Historical independence

History of Rotuman self-determination

The 1987-1988 Republic of Rotuma episode.

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1987-1988: the Republic of Rotuma

Henry Gibson declared Rotuma independent in September 1987; the effort ended in 1988 sedition trials.[1]

· Declaration

Republic of Rotuma declaration, 1987

Henry Gibson declared Rotuma independent of Fiji and proclaimed himself king, an effort ended by 1988 sedition trials.

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Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: Following Fiji's second 1987 coup and its departure from the Commonwealth, a segment of the Rotuman population rejected the Rotuma Council's decision to remain with the newly declared Fijian republic, arguing that Rotuma had historically been ceded to Great Britain rather than to Fiji; Henry Gibson, a part-Rotuman man based in New Zealand, declared Rotuma independent in September 1987, proclaimed himself King of Rotuma, and gained a popular following on the island, but the effort was aborted in 1988 when its advocates were tried for sedition.

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Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/rotuman-self-determination/history · last substantive update 24 September 2026.