CONFIDENTIAL
--
GILBERT ISLANDS/BANABANS
6. Mr Blaker expressed confidence that the remaining House of Commons stages of the Kiribati Independence Bill would be completed on 11 June. It contained unprecedented safeguards for the Banabans. The intention of the conference chaired by the Fiji Prime Minister in Suva had been that the Banabans' claim for separation should be discussed, in the Pacific manner, after Kiribati became independent. We would now wait to see what happened. Critics of our policy had
claimed that constitutions could be torn up, but this had not happened in the Pacific. Supposing Ocean Island had been separated, it would have encouraged separatist tendencies elsewhere in the Pacific. Sir Douglas Carter agreed. Ocean Island would then have
been a "festering sore". He commented that the Banabans were not popular in the Pacific.
RHODESIA
7. Sir Douglas Carter said he had seen Lord Chitnis who had summed
up the Rhodesian elections as not perfect but good enough as the basis for gradual transition to independence. Mr Blaker said that Lord Boyd had expressed a similar view. He had found that the elections had been organised fairly, and were as free as could reasonably be expected in the circumstances of a civil war. The turnout of voters had been surprisingly high, and it was difficult to argue that the fifth principle had not been fulfilled.
We were
not rushing any fences, but time was not unlimited because the
sanctions order was due for renewal in November. A senior British
official had been sent to Salisbury to be available for consultations with Bishop Muzorewa if required. This did not constitute recognition.
Lord Harlech would soon visit the Front Line Presidents and the
Nigerians, to get a closer understanding of their views.
8. The meeting ended at 11.20.
cc: SPD to enter
HKG D FED
EID(E)
ESSD
EESD
Rhodesia Dept Planning Staff
FRD
PS
CCD
PS/LPS
SAFD
PS/Mr Blaker
PUSD
PS/PUS
Hanoi
SEAD
Mr Cortazzi
Mr Murray
Moscow
Chanceries at:
Wellington
Canberra
Suva
Port Moresby
Nuky'alofa
Honiara
Paris
Lusaka
Governor Tarawa
Governor Hong Kong British Resident
Commissioner, Vila
CONFIDENTIAL