Pacific civil society institutions issue statement in support of New Caledonia

About 30 organizations active in the Pacific region issued a joint statement protesting the atrocities committed by the French government against civilians in New Caledonia, Report informs.

The document notes France's failure to manage the decolonization process and requires the intervention of the UN and the leaders of the Pacific countries.

It is emphasized that the cause of the unrest was the attempt of the French government to change the electoral law in New Caledonia by force.

"In recent months, Kanak leaders have repeatedly called for the withdrawal of a proposed constitutional amendment to local election laws that threatens Indigenous peoples' right to self-determination and jeopardizes the ongoing peaceful dialogue about the future status of the territory," the statement said.

Accusing Macron's government of colonialism, the authors of the document emphasized that these changes, proposed unilaterally by France, would turn the Kanak people into a minority in their own land and could block their path to freedom: "It is obvious that the French government under Macron is not able to cope with the decolonization process. The UN must intervene to restore a more just and peaceful transition."