French Polynesia president Oscar Temaru has successfully pleaded with Pacific Forum leaders “not to stay still but to embrace the momentum” of his quest for the freedom of Ma’ohi Nui.

Speaking to leaders about the outcomes of an Asia-Pacific meeting convened earlier this year, he segued into the issue of self-determination for his own country.

“Freedom is the way. Like droplets of water can ultimately break even the strongest rocks, true perseverance shall overcome all obstacles,” he said.

“Hiding, or shying away from this quest to self-determination and freedom is just not in my Ma’ohi DNA.”

Over the past year he has been systematically garnering and documenting the support of various Pacific groups, and at the Forum reviewed a litany of which ones.

The story began decades ago, but its most recent chapter begins in March of last year, when a majority of Assembly of French Polynesia signed a joint petition in support of Temaru’s bid to have Tahiti Nui re-inscripted on the United Nations list of non self-governing territories.

(The list denotes countries that have yet to be decolonised, or are still under the rule of imperial powers.)

He proceeded to earn the support of the council of ministers, Pacific Conference of Churches, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, heads of state at a ministerial meeting in Fiji, the conference of the Board of the Protestant Church in Tahiti, and most recently, of the Polynesian Leaders’ Group.

This week Temaru sought the support of all Forum leaders. Speaking to them at Wednesday’s plenary session, he pointed to the example of the Cook Islands and New Zealand as a successful relationship between a former coloniser and a former colony.

During Tuesday’s opening ceremony, “one could not but be impressed to hear, see, and feel, the crowd cheering upon arrival of leaders of former colonial powers. These powers have proven that intelligent, compassionate, and peaceful decolonisation is indeed possible”, he said.

Niue, the Cook Islands, Western Samoa, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands made it onto the list of non self-governing territories, and all were removed after achieving self-rule.

“At the end of the day, was (that) process beneficial to all parties, including the former colonial powers? Cook Islands, and others, are proof to that assertion. They are making progress in all fields of social, economic, and cultural life,” Temaru said.

“At the same time, they have now established loyal, efficient partnerships with their former ruling power.”

The President told leaders that his country and her people, economy and values have been “shaken” by a history of colonisation. He explained that under former French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s rule, French Polynesia – or French-occupied Polynesia, as he sometimes refers to Tahiti Nui – was “under stronghold”.

Sarkozy, he said, “went as far as ignoring France’s own constitution, and commitments to the UN, by drawing a red line that should never be crossed.

“But was this really France? Was this really the country of human rights speaking?”

He feels more confident that president Franois Hollande will heed his cries.

“Such a man can understand that the decolonisation process is not an act of defiance, but instead, an act of confidence.”

He told leaders he was not asking them to declare the independence of his country.

“That is not your decision to take,” he said. “In fact, it’s neither mine, nor Mr Hollande’s decision to take. That, when time will come, will be a choice given to the people of our country.

“What we are asking for, through being put back on the UN list, is the very right to a consistent, relevant, respectful self-determination process that can only bring dignity to all parties involved.”

The Pacific Islands Forum declared its support for French Polynesia’s right to self-determination in 2004, 2005, 2011 and again this week.

“Today, in 2012, after all the supports gathered since 2011, and especially after PLG’s (Polynesian Leaders Group’s) strong support, we call upon the Pacific Islands Forum not to stay still but to embrace the momentum,” Temaru said on Wednesday.

In a communiqu released yesterday, leaders reiterated their support for the principle of French Polynesia’s right to self-determination.

The communiqu reads “Leaders noted the election of a new French government that opened fresh opportunities for a positive dialogue between French Polynesia and France on how best to realise French Polynesia’s right to self determination. Leaders encouraged French Polynesia and France to intensify their dialogue in the coming months and agreed to consider developments at their 2013 meeting.”