Erika und Achim Ginsberg-Klemmt, SY Pangaea
Bantschowstrasse 2, 22391 Hamburg, Allemagne

February 1, 1999
High Commissioner of the French Overseas Territory
Mr. Jean Aribaud
B.P. 115
Papeete Tahiti

Subject: Your fax to the Gendarmerie of Atuona of January 19, 1999

Mr Aribaud,

As you know without a doubt, neither your Chief Gendarme Mr. Pierre Cotiche of Atuona nor the DRCL have been capable of either furnishing a response to our letter of November 19, 1998, or no give us a permit to stay in the French Teriitory.

For this reason I, Achim Klemmt, went to see the mayor of Atuona, Mr. Guy Rouzy, on January 18, 1999. Mr. Rouzy called your general secretary, Mr. Jeanjean, who promised your response within 3 days. Mr. Rauzy gave me permission to videotape this telephone conversation. Your response still has not arrived.

On January 26, 1999, we went to the Gendarmerie of Atuona to personally file our lawsuit against Mr. Cotiche. He was shocked, but finally showed us an official document about the Bond Posting, yet still not on the question of visa for EU citizens. He showed us your fax, signed by your general secretary Jeanjean, dated January 19, ONE DAY after my visit to the mayor Guy Rouzy!

I cite this fax:

January 19, 1999

High Commissioner
DRCL

M. le Colonel,

It has come to my knowledge that foreign cruisers, notably from the European Union, contest the obligation to pay the repatriement bond which they must pay immediately upon arrival in the islands and especially in the Marquesas.

I have the honor to conifrm for you that the State Council, by decision of December 20, 1995, of which please find an enclosed copy, has nullified certain dispositions of the decree of April 27, 1939 relative to the conditions of French citizens entering French Polynesia.

Since then, French citizens are no longer obliges to pay the bond or have a return ticket. Nevertheless the bond remains in effect for all other nationalities, including European citizens.

I ask you to follow the strict application of these directives. Please let me know if you have any difficulties with this.

Michel Jeanjean
Secretary of the High Commissioner and by delegation of the General Secretary of
French Polynesia
*************************************************************

Mr. Gendarme Cotiche forbid us to make a photocopy of this fax, but allowed us to copy it by hand, this is why I ask you now to correct or confirm this copy.

I also ask you to please furnish us with the decision of December 20, 1995, of which please find an enclosed copy, has nullified certain dispositions of the decree of April 27, 1939 relative to the conditions of French citizens entering French Polynesia.

We would like to put this court decision on our internet site, in order to let our readers interpret for themselves just which dispositions were nullified and for whom.

Monsieur Cotiche could not find the copy of this court decision. Why? Why did neither you nor Mr. Jeanjean respond to our request via Mr. Rauzy, as you had promised?

I have the honor to confirm that our internet site:
http://www.trans-ocean.org/Tahiti-bond
Has already had over 600 visitors since its first days "online."

Distinguished Salutations,

Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt, Journaliste
Achim Klemmt, Ingénieur

Cc: Herrn Dr.Goldschmidt, Direktor des Rechts- und Konsularreferates, Botschaftsrat I
Klasse, Ambassade de la République fédérale d’Allemagne, Paris, France

Cc: Tribunal Administratif de Papeete, Polynésie Française

Back to correspondence page