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Colonialism in the Islands

Vila Correspondent

The Condomimium Government of the New Hebrides has decided to build a new airstrip at Norsup on North Malekula, but it has come up against fierce opposition from the local inhabitants.

The site chosen seemed ideal to the British and French, being close to both their district agencies. They bought the land from a French owned company PRNH (Plantation Reunies des Nouvelles Hebrides) which has operated a large coconut plantation in the area for well over fifty years. Indeed the PRNH claims undeveloped land and coconut plantations stretching for miles along the coast of Malekula including two of the largest plantations in the New Hebrides. (See map.)

However, the Condominium Government (which is the British and French working together on such things as public works) could not have been unaware of the intense hatred and bitterness felt by the local inhabitants for PRNH, or of the fact that ownership of the land they purchased has been in question for many years.

The story of the original purchase of the land by PRNH is a familiar one in the New Hebrides history. It tells of unfair dealings, of two ship loads of French troops anchored off Norsup while negotiations were proceeding; of Vietnamese labourers brought in to clear and fence the plantation; of fences gradually being pushed further and further out until the local inhabitants of Tatau occupy a tiny portion of rocky coastland; and of all native resistance being squashed by force of superior arms.

In addition to this long standing land dispute, the land chosen for the airstrip was also the traditional route of the Tatau people to their gardens.

Three years ago, without any consultation with the local people, the Condominium landed their machinery and labour force and started to bulldoze the area. This was the last straw for the Tautu people. Led by Kennerrie Williams, a strong nationist figure and secretary of the North Malekula local council, the Tauta people retaliated by replanting the cleared land with young coconuts. The land was bulldozed again, and replanted again, until the Condominium decided to postpone development to allow time for negotiations and planning new tactics.

By the end of 1974, the governments had new tactics planned and determined to push them through regardless of local opposition. The first move was to close the old airstrip at Norsup. The Condominium Dept. of Civil Aviation announced that the Norsup airstrip was not safe and would be closed indefinitely from December 10. The announcement was somewhat of a suprise to the pilots of the local airline—Air Melanesiae. Some of the pilots had encountered dangerous situations on the strip, but not worse than on other strips and not serious enough to warrant complete closure. However the official word was—no more planes to Norsup.

At the December meeting of the Advisory Council, the issue of the Norsup airstrip was tabled as a topic of discussion. As a result, a Commission of Inquiry was set up. The Commission consisted of four members of the Advisory Council—an Australian trader from Tanna, a French planter from Santo, and two New Hebrideans—the Air Melanesiae agent from Erromango and the ADCO member for North Malekula. The Condominium mishandled the situation in choosing the two expatriates who have exploited the New Hebrides for their own gain.

The Commission had two meetings with the Tautu people. The first went well as the local people were willing to talk to the Commission. They asked for time to think the matter over amongst themselves. They arranged a second meeting. In the meantime, the locals decided not to allow their traditional route to be developed into an airstrip. Their spokesman reported the decision to the Commission's second meeting.

The Commission made its recommendations to the Resident Commissioners in Vila. A week later the two governments announced their decision:

'that the new airstrip shall be constructed on the site originally selected—that is, on the land purchased from the PRNH by the Condominium Administration.'

The rest of the Comunique promises generous terms to the Tautu people. It virtually recognises their ownership of the proposed site and agrees to the annual payment of 40,000 NH francs (approximately A $400) for a 25 year lease. It promises them the right to use their traditional footpath across the airfield and offers them priority of employment, sale of the airfield and contracts for bars or restuarants at the airfield. It finishes with a stern warning against any attempts to interfere in the construction of the strip.

The Governments had in fact determined to push ahead regardless of the feelings of the Tautu people, and despite the repeated attempt by the New Hebrides National Party to warn the Governments of the possible consequences and persuade them to postpone the development until agreement was reached. Even before the Communique was published, police reinforcements had been sent from Vila and Santo, to make a total force of one hundred police on the site. In addition, the French Government sent two ship loads of local people from firther north on Malekula to standby in case of possible interference in the work from Tautu people.

In the face of this almost military invasion, the Tautu people could do little but be silent. They did, however, register their protest with a placard at the site and by returning the two tractors, documents and money they had been looking after for the Local Council.

Once the Communique was issued, of course, the governments claim they could not dream of going back on their published regulation. If they did that, the public could no longer respect the government.

The two governments claim that they acted thus for the economic advantage of the whole country, and for the benefit of a larger group of people than just the immediate village of Tautu. In fact the government has decided that economic development is of greater importance than justice for the local people. The whole incident has brought out one fact clearer than ever—that is that the Condominium Government is not the Government of the New Hebrideans but the government of the white minorities who are direct subjects of France and Britain.

The dispute over the property at Norsup is not ended. It will break out in some other form in the near future. Who knows what the future of the Norsup airstrip will be? The big thing is that the Condominium Government still has to learn to listen to respect, and take seriously, the views of the New Hebrideans.