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The Republic of Hau Pakumoto?

“Fed up with French Polynesia”. Ever heard of the latest self-proclaimed Republic of Pakumotu ? In January, Moorea decided that they were “fed up with French Polynesia” and have broken away to form an independent state. While their status as an independent nation hasn’t been formalised, discussions are in progress.

The group of islands in this area are called the Society Islands, the most populous of the islands in the archipelago. Moorea’s neighbors include the main island of Tahiti, of course, as well as the popular Bora Bora.

If you love blue oceans and sandy beaches, then you’ll want to take note at the latest 'it' destination for fun in the sun: the Island of Moorea . Moorea is just 9 miles for Tahiti, perched in the perfect spot in the Pacific Ocean and often cited as a cheaper alternative to Tahiti.

News reports state that the breakaway group complains of a high cost of living on the island and wants to promote job generation by hiring 130 firefighters. It is also claimed that the new republic has nominated a president, 12 ministers, three senators, and seven representatives.

The Vancouver sun states that the minister claims over 50,000 names of support for independence, despite the island only having just over 16 thousand residents. Some say that the whole situation is actually just a publicity stunt, although apparently identity cards and the seizing of funds has taken place.

Independence isn’t a new topic to the island of Moorea. Pro-independence was a huge issue in the 2005 election of a new set of party leaders, and the complaints of a high cost of living run deep in the daily lives of Polynesians.

Money of course is a major part of the equation here; can Moorea actually survive without their portion of France’s annual US$1 billion in subsidies? AH

Images via flickr ,Pilottage, Imaxandco and bugboy

2010 Mar 9 3 responses. share this

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