Paris, February 27, AZERTAC

An event entitled “Solidarity meeting with the Kanak people” has been held in the building of the Trade Union Center "La Bourse du travail" in the French capital of Paris, with the participation of independence supporter New Caledonia's Senator Robert Xowie, as well as delegates of the independence coalition the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS).

Advocates for Kanak independence aimed to amplify their voices to the French government, which has maintained colonial control over New Caledonia for 170 years.

The primary demand of the participants was the release of five activists detained following a clash between police and demonstrators in New Caledonia on February 21.

They also express protest in connection with the fact that 170 years after the colonization of lands belonging to the Kanak people and 40 years after the creation of the FLNKS, the French government unilaterally introduced two bills on the institutional future of New Caledonia - the Kanaks, thereby questioning the future of this people. The results of the third autonomy referendum held in 2021 were unanimously called into question. Although supporters of New Caledonia's independence requested postponement of this referendum due to lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, the French government imposed this process, thus preventing Kanaks from participating in the referendum. Supporters of independence do not recognize the results of the referendum, and the FLNKS has filed a complaint with the International Court regarding the unacceptability of the conditions under which it was conducted.

The Kanak people emphasized that the French government's purported aim to postpone provincial elections and alter the electoral body under the guise of "democracy" is a tactic to halt the decolonization process that has been ongoing for over 30 years. Expressing solidarity with the Kanak people, the meeting participants underscored the urgency to mobilize in support of their rights, including their aspiration for full sovereignty. They recalled how a compromise reached between the French government and the Kanak people following the clashes of 1984-1988 initiated a process of decolonization and self-determination that has persisted for over three decades.

Furthermore, speakers highlighted that Macron's government perceives turning New Caledonia definitively French as a matter of "national interest. In their view, this ensures economic and strategic activity in the increasingly crucial region known as the Indo-Pacific. Thus, the government justifies its ongoing neo-colonial arrogance and disrespect towards the Kanak people.

The event participants emphasized that the continuation and deepening of the decolonization process in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond should make the fight against social inequality for the sake of the country's development and social-democratic progress.

Independence supporters highlighted the importance of rallying around the Kanak people and demonstrating solidarity with them in their challenging struggle against pro-colonial forces in France. They emphasized the need to oppose those who defend colonialism and advocate for the right of all peoples to self-determination.