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Category: Self Determination

  • Déjà vu in New Caledonia: why decades of political failure will make this uprising hard to contain

    ANALYSIS: By David Small, University of Canterbury

    With an air force plane on its way to rescue New Zealanders stranded by the violent uprising in New Caledonia, many familiar with the Pacific island territory’s history are experiencing an unwelcome sense of déjà vu.

    When I first visited the island territory in 1983, I interviewed Eloï Machoro, general secretary of the largest pro-independence party, L’Union Calédonienne. It was a position he had held since his predecessor, Pierre Declercq was assassinated less than two years earlier.

    Machoro was angry and frustrated with the socialist government in France, which had promised independence while in opposition, but was prevaricating after coming to power.

    Tension was building, and within 18 months Machoro himself was killed by a French military sniper after leading a campaign to disrupt a vote on France’s plans for the territory.

    I was in New Caledonia again last December, 40 years after my first visit, and Kanak anger and frustration seemed even more intense. On the anniversary of the 1984 Hienghène massacre, in which 10 Kanak activists were killed in an ambush by armed settlers, there was a big demonstration in Nouméa.

    Staged by a new activist group, the Coordination Unit for Actions on the Ground (CCAT), it focused on the visit of French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who was hosting a meeting of South Pacific defence ministers.

    This followed the declaration by French president Emmanuel Macron, during a visit in July 2023, that the process set out in the 1998 Nouméa Accords had been concluded: independence was no longer an option because the people of New Caledonia had voted against it.

    The sense of betrayal felt by the independence movement and many Kanak people was boiling over again. The endgame at this stage is unclear, and a lot will ride on talks in Paris later this month.

    End of the Nouméa Accords
    The Nouméa Accords had set out a framework the independence movement believed could work. Pro- and anti-independence groups, and the French government, agreed there would be three referendums, in 2018, 2020 and 2021.

    A restricted electoral college was established that stipulated new migrants could still vote in French national elections, but not in New Caledonia’s provincial elections or independence referendums.

    The independence movement had reason to trust this process. It had been guaranteed by a change to the French constitution that apparently protected it from the whims of any change of government in Paris.

    The 2018 referendum returned a vote of 43 percent in favour of independence, significantly higher than most commentators were predicting. Two years later, the 47 percent in favour of independence sparked jubilant celebrations on the streets of Nouméa.

    Arnaud Chollet-Leakava, founder and president of the Mouvement des Océaniens pour l’Indépendance (and member of CCAT), said he had seen nothing like the spontaneous outpouring after the second referendum.

    It was a party atmosphere all over Nouméa, with tooting horns and Kanak flags everywhere. You’d think we had won.

    There was overwhelming confidence the movement had the momentum to achieve 50 percent in the final referendum. But in 2021, the country was ravaged by covid, especially among Kanak communities. The independence movement asked for the third referendum to be postponed for six months.

    President Macron refused the request, the independence movement refused to participate, and the third referendum returned a 97 percent vote against independence. On that basis, France now insists the project set out in the Nouméa Accords has been completed.

    Consensus and crisis
    The current turmoil is directly related to the dismantling of the Nouméa Accords, and the resulting full electoral participation of thousands of recent immigrants.

    France has effectively sided with the anti-independence camp and abandoned the commitment to consensus that had been a hallmark of French policy since the Matignon Accords in 1988.

    Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) president Jean-Marie Tjibaou returned to New Caledonia after the famous Matignon handshake with anti-independence leader Jacques Lafleur. It took Tjibaou and his delegation two long meetings to convince the FLNKS to endorse the accords.

    The Ouvéa hostage crisis that claimed 19 Kanak lives just weeks earlier had reminded people what France was capable of when its authority was challenged, and many activists were in no mood for compromise. But the movement did demobilise and commit to a decades-long consensus process that was to culminate in an independence vote.

    With France unilaterally ending the process, the leaders of the independence movement have emerged empty-handed. That is what has enraged Kanak people and led to young people venting their anger on the streets.

    A new kind of uprising
    Unlike those of the 1980s, the current uprising was not planned and organised by leaders of the movement. It is a spontaneous and sustained popular outburst. This is also why independence leaders have been unable to stop it.

    It has gone so far that Simon Loueckhote, a conservative Kanak leader who was a signatory of the Nouméa Accords for the anti-independence camp, wrote a public letter to Macron on Monday, calling for a halt to the current political strategy as the only way to end the current cycle of violence.

    Finally, all this must be seen in even broader historical context. Kanak people were denied the right to vote until the 1950s — a century after France annexed their lands.

    Barely 20 years later, New Caledonia’s then prime minister, Pierre Messmer, penned a now infamous letter to France’s overseas territories minister. It revealed a deliberate plan to thwart any potential threat to French rule in the colony by ensuring any nationalist movement was outnumbered by massive immigration.

    And now France has brought new settlers into the country, and encouraged them to feel entitled to vote. Until a lasting solution is found, either by reviving the Nouméa Accords or agreement on a better model, more conflict seems inevitable.The Conversation

    David Small, senior lecturer, above the bar, School of Educational Studies and Leadership, University of Canterbury.  This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Liberation for New Caledonia’s Kanak people ‘must come’, says educator

    RNZ Pacific

    A New Zealand author, journalist and media educator who has covered the Asia-Pacific region since the 1970s says liberation “must come” for Kanaky/New Caledonia.

    Professor David Robie sailed on board Greenpeace’s flagship Rainbow Warrior until it was bombed by French secret agents in New Zealand in July 1985 and wrote the book Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior.

    He has also been arrested at gun point in New Caledonia while on a mission reporting on the indigenous Kanak uprising in the 1980s and wrote the book Blood on their Banner: Nationalist Struggles in the South Pacific.

    The Asia Pacific Report editor told RNZ Pacific’s Lydia Lewis France was “torpedoing” any hopes of Kanaky independence.

    Professor David Robie
    Professor David Robie before retirement as director of the Pacific Media Centre at AUT in 2020. Image: AUT

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • How Palestine fights ecocide with biodiversity and sustainability resistance

    Asia Pacific Report

    For more than 76 years, Palestinians have resisted occupation, dispossession and ethnic cleansing, culminating in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

    Yet in the midst of this catastrophic seven months of “hell on earth”, it is a paradox that there exists an extraordinary oasis of peace and nature.

    Nestling in an Al-Karkarfa hillside at the University of Bethlehem is the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS), a remarkable botanical garden and animal rehabilitation unit that is an antidote for conflict and destruction.

    “There is both a genocide and an ecocide going on, supported by some Western governments against the will of the Western public,” says environmental justice advocate Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh, the founder and director of the institute.

    It has been a hectic week for him and his wife and mentor Jessie Chang Qumsiyeh.

    On Wednesday, May 15 — Nakba Day 2024 — they were in Canberra in conversation with local Palestinian, First Nations and environmental campaigners. Nakba – “the catastrophe” in English — is the day of mourning for the destruction of Palestinian society and its homeland in 1948, and the permanent displacement of a majority of the Palestinian people (14 million, of which about 5.3 million live in the “State of Palestine”.)

    Three days later in Auckland, they were addressing about 250 people with a Palestinian Christian perspective on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine and the war in the historic St Mary’s-in-Holy-Trinity Church in Parnell.

    This followed a lively presentation and discussion on the work of the PIBS and its volunteers at the annual general meeting of Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) along with more than 100 young and veteran activists such as chair John Minto, who had just returned from a global solidarity conference in South Africa.


    Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh’s speech at Saint Mary’s-in-Holy-Trinity Church in Parnell.  Video: Radio Inqilaab 

    Environmental impacts less understood
    While the horrendous social and human costs of the relentless massacres in Gaza are in daily view on the world’s television screens, the environmental impacts of the occupation and destruction of Palestine are less understood.

    As Professor Qumsiyeh explains, water sources have been restricted, destroyed and polluted; habitat loss is pushing species like wolves, gazelles, and hyenas to the brink; destruction of crops and farmland drives food insecurity; and climate crisis is already impacting on Palestine and its people.

    The PIBS oasis as pictured on the front cover of the institute's latest annual report
    The PIBS oasis as pictured on the front cover of the institute’s latest annual report. Image: David Robie/APR

    The institute was initiated in 2014 by the Qumsiyehs at Bethlehem University along with a host of volunteers and supporters. After 11 years of operation, the latest PIBS 2023 annual report provides a surprisingly up-to-date and telling preface feeding into the early part of this year.

    “In 2023, there were increased restrictions on movement, settler and soldier attacks on Palestinians throughout the occupied territories, combined with the ongoing siege and strangulation of the Gaza Strip, under Israel’s extreme rightwing government.

    “This led to the Gaza ghetto uprising that started on 7 October 2023. The Israeli regime’s ongoing response is a genocidal campaign in Gaza.

    Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh
    Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh . . . In contrast to false perceptions of violence about Palestinians, “these methods have been the exception to what is a peaceful and creative.” Image: Del Abcede/Pax Christi

    “[Since that date], 35,500 civilians were brutally killed, 79,500 were wounded (72 percent women and children) and nearly 2 million people displaced. Thousands more still lay under the rubble.

    “An immense amount – nearly two-thirds – of Gaza’s infrastructure was destroyed , including 70 per cent of residential buildings, hospitals, schools, universities and government buildings.

    Total food, water blockade
    “Israel also imposed a total blockade of, among other things, fuel, food, water, and medicine.

    “This fits the definition of genocide per international law.

    “Israel also attacked the West Bank, killing hundreds of Palestinians in 2023 (and into 2024), destroyed homes and infrastructure (especially in refugee camnps), arrested thousands of innocent civilians, and ethnically cleansed communities in Area C.

    “Many of these marginalised communities were those that worked with the institute on issues of biodiversity and sustainability.”

    This is the context and the political environment that Professor Qumsiyeh confronts in his daily sustainability struggle. He is committed to a vision of sustainable human and natural communities, responding to the growing needs for education, community service, and protection of land and environment.

    Popular Resistance in Palestine cover (2011)
    Popular Resistance in Palestine cover (2011). Image: Pluto Press/APR

    In one of his many books, Popular Resistance in Palestine: A history of Hope and Empowerment, he argues that in contrast to how Western media usually paints Palestine resistance as exclusively violent: armed resistance, suicide bombings, and rocket attacks. “In reality,” he says, “these methods have been the exception to what is a peaceful  and creative

    Call for immediate ceasefire
    An enormous global movement has been calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, to end decades of colonisation, and work toward a free Palestine that delivers sustainable peace for all in the region.

    Professor Qumsiyeh reminded the audience at St Mary’s that the first Christians were in Palestine.

    “The Romans used to feed us to the lions until the 4 th century,” when ancient Rome adopted Christianity and it became the Holy Roman Empire.

    He spoke about how Christians had also paid a high price for Israel’s war on Gaza as well as Muslims.

    PSNA's Billy Hania
    PSNA’s Billy Hania . . . a response to Professor Qumsiyeh. Image: David Robie/APR

    Christendom’s third oldest church and the oldest in Gaza, the Greek Orthodox church of Saint Porphyrius in the Zaytoun neighbourhood — which had served as a sanctuary for both Christians and Muslims during  Israel’s periodic wars was bombed just 12 days after the start of the current war.

    There had been about 1000 Christians in Gaza; 300 mosques had been bombed.

    He said “everything we do is suspect, we are harassed and attacked by the Israelis”.

    ‘Don’t want children to be happy’
    “They don’t want children to be happy, they have killed 15,000 of them in Gaza. They don’t want us to survive.”

    Palestine action for the planet
    Palestine action for the planet . . . a slide from Professor Qumsiyeh’s talk earlier in the day at the PSNA annual general meeting. Image: David Robie/APR

    He said colonisers did not seem to like diversity  — they destroy it, whether it is human diversity, biodiversity.

    “Palestine is a multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious country.”

    “Diversity is healthy, an equal system. We have all sorts of religions in our part of the world.

    “Life would be boring if we were all the same – that’s human. A forest with only one kind of  trees is not healthy.’

    Professor Qumsiyeh was critical of much Western news media.

    “If you watch Western media, Fox news and so on, you would be told that we are people who have been fighting for years.”

    That wasn’t true. “We had the most peaceful country on earth.”

    “If you go back a few years, to the Crusades, that is when political ideas from Europe such as principalities and kingdoms started to spread.”

    Heading into nuclear war
    He warned against a world that was rushing headlong into a nuclear war, which would be devastating for the planet – “only cockroaches can survive a nuclear war.”

    "Humanity for Gaza"
    “Humanity for Gaza” . . . a slide from Professor Qumsiyeh’s talk earlier in the day. Image: David Robie

    Professor Qumsiyeh likened his role to that of a shepherd, “telling the world that something must be done” to protect food sovereignty and biodiversity as “climate change is coming to us with a vengeance. So please help us achieve the goal.”

    The institute says that they are leaders in “disseminating information and ideas to challenge the propaganda spread about Palestine”.

    It annual report says: “We published 17 scientific articles on areas like environmental justice, protected areas, national parks, fauna, and flora.

    “Our team gave over 210 talks locally, only and abroad, and over 200 interviews (radio and TV).

    “We produced statements responding to attacks on institutions for higher education, natural areas, and cultural heritage.

    “We published research on the impact of war, on Israel’s weaponisation of ‘nature reserves’ and ‘national parks, and a vision for peace based on justice and sustainability.”

    When it is considered that Israel destroyed all 12 universities in Gaza, the sustaining work of the institute on many fronts is vital.

    Professor Qumsiyeh also appealed for volunteers, interns and researchers to come to Bethlehem to help the institute to contribute to a “more liveable world”.

    Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh
    Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh . . . an appeal for help from volunteers to contribute to a “more liveable world”. Image: David Robie/APR


    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Kanaky New Caledonia unrest: Young people will ‘never give up’ – journalist

    Young people on the streets in New Caledonia are saying they will “never give up” pushing back against France’s hold on the Pacific territory, a Kanak journalist in Nouméa says.

    Pro-independence Radio Djiido’s Andre Qaeze told RNZ Pacific young people had said that “Paris must respect us” and what had been decided by Jacques Lafleur and Jean-Marie Tjibaou, who were instrumental in putting an end to the tragic events of the 1980s and restoring civil peace in the French territory.

    In 1988, Tjibaou signed the Matignon Accords with the anti-independence leader Lafleur, ending years of unrest and ushering in a peaceful decolonisation process.

    Qaeze — speaking to RNZ Pacific today as the week-old crisis continued — said the political problem, the electoral roll, was the visible part of the iceberg, but the real problem was the economic part.

    He said they had decided to discuss the constitutional amendments to the electoral roll but wanted to know what were the contents of the discussions.

    They also wanted to know the future of managing the wealth, including the lucrative mining, and all the resources of New Caledonia.

    “Because those young people on the road, plenty of them don’t have any training, they go out from school with no job. They see all the richness going out of the country and they say we cannot be a spectator,” he said.

    ‘Rich become richer, poor become poorer’
    “The rich become richer and the poor become poorer, and they say no, we have to change this economic model of sharing.

    “I think this is the main problem,” he added.

    Qaeze said the old pro-independence generation used to say to the young generation: “You go and stop”.

    “Then we are trying to negotiate for us but negotiate for ‘us’. The word ‘us’ means only the local government is responsible not everybody.

    “And now, for 30 years the young generation have seen this kind of [political] game, and for them we cannot continue like this.”

    He believed it was important for the local pro-independence leaders to take care of the content of the future statutes not only political statutes.

    According to French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc, almost 240 rioters had been detained following the violent unrest as of Monday.

    Qaeze said every year about 400 indigenous young people left school without any diploma or any career and these were the young people on the streets.

    He added there was plenty of inequality, especially in Nouméa, that needed to change.

    “Our people can do things, can propose also our Oceanian way of running and managing [New Caledonia].”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Kanaky New Caledonia unrest: NZ student in Nouméa taught to use fire extinguishers

    RNZ News

    A New Zealander studying at the University of New Caledonia says students have been taught to use fire extinguishers as firefighters are unlikely to come help if there is an emergency.

    It comes as days of unrest followed a controversial proposed constitutional amendment which would allow more French residents of New Caledonia to vote — a move that pro-independence protesters say would weaken the indigenous Kanak vote.

    Six people have been confirmed dead so far in the state of emergency and there are reports of hundreds of people injured, numerous fires and looting in New Caledonia’s capital Nouméa.

    Emma Royland is one of several international students at the university in Nouméa and said everyone was getting a bit “high-strung”.

    “There’s this high-strung suspicion from every noise, every bang that ‘is that somebody coming to the university?’”

    Royland said a roster had been set up so that someone was constantly up overnight, looking over the university campus.

    Nights had become more quiet, but there was still unrest, she said.

    Concern over technology
    The vice-president of the university had visited yesterday to bring students some cooking oil and expressed the concern the university had for its expensive technology, Royland said.

    “They are very worried that people come and they burn things just as a middle finger to the state.

    A New Zealand student studying at the University of New Caledonia says the unrest in Noumea is leaving her and other students high-strung and suspicious of every little bump or noise. They have been taught to use fire extinguishers in case rioters sets anything at the university of fire as firefighters are unlikely to come help.
    Smoke wafts over the harbour near Nouméa. Image: Emma Royland/RNZ

    “We’ve been told that ‘if you see a fire, it’s unlikely that the firefighters will come so we will try and manage it ourselves’.”

    Royland said water to the part of Nouméa she was in had not been affected but food was becoming an issue.

    The university was providing food when it could but even it was struggling to get access to it — snacks such as oreos had been provided.

    But the closest supermarket that was open had “queues down the block” that could last three or four hours, Royland said.

    Seeing ‘absolutely crazy things’
    She was seeing “absolutely crazy things that I’ve never seen in my life”.

    A New Zealand student studying at the University of New Caledonia says the unrest in Noumea is leaving her and other students high-strung and suspicious of every little bump or noise. They have been taught to use fire extinguishers in case rioters sets anything at the university of fire as firefighters are unlikely to come help.
    Food supplies are delivered to the University of Caledonia campus. Image: Emma Royland/RNZ

    That included people holding guns.

    “It is quite scary to know just 20 seconds down from the university there are guys with guns blocking the road.”

    Yesterday, the NZ Defence Force (NZDF) said it would fly into New Caledonia to bring home New Zealanders while commercial services were not operating.

    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand was waiting for the go-ahead from French authorities, based on safety.

    “Ever since the security situation in New Caledonia deteriorated earlier this week, the safety of New Zealanders there has been an urgent priority for us,” Peters wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

    “NZ authorities have now completed preparations for flights using NZDF aircraft to bring home New Zealanders in New Caledonia while commercial services are not operating.

    ‘Ready to fly’
    “We are ready to fly, and await approval from French authorities as to when our flights are safe to proceed.”

    A New Zealand student studying at the University of New Caledonia says the unrest in Noumea is leaving her and other students high-strung and suspicious of every little bump or noise. They have been taught to use fire extinguishers in case rioters sets anything at the university of fire as firefighters are unlikely to come help.
    Businesses and facilities have been torched by rioters. Image: Emma Royland/RNZ

    Royland praised the response from New Zealand, saying other countries had not been so quick to help its citizens.

    She said she had received both a call and email from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade asking her if she was in immediate danger and if she needed assistance straight away.

    Everyone she had spoken to at the university seemed impressed with how New Zealand was responding, she said.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Kanaky New Caledonia unrest: French politics rocked as leaders plead for end

    NC La Première television reports on the clearing of barricades after a week of protests and rioting in the capital Nouméa.   Video: NC 1ère TV

    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

    With New Caledonia about to enter its second week of deadly riots, French authorities have mounted a massive law enforcement operation to regain control of the main roads in and around the capital Nouméa.

    The riots were sparked by a proposed constitutional amendment which would allow more French residents of New Caledonia to vote — a move that pro-independence protesters say would weaken the indigenous Kanak vote.

    French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal — after a 12-day presidential state of emergency was declared mid-week — is now chairing daily meetings of an “inter-ministerial crisis cell”, also involving Home Affairs and Overseas Minister Gérald Darmanin, his deputy Marie Guévenoux, Army Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Justice Minister Eric Dupont-Moretti.

    Attal also hosted a parliamentary “liaison committee” on the crisis in New Caledonia meeting on Friday. The meeting involved parliamentary representatives of New Caledonia and parliamentary groups specialising in the French Pacific archipelago.

    French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, centre, hosts a parliamentary liaison committee on the situation in New Caledonia.
    French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal hosts a parliamentary liaison committee on the crisis in New Caledonia. Image: RNZ/Le Monde

    A ‘dialogue mission’ for New Caledonia
    It emerged after the conference that a “dialogue mission” was now very likely to be set up and to travel to New Caledonia in order to restore dialogue and trust between Paris and its South Pacific dependency.

    The notion of the mission, which would have to be “impartial” and “bipartisan”, had been called by several key players within the French political scene.

    This high-level dialogue mission could involve Senate President Gérard Larcher or National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet.

    Also mentioned have been former prime ministers such as Lionel Jospin (who signed the Nouméa Accord in 1998 on behalf of France) or Edouard Philippe, who has always said he had grown a strong bond with New Caledonia when he was in office (until 2020).

    The constitutional amendment was endorsed by the French Senate on April 2 and the National Assembly on May 14.

    However, a joint sitting of both upper and lower houses of the French parliament, which President Emmanuel Macron intended to convene before the end of June to endorse the amendment, was “unlikely to take place within this timeframe”, Braun-Pivet and Larcher told French media on Friday.

    French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc speaks at a press conference on Sunday.
    French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc speaks at a press conference today . . . trust broken between indigenous Kanaks and the French State. Image: French Highcom/Facebook

    Feeling of ‘disrespect’
    Several high-level experts and officials said that the spirit of the Matignon Accords — an agreement between loyalists and pro-independence groups which was signed in 1988, a decade before the Nouméa Accord — had been lost along the way. The breach of that consensus had led to a loss of trust and growing defiance between New Caledonian pro-independence players and the French State.

    They also said the Kanak people felt “disrespect” when a request to delay the third independence referendum at the end of 2021 was ignored. That ended in a boycott of the final consultation on New Caledonia’s self-determination.

    They also resented the fact that at one stage, Loyalist Party leader Sonia Backès had been appointed the French government’s Secretary of State (associate minister) for citizenship.

    She was forced to resign in September 2023 after losing her bid for a seat at the senatorial elections.

    More recently, tensions arose when another prominent pro-France leader, Nicolas Metzdorf, was appointed rapporteur for the the debates on the proposed constitutional amendment at the National Assembly.

    Since the beginning of the unrest, there have been calls for the issue to be transferred back to the Prime Minister’s Office, as had been an unwritten rule since peace was restored back in the 1980s through negotiations with then-prime minister Michel Rocard.

    Experts said this “special bond” was broken in 2020, after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe was replaced by Jean Castex and the Overseas portfolio was transferred to Sébastien Lecornu, who is now France’s minister of armed forces.

    Attal was also tasked to set a date for talks to be held in Paris with New Caledonian politicians for inclusive talks on the territory’s political future, but several players have refused, saying the time was not appropriate as yet.’We have pierced all the roadblocks’

    ‘We have broken through all the roadblocks’
    Tonight, an operation involving about 600 security personnel was launched in the outskirts of the capital to regain control of the highway between Nouméa and Tontouta International Airport, French High Commissioner Louis Le France said.

    The main objective was to “restore republican order”, he said, adding that he now had sufficient numbers of law enforcement officers after reinforcements had arrived from France.

    “We have broken through all the roadblocks . . .  Now to restore normal traffic, we have to clean the debris,” he said.

    Overnight, French special forces would “carry out harassment operations” throughout the greater Nouméa area, he said.

    All schools would remain closed this week from tomorrow, New Caledonia’s government said in a release.

    A roadblock at Tamoa close to Tontouta International Airport
    A roadblock at Tamoa close to Tontouta International Airport. Image: APR screenshot from “X”

    “This time will be used to work on the best scenarios to prepare the resumption and integrate all of the material, security, human and psychological implications.”

    Nouméa’s archbishop Michel-Marie Calvert, speaking at the Catholic Sunday mass for Pentecost, said the community had “betrayed our faith, our baptism and Jesus” through its divisions.

    “Our island, once known as ‘closest to paradise’, has now become closest to hell. So many political voices are disqualified. They are no longer audible or credible.

    “Let’s sound a strong signal to say ‘no’ to violence. Let’s call for a stop to violence, let’s demand from our elected leaders an obligation of results for a shared peaceful future, of lost and found fraternity.”

    More buildings were destroyed by fire on Saturday night in Nouméa, including a media centre in Rivière Salée.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Pacific civil society groups condemn ‘heavy-handed’ French crackdown over Kanaky unrest

    Asia Pacific Report

    Pacific civil society and solidarity groups today stepped up their pressure on the French government, accusing it of a “heavy-handed” crackdown on indigenous Kanak protest in New Caledonia, comparing it to Indonesian security forces crushing West Papuan dissent.

    A state of emergency was declared last week, at least people have been killed — four of them indigenous Kanaks — and more than 200 people have been arrested after rioting in the capital Nouméa followed independence protests over controversial electoral changes

    In Sydney, the Australia West Papua Association declared it was standing in solidarity with the Kanak people in their self-determination struggle against colonialism.

    “New Caledonia is a colony of France. It’s on the UN list of non-self-governing territories,” said Joe Collins of AWPA in a statement.

    “Like all colonial powers anywhere in the world, the first response to what started as peaceful protests is to send in more troops, declare a state of emergency and of course accuse a foreign power of fermenting unrest,” Collins said.

    He was referring to the south Caucasus republic of Azerbaijan, which Paris has accused of distributing “anti-France propaganda” on social media about the riots, a claim denied by the Azeri government.

    “In fact, the unrest is being caused by France itself,” Collins added.

    France ‘should listen’
    He said France should listen to the Kanak people.

    In Port Vila, the international office of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) issued a statement saying that West Papuans supported the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) in “opposing the French colonial project”.

    “Your tireless pursuit of self-determination for Kanaky people sets a profound example for West Papua,” said the statement signed by executive secretary Markus Haluk.

    Part of the PRNGO statement on the Kanaky New Caledonia protests
    Part of the PRNGO statement on the Kanaky New Caledonia protests . . . call for UN and Pacific intervention. Image: APR screenshot

    In Suva, the Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations (PRNGOs) called for “calm and peace” blaming the unrest on the French government’s insistence on proceeding with proposed constitutional changes “expressly rejected by pro-independence groups”.

    The alliance also reaffirmed its solidarity with the people of Kanaky New Caledonia in their ongoing peaceful quest for self-determination and condemned President Emmanuel Macron’ government for its “poorly hidden agenda of prolonging colonial control” over the Pacific territory.

    “Growing frustration, especially among Kanak youth, at what is seen locally as yet another French betrayal of the Kanaky people and other local communities seeking peaceful transition, has since erupted in riots and violence in Noumea and other regions,” the PRNGOs statement said.

    The alliance called on the United Nations and Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders to send a neutral mission to oversee and mediate dialogue over the Nouméa Accords of 1998 and political process.

    In Aotearoa New Zealand, Kia Mua declared it was “watching with grave concern” the Macron government’s attempts to “derail the process for decolonisation and usurp the Nouméa Accords”.

    It also called for the “de-escalation of the militarised French response to Kanak dissent and an end to the state of emergency”.

    ‘Devastating nuclearism, militarism’
    For more than 300 years, “Te Moananui a Kiwa [Pacific Ocean] has been subjected to European colonialism, the criminality of which is obscured and hidden by Western presumptions of righteousness and legitimacy.”

    The devastating effects of “nuclearism, militarism, extraction and economic globalisation on Indigenous culture and fragile ecosystems in the Pacific are an extension of that colonialism and must be halted”.

    The Oceanian Independence Movement (OIM) demanded an immediate investigation “to provide full transparency into the deaths linked to the uprising in recent days”.

    It called on indigenous people to be “extra vigilant” in the face of the state of emergency and and to record examples of “behaviour that harm your physical and moral integrity”.

    The MOI said it supported the pro-independence CCAT (activist field groups) and blamed the upheaval on the “racist, colonialist, provocative and humiliating remarks” towards Kanaks by rightwing French politicians such as Southern provincial president Sonia Backés and Générations NC deputy in the National Assembly Nicolas Metzdorf.

    Constitutional rules
    The French National Assembly last week passed a bill changing the constutional rules for local provincial elections in New Caledonia, allowing French residents who have lived there for 10 years to vote.

    This change to the electoral reform is against the terms of the 1998 Noumea Accord. That pact had agreed that only the indigenous Kanak people and long-term residents prior to 1998 would be eligible to vote in provincial ballots and local referendums.

    The bill has yet to be ratified by Congress, a combined sitting of the Senate and National Assembly. The change would add an additional 25,000 non-indigenous voters to take part in local elections, dramatically changing the electoral demographics in New Caledonia to the disadvantage of indigenous Kanaks who make up 42 percent of the 270,000 population.

    Yesterday, in the far north of Kanaky New Caledonia’s main island of Grande Terre, a group gathered to honour 10 Kanaks who were executed by guillotine on 18 May 1868. They had resisted the harsh colonial regime of Governor Guillan.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Kanaky New Caledonia: Amnesty calls on France to ‘uphold rights’ of indigenous people

    Asia Pacific Report

    The global human rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on France to not “misuse” a crackdown in the ongoing unrest in the non-self-governing French Pacific territory of Kanaky New Caledonia in the wake of a controversial vote by the French Parliament to adopt a bill changing the territory’s voting rules.

    “The state of emergency declared by the French government and the deployment of the French army, coupled with a ban on the social media app TikTok, must not be misused to restrict people’s human rights,” Amnesty Pacific researcher Kate Schuetze said.

    “The deeply worrying violence and the French authorities’ response must be understood through the lens of a stalled decolonisation process, racial inequality and the longstanding, peacefully expressed demands by the Indigenous Kanak people for self-determination.”

    Schuetze said it was a challenging situation for police — “sadly including several fatalities”.

    She said it was imperative that French police and gendarmes only used force as “reasonably necessary and prioritise protecting the right to life”.

    Banning the TikTok app seemed a “clearly disproportionate measure” that would likely constitute a violation of the right to freedom of expression.

    “It may also set a dangerous precedent that could easily serve as a convenient example for France and other governments worldwide to justify shutdowns in reaction to public protests,” she said.

    “French authorities must uphold the rights of the Indigenous Kanak people and the right to peaceful expression and assembly without discrimination.

    “People calling for independence should be able to express their views peacefully.”

    In a 2023 resolution, following a report by the UN Special Political and Decolonization Committee, the UN General Assembly reiterated calls on “the administering power and all relevant stakeholders in New Caledonia to ensure the peaceful, fair, just and transparent conduct of the next steps of the self-determination process, in accordance with the Nouméa Accord.”

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • New Caledonia riots: Tear gas, stun grenades used as protesters swarm airport runway

    By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist and Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific digital journalist

    Police have used tear gas and stun grenades on rioters at an airport near Nouméa as the chaos in New Caledonia stretched into its sixth day.

    Five people, including two police officers, have died and hundreds of people are injured amid clashes between authorities and pro-independence protesters.

    They were sparked by anger at a proposed new law that would allow French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for more than 10 years to vote — which critics say will weaken the indigenous Kanak vote.

    Last night, local media reported rioters on the field at Magenta Airport had thrown hammers and stones at police.

    Officers responded with tear gas and stun grenades.

    Police warned that if that was not enough to control the situation, the military was authorised to use lethal weapons.

    Nouméa is under a nightly curfew, with anyone who violates it warned they could face six months in prison or a fine of up to 895,000 French Pacific francs (NZ$13,000).

    A New Caledonia government crisis unit spokesperson said there was enough food in the country to last two months.

    However, there was a restocking issue, with some roads impassable due to debris.

    A 71-year-old woman who missed out on dialysis treatment this week due to the blockages has finally been transported to Nouméa by boat for treatment.

    Meanwhile, cars have been set on fire at Dumbéa town hall. Mayor Yohann Lecourieux told the public television station NC La Première he was “worried about the future”.

    This handout picture released on May 16, 2024 by the French Gendarmerie Nationale shows late riot gendarme mobile Nicolas Molinari who died on May 15, 2024 aged 22 in France's Pacific territory of New Caledonia after a second night of rioting to protest a reform changing voting rolls that representatives of the indigenous Kanak population say will dilute their vote. (Photo by Handout / GENDARMERIE NATIONALE / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / GENDARMERIE NATIONALE / ERIC CHAMINADE " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
    Gendarme mobile officer Nicolas Molinari, 22 . . . one of two police officers who have died during rioting in New Caledonia. Image: French Gendarmerie Nationale/RNZ

    Journalists attacked
    La Première is strengthening security surrounding its journalists after an incident where a reporting team was attacked by about 20 hooded men.

    A reporter said she and a camera operator were attacked yesterday morning near the centre of Nouméa.

    The men ordered them to leave, then smashed the windows of their car, the reporter told AFP news agency.

    They also snatched the camera operator’s camera from his hands and threatened him with a stone.

    The journalists were not injured and were rescued by a passing motorist.

    La Première news content director Olivier Gélin told AFP the station’s journalists would be accompanied by security agents until further notice.

    “We will now take people to protect the teams during filming, in addition to the classic protections in this type of situation — helmets and bulletproof vests,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Coralie Cochin said her husband, a reporter for AFP, was photographing the burnt ruins of a shop when a man started throwing rocks at him.

    An intern who had been working with Cochin at the local media outlet, La Première, was also attacked yesterday.

    She was also rescued by a passing motorist, but lost her belongings in the ordeal.

    ‘A complete war zone’
    A resident of Portes de Fer, in the centre of Noumea, said it was terrifying to witness the chaos unfold.

    Hari Simon told RNZ Pacific that businesses, houses, car companies and factories in the area had all been burnt.

    It was “a very frightening scene punctuated by the sound of gunshots that broke the silence of the night,” he said.

    There was “a threatening sense of danger looming in the air,” he said.

    At night, people roamed the streets with guns, burning down buildings and exchanging fire with police officers.

    However, since the arrival of the first batch of military police officers (gendarmes) on Wednesday, the situation had died down a little, he said.

    Residents did not expect the violence to escalate so quickly and were caught off guard, he said.

    “When we became fully aware of the gravity of the situation that Monday night and, more specifically in the early hours of Tuesday morning, road blocks had already been erected.”

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Kanaky in flames: Five takeaways from the New Caledonia independence riots

    ANALYSIS: By David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report

    Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a revered Kanak visionary, was inspirational to indigenous Pacific political activists across Oceania, just like Tongan anthropologist and writer Epeli Hao’ofa was to cultural advocates.

    Tragically, he was assassinated in 1989 by an opponent within the independence movement during the so-called “les événements” in New Caledonia, the last time the “French” Pacific territory was engulfed in a political upheaval such as experienced this week.

    His memory and legacy as poet, cultural icon and peaceful political agitator live on with the impressive Tjibaou Cultural Centre on the outskirts of the capital Nouméa as a benchmark for how far New Caledonia had progressed in the last 35 years.

    However, the wave of pro-independence protests that descended into urban rioting this week invoked more than Tjibaou’s memory. Many of the martyrs — such as schoolteacher turned security minister Eloï Machoro, murdered by French snipers during the upheaval of the 1980s — have been remembered and honoured for their exploits over the last few days with countless memes being shared on social media.

    Among many memorable quotes by Tjibaou, this one comes to mind:

    “White people consider that the Kanaks are part of the fauna, of the local fauna, of the primitive fauna. It’s a bit like rats, ants or mosquitoes,” he once said.

    “Non-recognition and absence of cultural dialogue can only lead to suicide or revolt.”

    And that is exactly what has come to pass this week in spite of all the warnings in recent years and months. A revolt.

    Among the warnings were one by me in December 2021 after a failed third and “final” independence referendum. I wrote at the time about the French betrayal:

    “After three decades of frustratingly slow progress but with a measure of quiet optimism over the decolonisation process unfolding under the Nouméa Accord, Kanaky New Caledonia is again poised on the edge of a precipice.”

    As Paris once again reacts with a heavy-handed security crackdown, it appears to have not learned from history. It will never stifle the desire for independence by colonised peoples.

    New Caledonia was annexed as a colony in 1853 and was a penal colony for convicts and political prisoners — mainly from Algeria — for much of the 19th century before gaining a degree of autonomy in 1946.

    "Kanaky Palestine - same combat" solidarity placard.
    “Kanaky Palestine – same combat” solidarity placard. Image: APR screenshot

    Here are my five takeaways from this week’s violence and frustration:

    1. Global failure of neocolonialism – Palestine, Kanaky and West Papua
    Just as we have witnessed a massive outpouring of protest on global streets for justice, self-determination and freedom for the people of Palestine as they struggle for independence after 76 years of Israeli settler colonialism, and also Melanesian West Papuans fighting for 61 years against Indonesian settler colonialism, Kanak independence aspirations are back on the world stage.

    Neocolonialism has failed. French President Emmanuel Macron’s attempt to reverse the progress towards decolonisation over the past three decades has backfired in his face.

    2. French deafness and loss of social capital
    The predictions were already long there. Failure to listen to the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) leadership and to be prepared to be patient and negotiate towards a consensus has meant much of the crosscultural goodwill that been developed in the wake of the Nouméa Accord of 1998 has disappeared in a puff of smoke from the protest fires of the capital.

    The immediate problem lies in the way the French government has railroaded the indigenous Kanak people who make up 42 percent pf the 270,000 population into a constitutional bill that “unfreezes” the electoral roll pegging voters to those living in New Caledonia at the time of the 1998 Nouméa Accord. Under the draft bill all those living in the territory for the past 10 years could vote.

    Kanak leaders and activists who have been killed
    Kanak leaders and activists who have been killed . . . Jean-Marie Tjibaou is bottom left, and Eloï Machoro is bottom right. Image: FLNKS/APR

    This would add some 25,000 extra French voters in local elections, which would further marginalise Kanaks at a time when they hold the territorial presidency and a majority in the Congress in spite of their demographic disadvantage.

    Under the Nouméa Accord, there was provision for three referendums on independence in 2018, 2020 and 2021. The first two recorded narrow (and reducing) votes against independence, but the third was effectively boycotted by Kanaks because they had suffered so severely in the 2021 delta covid pandemic and needed a year to mourn culturally.

    The FLNKS and the groups called for a further referendum but the Macron administration and a court refused.

    3. Devastating economic and social loss
    New Caledonia was already struggling economically with the nickel mining industry in crisis – the territory is the world’s third-largest producer. And now four days of rioting and protesting have left a trail of devastation in their wake.

    At least five people have died in the rioting — three Kanaks, and two French police, apparently as a result of a barracks accident. A state of emergency was declared for at least 12 days.

    But as economists and officials consider the dire consequences of the unrest, it will take many years to recover. According to Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) president David Guyenne, between 80 and 90 percent of the grocery distribution network in Nouméa had been “wiped out”. The chamber estimated damage at about 200 million euros (NZ$350 million).

    Twin flags of Kanaky and Palestine flying from a Parisian rooftop
    Twin flags of Kanaky and Palestine flying from a Parisian rooftop. Image: APR

    4. A new generation of youth leadership
    As we have seen with Generation Z in the forefront of stunning pro-Palestinian protests across more than 50 universities in the United States (and in many other countries as well, notably France, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom), and a youthful generation of journalists in Gaza bearing witness to Israeli atrocities, youth has played a critical role in the Kanaky insurrection.

    Australian peace studies professor Dr Nicole George notes that “the highly visible wealth disparities” in the territory “fuel resentment and the profound racial inequalities that deprive Kanak youths of opportunity and contribute to their alienation”.

    A feature is the “unpredictability” of the current crisis compared with the 1980s “les événements”.

    “In the 1980s, violent campaigns were coordinated by Kanak leaders . . . They were organised. They were controlled.

    “In contrast, today it is the youth taking the lead and using violence because they feel they have no other choice. There is no coordination. They are acting through frustration and because they feel they have ‘no other means’ to be recognised.”

    According to another academic, Dr Évelyne Barthou, a senior lecturer in sociology at the University of Pau, who researched Kanak youth in a field study last year: “Many young people see opportunities slipping away from them to people from mainland France.

    “This is just one example of the neocolonial logic to which New Caledonia remains prone today.”

    Pan-Pacific independence solidarity
    Pan-Pacific independence solidarity . . . “Kanak People Maohi – same combat”. Image: APR screenshot

    5. Policy rethink needed by Australia, New Zealand
    Ironically, as the turbulence struck across New Caledonia this week, especially the white enclave of Nouméa, a whistlestop four-country New Zealand tour of Melanesia headed by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, who also has the foreign affairs portfolio, was underway.

    The first casualty of this tour was the scheduled visit to New Caledonia and photo ops demonstrating the limited diversity of the political entourage showed how out of depth New Zealand’s Pacific diplomacy had become with the current rightwing coalition government at the helm.

    Heading home, Peters thanked the people and governments of Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Tuvalu for “working with New Zealand towards a more secure, more prosperous and more resilient tomorrow”.

    His tweet came as New Caledonian officials and politicians were coming to terms with at least five deaths and the sheer scale of devastation in the capital which will rock New Caledonia for years to come.

    News media in both Australia and New Zealand hardly covered themselves in glory either, with the commercial media either treating the crisis through the prism of threats to tourists and a superficial brush over the issues. Only the public media did a creditable job, New Zealand’s RNZ Pacific and Australia’s ABC Pacific and SBS.

    In the case of New Zealand’s largest daily newspaper, The New Zealand Herald, it barely noticed the crisis. On Wednesday, morning there was not a word in the paper.

    Thursday was not much better, with an “afterthought” report provided by a partnership with RNZ. As I reported it:

    “Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest newspaper, the New Zealand Herald, finally catches up with the Pacific’s biggest news story after three days of crisis — the independence insurrection in #KanakyNewCaledonia.

    “But unlike global news services such as Al Jazeera, which have featured it as headline news, the Herald tucked it at the bottom of page 2. Even then it wasn’t its own story, it was relying on a partnership report from RNZ.”

    Also, New Zealand media reports largely focused too heavily on the “frustrations and fears” of more than 200 tourists and residents said to be in the territory this week, and provided very slim coverage of the core issues of the upheaval.

    With all the warning signs in the Pacific over recent years — a series of riots in New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga and Vanuatu — Australia and New Zealand need to wake up to the yawning gap in social indicators between the affluent and the impoverished, and the worsening climate crisis.

    These are the real issues of the Pacific, not some fantasy about AUKUS and a perceived China threat in an unconvincing arena called “Indo-Pacific”.

    Dr David Robie covered “Les Événements” in New Caledonia in the 1980s and penned the book Blood on their Banner about the turmoil. He also covered the 2018 independence referendum.

    Loyalist French rally in New Caledonia
    Loyalist French rally in New Caledonia . . . “Unfreezing is democracy”. Image: A PR screenshot

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Tourists trapped by New Caledonia unrest feel ‘abandoned’ by NZ

    By Lauren Crimp , RNZ News reporter

    New Zealanders stuck among riots and civil unrest in New Caledonia’s capital say they feel abandoned by their own country, having received little help from the government.

    Nouméa descended into chaos on Monday, with clashes between indigenous Kanak pro-independence protesters and French security forces.

    They were sparked by anger at a proposed new law that would allow French residents who have lived there for more than 10 years to vote — which critics say will weaken the Kanak vote.

    Since then, five people have died, including two police officers, and hundreds have been injured in the French Pacific territory.

    Late on Friday there were reports of clashes between police and rioters around a domestic airport near Nouméa, as New Caledonia’s capital entered its fourth night under curfew.

    Local media reported rioters on the airfield at Magenta airport threw hammers and stones at police, and police responded with tear gas and stun grenades.

    Police warned the military was authorised to use lethal weapons if they could not contain the situation otherwise. A local told RNZ Pacific the Kanaks were not going to back down, and things could get “nasty” in the coming days if the army could not contain the crisis.

    New Zealanders feeling marooned
    Four friends from North Canterbury landed in Nouméa on Monday as part of a “lifetime dream” trip.

    Shula and Wolf Guse, and Sarah and William Hughes-Games, were celebrating Shula’s birthday and Sarah and William’s 40th wedding anniversary.

    But fresh off their flight, it became clear their celebrations would not be going ahead.

    “As we left the airport, there were blocks just everywhere . . . burning tyres, and people stopping us, and lots of big rocks on the road, and branches, and people shouting, waving flags,” Shula Guse said.

    They wanted to get out of there, but had barely heard a peep from New Zealand government organisation SafeTravel, Sarah Hughes-Games said.

    “All they’ve done is send us a . . .  general letter, nothing specific,” she said.

    “We’ve contacted the New Zealand Consulate here in Nouméa, and they are closed. This is the one time they should be open and helping people.”

    It was not good enough, she said.

    “We’ve basically been just abandoned here, so we’re just feeling a little bit fed up about the situation, that we’ve just been left alone, and nobody has contacted us.”

    It was unclear when they would be able to leave.

    Another looted supermarket in Nouméa’s Kenu-In neighbourhood.
    A looted supermarket in Nouméa’s Kenu-In neighbourhood. Image: NC la 1ère TV/RNZ

    Struggling to find food
    Meanwhile, another person told RNZ they had family stuck in Nouméa who had registered on SafeTravel, but had heard nothing more from the government. They were struggling to find food and were feeling uneasy, they said.

    “They don’t know where to go now and there seems to be no help from anywhere.”

    Air New Zealand confirmed it was forced to cancel its upcoming flights between Nouméa and Auckland on Saturday and Monday, with the airport in Nouméa closed until at least Tuesday.

    “Even when the airport does reopen, Air New Zealand will only operate into Nouméa when we can be assured that the airport is safe and secure, and that there is a safe route for our ground staff and customers to reach the airport,” it said.

    MFAT in ‘regular contact’ with impacted New Zealanders
    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it had activated its emergency crisis system, and consular officials in Nouméa were in regular contact with impacted New Zealanders, New Caledonia authorities, and “international partners”.

    The Consulate-General was open, but staff were working remotely because it was hard to get around, it said. Those who needed immediate consular assistance should contact the 24/7 Consular Emergency line on +64 99 20 20 20.

    “An in-person meeting was held for a large group of New Zealanders in Nouméa yesterday [Thursday, 16 May 16] and further meetings are taking place today,” a spokesperson said.

    “Consular officials are also proactively attempting to contact registered New Zealanders in New Caledonia to check on their situations, and any specific health or welfare concerns.

    “Regular SafeTravel messages are also being sent to New Zealanders — we urge New Zealanders to register on SafeTravel to receive direct messages from consular officials.”

    The ministry was also speaking regularly with New Caledonian authorities about airport operations and access, and access to critical supplies like food and medicine.

    “New Zealanders in New Caledonia should stay in place and avoid all protests, monitor local media for developments, and comply with any instructions and restrictions issued by local authorities.”

    There are currently 219 New Zealanders registered on SafeTravel as being in New Caledonia.

    Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report the government was doing all it could to get New Zealanders home.

    That could include using the Air Force, he said.

    The Defence Force confirmed there had been discussions with officials.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • New Caledonia’s Nouméa airport closed until Tuesday, says Air New Zealand

    Air New Zealand has confirmed Nouméa’s Tontouta International airport in New Caledonia is closed until Tuesday.

    The airline earlier told RNZ it would update customers as soon as it could.

    Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report government officials had been working on an “hourly basis” to see what could be done to help New Zealanders wanting to leave.

    That included RNZ Air Force or using a commercial airline.

    More than 200 New Zealanders were registered as being in the French Pacific territory. His advice to them was to stay in place and keep in contact.

    A 12-day state of emergency was declared in the territory, at least 10 people were under house arrest, and TikTok has been banned.

    RNZ Pacific said there were food and fuel shortages as well as problems accessing medications and healthcare services.

    Biggest concerns
    Before the closure of the airport, Wellington researcher Barbara Graham — who has been in Nouméa for five weeks — said the main issue was “the road to the airport . . .  and I understand it still impassable because of the danger there, the roadblocks and the violent groups of people”.

    Airlines were looking to taking bigger planes to get more people out and were working with the airport to ensure the ground crew were also available, Graham said.

    She said she was reasonably distant from the violence but had seen the devastation when moving accommodation.

    Wellingtonian Emma Royland was staying at the University of New Caledonia and hoped to wait out the civil unrest, if she could procure enough food.

    “Ideally the university will step in to take care of us, ideally although we must admit that the university themselves are also under a lot of hardship and they also will be having difficulties sourcing the food.”

    The couple of hundred students at the university were provided with instant noodles, chips and biscuits, Royland said.

    She went into town to try and find food but there were shortages and long queues, she said.

    “It probably is one of my biggest concerns is actually being able to get into the city, as I stand here I can see the smoke obscuring the city from last night’s riots and it is a very big concern of being able to get that food, that would be the only reason that I would have to leave New Caledonia.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Vanuatu, MSG chief reaffirms support for FLNKS, blames France over unrest

    Asia Pacific Report

    Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai — who is also Chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group — has reaffirmed MSG’s support of the pro-independence umbrella group Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) stance opposing the French government’s constitutional bill “unfreezing” the New Caledonia Electoral Roll.

    It is also opposed to the proposed changes to the citizens’ electorate and the changes to the distribution of seats in Congress, reports the Vanuatu Daily Post.

    In a statement yesterday, he expressed “sadness” over the “unfortunate happenings that have befallen New Caledonia over the last few days”, referring to the riots sparked by protests over the French law changes.

    Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai
    Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai . . . support for the FLNKS independence movement. Image: Loop Vanuatu

    Salwai expressed support for the FLNKS call for calm, and shared the FLNKS’s condemnation of the violence.

    The MSG Chair said in the statement that the indiscriminate destruction of property would affect New Caledonia’s economy in a “very big way” and that would have a “debilitating cascading effect on the welfare and lives of all New Caledonians, including the Kanaks”.

    Consistent with the support recorded during the MSG Senior Officials Meeting and the MSG Foreign Ministers Meeting in March this year, Salwai reaffirmed that the French government “must withdraw or annul the Constitutional Bill that has precipitated these regrettable events in New Caledonia”.

    “These events could have been avoided if the French government had listened and not proceeded to press forward with the Constitutional Bill aimed at unfreezing the electoral roll, modifying the citizen’s electorate, and changing the distribution of seats in Congress,” the statement said.

    “There is [a] need for the French government to return to the spirit of the Noumea Accord in its dealings relating to New Caledonia,” Salwai said.

    The MSG Chair added that there was an urgent need now for France to agree to the proposal by the FLNKS to establish a dialogue and mediation mission to discuss a way forward so that normalcy could be restored quickly and an enduring peace could prevail in New Caledonia.

    The statement was signed by Salwai and Vanuatu’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Matai Seremaiah.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Vanuatu, MSG chief reaffirms support for FLNKS, blames France over unrest

    Asia Pacific Report

    Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai — who is also Chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group — has reaffirmed MSG’s support of the pro-independence umbrella group Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) stance opposing the French government’s constitutional bill “unfreezing” the New Caledonia Electoral Roll.

    It is also opposed to the proposed changes to the citizens’ electorate and the changes to the distribution of seats in Congress, reports the Vanuatu Daily Post.

    In a statement yesterday, he expressed “sadness” over the “unfortunate happenings that have befallen New Caledonia over the last few days”, referring to the riots sparked by protests over the French law changes.

    Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai
    Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai . . . support for the FLNKS independence movement. Image: Loop Vanuatu

    Salwai expressed support for the FLNKS call for calm, and shared the FLNKS’s condemnation of the violence.

    The MSG Chair said in the statement that the indiscriminate destruction of property would affect New Caledonia’s economy in a “very big way” and that would have a “debilitating cascading effect on the welfare and lives of all New Caledonians, including the Kanaks”.

    Consistent with the support recorded during the MSG Senior Officials Meeting and the MSG Foreign Ministers Meeting in March this year, Salwai reaffirmed that the French government “must withdraw or annul the Constitutional Bill that has precipitated these regrettable events in New Caledonia”.

    “These events could have been avoided if the French government had listened and not proceeded to press forward with the Constitutional Bill aimed at unfreezing the electoral roll, modifying the citizen’s electorate, and changing the distribution of seats in Congress,” the statement said.

    “There is [a] need for the French government to return to the spirit of the Noumea Accord in its dealings relating to New Caledonia,” Salwai said.

    The MSG Chair added that there was an urgent need now for France to agree to the proposal by the FLNKS to establish a dialogue and mediation mission to discuss a way forward so that normalcy could be restored quickly and an enduring peace could prevail in New Caledonia.

    The statement was signed by Salwai and Vanuatu’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Matai Seremaiah.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Home detention for New Caledonia’s unrest ringleaders, Tiktok banned

    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk, and Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist

    The suspected ringleaders of the unrest in New Caledonia have been placed in home detention and the social network TikTok has been banned as French security forces struggle to restore law and order.

    The French territory faced its fourth day of severe rioting and unrest yesterday after protests erupted over proposed constitutional amendments.

    Four people have now been confirmed dead, Charles Wea, a spokesperson for international relations for the president’s office, said.

    The death toll has been revised today to five people after officials confirmed the death of a second police officer. However, RNZ Pacific understands it was an accidental killing which occurred as troops were preparing to leave barracks.

    A newly introduced state of emergency has enabled suspected ringleaders to be placed in home detention, as well as a ban on Tiktok to be put in place.

    French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc said Nouméa remained the “hottest spot” with some 3000-4000 rioters still in action on the streets of the capital Nouméa and another 5000 in the Greater Nouméa area.

    Wea told RNZ Pacific the demonstrators “were very angry when their friends and families had been killed”.

    ‘Shops still closed’
    “Shops are still closed. Many houses have been burnt. The international airport is closed, only military planes are allowed to land from Paris.”

    Reports RNZ Pacific are receiving from the capital paint a dire picture. Shops are running out of food and hospitals are calling for blood donations.


    Enforcing the state of emergency in New Caledonia.  Video: [in French] Caledonia TV

    “This morning [Thursday] a few shops have been opened so people can buy some food to eat,” Wea said.

    RNZ Pacific former news editor Walter Zweifel, who has been covering the French Pacific territory for over three decades, said New Caledonia had not seen unrest like this since the 1980s.

    The number of guns circulating in the community was a major problem as people continued to carry firearms despite a government ban, he said.

    “There are so many firearms in circulation, attempts to limit the number of weapons have been made over the years unsuccessfully.

    “We are talking about roughly 100,000 arms or rifles in circulation in New Caledonia with a population of less than 300,000.”

    French armed forces started to arrive in Nouméa yesterday
    French armed forces started to arrive in Nouméa yesterday in the wake of the rioting. Image: NC la 1ère screenshot APR

    More details about fatalities
    One of the four people earlier reported dead was a French gendarme, who was reported to have been shot in the head.

    “The other three are all Melanesians,” Le Franc said.

    One was a 36-year-old Kanak man, another a 20-year-old man and the third was a 17-year-old girl.

    The deaths occurred during a clash with one of the newly formed “civil defence” groups, who were carrying guns, Le Franc said.

    “Those who have committed these crimes are assassins. They are individuals who have used firearms.

    “Maintaining law and order is a matter for professionals, police and gendarmes.”

    Le Franc added: “We will look for them and we will find them anyway, so I’m calling them to surrender right now . .. so that justice can take its course.”

    ‘Mafia-like, violent organisation’
    French Home Affairs and Overseas minister Gérald Darmanin told public TV channel France 2 he had placed 10 leaders of the CCAT (an organisation linked to the pro-independence FLNKS movement and who Darmanin believed to be the main organiser of the riots) under home detention.

    “This is a Mafia-like body which I do not amalgamate with political pro-independence parties . . . [CCAT] is a group that claims itself to be pro-independence and commits looting, murders and violence,” he said.

    Similar measures would be taken against other presumed leaders over the course of the day [Thursday French time].

    “I have numerous elements which show this is a Mafia-like, violent organisation that loots stores and shoots real bullets at [French] gendarmes, sets businesses on fire and attacks even pro-independence institutions,” Darmanin told France 2.

    Massive reinforcements were to arrive shortly and the French state would “totally regain control”, he said.

    The number of police and gendarmes on the ground would rise from 1700 to 2700 by Friday night.

    Darmanin also said he would request that all legitimate political party leaders across the local spectrum be placed under the protection of police or special intervention group members.

    Pointing fingers
    Earlier on Thursday, speaking in Nouméa, Le Franc targeted the CCAT, saying there was no communication between the French State and CCAT, but that “we are currently trying to locate them”.

    “This is a group of hooligans who wish to kill police, gendarmes. This has nothing to do with FLNKS political formations which are perfectly legitimate.

    “But this CCAT structure is no longer relevant. Those who are at the helm of this cell are all responsible. They will have to answer to the courts,” he said.

    Burnt out cars in New Caledonia during civil unrest.
    Burnt out cars in New Caledonia during the civil unrest. Image: Twitter/@ncla1ere

    However, CCAT has said it had called for calm.

    Wea said the CCAT “did not tell the people to steal or break”.

    The problem was that the French government “did not want to listen”, he said.

    “The FLNKS has said for months not to go through with this bill.

    France ‘not recognising responsibility’
    “It is easy to say the CCAT are responsible, but the French government does not want to recognise their responsibility.”

    Wea said he was hopeful for a peaceful resolution.

    The FLNKS had always said that the next discussion with the French government would need to be around the continued management and organisation of the country for the next five years, he said.

    The FLNKS also wanted to talk about the process of decolonisation.

    “It is important to note that the [Pacific Islands Forum] and also the Melanesian Spearhead Group have always supported the independence of New Caledonia because independence is in the agenda of the United Nation.”

    The Melanesian Spearhead Group and Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Charlot Salwai called on the French government to withdraw or annul the proposed constitutional amendments that sparked the civil unrest.

    French President Emmanuel Macron said from Paris, where a meeting of a national defence council was now taking place every day, that he wished to hold a video conference with all of New Caledonia’s political leaders in order to assess the current situation.

    Another looted supermarket in Nouméa’s Kenu-In neighbourhood.
    A looted supermarket in Nouméa’s Kenu-In neighbourhood. Image: NC la 1ère TV/RNZ

    But Wea said the problem was that “the French government don’t want to listen”.

    “You cannot stop the Kanak people claiming freedom in their own country.”

    He said concerns were mounting that Kanak people would “become a minority in their own country”.

    That was why it was so important that the controversial constitutional amendments did not go any further, he said.

    Economic impact
    In the face of massive damage caused to the local economy, Southern Province President Sonia Backès has pleaded with French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal for a “special reconstruction fund” to be set up for New Caledonia’s businesses.

    “The local Chamber of Commerce estimates that initial damage to our economy amounts to some 150 million euros [NZ$267 million],” she wrote.

    All commercial flights in and out of Nouméa-La Tontouta International Airport remain cancelled.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Why is New Caledonia on fire? According to local women, the deadly riots are about more than voting rights

    ANALYSIS: By Nicole George, The University of Queensland

    New Caledonia’s capital city, Nouméa, has endured widespread violent rioting over the past three days. This crisis intensified rapidly, taking local authorities by surprise.

    Peaceful protests had been occurring across the country in the preceding weeks as the French National Assembly in Paris deliberated on a constitutional amendment that would increase the territory’s electoral roll.

    As the date for the vote — last Tuesday — grew closer, however, protests became more obstructive and by Monday night had spiralled into uncontrolled violence.

    Since then, countless public buildings, business locations and private dwellings have been subjected to arson. Blockades erected by protesters prevent movement around greater Nouméa.

    Four people have died. Security reinforcements have been deployed, the city is under nightly curfew, and a state of emergency has been declared. Citizens in many areas of Nouméa are now also establishing their own neighbourhood protection militias.

    To understand how this situation has spiralled so quickly, it’s important to consider the complex currents of political and socioeconomic alienation at play.

    The political dispute
    At one level, the crisis is political, reflecting contention over a constitutional vote taken in Paris that will expand citizens’ voting rights. The change adds roughly 25,000 voters to the electoral role in New Caledonia by extending voting rights to French people who have lived on the island for 10 years.

    This reform makes clear the political power that France continues to exercise over the territory.

    The death toll has now increased to four.

    The current changes have proven divisive because they undo provisions in the 1998 Noumea Accord, particularly the restriction of voting rights. The accord was designed to “rebalance” political inequalities so the interests of Indigenous Kanaks and the descendants of French settlers would be equally recognised.

    This helped to consolidate peace between these groups after a long period of conflict in the 1980s, known locally as “les événements”.

    A loyalist group of elected representatives in New Caledonia’s Parliament reject the contemporary significance of “rebalancing” (in French “rééquilibrage”) with regard to the electoral status of Kanak people. They argue after three referendums on the question of New Caledonian independence — held between 2018 and 2021 — all of which produced a majority no vote, the time for electoral reform is well overdue.

    This position is made clear by Nicolas Metzdorf. A key rightwing loyalist, he defined the constitutional amendment, which was passed by the National Assembly in Paris on Tuesday, as a vote for democracy and “universalism”.

    Yet this view is roundly rejected by Kanak pro-independence leaders who say these amendments undermine the political status of Indigenous Kanak people, who constitute a minority of the voting population. These leaders also refuse to accept that the decolonisation agenda has been concluded, as loyalists assert.

    Instead, they dispute the outcome of the final 2021 referendum which, they argue, was forced on the territory by French authorities too soon after the outbreak of the covid pandemic. This disregarded the fact that Kanak communities bore disproportionate impacts of the pandemic and were unable to fully mobilise before the vote.

    Demands that the referendum be delayed were rejected, and many Kanak people abstained as a result.

    In this context, the disputed electoral reforms decided in Paris this week are seen by pro-independence camps as yet another political prescription imposed on Kanak people. A leading figure of one Indigenous Kanak women’s organisation described the vote to me as a solution that pushes “Kanak people into the gutter”, one that would have “us living on our knees”.

    Beyond the politics
    Many political commentators are likening the violence observed in recent days to the political violence of les événements of the 1980s, which exacted a heavy toll on the country. Yet this is disputed by local women leaders with whom I am in conversation, who have encouraged me to look beyond the central political factors in analysing this crisis.

    Some female leaders reject the view this violence is simply an echo of past political grievances. They point to the highly visible wealth disparities in the country.

    These fuel resentment and the profound racial inequalities that deprive Kanak youths of opportunity and contribute to their alienation.

    Women have also told me they are concerned about the unpredictability of the current situation. In the 1980s, violent campaigns were coordinated by Kanak leaders, they tell me. They were organised. They were controlled.

    In contrast, today it is the youth taking the lead and using violence because they feel they have no other choice. There is no coordination. They are acting through frustration and because they feel they have “no other means” to be recognised.

    There is also frustration with political leaders on all sides. Late on Wednesday, Kanak pro-independence political leaders held a press conference. They echoed their loyalist political opponents in condemning the violence and issuing calls for dialogue.

    The leaders made specific calls to the “youths” engaged in the violence to respect the importance of a political process and warned against a logic of vengeance.

    The women civil society leaders I have been speaking to were frustrated by the weakness of this messaging. The women say political leaders on all sides have failed to address the realities faced by Kanak youths.

    They argue if dialogue remains simply focused on the political roots of the dispute, and only involves the same elites that have dominated the debate so far, little will be understood and little will be resolved.

    Likewise, they lament the heaviness of the current “command and control” state security response. It contradicts the calls for dialogue and makes little room for civil society participation of any sort.

    These approaches put a lid on grievances, but they do not resolve them. Women leaders observing the current situation are anguished and heartbroken for their country and its people. They say if the crisis is to be resolved sustainably, the solutions cannot be imposed and the words cannot be empty.

    Instead, they call for the space to be heard and to contribute to a resolution. Until that time they live with anxiety and uncertainty, waiting for the fires to subside, and the smoke currently hanging over a wounded Nouméa to clear.The Conversation

    Dr Nicole George is associate professor in Peace and Conflict Studies, The University of Queensland. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Open letter challenges Zionist advert missing Gaza ‘injustices’ in Herald

    Asia Pacific Report

    An open letter to The New Zealand Herald has challenged a full page Zionist advertisement this week for failing to acknowledge the “terrible injustices” suffered by the Palestinian people in Israel’s seven-month genocidal war on Gaza.

    In the latest of several international reports that have condemned genocide against the people of Gaza while the International Court of Justice continues to investigate Israel for a plausible case for genocide, a human rights legal network of US universities has concluded that “Israel has committed genocidal acts of killing” and sought to “bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza”.

    The University Network for Human Rights, along with the International Human Rights Clinic at Boston University School of Law, the International Human Rights Clinic at Cornell Law School, the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, and the Lowenstein Human Rights Project at Yale Law School, conducted a legal analysis and the 100-page damning report, “Genocide in Gaza: Analysis of International Law and its Application to Israel’s Military Actions since October 7, 2023.”

    The Israeli military have killed more than 35,000 people — mostly women and children — and more than 78,000 people and the UN General Assembly voted by an overwhelming 134-9 votes to back Palestinian statehood on May 11.

    The full page Zionist advertisement in The New Zealand Herald this week
    The full page Zionist advertisement in The New Zealand Herald this week, 14 May 2024. Image: NZH screenshot APR

    In the full page Zionist advertisement in The New Zealand Herald on Tuesday, senior pastor Nigel Woodley of the Flaxmere Christian Fellowship Church in Hastings claimed “the current painful war is another episode in Israel’s history for survival” with no acknowledgement of the massive human cost on Palestinians.

    The open letter by Reverend Chris Sullivan in response — dated the same day but not published by The Herald — says:

    An advertisement in the Herald supports the creation of the State of Israel.

    For the same reasons we should also support the creation of a Palestinian state; don’t Palestinians also deserve their own nation state?

    Just as we decry Hitler’s Holocaust, so too must we raise our voices against the killing of 35,000 people in Gaza (most of them innocent civilians), the destruction of 70 percent of the housing, and imminent famine.

    It is disingenuous to focus solely on the Arab invasions of Israel, without looking at their cause — the killing and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians which accompanied the creation of the modern state of Israel.

    It is never too late for both sides to turn away from violence and war and build a lasting peace, based on mutual respect and a just solution to the terrible injustices the Palestinian people have suffered.

    Rev Chris Sullivan
    Auckland

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • NZ families worried as loved ones shelter from violent unrest in New Caledonia

    By Adam Burns, RNZ News reporter

    Worried New Caledonian expats in Aotearoa admit they are “terrified” for friends and family amid ongoing violence and civil unrest in the French Pacific territory.

    The death toll remained at four tonight, and hundreds have been injured after electoral changes sparked widespread rioting by pro-independence supporters in the capital of Nouméa.

    French President Emmanuel Macron has declared a 12-day state of emergency and about 1200 police enforcements are due to arrive from France.

    Many worried locals have been confined to their homes.

    New Zealand-based New Caledonians have explained how the situation in their homeland has left them on edge.

    Pascale Desrumaux and her family have been in Auckland for two years.

    With parts of the country in turmoil, she said she was scared for her family and friends back home in Nouméa.

    “I’m terrified and I’m very stressed,” Desrumaux said.

    “[My family] are afraid for their lives.”

    ‘Locked in’
    The precarious situation is illustrated by the fact her family cannot leave their homes and neighbouring stores have been ransacked then torched by protesters.

    “They are locked in at the moment, so they can’t move — so they feel anxiety of course,” Desrumaux said.

    “On top of that, shortly they will run out of food.

    “The situation is complex.”

    Cars on fire in New Caledonia during unrest.
    Cars on fire in Nouméa during the latest political unrest. Image: @ncla1ere

    Desrumaux is checking in with family members every few hours for updates.

    Amid the current climate, she said she had mixed emotions about being abroad.

    “This shared feeling of being relieved to be here in New Zealand and grateful because my kids and husband are not in danger,” she said.

    “At the same time I feel so bad for my friends and family over there.”

    ‘A beautiful place’
    She stressed her home country remained “a beautiful place” and hoped the crisis could be resolved peacefully.

    Fellow Auckland-based New Caledonian Anais Bride said she had been left distraught by what was unfolding.

    In the past 48 hours, her parents have vacated their Nouméa home to stay with Bride’s sister as tensions escalated.

    Based on her conversations with loved ones, she said that international news coverage had not fully conveyed the fluid crisis facing citizens on the ground.

    “It took my mother a little while for her to accept the fact that it was time to leave, because she wanted to stay where she lives.

    “My sisters’ just told her ‘at the end of the day, it’s just your house, it’s material’.

    “It’s been hard for my parents.”

    One supermarket standing
    She said there was only one supermarket left standing in Nouméa, with many markets destroyed by fire.

    Kevin, who did not want his surname to be published, is another New Caledonian living in New Zealand.

    While his family has not seen much unrest first hand, explosions and smoke were constant where they were, he said.

    He said it was hard to predict how the unrest could be straightened out.

    “It’s hard to tell,” he said.

    “The most tragic thing of course is the four deaths, and many businesses have been burned down so many people will lose their job.

    “The main thing is how people rebuild connections, peace and of course the economy.”

    ‘Timely exit’ from Nouméa
    Christchurch woman Viki Moore spent a week in New Caledonia before making a “timely exit” out of Nouméa on Monday as civil tension intensified.

    Some of the heavy police presence at Nouméa airport on Monday, 13 May, 2024.
    Some of the strong law enforcement presence at the airport in Nouméa on Monday. Image: Viki Moore/RNZ

    “There was a heavy police presence out at the airport with two [armoured vehicles] at the entrance and heavily armed military police roaming around.

    “Once we got into the airport we were relieved to be there in this sort of peaceful oasis.

    “We didn’t really have a sense of what was still to come.”

    She admitted that she did not fully comprehend the seriousness of it until she had left the territory.

    An armoured vehicle on the road amid unrest in New Caledonia, on Monday, 13 May, 2024.
    An armoured vehicle on the road amid unrest in New Caledonia, on Monday. Image: Viki Moore/RNZ

    Warnings for travellers
    Flights through Nouméa are currently grounded.

    Air New Zealand said it was monitoring the situation in New Caledonia, with its next flight NZ932 from Auckland to Nouméa still scheduled for Saturday morning.

    Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer Captain David Morgan said this “could be subject to change”.

    “The safety of our passengers, crew, and airport staff is our top priority and we will not operate flights unless their safety can be guaranteed,” he said.

    “We will keep passengers updated on our services and advise customers currently in Nouméa to follow the advice of local authorities and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘Deadly spiral’ – state of emergency in Kanaky New Caledonia and the Paris vote that sparked riots

    ANALYSIS: By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

    French President Emmanuel Macron has declared a state of emergency in New Caledonia after several days of civil unrest in the capital.

    Four people are dead due to the unrest and violence in the capital, Nouméa.

    France TV reports that a 22-year-old gendarme who had been seriously wounded has become the fourth death. The other three were reportedly Kanaks killed by vigilantes.

    Macron posted on X, formerly Twitter, a message saying the nation was thinking of the gendarme’s family.

    Hundreds of others have been injured with more casualties expected as French security forces struggle to restore law and order in Nouméa amid reports of clashes between rioters and “militia” groups being formed by city residents.

    According to local media, the state of emergency was announced following a defence and national security council meeting in Paris between the Head of State and several government members, including the Prime Minister and ministers of the Armed Forces, the Interior, the Economy and Justice.

    In a press conference last evening in Nouméa, France’s High Commissioner to New Caledonia, Louis Le Franc, told reporters he would call on the military forces if necessary and that reinforcements would be sent today.

    Local leaders called for state of emergency
    The state of emergency declaration came after the deteriorating crisis on Wednesday prompted Southern Province President Sonia Backès to call on President Macron to declare an emergency to allow the army to back up the police.

    “Houses and businesses are being burnt down and looted — organised gangs are terrorising the population and putting at risk the life of inhabitants,” Backes said.

    French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc speaking at a media conference on Wednesday in Noumea.
    French High Commissioner to New Caledonia Louis Le Franc . . . 12-day state of emergency declared. Image: RNZ

    “Law enforcement agents are certainly doing a great job but are obviously overwhelmed by the magnitude of this insurrection . . . Night and day, hastily formed citizen militias find themselves confronted with rioters fuelled by hate and the desire for violence.

    “In the next few hours, without a massive and urgent intervention from France, we will lose control of New Caledonia,” Sonia Backès wrote.

    She added: “We are now in a state of civil war.”

    Backès was later joined by elected MPs for New Caledonia’s constituency, MP Nicolas Metzdorf and Senator Georges Naturel, who also appealed to the French President to declare a state of emergency.

    “Mr President, we are at a critical moment and you alone can save New Caledonia,” they wrote.

    More than 1700 law enforcement officers deployed
    During a press conference on Wednesday evening, French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc said two persons had died from gunshot wounds and another two were seriously injured during a clash between rioters and a local “civil defence group”.

    He said the gunshot came from one member of the civil defence group who “was trying to defend himself”.

    Other reliable sources later confirmed to RNZ the death toll from the same clash was at least three people.

    High Commissioner Le Franc said that in the face of an escalating situation, the total number of law enforcement personnel deployed on the ground, mainly in Nouméa, was now about 1000 gendarmes, seven hundred police, as well as members of SWAT intervention groups from gendarmerie (GIGN) and police (RAID).

    Le Franc said that a dusk-to-dawn curfew had been extended for another 24 hours.

    “People have to respect the curfew, not go to confrontations with weapons, not to burn businesses, shops, pharmacies, schools.”

    Police reinforcements have arrived in New Caledonia where two days of violent unrest has affected the capital.
    Police reinforcements have arrived in New Caledonia where three days of violent unrest has hit the capital Nouméa. Image: FB/info Route NC et Coup de Gueule Route

    Armed groups formed on both sides
    All commercial flights to and from the Nouméa-La Tontouta international airport remained cancelled for today, affecting an estimated 2500 passengers to and from Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane, Nadi, Papeete, Tokyo and Singapore.

    The situation on the ground is being described by local leaders as “guerrilla warfare” bordering on a “civil war”, as more civilian clashes were reported yesterday on the outskirts of Nouméa, with opposing groups armed with weapons such as hunting rifles.

    “We have now entered a dangerous spiral, a deadly spiral . . .  There are armed groups on both sides and if they don’t heed calls for calms — there will be more deaths,” French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc warned.

    “I sense dark hours coming in New Caledonia . . .  The current situation is not meant to take this terrible twist, a form of civil war.”

    Le Franc said if needed, he would call on “military” reinforcements.

    Also yesterday, a group of armed rioters heading towards Nouméa’s industrial zone of Ducos, prompted an intervention from a RAID police squad.

    As Nouméa residents woke up today the situation in Noumea remained volatile as, over the past 24 hours, pro-France citizens have started to set up “civil defence groups”, barricades and roadblocks to protect themselves.

    Some of them have started to call themselves “militia” groups.

    Political leaders call for calm
    On the political front, there have been more calls for calm and appeasement from all quarters.

    After New Caledonian territorial President Louis Mapou appealed on Tuesday for a “return to reason”, the umbrella body for pro-independence political parties, the FLNKS, yesterday also issued a release appealing for “calm and appeasement” and the lifting of blockades.

    While “regretting” and “deploring” the latest developments, the pro-independence umbrella group recalled it had called for the French government’s proposed amendment on New Caledonia’s electoral changes to be withdrawn to “preserve the conditions to reach a comprehensive political agreement between all parties and the French State”.

    “However, this situation cannot justify putting at risk peace and all that has been implemented towards a lasting ‘living together’ and exit the colonisation system,” the FLNKS statement said.

    The FLNKS also noted that for the order to be validated, the controversial amendment still needed to be put to the vote of the French Congress (combined meeting of the Assembly and the Senate) and that French President Macron had indicated he would not convene the gathering of both Houses of the French Parliament immediately “to give a chance for dialogue and consensus”.

    “This is an opportunity FLNKS wishes to seize so that everyone’s claims, including those engaged in demonstrations, can be heard and taken into account,” the statement said.

    The President of the Loyalty Islands province, Jacques Lalié (pro-independence) on Wednesday called for “appeasement” and for “our youths to respect the values symbolised by our flag and maintain dignity in their engagement without succumbing to provocations”.

    “Absolute priority must be given to dialogue and the search for intelligence to reach a consensus,” he said.

    Paris vote which sparked unrest
    Overnight in Paris, the French National Assembly voted 351 in favour (mostly right-wing parties) and 153 against (mostly left-wing parties) the proposed constitutional amendments that sparked the ill-fated protests in Noumea on Monday.

    French National Assembly in session.
    French National Assembly in session . . . controversial draft New Caledonia constitutional electoral change adopted by a 351-153 vote. Image: Assemblée Nationale

    This followed hours of heated debate about the relevance of such a text, which New Caledonia’s pro-independence parties strongly oppose because, they say, it poses a serious risk and could shrink their political representation in local institutions (New Caledonia has three provincial assemblies as well as the local parliament, called its Congress).

    New Caledonia’s pro-independence parties had been calling for the government to withdraw the text and instead, to send a high-level “dialogue mission” to the French Pacific archipelago.

    The text, which is designed to open the restricted list of voters to those who have been residing in New Caledonia for an uninterrupted 10 years, has not completed its legislative path.

    After its endorsement by the Senate (on 2 April 2024, with amendments) and the National Assembly (15 May 2024), it still needs to be put to the vote of the French Congress (a joint sitting of France’s both Houses of Parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate) and obtain a required majority of 60 percent.

    The result of Tuesday's controversial New Caledonia vote in the French National Assembly
    The result of Tuesday’s controversial New Caledonia vote in the French National Assembly . . . 351 votes for the wider electoral roll with 153 against. Image: Assemblée Nationale

    The bigger picture
    The proposed constitutional amendments were tabled by the French Minister for Home Affairs and Overseas, Gérald Darmanin.

    Darmanin has defended his bill by saying the original restrictions to New Caledonia’s electoral roll put in place under temporary measures prescribed by the 1998 Nouméa Accord needed to be readjusted to restore “a minimum of democracy” in line with universal suffrage and France’s Constitution.

    The previous restrictions had been a pathway to decolonisation for New Caledonia inscribed in the French Constitution, which only allowed people who had been living in New Caledonia before 1998 to vote in local elections.

    Those principles were at the centre of the heated discussions during the two days of debate in the National Assembly, where strong words were often exchanged between both sides.

    More than 25 years after its implementation, the Accord– a kind of de facto embryonic Constitution for New Caledonia — is now deemed by France to have reached its expiry date after three self-determination referendums were held in 2018, 2020 and 2021, all resulting in a rejection of independence, although the last vote was highly controversial.

    The third and final referendum — although conducted legally — was boycotted by a majority of the pro-independence Kanak political groups and their supporters resulting in an overwhelming “no” vote to Independence from France, a stark contrast to the earlier referendum results.

    Results of New Caledonia referenda

    • 2018: 56.67 percent voted against independence and 43.33 percent in favour.
    • 2020: 53.26 percent voted against independence and 46.74 percent in favour.
    • 2021: 96.5 percent voted against independence and 3.5 percent in favour. (However, However, the third and final vote in 2021 — during the height of the covid pandemic — under the Nouméa Accord was boycotted by the pro-indigenous Kanak population. In that vote, 96 percent of the people voted against independence — with a 44 percent turnout.)

    Since the third referendum was held, numerous attempts have been made to convene all local political parties around the table to come up with a successor pact to the Nouméa Accord.

    This would have to be the result of inclusive and bipartisan talks, but those meetings have not yet taken place, mainly because of differences between — and within — both pro-independence and pro-France parties.

    Darmanin’s attempts to bring these talks to reality have so far failed, even though he has travelled to New Caledonia seven times over the past two years.

    From the pro-independence parties’ point of view, Darmanin is now regarded as not the right person anymore and has been blamed by critics for the talks stalling.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Nouméa ‘was on fire’ – New Zealander in New Caledonia tells of unrest

    RNZ News

    A New Zealand man has described scenes of chaos in the New Caledonia capital of Nouméa during the escalating civil unrest.

    Four people have died and hundreds have been injured during rioting by pro-independence supporters over electoral changes.

    French president Emmanuel Macron has declared a 12-day state of emergency and about 1200 police enforcements were due to arrive from France.

    New Zealand has upgraded its SafeTravel alert for parts of New Caledonia.

    All commercial flights to and from the Nouméa-La Tontouta international airport have been cancelled and many holiday makers have been stuck in Nouméa.

    Aucklander Mike Lightfoot is one of those people. He arrived in Nouméa in Monday and described the scenes in the city for RNZ Morning Report.

    Lightfoot said that as he and his wife started to make their way to their hotel they saw protesters, some with machetes, but they were not too worried.

    ‘Intersections on fire’
    “It was very peaceful, we thought at the time, but as we got closer into town we could certainly see there was unrest.

    “There was intersections on fire . . . as we came into the town itself there were the Gendarmerie in full gear . . . we thought this was getting serious.”

    Burning cars at a Nouméa protest barricade today.
    Burning cars at a Nouméa protest barricade today. Image: NC 1ère TV screenshot APR

    Lightfoot said his wife needed a doctor for a chest condition and as they were in the doctor’s surgery “we heard explosions and gunshots very close to us”.

    “They were rioting right through town, the town was on fire. Fortunately our taxi driver pulled down a side street, stopped for a second, got himself together. There were people running around our car and carrying on and he took off.

    “We climbed up in through the suburbs and as we came down to try and get back to our hotel we came to a roundabout and they had the roundabout completely blocked off, there would have been, we estimate, around 150 of them there protesting.

    “The whole roundabout was on fire, they had big blocks in the middle of the road.

    “As we edged through, the smoke was so black we couldn’t really see the road. One of them whacked the car as we went through but yeah, it was pretty unsettling . . . ”

    ‘Be prepared to evacuate’
    His hotel, Chateau Royal have asked people staying there not to step foot outside of the complex and “they’ve asked us to be prepared, that we may need to evacuate”.

    About 51 New Zealanders were staying at the hotel, he said.

    “We’re sort of feeling that people in New Zealand are really not understanding how serious this is and it’s quite unsettling for us all here, in fact we want out of here very quickly to be fair.”

    Lightfoot said the airlines were keeping them informed.

    “As soon as we are able to get to the airport they’ve [one airline] said that we are definitely on one of those planes. Air New Zealand at this point are planning to have a flight here on Saturday, if that goes ahead they also have us listed on that flight to get us out.”

    Supplies in the issue were a problem and staff were living on site for their own safety, he said.

    RNZ Pacific’s Koroi Hawkins said some Kanak leaders have told him they seem to have lost control of the youth.

    Other residents in the city of Nouméa, some of them pro-French, have began to arm themselves as vigilantes.

    Unrest a concern – Sepuloni
    Labour Party’s deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni told RNZ’s First Up the growing unrest in New Caledonia was a concern.

    Sepuloni said it was a worry, but she was not sure whether New Zealand would have any involvement in trying to bring the situation in the French territory under control.

    At last year’s Pacific Leaders Forum, French Polynesian representatives were already expressing concern about how some policies from the French government might affect its inidgenous population, she said.

    Glimmer of hope, says former envoy
    A former Australian consul-general for New Caledonia Denise Fisher said measures in the French territory could hopefully fix the immediate security problem, but this was not the core issue.

    “The key issue that set off the situation was about representation, who can vote in local elections.

    “And it seems such an esoteric issue but it’s a critical issue, especially for the independence supporters.”

    Fisher said 40 years ago, when peace agreements were reached after four years of violence, the key issue for the Kanak independence leaders was to constrain voting to only those with long term residence in New Caledonia.

    “So it’s a core issue with the breaking down and the expiry of these agreements. We’re now in a political kind of a vacuum and talks about this haven’t got very far.”

    She said there was a glimmer of hope on Wednesday.

    “Some independence parties and some loyalist parties issued a joint communiqué calling for peace

    “They’ve been having, as they have at the end of last year, informal talks, that they think they can talk and come to some sort of agreement to put to the French in the next couple of weeks.”

    • Denise Fisher, a visiting fellow at Australian National University, gives her assessment on New Caledonia in detail in this Asia Pacific Report article.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • France declares state of emergency in New Caledonia – four die in riots

    Asia Pacific Report

    France has declared a state of emergency on the Pacific territory of New Caledonia — New Zealand’s closest neighbour — after four people, including a police officer, have been killed in pro-independence riots over voting changes that further marginalise indigenous Kanaks, news agencies report.

    The move came as the French government confirmed an additional 500 members of the French national police and gendarmerie were being sent to the territory to reinforce the 1800 already there and to try and quell the violence.

    The state of emergency will last 12 days and give authorities additional powers to ban gatherings and forbid people from moving around the French-ruled territory.

    The last time France imposed such measures on one of its overseas territories was in 1985 —  also in New Caledonia in the middle of a similar upheaval known as “Les événements“, the Interior Ministry said.

    Rioters torched vehicles and businesses and looted stores and this video below (in French) from the local Caledonia TV shows the destruction in the wake of the protests.


    Deaths amid the third day of rioting.               Video: Caledonia TV

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Gallery: From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free

    Asia Pacific Report

    As Israel drives the Palestinians deeper into another Nakba in Gaza with its assault on Rafah, the Palestine Youth Aotearoa (PYA) and solidarity supporters in Aotearoa New Zealand tonight commemorated the original Nakba — “the Catastrophe” — of 1948.

    The 1948 Nakba
    The 1948 Nakba . . . more than 750,000 Palestinians were forced to leave their homeland and become exiles in neighbouring states. Many dream of their UN-recognised right to return. Image: Wikipedia

    This was when Israeli militias slaughtered more than 15,000 people, perpetrated more than 70 massacres and occupied more than three quarters of Palestine, with 750,000 of the Palestinian population forced into becoming refugees from their own land.

    The Nakba was a massive campaign of ethnic cleansing followed by the destruction of hundreds of villages, to prevent the return of the refugees — similar to what is being wrought now in Gaza.

    The Nakba lies at the heart of 76 years of injustice for the Palestinians — and for the latest injustice, the seven-month long war on Gaza.

    Participants told through their stories, poetry and songs by candlelight, they would not forget 1948 — “and we will not forget the genocide under way in Gaza.”

    Photographs: David Robie

     

    Nakba Day vigil in Tāmaki Makaurau in Aotearoa 2024
    1 of 12
    Nakba 1: Recalling the original Nakba in Palestine in 1948. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Nakba 2: Photos of the original 1948 Nakba and the atrocities that followed. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Nakba 3: A photographic timeline from 1948 until 2024. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Nakba 4: Blindfolded Palestinian captive. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Nakba 5: “Generation after generation until total liberation.” Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Nakba 6: Palestinian Kiwi children with miniature watermelons. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Nakba 7: Palestinian keys – symbolic of the Right To Return. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Nakba 8: Palestinian Kiwi child poet. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Nakba 9: “Return is our right, our destiny.” Image: Davd Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Nakba 10: A montage of Israeli settler colonial cruelty. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Nakba 11: Palestinian children sing about their homeland during the Nakba rally in Auckland’s Aotea Square on Sunday, 12 May 2024. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Nakba 12: A giant “key of return” during the Queen Street Nakba march on Sunday, 12 May 2024. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report


    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Antoinette Lattouf: A disheartening feminist ‘silence’ over Gaza

    COMMENTARY: By Antoinette Lattouf

    Sorry Palestinian women and children. It seems Australia’s leading women’s media company has more pressing issues to cover than the seemingly endless human rights atrocities committed against you.

    It’s been seven months of almost complete silence from Mamamia and their most popular writers and podcast hosts.

    I’ve respected and appreciated their work in the past, which is why it’s truly disheartening to see.

    Mamamia Out Loud has found time and scope to speak about me personally in two recent episodes (both sadly devoid of context and riddled with inaccuracies) yet can’t seem to find the words to report on or reflect on the man made famine in Gaza.

    The murdered and orphaned children. The women having c-sections with no anaesthesia. The haunting screams from mothers hugging their lifeless babies bodies for the last time.

    Faux feminism? Or is it all still “too complex”? I can’t answer that, except to say it’s dispiriting and disappointing to witness given Mamamia’s tagline.

    What we’re talking about
    Because Gaza is what millions of Australian women “are actually talking about”. It’s what’s waking countless Australian women up at night. It’s what’s making Australian women tremble in tears watching children’s body parts dug out from beneath the rubble.

    Mamamia’s audience is being let down, they deserve better.

    As for the innocent women and girls of Palestine — tragically “let down” doesn’t even begin to describe it. They deserve so much more.

    I’m utterly heartbroken witnessing such disregard for their lives.

    So I fixed the Mamamia headline in the above photo.

    Antoinette Lattouf is an Australian-Lebanese journalist, host, author and diversity advocate. She has worked with a range of mainstream media, and as a social commentator for various online and broadcast publications. This commentary was first published on her Facebook page.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • New Caledonia violence ‘unfortunate’ but ‘not surprising’, says Pacific Forum chief

    RNZ Pacific

    Outgoing Secretary-General Henry Puna of the Pacific Islands Forum is “not surprised” with the violent unrest in New Caledonia which has shut down the French Pacific territory.

    New Caledonia has come to a virtual stop after three days of civil unrest, resulting in burning, shooting and looting, as leaders call for calm.

    French police reinforcements have arrived in Nouméa, with reports of dozens of arrests being made.

    New Caledonia’s territorial President, pro-independence leader Louis Mapou, has condemned violent actions, saying “anger cannot justify harming or destroying public property, production tools, all of which this country has taken decades to build”.

    Secretary-General Puna told journalists in his final news conference as the region’s top diplomat from Rarotonga that “to see the collapse [and], protesting is very unfortunate” — but it was predictable.

    He said the issue “has been boiling” since the 2021 independence referendum in the French territory, the third and final vote under the Nouméa Accord, which was boycotted by the pro-indigenous Kanak population.

    He said he was there in December 2021 to monitor the independence referendum when it was taken and “it was unfortunate that it was allowed to go ahead during that time”.

    ‘In middle of covid pandemic’
    “We were in the middle of the covid pandemic and the Kanak custom is that when somebody passes, they mourn for one year. So they weren’t allowed that freedom.

    “As a result, they didn’t want to take part in the referendum because they couldn’t go against their tradition and go campaigning or do other work. That’s disrespectful for the custom.”

    Puna said the Nouméa Accord — all the processes, and the steps leading to that referendum, had been set and agreed to by all parties and if that had been followed right through, the referendum would not have been held then but in September 2022.

    “To see the collapse and protesting is very unfortunate because it does raise some issues that need to be resolved. But I think it can be resolved in the wisdom of our leaders at this time.

    “That’s something that we really need to talk about openly and honestly. What the causes of the problem are, and what the solutions could be.

    Henry Puna in Rarotonga. 15 May 2024
    Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna . . . the New Caledonia unrest is “unfortunate”. Image: PIF Secretariat

    ‘Recognise greater autonomy’ – Mark Brown
    The outgoing chair of the Forum and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said greater autonomy for the indigenous Kanak population was needed.

    Brown said Pacific peoples valued sovereignty and the protests were in response to that.

    He said many forum members were former colonies.

    “If there’s one thing that specific countries value, it is the sovereignty and independence. To be able to have control over the destiny of your own country,” he said.

    New Caledonia, French Polynesia were new entrants into the Forum and this was in recognition of their calls they had made for greater autonomy coming from their people.

    “My initial view of the unrest that’s occurring in Caledonia, it is a call to recognise greater autonomy and greater independence from the people on those islands,” he said.

    “As a member of the Forum now, we will be able to provide support assistance to these member countries as to the best way forward without trying to avoid any escalation of conflict.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Three dead in New Caledonia amid independence, electoral unrest

    Three people have now died in New Caledonia in the wake of pro-independence protests and escalating unrest.

    Charles Wea, a spokesperson for international relations in the New Caledonian territorial President’s office, confirmed the deaths to RNZ Pacific.

    The circumstances are unclear in the French territory’s third day of violence.

    France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said hundreds of people had been injured in rioting, Reuters reported.

    French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc said: “I sense dark hours have arrived in New Caledonia.”

    “So what we must remember from what I am going to tell you is a call for calm — stop, stop.

    “Stop what has been started.”

    Security forces bolstered
    This follows France sending in more than 600 reinforcements to back up local police.

    More than 130 people have been arrested and fears are turning to how these people will be detained, with the prison population already at capacity.

    Local journalist Coralie Cochin told RNZ another curfew had been announced for this evening starting at 6pm local time.

    A New Zealander holidaying in New Caledonia earlier told RNZ residents in the territory believed the situation could get worse.

    Mike Lightfoot and his family are stuck in New Caledonia until at least Friday after the government imposed curfews and a drinking ban to try to quell protests.

    The violence was provoked by a proposal by France which would allow French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years, to vote in provincial elections — a move local pro-independence leaders fear will dilute the vote of the indigenous Kanak population.

    Lightfoot said the situation seemed peaceful as his family returned from a beach north of Nouméa, but the number of protests escalated as they entered the capital.

    ‘Frightening — gunshots, explosions’
    Intersections were blocked and some were on fire. There were riot police throughout the city.

    He and his wife had to leave the hotel at night to find a doctor after she developed a chest infection.

    “It was a frightening experience. We could hear gunshots. We heard explosions.”

    They had to drive through a roundabout on fire, blocked by 150 protesters.

    Lightfoot said locals and staff in the hotel had told them they believed protests could escalate with the presence of more riot police and latest moves from France.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Violence erupts in New Caledonia as independence supporters oppose legislation in Paris

    Macron’s plan has backfired. But there can be no sustainable solution without cooperation of all parties, writes a former Australian diplomat in New Caledonia.

    ANALYSIS: By Denise Fisher

    Monday night saw demonstrations by independence supporters in New Caledonia erupt into serious violence for the first time since the 1980s civil disturbances.

    The mainly indigenous demonstrators were opposing President Emmanuel Macron’s imposition of constitutional change to widen voter eligibility unless discussions about the future begin soon.

    The protests occurred the day before France’s National Assembly was to vote on the issue, and just after Macron had proposed new talks in Paris.

    On Monday, May 13, in Noumea, as France’s National Assembly debated the constitutional change in Paris, their local counterparts in the New Caledonian Congress were debating a resolution calling for withdrawal of the legislation.

    The debate was bitter, after months of deepening division between independence and loyalist parties and focusing as it did on one of the most sensitive issues to each side, that of voter eligibility. The resolution was passed, as independence parties secured the support of a small minority party to outnumber the loyalists.

    Macron, in an eleventh hour bid to prompt all parties to participate in new discussions about the future, proposed on May 13 to hold talks in Paris, but only after the Assembly vote of May 14 (albeit before the next step in the constitutional amendment process, a meeting of both houses).

    Independence party leaders had called on their supporters to demonstrate against the constitutional reform, to coincide with the National Assembly’s consideration of the issue. The evening of May 13 was marked by violence on a scale not seen in decades.

    Burning of buildings, roadblocks
    It included the burning of buildings and businesses, roadblocks preventing movement in and out of the capital, and the closure of airports and ports in some of the islands. Police were targeted with gunfire and stoning, resulting in 35 injured police.

    As of yesterday, Tuesday May 14, people were being asked to stay at home, with a curfew imposed. France, which already had 700 police on the job in New Caledonia, has sent reinforcements to maintain order.

    A curfew was imposed. France, which already had 700 police on the job in New Caledonia, has sent reinforcements
    A curfew was imposed. France, which already had 700 police on the job in New Caledonia, has sent reinforcements to maintain order. Image: Al Jazeera screenshot APR

    The violence immediately brought to the minds of leaders the bloodshed of the 1980s, termed “les événements”.

    The French High Commissioner, or governor, suggested things were moving “towards an abyss” and cancelled some incoming flights to prevent complications from tourists being unable to access Noumea, while noting that the airport and main wharf remain open. He urged independence leaders to use their influence on the young to stop the violence.

    The Mayor of Noumea, Sonia Lagarde, described the situation as “extremely well organised guerrilla warfare” involving “well-trained young people” and suggested “a sort of civil war” was approaching.

    On the face of it, to an outsider, Macron’s plan to broaden voter eligibility to those with 10 years’ residence prior to any local election, unless discussions about the future begin, would seem reasonable.

    He sees the three independence votes held from 2018–21 as legal, notwithstanding the largely indigenous boycott of the third. (Each referendum saw a vote to stay with France, although support was narrow, declining from 56.7% to 53.3% in the first two votes, but ballooning to 96.5% in the third vote boycotted by independence supporters.)

    ‘Radical’ for white Caledonians, ‘unconscionable’ for Kanaks
    For New Caledonians, Macron’s positioning is radical. Loyalists see it as a vindication of their position.

    But for independence parties, France’s stance has been unconscionable.  Independence leaders reject the result of the boycotted referendum and want another self-determination vote soon.

    Some have refused to participate in discussions organised by France, although one of the most recalcitrant elements suggested some discussion would be possible just days before the violent demonstrations.

    But they have all strongly opposed Macron’s imposing constitutional change to widen voter eligibility unilaterally from Paris. They were affronted by his appointment of a prominent loyalist MP as the rapporteur responsible for shepherding the issue through the Assembly.

    They have instead been calling for a special mission led by an impartial figure to bring about dialogue.

    Protests included the burning of buildings and businesses
    Protests included the burning of buildings and businesses, roadblocks preventing movement in and out of the capital, and the closure of airports and ports in some of the islands. Image: NC La Première TV

    More importantly, they see the highly sensitive voter eligibility issue as a central negotiating chip in discussions about the future. Confining voter eligibility only to those with longstanding residence on a fixed basis — not by a number of years prior to any local election as Macron is proposing — was fundamental to securing independence party acceptance of peace agreements over 30 years, after France had operated a policy of bringing in French nationals from elsewhere to outweigh local independence supporters who are primarily indigenous.

    Differences have deepened
    With the inconclusive end of these agreements, differences have only deepened.

    Loyalist leaders have accused independence leaders of planning the violence. Whether it was planned or whether demonstrations degenerated, either way it is clear that emotions are running high among independence supporters, who feel their position is not being respected.

    No sustainable solution for the governance of New Caledonia is possible without the cooperation of all parties.

    It seems that, regardless of Macron’s evident intention of spurring parties to come to the discussion table, his plan has backfired. Discussions are unlikely to resume soon.

    Denise Fisher is a visiting fellow at Australian National University’s Centre for European Studies. She was an Australian diplomat for 30 years, serving in Australian diplomatic missions as a political and economic policy analyst in many Australian missions in Asia, Europe and Africa, including as Australian Consul-General in Nouméa, New Caledonia (2001-2004). She is the author of France in the South Pacific: Power and Politics (2013). This article was first published by the Lowy Institute’s The Interpreter and is republished by Asia Pacific Report with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • New Caledonia unrest: Pro-independence calls for calm ‘to preserve peace’

    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

    A group belonging to New Caledonia’s pro-independence movement, UNI (Union Nationale pour l’Indépendance), has released a communiqué saying they were “moved by and deplored the exactions and violence taking place“.

    UNI member of New Caledonia’s Northern provincial assembly Patricia Goa said the violent unrest “affects the whole of our population”.

    She said it was “necessary to preserve all that we have built together for over 30 years” and that the priority was “to preserve peace, social cohesion”.

    Patricia Goa at the government of the Northern Province in New Caledonia
    New Caledonia’s Northern provincial assembly Patricia Goa . . . call to “preserve all that we have built together for over 30 years.” Image: Walter Zweifel/RNZ

    New Caledonia’s territorial President, pro-independence leader Louis Mapou, in a news release from his “collegial” government, appealed for “calm, peace, stability and reason”.

    He said they “must remain our goals” in the face of “those events that can only show the persistence of profound fractures and misunderstandings”.

    Louis Mapou of New Caledonia's pro-independence UNI Party
    New Caledonia President Louis Mapou . . . an appeal to “bring back reason and calm”. Photo: RNZ Walter Zweifel

    He called on all components of New Caledonia’s society to “use every way and means to bring back reason and calm”.

    “Every explanation for these frustrations — anger cannot justify harming or destroying public property, production tools, all of which this country has taken decades to build,” he said, strongly condemning such actions.

    Referring to current debates in the Paris National Assembly on changing the French Constitution — to allow more voters at New Caledonia’s local provincial elections — Mapou also appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron, to “bear in mind” that at all times, the priority must remain for a comprehensive agreement to be struck between all political leaders of New Caledonia, to pave the way for the archipelago’s long-term political future.

    This accord has not taken place and Macron at the weekend invited all of New Caledonia’s leaders to restart discussions in Paris.

    Protestors take part in a demonstration led by the Union of Kanak Workers and the Exploited (USTKE) and organisations of the Kanaky Solidarity Collective in support of Kanak people, with flags of the Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front (FLNKS) next to a statue of Vauban, amid a debate at the French National Assembly on the constitutional bill aimed at enlarging the electorate of the overseas French territory of New Caledonia, in Paris on May 14, 2024. France's prime minister on May 14, 2024, urged the restoration of calm in New Caledonia after the French Pacific archipelago was rocked by a night of rioting against a controversial voting reform that has angered pro-independence forces.
    Protesters take part in a demonstration led by the Union of Kanak Workers and the Exploited (USTKE) and organisations of the Kanaky Solidarity Collective in support of Kanak people, with flags of the Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front (FLNKS) in Paris next to a statue of Vauban, a celebrated 18th century French military engineer who became a Marshal of France. Image: RNZ

    Back in Paris, debates resumed last night in National Assembly, but the vote on a French government-proposed Constitutional change to modify the conditions of eligibility ended with a decisive yes 351-153 in spite of the strong opposition.

    Left-wing MPs are supporting New Caledonia’s pro-independence movement in their struggle against a text they believe would seriously affect their political representation.

    The constitutional change is regarded as the main cause of New Caledonia’s current unrest.

    Meanwhile, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, is this week heading a political delegation in several Pacific island countries and territories, including Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Tuvalu.

    However, the New Caledonian leg of the tour was officially cancelled and will be rescheduled to another date.

    As part of the official travel programme, the delegation was to “meet with government, political and cultural leaders, visit New Zealand-supported development initiatives and participate in community activities”.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    Burnt van and tyres at one roadblock near Nouméa’ Magenta industrial zone
    Burnt van and tyres at one roadblock near Nouméa’ Magenta industrial zone. Image: RNZ/La 1ère TV

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘A lot of fire, violence’: Nouméa erupts as protests halt New Caledonia

    RNZ Pacific

    New Caledonians lined up in long queues outside shopping centres to buy supplies in the capital Nouméa today amid political unrest in the French territory

    Demonstrations, marches and clashes with security forces erupted yesterday and French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc told the public broadcaster he had called for reinforcements to maintain law and order.

    The unrest comes amid proposed constitutional changes, which could strengthen voting rights for anti-independence supporters in New Caledonia.

    A Nouméa resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told RNZ Pacific people had started “panic buying” in scenes reminiscent of the covid-19 pandemic.

    “A lot of fire, violence . . . but it’s better. I stay safe at home. There are a lot of police and army. I want the government to put the action for the peace [sic].”

    The unrest comes amid proposed constitutional changes, which could strengthen voting rights for anti-independence supporters in New Caledonia.
    The unrest comes amid proposed constitutional changes, which could strengthen voting rights for anti-independence supporters in New Caledonia. Image: Screenshot/NC la 1ère/RNZ

    Authorities have imposed a curfew for Nouméa and its surrounds, from 6pm tonight to 6am tomorrow.

    Airports are closed due to protest action.

    Public services and schools in the affected areas announced they were sending staff and students home on Monday, and that they would remain closed for the next few days.

    Meanwhile, New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, who is on a five-country Pacific mission this week, has cancelled his visit to New Caledonia due to the unrest.

    Peters and a delegation of other ministers were due to visit the capital Nouméa later this week.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • NZ foreign minister Peters cancels New Caledonia visit as unrest erupts

    New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has cancelled his visit to New Caledonia due to pro-independence unrest throughout the French Pacific territory.

    Peters and a delegation of other ministers was due to visit the capital Nouméa later this week.

    Nouméa’s La Tontouta International Airport is expected to remain closed until at least 5pm today (local time).

    The violence in Nouméa came as the National Assembly in Paris prepared to vote on a government-tabled constitutional amendment for New Caledonia.

    On Monday demonstrations, marches and confrontations with security forces spread throughout New Caledonia with flashpoints in suburbs of Nouméa.

    Police in New Caledonia during unrest.
    Police in New Caledonia guard the telecommunications office of OPT in Nouméa. Image: RNZ/@ncla1ere

    By the evening, several violent confrontations were still taking place between pro-independence militants and police.

    Officials were working to set a new date for the visit, Peters said.

    Aircalin flights cancelled
    New Caledonian airline Aircalin has also cancelled a flight due to leave Auckland for Nouméa this afternoon.

    Aircalin flight SB411 had been due to depart Auckland at 2pm.

    The airline said rescheduling information would be posted on its website as soon as possible.

    An alert issued by Aircalin stated flight SB410 from Nouméa, due to land in Auckland at 12.40pm today, had also been cancelled.

    However, as of noon, Auckland International Airport’s arrivals board had no indication of any changes to the flight, or cancellations.

    Meanwhile, Air New Zealand is monitoring the situation ahead of its next flight to Nouméa at 8.25am on Saturday, May 18.

    A spokesperson for the airline said that flight was still expected to leave on schedule.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Botched prison mutiny, protests ahead of New Caledonia constitution vote

    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

    New Caledonia has gone through yet another day of tense political protests and a failed prison mutiny — a few hours ahead of a vote in Paris’s National Assembly on a government-tabled Constitutional amendment.

    This amendment would “unfreeze” the list of eligible voters at local elections.

    Demonstrations, marches and confrontations with security forces spread throughout the French Pacific territory yesterday, with flash points in the suburbs of the capital Nouméa, especially the villages of Saint Louis and nearby Mont-Dore.

    Several vehicles were burned on the roads.

    By last evening, several violent confrontations were still taking place between pro-independence militants and police.

    At Nouméa’s central prison, Camp Est, three penitentiary staff were briefly taken hostage by inmates, as part of a botched mutiny within the jail.

    The hostages were later released.

    Public services and schools in the affected areas announced they were sending staff and students home yesterday, and that they would remain closed for the next few days.

    Marches were organised by a pro-independence “field action coordination committee” (CCAT) close to the Union Calédonienne party (UC), one of the main components of the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS).

    In Lifou, an estimated 1,000+ took part in demonstrations – Photo NC la 1ère
    In Lifou, at least 1000 people were estimated to have taken part in po-independence demonstrations. Image: NC la 1ère/RNZ

    CCAT said in a release this was “stage two and a half” (out of three stages) of its mobilisation.

    It involved marches in New Caledonia’s Loyalty Islands group, including Lifou, where at least 1000 people were estimated to have taken part in demonstrations.

    French High commissioner’s warning
    French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc announced through the public broadcaster La Première that he had called for reinforcements from Paris to maintain law and order.

    This included police, gendarmes and members of the SWAT group GIGN (Gendarmerie National Intervention Group) and RAID.

    Law enforcement officers were injured by stones and shots were fired from within Saint Louis on Monday, he said.

    Blockades at the entrance of the village of Saint Louis – Photo NC la 1ère
    A blockade at the entrance of the village of Saint Louis. Image: NC la 1ère/RNZ

    He said some of the weapons used by “youth” were high calibre hunting guns.

    Le Franc also warned if, in future, law enforcement officers were targeted again, they would consider themselves in a situation of “legitimate defence” and would retaliate.

    “So I’m warning these young people . . .  They should stop using weapons against gendarmes,” he said.

    “I don’t want to see dead people in New Caledonia, but everyone should take their responsibility.

    “I have also asked the custom chiefs [of Saint Louis] to do their job. They have an influence over these young people; they should restore calm.”

    He told journalists most delinquents seemed to be under the influence of alcohol.

    Le Franc also announced for the next 48 hours he had placed a ban on port and transport of weapons and ammunition, as well as another ban on the sale of liquor.

    “Thirty-five gendarmes have been injured [on Monday] by stones and gunshots of large calibre, semi-automatic hunting guns. These are about 200 aggressive youths,” he told the public media.

    While appealing for calm and respect for public order, he also strongly condemned the blockades and said the police and gendarmes’ first mission was to restore freedom of movement at blockades.

    About 15 people were arrested yesterday, he said.

    French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech in Nouméa on 26 July 2023
    French President Emmanuel Macron delivering a speech in Nouméa on 26 July 2023 Image: RNZ

    Macron to invite leaders for talks
    In an apparent wish to give more time for a local, inclusive agreement to take place, French President Emmanuel Macron’s entourage told French media at the weekend he would not convene the French Congress (a special gathering of both Houses of Parliament) for “several weeks”.

    The French President’s office was also ready to call on all of New Caledonia’s political parties (both pro-France and pro-independence) for a roundtable in Paris by the end of May, in order to find an agreement on New Caledonia’s long-term political future.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.