222 the Contemporary Pacific • 20:1 (2008) Jon
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222 the contemporary pacifi c • 20:1 (2008) joined other island countries in a plea bird, which was once plentiful on the for a reduction of greenhouse gas island of Atiu. Before it became almost emissions to larger countries that con- extinct, its feathers were used for the tribute most to global warming. Island cloaks and headdresses of high chiefs. nations have been described as “the In a joint effort in April, naturalists conscience” on climate change (CIN, and Atiuans brought in twenty-seven 21 Dec 2006, 5). The Cook Islands birds from Rimatara Island in French is already being impacted by climatic Polynesia (CIN, 28 April 2007, 1). changes, particularly with regard to As part of its Unit Titles Bill initia- its tourism and pearl industries (CIN, tive the Tepaki group purchased the 16 April 2007, 3). twelve-unit Castaway property for As part of the government’s plan nz$2.3 million, adding to their recent to reduce dependency on fossil oil, purchases of Manea Beach for nz$1.8 a wind energy farm project was million, and Lagoon Lodges for nz$4 proposed at Kiikii on the island of million, with expected settlements for Rarotonga (CIN, 24 Jan 2007, 1). the Aquarius and the Manuia Beach Preliminary testing for persistent properties (CIN, 2 May 2007, 1). The organic pollutants (pops) in Raro- Tepaki group also maintains a keen tonga lagoons indicated concentra- interest in building a high-rise apart- tions of chlorinated pesticide (ddt ment block on the Cook Islands High and methoxychlor), polycyclice Commission offi ce location in New aromatic hydrocarbons (pah) and Zealand. The New Zealand High phthalates (dehp) above the detec- Court had ruled against Tepaki’s so- tion limit. Environmentalist Imogen called “diplomatic project,” which Ingram pointed out that the govern- planned to turn the Cook Islands High ment needed to take positive action Commission chancery in Wellington to remedy the environmental chal- into a high-rise offi ce and apartment lenge because it was a signatory to the complex. Originally approved by the Stockholm Convention that agreed to Cook Islands government, the deal a total eradication of pops (CIN, 15 was canceled when certain conditions Nov 2006, 7). were not met and when the govern- Another problem that emerged ment changed (CIN, 18 Oct 2006, 1). during the year took the form of the jon tikivanotau m jonassen glassy-winged “sharpshooter” bug. Discovered in Rarotonga, and sus- pected to have arrived on plants smug- References gled in from Tahiti, the insect feeds on more than three hundred host plants CIN, Cook Islands News. Rarotonga. Daily. including trees, crops, and plants such as hibiscus, gardenia, and papaya. It is also known to transmit Pierce’s French Polynesia disease, which affects grapevines (CIN, 4 April 2007, 1, 7). In more positive Political instability continued in environmental news, the year marked French Polynesia during the year the return of the kura or lorikeet under review. The barely two-year- pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 223 old pro-independence government ground testing and communicated the of Oscar Temaru lost power to a results of his study in an open letter to pro-French coalition when assembly President Temaru, who read it in front members switched their allegiances. of the Assembly of French Polynesia However, the new government stood (TP, 4 Aug 2007). on very unstable foundations from On 4 August the French State the beginning, and its internal divi- Council removed Representative sions became more and more apparent Nicole Bouteau from the assembly and toward the end of the review period. declared her ineligible for one year. July 2006 started with the highly This was after the electoral audit offi ce publicized inauguration of a monu- detected a procedural mistake during ment for the victims of nuclear testing the election campaign in 2005, when by President Temaru on the fortieth Bouteau’s party No Oe E Te Nunaa anniversary of the fi rst French nuclear did not properly designate its fi nancial test on Moruroa Atoll (TPM, July delegate (TP, 4 Aug 2007). The harsh 2006; TP, 2 July 2006). While former punishment of a young politician with territorial governments had supported no prior record of misdealings, for an the French policy of denying the issue accidental mistake, seemed at odds of irradiation, Temaru’s administra- with the lenient treatment of other tion took sides with the test victims individuals previously charged with association, Moruroa e Tatou (Moru- corruption. Although sentenced for roa and Us), and supported their embezzlement of public funds earlier claims for transparency, independent in 2006, Emile Vernaudon remained inquiries, and medical follow-up for eligible, and on 13 July a court abbre- the former test workers and inhabit- viated Henri Flohr’s fi ve-year period ants of the islands closest to the testing of ineligibility for political corruption base. French High Commissioner (TP, 17 July 2007; TPM, Sept 2007). Anne Boquet, however, declared the Bouteau, one of the country’s most inauguration to be an “unfriendly ges- popular and respected politicians, was ture” toward France (TP, 3 July 2006). replaced in the assembly by Thilda In late July, Florent de Vathaire, a Fuller of the Fetia Api party, led by radiation expert from the National Philip Schyle. The Fetia Api party now Institute for Health and Medical had two representatives, and Bouteau’s Research (inserm) of France, pre- party was no longer represented. sented the results of a long-term study In mid-October, another political of thyroid cancer in French Polynesia. crisis occurred when trade union mem- The study demonstrated a correlation bers attempted to force the Temaru between exposure to above-average government to resign. After union radiation and the increase in cases of leader Ronald Terorotua unsuccess- thyroid cancer, making him the fi rst fully called for a general strike, on 12 agent of a French government offi ce October members of his trade union O to confi rm the harmfulness of the tests Oe To Oe Rima (You Are Your Own (TP, 2 Aug 2007). He called for the Hand) blocked the main road into immediate declassifi cation of all medi- downtown Papeete. They were joined cal fi les since the beginning of above- by members of the former territorial 224 the contemporary pacifi c • 20:1 (2008) militia Groupement d’Intervention de While the French intervention la Polynésie (gip, Polynesian Inter- reinforced the position and credibility vention Grouping) under its ex-com- of the French state, it raised questions mander Léonard Puputauki. The gip about the credibility of Temaru and had been dissolved by the Temaru his government, since he had vigor- government in January but continued ously denounced the French security to erect roadblocks throughout the forces in the past. While ordering following months. Members of a bus them to intervene on his behalf, he drivers’ union reinforced the road- made strong declarations criticizing blocks with their buses. The protesters France at the Pacifi c Islands Forum did not give clear reasons for their meeting (TPM, Nov 2006). actions, expressing only a general In a communiqué on 1 November, sentiment of dissatisfaction, and the the presidency explained its strategy to Temaru government refused to negoti- pursue the reinscription of the country ate with them. Temaru then left the on the UN list of non-self-govern- country to attend the Pacifi c Islands ing territories. This would guarantee Forum in Fiji, where French Polynesia an international process of decolo- and New Caledonia were admitted as nization, and allow the population associate members (TP, 25 Oct 2007). to choose between various options, After the president left, the protesters including independence (TP, 1 Nov removed the roadblocks, but on 21 2006). Nevertheless, Temaru con- October they occupied the presidential tinued to be attacked by pro-French palace, the vice president’s offi ce, and forces for his alleged support of the assembly building. Temaru inter- independence. Throughout the second preted this as an attempted coup and, half of the year, controversial state- from Suva, requested that the French ments by the president, his cabinet, security forces intervene. During the and assembly members continued to night of 22–23 October, French para- provoke heated debate. At the opening military police squads, under orders of the agricultural show in September, from the high commission, intervened Temaru deplored the increasing inabil- to liberate the occupied buildings. ity of young Tahitians to farm and They used teargas to disperse the pro- fi sh, and accused the French educa- testers in front of the assembly build- tion system of producing only “idiots ing after some of them turned violent and unemployed” (TP, 4 Sept 2007; (TP, 23 Oct 2007). TPM, Sept 2007). During an assembly After the president’s return, the session in December, Union pour la strike leaders called a demonstration Démocratie (upld) representative and demanded the resignation of High Ruben Teremate raised his concerns Commissioner Boquet, but only about about the immigration of French two hundred people showed up for the settlers, referring to “‘ofe popa‘a” march. The blockades were inter- (foreign bamboo) displacing the “‘ofe preted, not as expressions of public ma‘ohi” (native bamboo) on the west dissatisfaction, but rather as maneu- coast of Tahiti. During the same ses- vers manipulated by the political sion, Temaru welcomed the assembly opposition (TPM, Nov 2006). members with the words “Greetings to pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 225 the ho‘o ‘äi‘a [sellouts] and to the here reata under the leadership of Tahu‘a ‘äi‘a [patriots]” (TP, 10 Dec 2006). (traditional priest) Sunny Moanaura The French high commissioner and Walker.