A festival planner announced Monday that a Pacific country and an island territory of France have withdrawn their participation in the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture.
The announcement comes as Hawai‘i is less than three weeks from hosting the largest celebration of Indigenous Pacific Islanders starting June 6. The state will host delegates from at least 28 Pacific countries and territories for 10 days.
New Caledonia, a French territory, withdrew in the wake of days of rioting and deadly unrest, which began last week after lawmakers in Paris approved a constitutional amendment to allow recent arrivals to the territory to vote in local elections, according to BBC News.
It’s a move local leaders said they feared would dilute the Indigenous Kanak vote. The riots damaged multiple buildings and left six people dead.
Festival Director Aaron Salā said it’s unclear why Vanuatu withdrew from FestPAC, noting that their attendance was less than 40 people.
“We are saddened by the withdrawal of Vanuatu and New Caledonia, but we understand that countries need to make decisions based on the best interest of the country,” Salā said in an interview.
Salā said that both Pacific Islands will still have a hale at the Festival Village, the main hub of FestPAC, which will take place at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.
He also said that representatives of the islands could still attend the festival.
During a Monday meeting, Salā updated the FestPAC Commission that more than 2,100 delegates will now attend the festival.
