By Lloyd Burr
The Maori Party is calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the ‘terrorist’ raids by police in the Urewera Ranges and the subsequent prosecutions.
Maori Party co-leader Dr Pita Sharples says the application of the law during the police operation “needs to be scrutinised” and the hurt to Ngai Tuhoe “cannot be allowed to fester any longer”.
“The secret surveillance, the dramatic and frightening conduct of the raids, and the laying of charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act seared a perception in the public mind of a terrorist threat, which the Crown can no longer sustain.
“On top of that, the total lock-down of a whole community unnecessarily stigmatised the people of Ngai Tuhoe, most of whom are clearly innocent,” he says.
“To turn the current situation around requires action. Simply dropping the charges leaves a lingering stink. We need to clear the air, and a Royal Commission can do that,” Dr Sharples says.
Dr Sharples says decisive action is required to start a process of recovery and healing.
“An open process of disclosure and inquiry, and public accountability, is urgently needed.
“I will be writing to the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General to seek their support, for the people of Tuhoe, for the police, and for the sake of our national unity,” he says.
3 News