French Polynesia’s pro-indepence leader and long-serving mayor of Faaa, Oscar Temaru has taken to hunger strike action after allegations of misuse of public funds by French judiciary. What he says is a new attack in a long smear campaign against him by French colonialist powers for his politics.

Temaru and his supporters took to protest outside Papeete courts this week after his personal savings were seized under the orders of prosecutor Herve Leroy. The 75-year-old has been convicted for embezzling money and exercising undue influence over a community broadcaster Radio Tefana for the benefit of his party, Tavini Huiraatira.

In 2018, the five-time President of French Polynesia referred living French President’s to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity over nuclear weapons tests in the region between the 1960s and 1990s. He also succeeded in reinstating the territory on the UN’s decolonisation list.

Temaru says the hunger strike is a call for the recognition of the list by France and a referendum on independence.