{"id":1612189,"date":"2024-04-16T00:16:07","date_gmt":"2024-04-16T00:16:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?p=99856"},"modified":"2024-04-16T00:16:07","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T00:16:07","slug":"pro-independence-activist-issues-dire-warning-to-france-over-kanaky-new-caledonia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2024\/04\/16\/pro-independence-activist-issues-dire-warning-to-france-over-kanaky-new-caledonia\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro-independence activist issues dire warning to France over Kanaky New Caledonia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/authors\/lydia-lewis\">Lydia Lewis<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/international\/pacific-news\/\">RNZ Pacific<\/a> journalist<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A pro-independence activist in New Caledonia is warning France to immediately halt its planned constitution amendments or face &#8220;war&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>The call for a u-turn follows proposed constitutional changes to voting rights <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/international\/pacific-news\/514138\/france-security-forces-in-noumea-ahead-of-two-opposing-marches\">which could push the number<\/a> of eligible anti-independence voters up.<\/p>\n<p>Pacific Independence Movement (le Mouvement des Oc\u00e9aniens ind\u00e9pendantistes) spokesperson Arnaud Chollet-L\u00e9akava was one of the thousands who took to the streets in Noum\u00e9a in protest last Saturday.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/podcast.radionz.co.nz\/mnr\/mnr-20240415-0823-protestors_take_to_streets_in_new_caledonia-128.mp3\"><span class=\"c-play-controller__title\"><strong>LISTEN TO RNZ <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"c-play-controller__title\"><strong><em>PACIFIC WAVES<\/em>:<\/strong> Lydia Lewis reports from Kanaky New Caledonia<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/2024\/04\/15\/new-caledonia-flags-and-emotions-flying-high-over-proposed-changes\/\">New Caledonia: Flags and emotions flying high over proposed changes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?s=New+Caledonia+protests\">Other Kanaky New Caledonia protest reports<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>He told RNZ Pacific that tensions were high.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are here to tell them we must not make this mistake,&#8221; Chollet-L\u00e9akava said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Step by step, I think there will be war.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A nearby counter-protest in Noum\u00e9a also had a large turnout.<\/p>\n<p>People there wore the French flag, a contrast to the sea of blue, red, green and yellow representing the Kanak flag at the pro-independence rally.<\/p>\n<p>Solange Ponija was one of thousands at the pro-independence rally in Noum\u00e9a.<\/p>\n<p>She said the constitutional change &#8212; if pushed through &#8212; would tip the balance of voting power onto the French side, she said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"photo-captioned photo-captioned-full photo-cntr eight_col \">\n<figure style=\"width: 1050px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.rnztools.nz\/rnz\/image\/upload\/s--5MBRA_YG--\/ar_16:10,c_fill,f_auto,g_auto,q_auto,w_1050\/v1713095422\/4KRPOG3_An_estimated_20_000_wave_of_anti_independence_supporters_with_French_flags_gathered_on_Noum_a_s_Baie_de_la_Moselle_on_Saturday_13_April_2024_Photo_RRB_jpeg\" alt=\"An estimated 20,000 wave of anti-independence supporters with French flags gathered on Noum\u00e9a's Baie de la Moselle on Saturday 13 April 2024.\" width=\"1050\" height=\"1803\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anti-independence supporters with French flags gathered on Noum\u00e9a&#8217;s Baie de la Moselle last Saturday. Image: RRB\/RNZ<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"fr\">Marseillaise du pacifique <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OhuLO0AnHp\">pic.twitter.com\/OhuLO0AnHp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nicolas Metzdorf (@NicolasMetzdorf) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NicolasMetzdorf\/status\/1779071440513626505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 13, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"photo-captioned photo-captioned-full photo-cntr eight_col \">\n<figure style=\"width: 1050px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.rnztools.nz\/rnz\/image\/upload\/s--bm4Mc_T---\/ar_16:10,c_fill,f_auto,g_auto,q_auto,w_1050\/v1713102978\/4KRPIM6_eca7b36c_0a45_4111_b86f_9753d7ea836e_jpg\" alt=\"Dog wears Kanak flag at pro-independence rally April 2024.\" width=\"1050\" height=\"787\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A dog wearing a Kanak flag at the pro-independence rally last Saturday. Image: RNZ Pacific\/Lydia Lewis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>She feared the indigenous people of New Caledonia &#8212; the Kanak people &#8212; would lose in their fight for independence:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They want to make us a minority . . .\u00a0 it will make us a minority!<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The law will make the Kanaky people a minority because it will open the electoral body to other people who are not Kanaky and who will give their opinion on the accession of Caledonia to full sovereignty,&#8221; Ponija said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"photo-captioned photo-captioned-full photo-cntr eight_col \">\n<figure style=\"width: 1050px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.rnztools.nz\/rnz\/image\/upload\/s--NCwTFGHZ--\/ar_16:10,c_fill,f_auto,g_auto,q_auto,w_1050\/v1713102907\/4KRPIO5_4cd4630b_d5d9_4500_b01a_85c10eb31b67_jpg\" alt=\"Security was high, with more than 100 additional security forces sent from France for the April protest and counter-protest.\" width=\"1050\" height=\"787\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Security was high last weekened with more than 100 additional security forces sent from France for the protest and counter-protest. Image: RNZ Pacific\/Lydia Lewis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"photo-captioned__information\"><strong>&#8216;Heading towards a civil war&#8217;<br \/>\n<\/strong>A French man who has lived in New Caledonia for two decades said independence or not, he just wanted peace.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The man &#8212; who wanted to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution &#8212; said he moved to New Caledonia knowing he would be living on colonised land.<\/p>\n<p>Having experienced violence in 2019, the man begged both sides to be amicable.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;[It&#8217;s] very complicated and very serious because if the law is not withdrawn and passed. We are clearly heading towards a civil war,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We hope for peace and we hope that we find a common agreement for both parties.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;People want peace and we don&#8217;t want to move towards war.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The constitutional bill was endorsed by the French Senate on April 2.<\/p>\n<p>The next stage is for the bill to be debated, which has been set down for May 13.<\/p>\n<p>Then both the Senate and the National Assembly will gather in June to give the final stamp of approval.<\/p>\n<p>This would allow any citizen who has lived in New Caledonia for at least 10 years to cast their vote at local elections.<\/p>\n<div class=\"photo-captioned photo-captioned-full photo-cntr eight_col \">\n<figure style=\"width: 1050px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.rnztools.nz\/rnz\/image\/upload\/s--gSU-wBWd--\/ar_16:10,c_fill,f_auto,g_auto,q_auto,w_1050\/v1713102991\/4KRPILT_83eaf184_b31f_4a14_9656_39eaec2077c4_jpg\" alt=\"New Caledonia pro-independence rally in April 2024.\" width=\"1050\" height=\"787\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Kanaky New Caledonia pro-independence rally last Saturday. Image: RNZ Pacific\/Lydia Lewis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><i><em>This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.<\/em><\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"syndicated-attribution\"><br>\r\nThis content originally appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/2024\/04\/16\/pro-independence-activist-issues-dire-warning-to-france-over-kanaky-new-caledonia\/\" >Asia Pacific Report<\/a> and was authored by APR editor.  <br><\/p>\n<p class=\"syndicated-attribution\">This post was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/2024\/04\/16\/pro-independence-activist-issues-dire-warning-to-france-over-kanaky-new-caledonia\/\">Radio Free<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A pro-independence activist in New Caledonia is warning France to immediately halt its planned constitution amendments or face \u201cwar\u201d. The call for a u-turn follows proposed constitutional changes to voting rights which could push the number of eligible anti-independence voters up. Pacific Independence Movement (le Mouvement des Oc\u00e9aniens ind\u00e9pendantistes)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":400,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10302,2242,27617,62384,20115,432,65687,50,5,1374,5956,480,6,356,7,4245,62710,34327,39535,5958,9274,10,42731,2314,5955,34867,30396,42732,1696,78437,358,12,13,14,49066,35,1633,368,417,15,27150,1743,12130,44327],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612189"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/400"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1612189"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1615334,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612189\/revisions\/1615334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1612189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1612189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1612189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}