PARIS: A thousand police arrived in New Caledonia from France and the streets were relatively calm after a week of unrest, the French High Commission said on Monday, but roads were blocked by protesters and the airport remained shut, stranding tourists.
Blockades of roads would continue, Field Action Co-ordination Cell, the activist group organising the protests in the French-ruled Pacific island, said in a statement, urging a peaceful approach.
Roadblocks were making it a challenge to get food supplies to stores in several areas or to provide secure travel for medical staff, New Caledonia government officials said, adding, however, that there were no shortages of supplies or staff.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Monday that "we are still a way off a return to normal".
Protests erupted last week, sparked by anger among indigenous Kanak people over a constitutional amendment approved in France that would change who is allowed to participate in elections, which local leaders fear will dilute the Kanak vote.
Six people have been killed and the unrest has left a trail of burnt businesses and cars and looted shops, with road barricades restricting access to medicine and food. The business chamber said 150 companies had been looted and burnt.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the situation, in the French territory, which lies in the southwest Pacific, some 1,500 km (930 miles) east of Australia, is "deeply concerning".
France's top official in the territory, Louis Le Franc, said on Sunday a police operation to regain control of the road from capital Noumea to the international airport would take several days.
Pro-independence political parties say they want the French government to withdraw the electoral reform before they restart talks.
"We need strong actions (from the government) to calm the situation ... this is a political, not a security issue," said Dominique Fochi, secretary general of the pro-independence Caledonian Union.
Attal said that re-establishing order was a precondition to dialogue.Albanese earlier told ABC radio his country was awaiting approval from French authorities to send an evacuation flight to pick up tourists stranded in New Caledonia hotels.
Around 300 Australians have registered with consular officials. There were around 3,200 people waiting to leave or enter New Caledonia as commercial flights were cancelled due to the unrest that broke out last week, the local government said. — Reuters
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