Photograph: Owain Davies
The time has come for New Caledonia to throw off “colonising power” France and take its place on the world stage, the head of the country’s independence coalition has said on a visit to Australia ahead of a referendum to be held in November.
New Caledonian independence from France was inevitable and a “question of dignity” for the nation’s indigenous Kanak people, said Daniel Goa, spokesperson for the independence movement Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS).
“For us it’s just a question of time, and you know that time in Oceania is measured differently,” Goa said in a speech to the Lowy Institute in Sydney last week.
The referendum will be held on 4 November asking long-term residents of the Pacific island whether they want it to become independent from France.
“This date is of capital importance and historic for the Kanak people, because it brings to an end 164 years of uninterrupted struggle for our people,” said Goa.
If successful, FLNKS has proposed the newly formed country might be called Kanaky Nouvelle-Caledonie (Kanak New Caledonia) and has suggested it also adopt FLNKS flag in place of the French flag.
“Internationally we’ll ensure our sovereignty is recognised and we’ll apply for membership of the UN,” said Goa.
Support for independence is split largely along ethnic lines, with indigenous Kanaks in favour and those of European origin opposed. Polls conducted in May suggested the no vote will win, though there is a significant proportion of the population still undecided.
Goa called the referendum a “question of dignity”, saying: “As long as a single Kanak person is standing, he will fight for his freedom. That should tell you the importance of this day, and the symbolism of this referendum.”
There was violent unrest in New Caledonia in the 1980s, as a result of pro-independence sentiment, which resulted in the deaths of 21 people during a hostage crisis in Ouvéa.
If it fails the New Caledonian people will be allowed to hold two further referenda on the question of independence: one in 2020, and if that is unsuccessful, another in 2023.
If successful the FLNKS would like to dismantle the current economic system, which Goa called the “French system”, saying it was “based on an economy of exploitation”.
“We will take back control of our natural resources and our key sectors, currently controlled by French multinational companies, to ensure a more equitable distribution of wealth by exploiting our main resource, nickel, from which we only draw salaries at the moment.”
New Caledonia, which is about two hours by plane from Brisbane, holds about a quarter of the world’s nickel deposits.
Goa also took aim at Emmanuel Macron, who visited New Caledonia in May, saying that “after 164 years of colonisation he recognised that New Caledonia was a jewel”.
However, Goa said that if it became independent he hoped New Caledonia could become “ambassadors for Oceania” to France and Europe and he wanted to “safeguard the status quo with the two regional powers, Australia and New Zealand”.
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