From: karaka [mailto:tepaatu@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 12:17 PM
To: karaka
Subject: FW: URGENT APPEAL: Maori plea for support
------ Forwarded Message
Dear Friends, Colleagues and Family,
It is in great distress that I am urged to write this appeal and to inform
our international community of the recent events that are happening within
Aotearoa (New Zealand) social justice, environmental justice and indigenous
movements.
For the past 60 hours Aotearoa activists have been subjected to home
invasions,raids and interrogation under threats of terrorist activities
against the state.The Crown has decided to employ its recent Terrorism
Suppression Act to lockdown on social justice activist, movers and shakers
and this is now world widenews with many of our close friends and families
houses (mine included) being invaded, possessions confiscated and charges
being threatened which will allow for solid activists to be charged under
the Terrorist Suppression Act that carries sentencing for life.
The ages of people currently under custody range from 18 ^ 64. Many of us
being implicated in this investigation are young people trying to do good
things for our communities.We are headed into an election year and these
events are the largest scale operation headed by special operations from the
head of states office. We have difficulty in understanding the timing for
these invasions of our privacy except for political campaigning off of our
backs.The indigenous movement for self - determination is what is being
blamed by the media for instigating acts of terrorism.
The Police showed up at my house with files of my activities over years,
my phones have been tapped for years, my house under surveillance and
everything subject to their review. We have not been involved in any
activities that could allow the police to make these claims and the distress
they are causing for our families and children is devastating.
Right now we are fighting for friends in Police Custody to make bail. A
number of these requests have been denied. A number of people are now been
moved between prisons and I will be liasing with them and their families.
Court costs, travel costs, food costs and lawyer costs are above the heads
of many of our people and we are asking for support from our communities
both national and international to come to our aid in this time of
need.'Terrorism' world wide has become a cause for unjust state intervention
into the lives of many peoples committed to change and now we are seeing
that reality play out here in our own backyards within our own community.
Please support us in anyway specifically: Sending your concerns against
state interventions to Annette King, Minister of Police (aking@...) and to
your local New Zealand Embassy's;- By sending financial support towards the
Family Support Network to assist with food, travel expenses and Court costs
and; By sharing our stories with your own networks.We have had some
international support by indigenous brothers and sisters by way of protests
on the streets outside the NZ Embassy's, we encourage any of you to organize
and do the same. Thank you all for taking the time to hear what is happening
for us here in Aotearoa, these are very troubling times.
For further information please refer
to:HYPERLINK
"http://www.indymedia.org.nz/http:/www.stuff.co.nz/4240168a25364.html"http:/
/www.indymedia.org.nz/http://www.stuff.co.nz/4240168a25364.html
Most of our Internet sites have been taken down also in relation to these
chain of events however all responses and correspondence can be made through
me.
Mauriora,
Kiritapu Allan Co ^ Director, Conscious Collaborations
HYPERLINK "http://www.conscious.maori.nz/"http://www.conscious.maori.nz/
Collaborations
HYPERLINK "http://www.conscious.maori.nz/"http://www.conscious.maori.nz/
1 comment:
Thanks for writing this.
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