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Statement of the Maori Party

Saturday 27 October 2007, 8:58PM

By Maori Party

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HASTINGS

A statement, made in consensus, at the conclusion of the Hui-a-Tau / AGM of the Maori Party at Omahu Marae, Hastings.

In making this statement, the Maori Party recognizes the need to protect Aotearoa from the impact of global
terrorism; and respects the just use of the rule of law;
The Maori Party states that: 

We condemn in the strongest possible terms, the recent actions of the Labour Minority Government against the Tuhoe Nation and the Ruatoki community in particular and against tangata whenua in general, 

We recognise the significant damage that has been done with respect to the wairua of our people as a result of these discriminatory actions; 

We say that such actions, as we have witnessed in recent days, have had adverse impacts on the state of race relations in Aotearoa; 

The Maori Party confirms the rights of tribal nations to be self-determining ¡V as set out in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - and encourage all of our whanau, hapu and iwi to make a statement of support for the Tuhoe nation, and a statement of condemnation about the actions of the Labour Minority Government against the Maori people in the last two weeks; 

We are appalled that innocent children, women and the elderly in their homes; and the Women¡¦s Refuge
¡¥Safe House¡¦ have borne the brunt of sweeping actions against communities and this must never happen
again; 

We consider that the use of the Terrorism Suppression Act as the vehicle for justifying the attack against
specific groups of New Zealanders has engendered a level of fear and anxiety amongst the general community; 

We reject the branding of tangata whenua as ¡¥terrorists¡¦; 

We call on the Labour Minority Government to suspend all broad-ranging actions against communities forthwith; and

We call for the resignation of the Minister of Maori Affairs for abandoning his people at this time of great
need.