French state 'responsible' for crisis in New Caledonia: local official

The French state is responsible for the crisis in New Caledonia, a local political representative said.

Marie-Line Sakilia, a member of the New Caledonia Congress and the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front, or FLNKS, an alliance of pro-independence political parties on the island, told Anadolu that the “French state is responsible for the mobilisation of the loyalists and the pro-independence groups,” because it insisted on reforming the electoral rules without a local deal.

She recalled that the reform bill adopted on May 13 by the lawmakers in the French parliament aimed at unfreezing the electoral body ahead of the local elections.

The Pacific archipelago has been gripped by unrest since last week, sparked by a bill to review electoral rules.

If the changes to electoral rules are adopted, French nationals who have lived in the island nation for at least 10 years will be eligible to vote in local elections.

Locals, however, are concerned that the changes will dilute the indigenous Kanak population's vote.

“This reform provoked a completely normal reaction of the local population, particularly that of the primary population, the Kanaks,” Sakilia said, stressing that the reform was making the Kanaks “a minority” in their country.

"Provocative behaviour"

She also criticised the security forces in the field for provocative and disproportionate behaviour during the events where six people were killed, including two officers sent from France.

“Forces entered neighbourhoods and shot sting-ball grenades and flash-balls on buildings,” she explained.

Sakilia described the reform as “unacceptable” and said: “Only the natives who are born in this territory, have the right to vote. Simply because this reform will make us a minority in New Caledonia, our country, listed as an autonomous territory by the UN on Dec. 3, 1986 … aspiring to become a state.”

The UN in 1986 listed New Caledonia as a non-self-governing territory under French administration, which also means a territory to be decolonised.

Sakilia recalled that three referendums were held about the independence of New Caledonia, and added: “The third one was stolen because the pro-independence groups and a vast majority of the population - more than 53 percent - could not attend it, so we consider that this referendum was stolen from us because there was the COVID-19 crisis and we had around 300 deaths in late 2021.”

The French state did not take into consideration the local funeral rituals and rushed to organise the referendum in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, according to Sakilia.

According to this referendum’s results, the New Caledonian population decided to remain in French territory.

State of emergency

France declared a state of emergency and deployed additional forces to assist local forces in reinstating order.

The French government’s decision to ban access to the social media app TikTok in New Caledonia on May 15, soon after tensions rose, sparked controversy.

The government said it aimed to counter communication between rioters.

President Emmanuel Macron took up a quick visit to the capital Noumea on Thursday and met with the local representatives to set up a dialogue.

He expressed his wish to end the state of emergency if the roadblocks are removed, and to launch talks for a “comprehensive political deal” about the institutional and economic future of the island.