| What a difference a few weeks can make. Until recently, this was a standard description of New Caledonia: A French territory comprising dozens of islands in the South Pacific, known for its palm-lined beaches, marine-life-rich lagoon, and a barrier reef that surrounds the main island, Grand Terre, a major scuba-diving destination. The capital, Nouméa, is home to French-influenced restaurants and luxury boutiques selling Parisian fashions. While the paragraphs above are designed to encourage tourists to book holidays there, as protests and riots continue, hundreds of foreigners who live there have only one wish these days – to leave. France, Australia, and New Zealand are organising flights to extract hundreds of people from the local airport which is currently closed for commercial flights. New Caledonia is currently in a state of emergency, declared by France, with a nationwide curfew between 6 pm and 6 am. Parts of the paradise island look like scorched earth, while barricades have turned some parts of the capital into no-go zones. Violence erupted on 13 May as the French legislature in Paris debated amending the French Constitution and changing New Caledonia’s voter lists. The National Assembly approved a bill that, among other changes, will allow residents who have lived in New Caledonia for at least 10 years to cast ballots in provincial elections. Opponents fear the measure will benefit pro-France politicians in New Caledonia and further marginalise the indigenous population, the Kanaks, who once suffered from strict segregation policies and discrimination at the hands of the French administration. | 