Colonialism has long been abolished, but its traces are not easily erased. What is happening in New Caledonia is the latest story.
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| French police at the scene of riots in New Caledonia in mid-May. (Source: AFP) |
Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, about 1,500 km east of Australia, New Caledonia has a population of 270,000. In 1853, France occupied the island and turned it into a colony, where it held prisoners. In 1946, New Caledonia was granted the status of an overseas territory of France.
Yet for years, New Caledonia’s politics have been dominated by a debate over whether the islands should be part of France, autonomous or independent. The conflict remains festering because, although they make up the majority of the population (41%), the indigenous Kanaks are generally poorer and less educated than those of European descent (24%).
Beginning in the 1970s, after a nickel boom attracted foreigners to New Caledonia, tensions rose on the island between Kanak independence movements and Paris.
In 1998, the Noumea Accord was signed, which stipulated that only those who had been a resident of New Caledonia before 1998 and their children would have the right to vote in provincial elections. This measure was intended to give greater representation to the indigenous Kanak people and helped end the conflict.
However, Paris recently deemed the deal undemocratic and lawmakers approved amendments to the rules to give voting rights to tens of thousands of non-indigenous residents who have lived in New Caledonia for at least 10 years.
Kanaks protested, fearing it would dilute their vote. Riots believed to be the worst in decades rocked New Caledonia, leaving at least three people dead, closing the international airport and schools, imposing a curfew in the capital Noumea and disrupting life.
Psychological wounds from colonial times are hard to heal.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/vet-thuong-tam-ly-kho-lanh-o-new-caledonia-272301.html
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