Opposition MP asks Macron gov’t to decolonize New Caledonia

ARNOUVILLE, France (AA) – A French opposition lawmaker has urged President Emmanuel Macron’s government to decolonize New Caledonia where violent protests erupted in mid-May after Paris passed a constitutional reform aimed at reducing the indigenous Kanaks’ electoral influence, killing at least seven people.

Carlos Martens Bilongo, a deputy in the National Assembly from the Unbowed France party, believes the South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia, which has been under French colonial occupation since 1853, should finally be decolonized.

“The bill should be withdrawn, Congress should not meet to approve it, and a genuine dialogue should be sought to restore calm.

“I believe it is possible, but success necessitates a long and ongoing dialogue. Regardless of our differences, I believe we must work toward decolonizing these lands,” Bilongo said, referring to New Caledonia comprising dozens of islands in the South Pacific.

New Caledonia gained autonomy through the Noumea Agreement in 1998, which restricted voting rights to those who resided on the island before 1998 and their descendants to prevent the indigenous population from becoming a minority.

The indigenous Kanaks believe the French government’s constitutional reform initiative violates the 1988 Noumea Accord. The proposed changes would allow French citizens who have lived on the island for at least 10 years to vote in local elections.

On May 13, protests began in response to a French constitutional reform that would marginalize the indigenous Kanak people in elections. Police and gendarmes were deployed throughout the island to quell the Kanaks’ legitimate demands, particularly in Noumea, the capital.

Two days later, the New Caledonia administration banned social media and declared a 12-day state of emergency. According to French official sources, seven people were killed and more than 370 were detained during the unrest.

Bilongo’s party opposed the reform in parliament, arguing it exacerbated tensions in New Caledonia.

He stressed that New Caledonia is one of 17 regions around the world that should be decolonized.

“France has always maintained a special dialogue with its overseas territories, particularly with Kanaky. This land was free 170 years ago but was colonized later,” Bilongo said, emphasizing the importance of adding more voters to the electoral register for local elections.

– ‘This is almost a civil war’ –

Bilongo stressed the importance of New Caledonia’s progress toward independence, saying traveling between Paris and the Pacific territory takes 24 hours and requires adjustment to different time zones and lifestyles.

He believed that New Caledonia could easily establish relations with neighboring islands, which would be preferable to having Paris make decisions for the island.

He expressed hope for peace and calm on the island, saying under the current circumstances, he doubted two houses of the French parliament would meet to give final approval to the constitutional reform that would marginalize the indigenous Kanak people in elections.

“We saw the images. This is almost a civil war,” Bilongo said, adding that the damage to the territory amounted to €200 million (approximately $216 million).