Kanaky leader advocates for 'hope and 'humanity' as Pacific leaders visit New Caledonia
Rev Billy Wetewea Protestant Church of Kanaky New Caledonia at AUT in New Zealand
27 October 2024. A Kanak leader from the Protestant Church of Kanaky New Caledonia, attending a Pacific solidarity forum in Aotearoa, says connecting with Pacific activists has given him the chance to feel hope again after months of riots in the French territory.
Reverend Billy Wetewea told RNZ Pacific on the sidelines of Te Hui Oranga o te Moana nui a Kiwa, a conference in Auckland this week, that the indigenous peoples of New Caledonia are fighting for their humanity and dignity.
He said being present in a room filled with Pacific peoples from countries across the region has reminded him that he is not alone.
"We are descendants of fierce warriors and navigators," Wetewea said, adding that it "should give us the strength and fire to continue the legacy of those who have walked before us and passed away, for us to carry the fight for our next new generation."
"That is something that I felt strong here in Aotearoa."
A Pacific Islands Forum leaders' high-level "strictly observational" mission headed by the Tongan Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku has arrived in Nouméa on Sunday.
The delegation includes Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, along with Solomon Islands Foreign Affairs Minister Peter-Shanel Agovaka.
Almost 7000 security personnel with armoured vehicles have been deployed from mainland France to New Caledonia to quell further unrest.
Thirteen people have died since the violence broke out in May, including 11 Kanaks and two French police officers.
One hundred and sixty-nine people have been injured, and more than 2000 people have been arrested in the past five months.
Pacific Leaders arriving in New Caledonia Sunday 27 October
