tokelau has resisted the temptation of air links and the tourists they would bring, it is not exactly starting from scratch in its relations with the rest of the world.
About 5000 Tokelauans live in New Zealand and one estimate says up to 90 per cent of those who remain at home have been overseas.
A SNZ3-million (SUS2.OS-million) satellite telecommunications system is being put in place to link the atolls and international services.
What the future holds for the Pacific’s newest independent Island state remains to be seen.
But it is, as Lange told parliament: “A wonderful country ... a remarkable place, and its people are quite formidable... It is a country that will develop its own ratio nale”. And as far as the Tokelauans are concerned, they are looking forward to the future.
They welcomed the move to give them independence, in the words of the Bill, “as a fresh breeze to fill the sails of Tokelau’s canoe...” ■