Media Release 4/2010 (25/11/10):
The Vanuatu Students in Canberra, Australia write to express and convey our firm, fullest, unreserved support to the Honourable Prime Minister and the Government of Vanuatu for the call to a public march for Mathew and Hunter. The neo-colonial attitude that France is continuing to exercise in the Pacific region is unwarranted especially in view of the New Caledonian Kanaks' ongoing call for Independence.
France's continued political presence in the Pacific through the French Territory of New Caledonia does not grant it the liberty to expand its geopolitical and geographical influence beyond NC. France should understand that its control over NC is by its history of colonisation of a people who are culturally and historically not Europeans and not French. The native New Caledonians are Melanesians. By the same token, Mathew and Hunter are geographically part of Vanuatu. France's idea and attempts to gain ownership of Mathew and Hunter simply on the premise of its political control over New Caledonia is absurd, immoral and unethical, to say the very least.
The only request to the Government is if it could perhaps postpone the March from Saturday 27th November to Wednesday 31st November in the afternoon during the usual free time that civil servants have for sports, etc, so that residents who are not usually available for secular activities on Saturdays could also participate. The private sector and NGOs could be requested to allow Wednesday afternoon off to their employees to take part in this national show of solidarity. We commend the Government for this initiative. It reminds us of the true spirit of Unity and Independence that surrounded Vanuatu around 1980. We can surely stand up and do it again!
The Vanuatu Students in Canberra, Australia write to express and convey our firm, fullest, unreserved support to the Honourable Prime Minister and the Government of Vanuatu for the call to a public march for Mathew and Hunter. The neo-colonial attitude that France is continuing to exercise in the Pacific region is unwarranted especially in view of the New Caledonian Kanaks' ongoing call for Independence.
France's continued political presence in the Pacific through the French Territory of New Caledonia does not grant it the liberty to expand its geopolitical and geographical influence beyond NC. France should understand that its control over NC is by its history of colonisation of a people who are culturally and historically not Europeans and not French. The native New Caledonians are Melanesians. By the same token, Mathew and Hunter are geographically part of Vanuatu. France's idea and attempts to gain ownership of Mathew and Hunter simply on the premise of its political control over New Caledonia is absurd, immoral and unethical, to say the very least.
The only request to the Government is if it could perhaps postpone the March from Saturday 27th November to Wednesday 31st November in the afternoon during the usual free time that civil servants have for sports, etc, so that residents who are not usually available for secular activities on Saturdays could also participate. The private sector and NGOs could be requested to allow Wednesday afternoon off to their employees to take part in this national show of solidarity. We commend the Government for this initiative. It reminds us of the true spirit of Unity and Independence that surrounded Vanuatu around 1980. We can surely stand up and do it again!
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