Statement on unrest in New Caledonia

The Conservatorium Students’ Association is strongly distressed by scenes of violence and political unrest in New Caledonia and condemns the colonial French government for failing to negotiate in good faith with Independence parties. We call on Australia to stand in as an independent mediator for its Pacific ally, recognising the harm that the ongoing crisis has had on the spirit of the Kanak people and the practising of their culture.

In 1853, the French settlers claimed sovereignty of New Caledonia from the Kanak people and used it as a penal colony. Conflicts between the French settlers and Kanak peoples resulted in thousands of Indigenous people massacred, with many more killed due to the spread of diseases. French development in New Caledonia exploited Kanak labour and in many cases refused to hire locals, instead increasing White French settlement to make the Kanak people a minority on their own land. Indigenous peoples were forced onto reserves and stripped of their rights, isolated from the more prosperous regions. This led to a population decline of over 50% of the Kanak people in the 20th century. A great wealth inequality still exists between the French and Kanak population, with no serious effort made to help poorer regional areas while wealthier French areas have enjoyed the profits of New Caledonia’s nickel industry.

Following an independence movement of the 1980s to 1990s, the Nouméa Accord was agreed on in 1998 by the French government and pro-Independence parties. Successfully approved in a referendum with 72% voting in favour, the Nouméa Accord provided a timeline for New Caledonia’s independence by scheduling three referendums to vote on becoming an independent state. Following the failure of the 2018 and 2020 independence referendums, a final referendum was held in 2021 against the wishes of the Kanak people, who requested the French government defer the election for 1 year to allow for the grieving of deaths associated with the pandemic. This referendum failed after being boycotted by pro-Independence parties, who continue to insist the Nouméa Accord has not been fulfilled.

Recognising that European migration unfairly skewed local voting away from the independence movement, the French government passed a law in 2006 restricting voting to the Kanak peoples and migrants to New Caledonia before 1998. Believing its right to New Caledonia justified following the 2021 referendum, the French government stated its intention to overturn this law in January 2024 and defer local elections. This has resulted in widespread rioting and violence.

The Association is disturbed by the reckless acts of violence and vandalism that have occurred in New Caledonia over the past few months, and remain ongoing. This has already resulted in ten deaths, of which eight have been Kanak protestors. The damage to public infrastructure has forced schools to shut down, with the possibility of not reopening for over a year until they can be rebuilt. Many businesses have also been forced to close, in some cases as a result of workers burning their own places of work. The country’s economy has suffered significantly, with thousands expected to leave in search of work.

We are both horrified by these protests but understand their origin. The Kanak people and their culture have been brutally oppressed by a colonial French administration that has left them unemployed and under-developed. White French settlers have prospered from the national wealth, whilst driving the Kanak people to become a minority on their own land. Even as violence unfolds, wealthy French areas have chosen to segregate themselves, barricading their neighbourhoods and establishing neighbourhood guards to ensure Kanak people cannot enter. The divide between the Kanak people and White French settlers could not be clearer.

The military-enforced curfew established by the French army in response to protests is not a sustainable solution to the legitimate grievances of the Kanak peoples. France must honour the right of New Caledonia’s first peoples to their sovereignty through a third referendum and do more to address wealth inequality. If the people of New Caledonia choose independence, France must continue to provide economic support to ensure a just transition. In the meantime, protestors in New Caledonia must cease reckless acts of violence that are harming their community, economy and culture.

As a close regional partner to New Caledonia, Australia has a role to assist its people through this period of instability. Our government must use its close ties with France to insist upon the Kanak peoples’ right to seek independence and for France not to make legislative changes hostile to the independence cause. This is especially crucial given that powers with broader interests have already associated with the New Caledonian independence movement and threaten to further destabilise not only New Caledonia, but the broader Pacific region. We also urge the Australian government to find ways of domestically supporting the Kanak people and their culture, especially at a time when this is not able to happen in New Caledonia itself.

We insist upon taking this stance, as music students, because of the detrimental effects of this ongoing situation on the Kanak peoples’ culture and ways of expression. The Kanak people continue to practise both traditional and contemporary forms of dance and music, however, ongoing instability threatens to jeopardise the continuation of this culture. This would be particularly sad in light of the Kanak peoples cultural achievements, which have seen New Caledonia scheduled for the 2028 Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture.

The Conservatorium Students' Association will always support the right of the Kanak people, and to that matter, all Pacific peoples, to independence from colonial powers. Music and the arts have, and will continue to play an important role in these movements in the fight for sovereignty and self-determination.