[NYTr] NZ attacks on Maori: Earlier Reports (Very messy)

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by Carol -activ-l - Oct 17, 2007

[The NZ gov't has obviously reacted to the intensifying activism of
Maori in response to increasing gov't repression, as well as to the
passage of the UN Declaration - which NZ voted against - by
implementing a Bush-style "anti-terrorism" plan (the "legal"
apparatus for which was put in place in 2002). This sort of
repression is now on the menu of virtually every corrupt
regime (i.e. most govts) worldwide. -Carol]

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Lockdown traumatised families, says elder

By MIKE WATSON - The Dominion Post Thursday, 18 October 2007

A Ruatoki elder has rejected the police response as to why their
settlement was the subject of heavy-handed terror raids.
"The police have ulterior motives and are testing out the Suppression
Terrorism Act on Tuhoe people," said Ruatoki executive committee
member Paki Nikora.

"We want some answers to our questions."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4241379a11.html

Tears after Iti denied bail: 'Iti is no terrorist'
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/feature/story.cfm?c_id=1501470&objectid=10470607

"Suppression of Terrorism or Oppression of Tangata Whenua"

by Leonie Pihama

15 Oct 2007 10:12 pm

Today we get news that Tame Iti has been arrested under the
Suppression of Terroism Act and the media swings into action with all
its sensationalist glory. We see Tame with guns, Tame on Protest, Tame
spitting at Parliamentarians, but what we don't get is any facts, any
reasons, any justification for his arrest or any analysis by the media
of what reeks of another police set up of a Maori activist.

  Its 100 years since the Tohunga Suppression Act, that too was an Act
design to oppress and suppress Tangata Whenua, it was an act that
sought to put an end to any following of healing or rongoa, it was an
act that was designed to oppress and suppress matauranga Maori and any
or all attempts by iwi to keep control of our own wellbeing. Sound
familiar? Now 100 years later the Suppression of Terroism Act is used
to silence Maori activism. With the arrest of Tame Iti a message is
being sent to the wider Maori activist movement that under this Act
the police can move in and remove your fundamental rights and in doing
so there is no reason required. The media machinery loves this. We see
TV3 and TV1 in full flight, including camera's giving 'exclusive'
footage of a raid on a wellington house.

  What is that? How do the media get to be on raids with the cops? What
better way than to ensure that the police propaganda machine works
than to have your own 'objective' (read and laugh) television
journalist in tow. How pathetic is our media that they buy in to such
tactics, but hey - gives a good taste of realism!! The fact there is
no actual 'evidence' is a minor issue, right?Accusations of terrorism
are not new to the Maori activist community. Many of our great leaders
have been accused of being terrorists and imprisoned for acts of
resistance to colonial rule. The Suppression of Terrorism Act is
another colonisers tool to imprison those that question the legitimacy
of colonial rule.

http://www.kaupapamaori.com/blog/posts/leonie/post1/
Labels: Indigenous Sovereignty, State Repression, Te Mana Motuhake O
Tuhoe Posted from Indigenist Intelligence Review:

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2007/10/love-triangle-in-new-zealand-police.html

--------------------------------------
http://www.aocafe.com/
http://aotearoa.wellington.net.nz/
http://manamotuhake.tuhoe.org/
http://www.indymedia.org.nz
http://www.infoshop.org/
http://www.redwiremag.com
http://www.WeAreEverywhere.org
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/
http://www.agp.org
--------------------------------------
"It is not only by shooting bullets in the battlefields that tyranny is 
overthrown, but also by hurling ideas of redemption, words of freedom
and terrible anathemas against the hangmen that people bring down
dictators and empires " - Emiliano Zapata, Mexican revolutionary, 1914
-------------------------------------- 

                           ***

sent by Carol -activ-l - Oct 16, 2007

[Apologies for this rather messy bits-and-pieces communique. -Carol]

------------------------------------------------
Scoop News   http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0710/S00216.htm

Spycatcher Calls Police Raids Draconian
Monday, 15 October 2007, 2:43 pm
Press Release: David Small
15th October 2007

Spycatcher Calls Police Raids Draconian and Probably Illegal

The man who successfully sued police for illegally searching his
home at the time of an APEC Conference in 1996 has labelled
police raids of the homes of social activists this morning as
draconian and probably illegal. Canterbury University academic
and spokesperson for ARENA, David Small, said the police seem to
have learnt nothing from Justice Youngs judgment condemning the
police for failing to distinguish between political and criminal
activity.

Dr Small says that for search warrants to be legal, the police
must have reasonable grounds to believe that they will find what
they are searching for. These raids look much more like a fishing
expedition.

Dr Small, who addressed a public meeting in Christchurch last
Thursday on state security and surveillance, expressed particular
concern about the use of the Terrorism Suppression Act in
association with the raids.

The public has been softened up with the threat of Islamic
terrorism to give massive increases in the powers and resources
of intelligence and security agencies. But it is now clear that
the focus of their attention is really on social activists in New
Zealand, said Dr Small

This is exactly what happened in 1996 when opponents of the SIS
Amendment Act were called paranoid for saying it would be used
against local groups, and less than two weeks later, the SIS were
caught breaking into an activists home.

Democratic societies need free and open debate. And groups
engaging in this kind of critical activity need the law to
protect their rights to do so. Todays raids have the opposite
effect and are clearly designed to intimidate and silence these
voices of dissent, said Dr Small

ENDS

=========================
Scoop News   http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0710/S00221.htm

Terrorism charges trumped up for political impact
Tuesday, 16 October 2007, 9:25 am
Press Release: Global Peace And Justice
Auckland GLOBALPEACE&JUSTICE AUCKLAND
Private Bag 68905,
Newton,Auckland. www.gpja.pl.net

16 October 2007 Media Release:

"Terrorism" charges trumped up for political impact

Police allegations of terrorism in the Urewera ranges are trumped
up to create the right political environment to pass the latest
so-called anti-terrorism bill currently before parliament.

There is no need for terrorism charges to be suggested by the
police. All the alleged activity is already covered by New
Zealand's existing laws. If people are alleged to have broken the
law with regard to guns for example then they should be charged
with gun offences. Talk of terrorism is nonsense.

New Zealand has never been a terrorist target but the authorities
want to bring New Zealand laws into line with other countries
such as Australia and Britain which have been terrorist
targets.

The Urewera charges are the best they can come up to provide the
false justification they need.

We will not be surprised to see the terrorism charges never
materialise. It's most likely these will be quietly set aside.
However the police beat-up will have had the desired effect. Fear
will have been created in the community and politicians will
respond accordingly.

This is a typical method to promote unwanted changes. Create a
crisis to instil fear in the community and use this as a cover to
bring in anti-democratic, authoritarian measures.

We hope the public will see through this ruse.

ENDS
=================================
Scoop News   http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0710/S00233.htm

Raids "Reality Check" For Complacent Kiwis Tuesday, 16 October
2007, 5:01 pm Press Release: New Zealand Police Tuesday, 16
October 2007

Raids "Reality Check" For Complacent Kiwis

"The major police operation behind yesterday's raids is reality
check for those New Zealanders who dismiss the threat of
home-grown terrorism as laughable," Police Association President
Greg O'Connor said today.

"This operation has been triggered by credible intelligence of a
serious threat to New Zealand's safety and security, and the
Police Association fully supports the actions taken by police
yesterday."

"This should serve as an alarming reminder that all international
trends in criminal activity and tactics eventually make their way
to our shores. We need to realise there are fringe elements in
our society, as in all others, that draw inspiration and
encouragement from extremist activities overseas that most of us
would find horrifying," Mr O'Connor said.

"The majority of such people are probably little more than
fantasists who won't do more than it takes to get themselves on
the front page of the paper. But the frightening reality is that
it only takes a handful of dangerous extremists hidden amongst
them to create real chaos and carnage," Mr O'Connor said.

"There are a significant number of New Zealanders, safe and
secure in their leafy suburbs, who frequently have difficulty
seeing past the rims of their latte bowls. They will be crying
outrage today about heavy-handed police tactics," Mr O'Connor
said.

"Would they rather police wait until after the event before
acting? These are the same people who denied there was a
methamphetamine problem until their own children were sucked into
the dangerous, violent world of organised criminal drug dealing.
New Zealanders should be backing Police for having taken decisive
action to shut down this threat before it got out of hand," Mr
O'Connor said.

ENDS

=================================
Scoop News   http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0710/S00237.htm

Terrorist charges ill-conceived Tuesday, 16 October 2007, 5:32 pm
Press Release: Christian World Service

Media Release Thursday 16 October 2007

Terrorist charges ill-conceived

Christian World Service was shocked to hear of the early morning
raids by police on homes around the country under search warrants
issued using anti-terrorism legislation.

Christian World Service made submissions on the original
Terrorism Bill and the most recent amendment bill that is still
before the House from the position that such legislation would
unnecessarily cause harm to both individuals and communities.

The way that the police have used the Act to obtain search
warrants was not the reason given as to why New Zealand needed
this new legislation, says Jonathan Fletcher, National
Director.

We were told that this was to keep New Zealand in line with
other countries in order to improve global security, he adds.
How can a small community like the good people of Ruatoki be a
terrorist threat?

New Zealand police have stepped way over the mark - they are
creating fear in our communities and fanning the flames of racism
against Maori and mistrust of legitimate activists, he
continues.

If we as New Zealanders dont speak out now, the country is
likely to introduce even more anti terrorist measures that limit
the rights of us all to hold different points of views and to
make them known, he concludes

In making its submission to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee,
long time New Zealand aid and development agency, Christian World
Service raised the particular circumstances facing people seeking
refugee status or raising funds to assist their compatriots
overseas. One of the prime concerns was the ability of
governments and security forces to make false claims about people
without their knowledge and without any means of redress. Another
concern was that any terrorist offence was covered under existing
legislation.

Christian World Service is writing to the government calling for
an immediate halt to the intimidation of activists and asking for
an apology to the people of Ruatoki.

ENDS
=================================
Scoop News   http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0710/S00239.htm

Time to debate political policing Tuesday, 16 October 2007, 5:46
pm Press Release: Massey University Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Time to debate political policing

The public can and must debate the scope of political policing in
the wake of the anti-terrorism Operation O-desk, says Dr
Warwick Tie, sociologist with the School of Social and Cultural
Studies at Massey University.

This present operation signals a departure from how police in
New Zealand have previously operated, both in terms of use of the
Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 and also the scope and expertise
they have used, Dr Tie says. This is the first example we have
had of large-scale political policing. While there has been some
use of political policing previously, this has been much smaller
in scale.

This development of military-style policing is significant for
New Zealand society, Dr Tie says.

My fear is that policing will tilt towards a more security
oriented coercive form when public debate falls into a black hole
between security-related and human rights arguments. For the
first time, New Zealanders have to consider the fact that the
national police service now possesses both the legal mandate and
operational capability to undertake sustained, military-style
political policing.

In order to progress, debate needs to occur in a manner that
avoids the black hole that is quickly forming between the
pro-security and human rights arguments.

Two contrary kinds of questions have emerged to shape public
thought on this situation.

The first assumes the possibility of security threats and asks
about the extent posed by alleged activities. The second asks
about the rights of those either restricted in the course of such
operations or who are detained and arrested. The inconsolable gap
that exists between these two positions - which emerged around
the taser debate and that surfaces each time the police shoot an
armed assailant - create an impasse between the arguments of
those favouring public security and those that support human
rights.

The matters that these two positions address are set to enlarge
in New Zealand over the next decades, as Peak Oil and rapid
climate change amplify challenges around issues like energy
supply and bio-security.

The New Zealand Polices policy of wide public consultation
around the development of its new Act appears to have as one of
its motivations the circumvention of this very deadlock. Through
that consultation, the Police have sought input regarding the
relationships that national police should have with other
policing agencies, such as the Maori Wardens Association and the
private security industry.

The relationship that is the most fraught in an open democratic
society like New Zealand, however, is the relationship of police
to the fields of military operation and covert surveillance
better-known as spying. These two latter fields, as has been
demonstrated in Operation O-desk, are key elements in the
deployment of political policing.

ENDS
==================================
Conventional press coverage from the NZ Herald:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10469938&pnum=0

==================================
MEDIA REPORTS

BFM Audio: Kim Talks To Spycatcher David Small
[http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00245.htm]
Community 'under siege' says Waiariki MP
[http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0710/S00286.htm]
Terrorism amendment bill a threat to our civil liberties
[http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4058531a16155.html]
High Court Bypassed Under New Anti-Terror Bill
[http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0706/S00368.htm]
Breaking: Peacenik "Terrorists" Remanded To Friday
[http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00224.htm]
Greens urge caution on use of Terrorism Act
[http://www.greens.org.nz/searchdocs/PR11301.html]

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"I believe that if we had and would keep our dirty, bloody,
dollar-soaked fingers out of the business of these nations so full of
depressed, exploited people, they will arrive at a solution of their
own -- and if unfortunately their revolution must be of the violent
type because the "haves" refuse to share with the "have-nots" by any
peaceful method, at least what they get will be their own, and not the
American style, which they don't want and above all don't
want crammed down their throats by Americans. ": -- General David M.
Shoup - Commandant of the Marine Corps 1960-63, winner of the
Congressional Medal of Honor

"Formerly no one was allowed to think freely; now it is permitted, but
no one is capable of it any more. Now people want to think only what
they are supposed to think, and this they consider freedom.": Oswald
Spengler - (1880-1936) Source: The Decline of the West, 1926

"Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear - kept us in a
continuous stampede of patriotic fervour -- with the cry of grave
national emergency. Always, there has been some terrible evil at home,
or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up if we
did not blindly rally behind it.": General Douglas MacArthur -
(1880-1964) WWII Supreme Allied Commander of the Southwest Pacific,
Supreme United Nations Commander 1957

=============================

The always-astute Maori activist Mike Smith observes (in an email to the
tino-rangatiratanga list):

"The media hysteria generated by the events of this week has so far
failed to drill down on the underlying issues  surrounding the arrests
this week

Issues like:
What is the underlying source of discontent that motivates Maori and
other activists within this country?
How may these be resolved in a just manner in which all parties have
confidence in?

Instead the media focus is on  individuals and small groups
.......failing to recognise that the seeds of civil war will only
germinate upon the fertile feilds of injustice.

100 or so years ago it was Rua Kenana, before him it was Te Kooti,
today its Tameiti tomorrow it will be someone else ...... on into the
future

The government can choose to take groups and individuals out .......
but that won't solve the underlying issues, ............it WILL harden
attitudes and ratchet up responses ......such is the nature of a
punitive response to unresolved problems..

Branding anyone who challenges the authority of the state as a
terrorist is a tired and worn out reaction much overused by the
American government.

We are better than that, We need to push our government beyond such
trite responses.

The issues need to be put on the table and dealt with in a more honest
and constructive way or we will all pay the price of this failure.

There's many lessons to be learnt from the events that have unfolded
over the last couple of days.

'Mainstream' Maori leaders need to convene an emergency national hui to
de-personalise the issues  and bring clearly into focus the underlying
cause of discontent which is not confined to so called fringe groups
or individuals but lies at the heart of the matter.

(And if you spies from the government  or political parties attempt to
capture this process ..... it will surely fail ...... so don't fuck it
up.)"

E hoa ma kaua e mataku
Whakapiri tatou ki a tatou
Ahakoa ko wai, no hea
Whaia te pono me te tika mo tatou me nga tamariki mokopuna

Mike
============================================
Other comments from the tino-rangatiratanga list:

"-This is a very convenient way for the police to arrest every activist
in the country, and smear them with terrorism, in the style of a
cointelpro programme. There will be a propaganda war waged in the next
few hours and days, so take care of your brain, and interrogate any
statement you hear from the police or the state. Don't take their
claims for granted."

"Early this morning there were simultaneous raids across the North
Island, in Auckland, Whakatane, Wellington, Ruatoki, and Hamilton.
Later in the morning, Police came to at least four houses in
Christchurch. Around a dozen people have been arrested so far, and
reports are that up to 60 are being sought for questioning.

The raids were under the Suppression Of Terrorism Act and the Firearms
Act. They have been targeted at people involved in the Tino
Rangatiratanga, Peace and Environmental movements.

This is a full on criminalisation of dissent, it is deplorable and a
disgusting attack on Tino Rangatiratanga, Environmental & Peace
activists, This is a very convenient way for the police to arrest
every activist in the country, and smear them with terrorism, in the
style of a cointelpro programme.

Come and demonstrate your solidarity with our brother & sister
activists in Aotearoa, and show your disgust at state repression and
the criminalisation of dissent.

Consulate-General of New Zealand
Suite 2, North Level 3 350 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3001
11am Tuesday the 16th of October"