Visa for France

IT’S good news indeed that visa applications for France are to be opened (or actually reopened) in Suva this coming September as announced by the ambassador of France to Fiji, his excellency Sujiro Seam during Bastille Day celebration this week.

This time last year I traveled to Tahiti to be part of a group learning discussion on the devastating effects of French nuclear testings in French Polynesia which began 50 years ago.

As someone who had traveled on Schengen visa to Europe easily obtained in Suva before it was a shock to be informed that to obtain entry into Tahiti, a visa for France was necessary as French Polynesia remains a part of the French Republic in the Pacific and Fiji citizens had to travel to Vanuatu, booked return flights and accommodation for four nights in Vila while awaiting and hoping to obtain visas.

Other colleagues who are prominent anti-nuclear activists and colleagues from Fiji, Vanuatu and Tahiti also traveled to attend the various meetings including one with local government and Moruroa e Tatou and what an eye-opening experience it was to hear of the continuing suffering inflicted on human lives and damaging effects on the environment left by nuclear bomb testing on land and sea and still unfinished story. Unfortunate that we arrived a day late in Tahiti and missed the commemoration of the first bombing in Tahiti which took place on July 2, 1968.

So belated greetings for Bastille Day and welcome the change to reopen visa applications back in Suva as before.

REV AKUILA YABAKI

Suva