France declared a 12-day state of emergency in its semiautonomous Pacific territory of New Caledonia yesterday amid violent protests against a voting reform. The unrest has left at least five people dead, including two police officers, and hundreds more injured.
The protests stem from a proposed amendment to the French Constitution to expand local voting rights to residents of at least 10 years, potentially adding 20,000 to 25,000 voters. Critics say the move weakens a 1998 accord limiting voting rights to the Indigenous Kanak people—who make up 40% of the current population—and those who lived on the islands before 1998, as well as their children. French Parliament approved the amendment Tuesday.
New Caledonia, part of France since 1853 as one of its 12 overseas territories, is home to roughly 270,000 people and lies 930 miles off Australia's east coast. The area has seen tension for decades over whether to remain a French territory or become an independent state, with voters opting to remain part of France in three referendums since 2018.
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