A pro-independence Kanak senator from New Caledonia, a French colony in the Indo-Pacific region, has said that the only solution for the island is to achieve independence after recent events in the region, French media reported.
Speaking to the media, New Caledonia Senator Robert Wienie Xowie said the Parisian government’s attempt to pass a reform bill aimed at changing the electoral register has provoked the current situation on the island.
The senator said the French state should resume dialogue with independence supporters and build confidence by withdrawing the reform bill.
Speaking about the new government’s impact on New Caledonia, Xowie said:
“We must not be delusional. There is a new government, that’s true. And when we consider how slowly and long it took for this government to be established, we understand that it will always be guided by the Élysée (the French Presidency).”
Xowie recalled that the Nouméa Accord signed by France in 1998 laid the groundwork for New Caledonia’s transition to independence. He also added:
“After what we’ve seen and experienced in recent months, there is no other solution for the country today than lasting peace; and that is called “sovereignty.” There is no other way.”
Detained activists
Xowie also expressed sadness that supporters of New Caledonia’s independence were detained in France, 17,000 kilometres (10,563 miles) away from their homeland. He said:
“We reacted because there is a desire to separate them from their family ties. France, a country that claims to respect human rights, needs to reconsider and reflect on this. Because in a country that upholds human rights, we cannot continue to turn a blind eye to people losing their dignity and especially their rights.”
New Caledonia marked the 171st anniversary of its annexation by France last week amid ongoing violence caused by delayed electoral reforms proposed by Paris that have been fuelling tensions for weeks.
The day, which the indigenous Kanak people call the Kanak Day of Mourning, marks the French colonisation of New Caledonia in 1853. The Kanak, who number 112,000 out of a population of 300,000, have consistently favoured independence from French rule.
Pro-independence struggle
Independence supporters opposed to the French government’s constitutional reform initiative in New Caledonia marched on May 13, and incidents erupted on the island, killing 10 people. The French Government declared a state of emergency in New Caledonia.
French President Macron announced that he was suspending a constitutional reform initiative until early general elections were held in France on June 30 and July 7.
After 7 pro-independence supporters, including Kanak leader Christian Tein, were taken into custody in France, 17,000 kilometres away, violence erupted on the island, with several buildings and vehicles, including a police station, being set on fire.
