Authorities in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia announced a two-day curfew and banned gatherings on Tuesday after violent unrest on the archipelago with decades of tensions between indigenous Kanaks seeking independence and colonizers’ descendants who want to remain part of France.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
PARIS (AP) — Authorities in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia announced a two-day curfew and banned gatherings on Tuesday after violent unrest on the archipelago with decades of tensions between indigenous Kanaks seeking independence and colonizers’ descendants who want to remain part of France.
The unrest started as French lawmakers debated voting reforms which would increase the number of people who could cast ballots in New Caledonia.
Opponents say expanding voter lists that have not been updated since 1998 would benefit pro-France politicians in New Caledonia and further marginalize the indigenous Kanak people, who once suffered from strict segregation policies and widespread discrimination.
The president of the Customary Senate, Victor Gogny, said the youth have the right “to express its legitimate demands and aspirations” but should strive for “dialogue and consensus.”
Le Franc, the high commissioner, told French broadcaster BFM that clashes between police forces and pro-independence protesters and opponents of the constitutional reform occurred overnight in Mont-Dore, a town in the southeast near the capital.
A decade later, France promised to grant New Caledonia political power and broad autonomy and hold up to three successive referendums.
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