Canberra, Australia - The people of New Caledonia will vote on Sunday on whether they want full independence from France, which has ruled the small archipelago in the Pacific since the 19th century.
The islands, a nearly three-hour flight east of Australia, secured more autonomy amid growing calls for independence by the indigenous Kanak people in the 1980s.
When an estimated 174,000 voters who qualify as long-term residents head to the polls on Sunday, it will be the second referendum on New Caledonia's political status. The first, held in 1987, was widely boycotted by the Kanaks, resulting in more than 98 percent electing to remain with France.
About 27 percent of New Caledonia's population of 279,000 are of European, primarily of French descent, and 39 percent indigenous. The rest are migrants from other Pacific islands and the wider Asia-Pacific.
The 1998 Noumea Accord sought to create a shared vision of the territory's future, but while people might agree with that vision, divisions remain between French loyalists intent on retaining the status quo, and a pro-independence movement equally committed to full self-determination.
It was the years of Kanak resistance to disenfranchisement and inequality that triggered talks between French and local leaders about reform. Kanaks were worried their customary land was being taken away from them and were angry at the French government's encouragement of inward European migration, even as Kanaks struggled to get an education and find work.
To appease the indigenous people and temper calls for independence, the French negotiated two major pacts.
The 1988 Matignon Accord was designed to bring more equitable development across New Caledonian society, while the Noumea Accord paved the way for increased autonomy based on an idea of "shared sovereignty", recognition of Kanak identity and rights and the timetable for this year's referendum.
No social justice
For New Caledonians, in general, the vote is about having more say in issues that directly affect their lives. For Kanaks, it represents the promise of decolonisation seven decades after it was first promoted in the post-World War II era.
New Caledonia is one of only 17 remaining non-self-governing territories around the world identified by the UN as yet to fully exercise its right to self-determination.
"In terms of economic development, there has been change," said Bilo Railati, a young independence supporter of Kanak and Fijian heritage. "But we have not yet achieved social justice."
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