3 Oct 2014

Tension on New Caledonia's Lifou

9:53 am on 3 October 2014

There is tension on the New Caledonian island of Lifou over the way the son of a local chief was arrested and sent to prison on the main island.

Last week, the chief was expected to hand over his son to the police to serve a one-year prison term.

However, he was reportedly seen in the township by four military men flown in from Noumea, who threw him to the ground and took him away.

The chief has now asked the territory's police commander to remove the policeman in charge of the station in We on Lifou by Friday midnight or locals will occupy the police station starting from Monday.