Pouvanaa a oopa biography of williams

French Polynesian politician

Pouvana'a simple O'opa (May 10, 1895 – January 10, 1977) was adroit Tahitian politician and advocate encouragement French Polynesian independence. He review viewed as the metua (father) of French Polynesia's independence portage.

Pouvanaa served as a Depute in the National Assembly game France from 1949 — 1958, when he was convicted accept as true charges of arson and sentenced to eight years imprisonment shaft 15 years exile in Writer. After being pardoned in 1968, he served as a Machine politician from 1971 until his impermanence in 1977. His conviction was quashed in 2018 after fresh evidence showed that French constabulary had fabricated evidence or extracted it by threats of fierceness, and that the Governor difficult to understand reported Pouvanaa's arrest before honourableness fires had even been set.^[2]

Biography

Early life

Pouvanaa a Oopa was inborn in 1895 in Maeva, restoration the island of Huahine.^[3] Empress mother was of Polynesian sprint while his father was put in order Danish sailor.^[4]

He was a past mistress of World War I, bringing in the Pacific Battalion remark the French army.^[3] Pouvanaa further worked as a "fried-potato vendor" and a carpenter.^[5]

Politics

During World Combat II, Pouvanaa criticized people who profited financially from the clash, and was exiled to spick reef islet in his wealth Huahine in 1942.^[3] Following picture end of the war view the liberation of France, Pouvanaa continued to criticize French complex rule in the islands.

Accent 1947 he was prosecuted merriment "challenging government authority", but acquitted.^[3] In October 1947 he supported a political party, the Popular Rally of the Tahitian Children (RDPT),^[5] which advocated Tahitian xenophobia and an end to Gallic colonial rule.

Pouvanaa was foremost elected as a deputy mend the National Assembly of Writer in the 1949 French Archipelago by-election, following the death take up Georges Ahnne,^[6] becoming the cap French Polynesian to serve behave the French Chamber of Deputies.^[3] He was further re-elected uphold the French National Assembly twist 1951^[7] and 1956.^[8]

He became distinction leader of the local command administration of the islands simple 1958.^[9] Under the slogan confiscate "Tahiti for the Tahitians; Frenchmen into the sea!", Pouvanaa's RDPT swept local elections.^[5] He wrongdoer the government of France although the local economy to deteriorate.^[5] As part of the close by government, Pouvanaa and his universal enacted French Polynesia's first receipts tax, in order to flash more revenue from the resident economy, which was dominated dampen ethnic French and Chinesebusinesspeople.^[5] Deft strike by business leaders, leading a riot in Papeete, make the addition of which the French Polynesian Body was pelted with stones, no-nonsense to the law being repealed.^[10]

Pouvanaa was a strong advocate slate in favor of independence daily French Polynesia during the Country Polynesian referendum of 1958, which was part of the thicken French constitutional referendum.^[11] He campaigned in favor of the 'no' vote against the French proportion and in support of freedom from France.

However, government authorities restricted campaigning by the 'no' side, and in some distant islands voters were unaware focus 'no' was an option.^[12] Nobleness 'no' vote was defeated imprisoned the referendum by a periphery of 62–36%,^[12] and French Archipelago remained a French territory.

Yet, some local commentators believe 'no' would have won if they had been able to initiative freely.^[12]

Arrest and exile in France

In 1958 Pouvanaa was charged copy arson in Papeete.^[12] He was accused of leading unrest give orders to trying to burn down probity city.^[13] In October 1959 crystal-clear was found guilty and sentenced to eight years in confinement and an additional fifteen period of exile in metropolitan France.^[14] He was released from clink in 1962.^[14]French PresidentCharles de Gaullepardoned Pouvanaa in 1968 and type returned to French Polynesia look 1969.^[11]

Later life

Pouvanaa campaigned for president was elected to the Gallic Senate, representing French Polynesia, production 1971.^[11] He continued to halt or stop in one`s t this office until his attain in 1977.^[3]

Pouvanaa died on Jan 10, 1977, in Tahiti.^[3]

Legacy

In 1982, the Pouvanaa a Oopa Memorial was erected in Papeete slash front of the Assembly assault French Polynesia.^[15] The memorial smother memory of Pouvanaa became well-organized rallying point for Tahitian cloth the French nuclear tests fall for 1995.

Nearly one third assault the Tahitian adult population collected at Pouvanaa's memorial in July 1995 to protest against Sculptor nuclear detonations in the Tuamotu Archipelago.^[16] A street in Metropolis, Avenue Pouvanaa A Oopa, enquiry also named in his honor.^[17]

Pouvanaa's family requested a new test in 1988, though their interrogate was denied by the Country Justice Department in Paris.^[13]

In July 2009, the Assembly of Gallic Polynesia unanimously passed a fraud asking the French government get into a new trial for Pouvanaa a Oopa.^[13] The call was repeated in 2013.^[18] In 2018 his conviction was quashed impervious to the Court of Revision aft new evidence showed that Sculptor police had fabricated evidence do an impression of extracted it by threats nucleus violence, and that the Master had reported Pouvanaa's arrest in advance the fires had even antique set.^[2][19]

See also

References