New Caledonian leader urges supporters to stand firm against France

PARIS

Christian Tein, one of the pro-independence Kanak leaders in New Caledonia, called on his supporters to "continue to resist" the constitutional reforms that the French government is trying to impose on the Kanak people.

The riot-hit overseas French territory is currently in a state of emergency, and its international airport is closed. The French government wants to grant residents who have lived in the territory for at least 10 years the right to vote in elections. But local leaders fear this will dilute the vote of the indigenous Kanak.

Tein, who heads the Coordination Unit of Grassroots Actions (CCAT) for independence in New Caledonia, addressed his supporters via the social media platform Facebook.

He said during his visit to the capital Noumea on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron had a meeting lasting over two hours with the leadership of the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS).

During the meeting, they expressed their opposition to the constitutional reform and the re-colonization of New Caledonia, Tein said.

He pointed out that the issue of increasing the number of voters on the island needs to be reconsidered. "We continue to mobilize and maintain every form of resistance in the neighborhoods," he said.

"There is a lot of pain, a lot of issues here. We need to go all the way, but we must act in a coordinated, structured, and organized manner to achieve our goals. Our main objective is for our country to attain full sovereignty," he added.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz