Kanak senator believes independence ‘only solution’ for New Caledonia

PARIS

A Kanak pro-independence senator from New Caledonia, a French colony in the Indo-Pacific region, said that the only solution for the island is to achieve independence following recent developments in the region.

Speaking to Anadolu, New Caledonia Senator Robert Wienie Xowie said that the Paris government’s attempt to pass a reform bill aimed at changing the voter registry had triggered the current situation on the island.

The senator expressed that the French state must reengage in dialogue with the pro-independence supporters and build trust by withdrawing the reform bill.

Addressing the impact of the new government 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 reminded that the Noumea Accord, signed by France in 1998, laid the groundwork for New Caledonia's transition to independence.

“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," he said.

Xowie also expressed sadness over the fact that New Caledonian pro-independence supporters are being detained in France, 17,000 kilometers (10,563 miles) away from their homeland.

"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,” he said.

“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,” he added.

Last week, New Caledonia marked the 171st anniversary of its annexation by France amid ongoing violence sparked by delayed electoral reforms proposed by Paris, which have stirred tensions for weeks.

The day, which is remembered by the indigenous Kanak people as Kanak Mourning Day, marks the French colonization of New Caledonia in 1853. Kanaks, who number 112,000 out of a population of 300,000, have consistently pushed for independence from French rule.

Recent protests, which erupted on May 13, were driven by resistance to France’s proposed electoral reforms that would have granted voting rights in local elections to French nationals who have lived on the island for at least 10 years.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Celik in Ankara