Three dead in New Caledonia as riots rage after Paris approves voting change

Three people were killed in riots in New Caledonia, an official said, after a move to change voting rules in the French-ruled Pacific island triggered violent unrest in which vehicles were torched and stores looted, residents said on Wednesday.

The three dead were young indigenous Kanak, said a spokesman for New Caledonia’s president Louis Mapou, citing information provided by the police. Some residents have armed themselves to protect their homes, a witness said.

Rioting broke out this week before lawmakers in Paris on Tuesday adopted a bill to allow French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years to vote in provincial elections – a move some local leaders say will dilute the Kanak vote.

Read more: Reuters