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Article: Independence in the Pacific: France's positive approach.
- Article from:
- National Observer - Australia and World Affairs
- Article date:
- January 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Council for the National Interest. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Early in June, New Caledonia's President, Pierre Frogier, who is also a member of the French Lower House in Paris, told fellow M.P.s that "Pacific island states were falling into anarchy". Frogier was speaking during debates in the French National Assembly in Paris, where he stressed that New Caledonia was "lucky to have major natural resources such as nickel, a third of the world's reserves". He could have well added, New Caledonia was lucky to still have France.
Australia has sent troops to the Solomons as a last desperate move to prevent a slow and irreversible decline into anarchy. Our English-speaking Pacific neighbours are suffering catastrophic social, ...