CoveragePost
December 10, 2021
ANALYSIS: By David Robie After three decades of frustratingly slow progress but with a measure of quiet optimism over the decolonisation process unfolding under the Noumea Accord, Kanaky New Caledonia is again poised on the edge of a precipice. Two out of three pledged referendums from 2018 produced higher than expected – and growing — ... <a title="Betrayal of Kanaky decolonisation by Paris risks return to dark days" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/12/10/betrayal-of-kanaky-decolonisation-by-paris-risks-return-to-dark-days/" aria-label="Read more about Betrayal of Kanaky decolonisation by Paris risks return to dark days">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 10, 2021
RNZ Pacific New Caledonia’s pro-independence parties say the French overseas minister’s visit in the next few days is unwelcome, describing it as “another provocation”. Overseas Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced his trip as New Caledonia readies for Sunday’s third and final independence referendum after rejected pleas by the pro-independence parties to postpone it to next year ... <a title="French minister’s visit ‘a provocation’, say pro-independence parties" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/12/10/french-ministers-visit-a-provocation-say-pro-independence-parties/" aria-label="Read more about French minister’s visit ‘a provocation’, say pro-independence parties">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 9, 2021
RNZ Pacific A late legal bid to postpone Sunday’s independence referendum in New Caledonia has reportedly failed. A leading anti-independence leader and president of New Caledonia’s Southern Province, Sonia Backes, said the highest French administrative court had rejected an urgent submission to defer the third and final independence referendum until next year. The submission was ... <a title="Paris court clears way for Sunday’s New Caledonia referendum" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/12/09/paris-court-clears-way-for-sundays-new-caledonia-referendum/" aria-label="Read more about Paris court clears way for Sunday’s New Caledonia referendum">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 9, 2021
RNZ Pacific A pro-independence delegation from New Caledonia has left for New York to raise its opposition to the independence referendum due this Sunday with the United Nations. New Caledonia has been on the UN decolonisation list since 1986. Because of the pandemic, the pro-independence parties say they will neither take part in the vote, ... <a title="Pro-independence delegation seeks UN backing over New Caledonia vote" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/12/09/pro-independence-delegation-seeks-un-backing-over-new-caledonia-vote/" aria-label="Read more about Pro-independence delegation seeks UN backing over New Caledonia vote">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 7, 2021
RNZ Pacific A group of citizens in New Caledonia has asked France’s highest administrative court to postpone next Sunday’s third and final independence referendum. In an urgent submission, 146 voters and three organisations said that given the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, it was “unthinkable” to proceed with such an important plebiscite. They said that ... <a title="‘Unthinkable’ referendum on New Caledonia independence challenged" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/12/07/unthinkable-referendum-on-new-caledonia-independence-challenged/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Unthinkable’ referendum on New Caledonia independence challenged">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
November 20, 2021
RNZ Pacific Vanuatu’s leader is formally supporting the demand of Kanaks in New Caledonia for a delay in next month’s third and final referendum on independence. Prime Minister Bob Loughman told Parliament he would raise his concerns with French ambassador Pierre Fournier in Port Vila. The Kanak pro-independence parties have asked Paris to delay the ... <a title="Vanuatu backs Kanak call to delay vote on independence in New Caledonia" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/11/20/vanuatu-backs-kanak-call-to-delay-vote-on-independence-in-new-caledonia/" aria-label="Read more about Vanuatu backs Kanak call to delay vote on independence in New Caledonia">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
November 13, 2021
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk The French High Commissioner in New Caledonia, Patrice Faure, has confirmed the December 12 date for the independence referendum, fuelling tension over the ballot. Kanaky New Caledonia’s pro-independence parties had called on Paris to postpone the vote to the second half of 2022 because of the impact of the covid-19 outbreak, ... <a title="France keeps December 12 date for New Caledonia independence vote" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/11/13/france-keeps-december-12-date-for-new-caledonia-independence-vote/" aria-label="Read more about France keeps December 12 date for New Caledonia independence vote">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
October 27, 2021
RNZ Pacific France has detailed an unprecedented security set-up for New Caledonia’s third and final independence referendum on December 12. The French authorities made the announcement as the pro-independence FLNKS called on its supporters to boycott the vote after France refused to delay it until next year. If the call is heeded, the anti-independence side ... <a title="France deploys big force to secure New Caledonia referendum" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/10/27/france-deploys-big-force-to-secure-new-caledonia-referendum/" aria-label="Read more about France deploys big force to secure New Caledonia referendum">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
October 20, 2021
RNZ Pacific A leading anti-independence politician in New Caledonia, Sonia Backes, has rejected calls for the referendum on independence from France to be postponed, saying it should be held as planned. Pro-independence politicians have asked Paris to postpone the vote — due on December 12 — until next year because of the impact of the ... <a title="Backes rejects delaying New Caledonia independence referendum" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/10/20/backes-rejects-delaying-new-caledonia-independence-referendum/" aria-label="Read more about Backes rejects delaying New Caledonia independence referendum">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 25, 2021
A View from Afar: In the first half of this week’s podcast Selwyn Manning and Paul Buchanan will be joined by Dr David Robie to examine instability in the Pacific’s Polynesian region – specifically to identify what’s going on in: New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa. In the second half, Buchanan and Manning analyse the latest on ... <a title="Live Recording: Pacific Instability + Afghanistan Deadline Looms – Buchanan + Manning + Robie" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/08/25/livemidday-thursday-pacific-instability-afghanistan-deadline-looms-buchanan-manning-robie/" aria-label="Read more about Live Recording: Pacific Instability + Afghanistan Deadline Looms – Buchanan + Manning + Robie">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 9, 2021
RNZ Pacific New Caledonia has elected its first pro-independence Kanak president. Louis Mapou was elected today in Noumea after months of negotiations between the two main pro-independence Kanak political groupings UNI and UC FLNKS. Australian journalist Nic Maclellan, a longtime writer on New Caledonian politics, says it is a significant victory for the Kanak people. ... <a title="New Caledonia elects first pro-independence Kanak president" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/07/09/new-caledonia-elects-first-pro-independence-kanak-president/" aria-label="Read more about New Caledonia elects first pro-independence Kanak president">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 22, 2021
By Walter Zweifel, RNZ Pacific reporter Political tension is rising in New Caledonia as a third referendum on independence from France is planned in December. The decolonisation process under the 1998 Noumea Accord is nearing its conclusion and scenarios are being drawn up for how to deal with the result. In 2018 and 2020, a ... <a title="New Caledonia tension simmers over early independence vote date" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/06/22/new-caledonia-tension-simmers-over-early-independence-vote-date/" aria-label="Read more about New Caledonia tension simmers over early independence vote date">Read more</a>