An interesting insight into the terror raids

Greetings

It has been a very busy time indeed. On Monday 15th October, four houses (well one was a tent) in Wellington we're raided at dawn, and four people were arrested and charged with possession of firearms. Their residences were able to be searched under the 'terrorism suppression act 2002' but as of yet they have not been charged under the act. 13 others were arrested throughout the country, including Tame Iti who the media are having for lunch. My ex-partner, his brother and sister, and three of my friends are all in remand prison in Wellington and Auckland. It is incredibly hard to visit them; the process is frustrating to say the least. I have not visited them yet, but their partners and friends have. They are in single cells with nothing – just like on the movies.

The Wellington four had their bail hearing yesterday morning. The judge asked that the public leave but the media stayed, so we didn't get to see them for long – only a fleeting wave or two. Very heartbreaking. They did not get bail. Their name suppression continues for now which is good. Some have had their hearings in Auckland, the one I am most concern about will be heard on Monday I think and his bail is looking good.

These people have done nothing wrong. From my point of view they have been hand picked by the police because they are the main organisers for political activism in New Zealand. I do not understand why they are now in this situation. They did not and would never possess guns. I don't understand the connections with Tuhoe. I feel like I'm in a hazy cloud, it feels like the government and police have pulled wool over our eyes.

Here is what I feel is going on. It is from my heart and no where else, so please do not take it as fact.

• New Zealand recently passed up the opportunity to sign to the UN declaration of Indigenous Rights, for which I have no words. Colonisation is now, current, ever beetling away, is all I can say to that. This has incensed many people as I think it should. Possibly there was an action relating to this being planned in the works? Who knows….

• These activists have been bugged in this operation for 3 years (which means my converstations/emails/texts with my ex have been tracked for a long time). They are being oppressed for speaking out against the governments policies on a number of issues. It is well know that the crown and its enforcers do not like this bunch of people.

• They are peace activists, environmentalists, tino rangatiratanga activists – not terrorists!!!!!

• The police have no evidence of guns

• The media knows nothing, and present this 'nothingness' as something, and even that they manage to present incorrectly. Do not believe the media. Think for yourself, think critically. Check out indymedia. Keep in mind that New Zealand is trying its hardest to look like its joining the 'war against terror'. The media is fear-mongering middle NZ and it is working. All they have to say is "Maori' 'Guns" "Terror" "Tame Iti" and show images of 128 Abel Smith Street (activist center) and there you have it – freak out.

• The government is trying hard to pass the Terrorism suppression amendment act next week which will make it much easier to arrest people under the act. Potentially actions such as the 1981 springbok tour sit in on the Wellington motorway could be deemed as terrorism. This is 'police state' kind of action. New Zealand also wants to, or has already? Linked into the USA's terrorist list, meaning that people deemed to be terrorists by American standards cannot come here. This means for example, that anyone in the world who gets labelled as a terrorist will not be able to get refugee status in western countries. Ahmed Zaoui would not have had a chance here. If people, or a person anywhere stand up for their rights against their government for whatever reason, and their government does not like it – boom! They are a terrorist for life…..does this sound familiar. I believe this is going on in New Zealand/Aotearoa too.

Take action….tell people what you think, not what the media tells you.

Organise.

This will affect us all, not just the 17 in jail right now.

Thanks for reading. Pass it on if you wish, or better still write your own rant.

Jesse Moss.

I can add to this last comment about not believing the media coverage, they know as little as we do quite frankly and I can illustrate this with two points.

1. The Urewera raids, which this sting was based around must be placed in an historical light. Tuhoe have been fighting for their rights for a long time, these are Rua Kenana's people who around 1906 esteblished a cooperative community at the same Maungapohatu we've all seen in the news. Soon the community grew to around 1000 people, the land owned and farmed collectively with all proceeds being shared according to need.

To the Pakeha of the time all Maori were lazy, shiftless and drunken, so the return of self-repect and independence under Rua amazed and even rankled them. During WWI he was harassed by the police and in a moment of anger he said the Germans would win. This was the moment the Pakeha were waiting for. Rua and 31 others were arrested for sedition during which shots were exchanged between police and his followers. His oldest son Toko and Toko's maternal uncle Te Maipi were killed. A jury found Rua not guilty of sedition and only "morally" guilty of resisting arrest.

Sir Joseph Ward was reported as saying "I told Rua, that in New Zealand , Edward is King.....There can be no other Government or King...there can't be two suns shining in the sky at once. The picture below picture shows Rua's arrest on April 2nd 1916, after a shootout between his followers and 70 armed police. He is handcuffed to his son Whatu. Rua was sentenced to 12 months hard labour after what was the longest trial in New Zealand history at the time. To stress my point, things haven't changed much since 1916.

2. My second point refers to the 'tip off' recieved from the two hunters. This area is a popular hunting ground and there has long been contention between non-tuhoe hunters who often trespass on Tuhoe land. In fact some of the best hunting grounds are on Tuhoe land. This is important for two reasons, firstly, this is not the fist time non-Tuhoe hunters have had the finger pointed at them and falsley implicated in illegal activity. Secondly the alleged training camp, is a hunting and gathering camp for Tuhoe locals, hui are held there, families go camping there, there are guns around and theyre used for hunting.

please pass this on,

Ben Phillips