France, which calls itself the "cradle of democracy", is one of the few states that has carried its neocolonial policy into the 21st century. France, under the motto "Liberty, equality, brotherhood", for 4 centuries, has been exploiting small island states located in different parts of the world as its overseas colonies, preventing the national liberation struggle and independence aspirations of the local population through repression and force.
The island of Martinique, which is located in the Caribbean Sea and is considered an ideal place for tourism, is one of those areas that are subject to the exploitation of official Paris.
Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1502, the island was initially ignored by the European colonial empires. The period of peace for the indigenous peoples of Martinique ended in 1635 when the island was conquered by France. For 25 years, French colonialism led to the virtual extermination of the indigenous Hindu people. Following that, France began to bring black slaves from Africa en masse to the island to work on sugar beet, coffee, and tobacco plantations under harsh tropical conditions.
Paris made huge commercial profits by exploiting their labor, while the demographic composition of Martinique completely was altered. Today, 90% of the inhabitants of the island, whose population is close to 400,000, are descendants of slaves who were brought to the island against their will from Africa.
Today, France still maintains the same inhumane treatment of the islanders as it treated their ancestors. To mask this policy, France gave Martinique the status of its overseas department by holding an illegal referendum at a time when the colonial system was in decline - in 1946. Thus, Martinique was officially recognized as part of French territory, contrary to international law and the right of local people to self-determination and it was fully subordinated to French laws in terms of governance. To create a false impression of the intolerable situation on the island, Paris also held fake referendums in 2003 and 2010 that consolidated French rule on the island and gave more power to the central government. Paris, which has grossly violated Articles 1 and 73 of the UN Charter, UN resolutions 1514 and 1541, continues its similar policy on the island today and is occupied with covering up the eyes of the world community.
The native Martinique, who have a genetic hatred of colonialism, oppose it at every opportunity and fight for the protection of their rights and their independence.
But Paris, which exports the wealth of the island - tropical fruits such as bananas and pineapples to the metropolis, and increases its income by making maximum use of the tourism potential here - does not reckon with the will of the local population, on the contrary, systematically carries out economic repression in Martinique, keeping material well-being at an artificially low level. However, despite the serious pressures of France, on November 22, 2021, an open protest of residents against the organization of a special control regime related to COVID-19 by the central authorities on the island took place. The protests of the Martiniques who raised their voices against neo-colonialism after a long break were mercilessly suppressed by the French police and 11 people were arrested.
Ignoring any peaceful protest of island residents, official Paris only tries to maintain the national, social, and political inequality it has created in Martinique through violence and repression.
However the independence movements that started in New Caledonia and arose in other overseas colonies of France echoed on the island of Martinique.
For several weeks now, France has been unable to quell the protests in Martinique. The demonstrations, sparked by harsh living conditions on the island, continue unabated. In Martinique, food prices are 40% higher than in mainland France, while incomes are significantly lower.
In this context, the French authorities have opted for traditional force to suppress protests in the capital Fort-de-France, the city of Le Lamentin, and other areas. The island's appointed prefect, Jan-Christophe Bouvier, has declared a curfew in Martinique and announced the deployment of a 100-strong gendarmerie squad from Paris. Fifteen local protesters have been arrested, and their numbers are expected to rise sharply shortly. Bouvier stated that three Martinicans sustained gunshot wounds, but he did not clarify why the gendarmerie opened fire on peaceful protesters.
In this context, the essence of the protests by the people of Martinique has been clearly expressed by Rodrigue Petitot, the leader of the Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resource Protection Center (RPPRAC).
"We have been filing complaints against large companies since July, asking them to align their prices with those in France. We hold the same identity cards and do not understand why we cannot have the same prices for food," he said.
The fact that Martinique is only allowed to trade with mainland France, without the ability to establish economic ties with other regions, along with the dominance of large trade networks owned by ethnic French, which generate significant profits from this policy, are considered the main reasons fueling the protests.
It appears that after nearly 400 years of being under French domination, the island of Martinique is seeking independence and a way to break free from French colonial rule.
Martinicans who wish to determine their fate need the support of the international community and major organizations like the UN, whose charters have been grossly violated by France. If this support is not forthcoming, and if leading international organizations and states continue to act with double standards while discussing democracy and human rights, it will deal another blow to their credibility.
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