NOUMÉA (Dispatches) -- People in the South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia went to the polls Sunday to cast their ballots in an independence referendum aimed at breaking away from France, the third and final ballot on the issue amid heightened fears of violence as Paris is determined to maintain its colonialist influence on the tiny island. The vote comes against the backdrop of increasingly strained ties between France and its regional allies, with Paris regarding itself as a major Indo-Pacific player thanks to overseas territories such as New Caledonia.