BY NORM DIXON
The Pacific Concerns Resource Centre, the Fiji-based group that campaigns against the nuclear fuel cycle and supports independence movements in the Pacific Ocean region, on April 2 strongly condemned the Australian and New Zealand governments for conducting military exercises with France. The Australian, New Zealand and French navies conducted military exercises called "Tasmanex" in Auckland, New Zealand, March 5-15.
"Australia and New Zealand preach about democracy, good governance and human rights in Fiji and the Solomon Islands, yet they ignore France's violation of the rights of the indigenous people of Tahiti and New Caledonia to democratically determine their own future. This is hypocritical", said PCRC spokesperson Stanley Simpson.
PCRC said France was a military occupier in the Pacific as it still colonises Tahiti (French Polynesia), Wallis and Futuna and the indigenous Kanak people of New Caledonia (Kanaky). The military exercises between France, Australia and New Zealand only served to justify their past and present exploitation of Pacific peoples and environment.
"By undertaking military exercises with France, Australia and New Zealand have legitimised the continuing illegal military occupation and colonisation of Tahiti, Kanaky and Wallis and Futuna; the 147 French nuclear tests that have damaged the base of Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls which could lead to a dramatic increase in radioactive contamination being released into the Pacific; and the severe health impacts on the people of Tahiti", Simpson said.
The people of Tahiti are still fighting for compensation for the health effects and clean-up of Moruroa and Fangataufa, and more importantly for the French government to open up the archives of 30 years of nuclear testing so that the real economic, social, environmental and health impacts can be known.
France has a long record of gross human rights violations as a colonial power in the Pacific, including torture, murder and imprisonment of independence activists in Tahiti and Kanaky. In both Kanaky and Tahiti, peaceful protests against the military occupation and calls for independence have been met with extreme violence by armed French gendarmes and military personnel.
On July 10, 1985, French agents also bombed the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior, in Auckland harbour, killing two Greenpeace activists.
"The Australian and New Zealand navies are learning from an army that has used military action against peaceful protests, and has murdered people who protested peacefully against France's exploitation of the Pacific peoples and environment", Simpson said.