13 Dec 2013

Tahiti leader says France's UN defiance is unacceptable

2:44 pm on 13 December 2013

French Polynesia's pro-independence party says it is unacceptable for France to ignore the United Nations stance on the territory's decolonisation.

Its leader Oscar Temaru's comment follows a further UN General Assembly move to adopt a resolution, asking France to enter a dialogue with the people of French Polynesia to rapidly set up a self-determination process.

The new French Polynesian government is opposed to any change to its current autonomy status while France says it won't buy into the UN decolonisation process.

Paris has also ruled out holding an immediate independence referendum as requested by the territorial assembly.

Mr Temaru says the position assumed by the French is unacceptable.

"They are trying to ignore what has been decided by the United Nations. I think politically it is unacceptable for a country known throughout the world as a country of human rights of freedom. So it is a great victory but the struggle is not over."

Oscar Temaru.