"The result of incomplete decolonization efforts and yet another confirmation that France's policy toward its former colonies, albeit renamed overseas territories, is reaching an impasse," Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said in a statement on Saturday cited by Tass news agency.
"Demonstrations have turned into mass riots that have gripped the island, with several local residents and police officers killed, dozens of police officers injured, and hundreds of protesters detained," she said.
The unrest began when the government pushed ahead with the electoral reform and got it through the lower house of parliament. The native people are against a change to France's Constitution, that they say, would give voting rights to an increasing number of non-Indigenous residents of the archipelago.
So far, 6 people have been killed since unrest began in the archipelago prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency and deploy additional troops.
New Caledonia, located between Australia and Fiji, remains under France’s control since 1853. The last three referendums on independence from the French rule have failed but it still enjoys significant support, especially among the indigenous population.
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