The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. August 22, 2024 France's Attempt to Give Their Citizens Voting Rights in New Caledonia Undermines Kanak Rights ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In New Caledonia, U.N. experts have found France guilty of undermining the rights of Indigenous Kanak people in its plan to expand voter rolls. Earlier this year, a French bill that would allow foreign residents who have been living in New Caledonia for 10 years to vote set off a series of deadly protests. New Caledonia has been under French control since its colonization by France in the 19th century. But some 40% of the population is Kanak, and a growing independence movement is seeking an end to colonial rule. .