Former president of French Polynesia and leader of the pro independence movement, Oscar Temaru, was a surprise observer at the 48th Pacific Islands Forum summit in Apia last week.
The veteran campaigner said he was concerned at French government intentions to again remove his country off the UN Decolonisation Committee's list of non-self governing states.
Oscar Temaru Photo: RNZI/Monica Miller
French Polynesia had been taken off the UN list in 1947 and put back on it in 2013.
That move angered France and now Mr Temaru believes France is moving to take his country off the list again.
He said he was in Apia to ask Pacific leaders for support to stop this.
"They have to know that behind the scene France is trying to remove us from the list of non-autonomous countries at the United Nations," said Oscar Temaru.
Unlike on previous occasions the communique after this Forum made no mention of the quest by French Polynesia for independence.