UN: NZ moving in the right direction on race relations

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Wed, 21 Jul 2010 6:04p.m.

James Anaya and Hone Harawira

James Anaya and Hone Harawira

By Melissa Davies

A UN human rights expert in New Zealand to assess the rights of Maori says New Zealand is making positive steps in the right direction.

James Anaya says Maori now need to take it upon themselves to improve their living conditions, but many Maori listening to him speak at Waitangi’s Te Tii marae say they are still the victims of racism in this country.

Nga Puhi welcomed UN special rapporteur Mr Anaya onto the marae. They especially welcomed the opportunity to discuss Maori issues.

It's been five years since Mr Anaya's predecessor criticised Government treatment of Maori. This time, Mr Anaya's message to Maori is that they must try to drive their own destiny. 

“It's in your hands to make a better future,” he told them today.

Hundreds of people packed the meeting hall and many spoke to Mr Anaya, telling him they felt marginalised and the victims of political racism.

“You're here to look at human rights,” said Maori activist Titewhai Harawira. “Let me tell you - human rights doesn't exist in this country.”

Mr Anaya echoed their concerns, but said the repeal of the Foreshore and Seabed Act is one of many examples that race relations are improving. 

“I want to find, and I think I am finding, positive steps to build on while identifying ongoing challenges,” said Mr Anaya.

“The UN can highlight issues but we have to be stronger within ourselves, and I think that was part of the message he was giving us as well,” says Maori Party MP Hone Harawira.

But David Rankin says Mr Anaya's message is meaningless, and he doesn't think the Government invitation to bring him here was necessary.

“It is an insult because it does reflect that we have the inability to articulate ourselves and deliver our own message.

“We can deliver our own message and we deliver it well, and we do live in a country that actually listens to us. As Maori, we are very lucky.”

When National’s Gerry Brownlee was an Opposition politician five years ago, he was highly critical of the then UN rapporteur. But now he appears to have softened his stance.

Tomorrow Mr Anaya will meet with the Maori King Tuheitia and the chief negotiators of the treaty settlements. It's expected to take him a few months to write a report based on these discussions, and today Mr Anaya warned Maori that a report may be the only outcome they get from his visit.

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Comments

11 Aug 2010 07:21a.m.

Gosh wrote:

Any leader practicing segregation thru hate speech should be prosecuted by the un. Not hard to see why the un is viewed by many as a toothless farce.

27 Jul 2010 09:12a.m.

Jan.. wrote:

So much for the Crown, look at the Mexico Gulf disaster that caused the oil spills that killed the enviroment and other ocean also effected by the same company..
Human rights do not exit in this country and I am not sure how the American come about their human rights controlling over other people and have only been released since Obama become President of America..Re-think you guys..
This country is very much Maori the Tangata Whenua and they still are the Landlords to the land of New Zealand, I have written an essay once on Able Tasman that he only sighted the Cape and received an A+ for my story..
The Crown stole the Indian Ocean and recently gave it back to its rightfull owners is INDIA..
You don't blamed the landlords of the land for wanting what rightfully theirs..Get real outlets..
The singning of the treaty wasn't fairly understood by the tripes or the tripe wasn't inform of the signing of any treaty and Crown have had stolen many other countries landmarks and the Crown war with the Iris..
Get-real and re-think outlets..

25 Jul 2010 03:20p.m.

Anne wrote:

Kim

Thank you very much for answering my questions ‘did the Crown and our invading ancestors illegitimately steal land from the Maori?’ You answered a resounding YES! Very pleasing because it demonstrates that you have a remote sense of moral justice. Interesting! Based on the official legal statements extrapolated from the 1995 Queen’s apology visit and subsequent former leader/ministers manuscripts, 'Acceptance of Blame;' three very important statements repetitively stand out.

1. Unjustified Historic Crimes
2. Illegitimate Invasion
3. Illegal Acts

I applaud you for answering question 1 correctly as you like many others including high ranking Pakeha officials agree with you; undeniably admitted fault to the fact that Illegal crimes were committed. That admission alone tells us that our forefathers, instructed by the Crown (British Empire) coerce them to be proud ruthless criminals. The heinous crimes committed and acts of atrocities were the order of the day at the time where plaques gloating the annihilation of the Maori race were proudly displayed. We are descendents of those criminals to who are voraciously determined to dominantly govern stolen Aotearoa with little remorse for what our ancestors illegitimately, illegally did. The crimes weren’t infringements instead far worse, malevolent violations equal to genocide. These evil violations carry war crime convictions punishable by life imprisonment and the extreme, death in the modern era.

In NZ’s case no person or persons were nor likely to be convicted of the shameful historic crimes while modern day colonialist like you and the Government arrogantly continue to flaunt Crown dominance of which I believe is a retributively reversible punishment in return, as complete and absolute justice is yet to be served.

Kim, your answer to question 2, ‘do you think we should return the land to Maori? ’No then Yes with Pakeha controlled conditions’ is prophetically disturbing. A response is forthcoming.

24 Jul 2010 06:47a.m.

Jan.. wrote:

Kim, the Maori are the Tanagata Whenua and they are the First Landlords of this country long before the outlets has to say..
Human Right does not exits in the Tangata Whenuas country or any of our South Pacific countries..
Human rights in this country only applies to workers or those have been ripped-off..
Human Rights is more Union than anything else, get real matey! and re-think..

23 Jul 2010 05:00p.m.

Kim wrote:

Ok i will answer yur questions..the first one i will answer straight out with a resounding YES. The second is a little harder to anser.. Give the fact (undeniable) that maori's main passtime was stealing land (and slaves) off each other who does it get returned to..Surely if the land you stole is given back to you doesn't fairness dictate that you should then return it to the people that you stole it off?
And there in lies the problem with treaty settlements. The receivers of this land stole it themselves. from other maori (and orignally from the people that populated this land before them) so No i don't think they should have the land returned unless they can prove they have lived on it since day one of their landing here.
Personally i wouldn't have problem with it being returned if the leaders of the tribes/iwi shared it with the ALL decendants of the people that allegedly had it stolen but we all no they they use it to by flash cars and nice houses then act like its all our fault that their people are struggling.
The truth is they have no more right to it than the average Maori living in a state house.

23 Jul 2010 04:21p.m.

Anne wrote:

Kim

If you feel so passionate about excavating archeology sites that you have absolutely no connection to by all means I will personally buy you a shovel to help you conduct this so call independent study that you speak of. The only evidence you will find is vandalistic material left behind by your colleagues pre 70’s to reminisce over.

Now back to the real immediate issues my absentminded kin. We’ve established that memory recall is selective so once again in fairness to answering your questions I would love for you to answer 3 of my (simple) questions please. And let’s not get side tracked please.

Did the Crown and our invading ancestors illegitimately steal land from the Maori? If so; do you think we should return the stolen land back to Maori? Presuming the answer is also yes; why is the Government prolonging the return of stolen land back to Maori?

Pretty simple, the first two questions will suffice.

23 Jul 2010 04:11p.m.

Nicholas wrote:

Kim, full marks for spelling Hawaiki correctly. Are you aware that there are many sunken cities around the world, the lost city of Atlantis for example? I am aware there are Cuba, Japan and India for starters. In some cases one has to dive down to 400 ft to witness these majestic structures. Truly remarkable! The evidence is online actual video footage of divers swimming in between the structures. My guess though not conclusive it appears Hawaiki may have suffered the same climatically demise. It’s certainly not a beyond thereamls of possibility and definately not a myth .... Oops!

23 Jul 2010 03:17p.m.

Jan.. wrote:

If any Human Rights as such would be the Tanagata Whenua of this entire county, they are truelly the First LandLords of this country.. Get real and re-think..

23 Jul 2010 12:18p.m.

KIm wrote:

@Anne
Thank you for your very eloqent reply. Unfortunatly it doesnt really refute any of my comments it just pushes your argument back to the Stories told by people with thier own agenda. your references to "my earlier comment (yours)" does nothing to refute my statements.
As always you claim i am racist when in fact i am not.
You maybe don't relise that some of us were born before this new maori history was created and remember the stories told by elders prior to the 70's.
Oh and the mytical Hawaiki is not a real answer to where they came from that just goes to prove to me that stories aparently from that era are made up and unable to be held up as fact.
All i suggest is a real study be conducted by acedemics with no preconcieved notions or political agenda. this study should have free access to all areas of new zealand. The fact that you and all other "Maori" acedemics and others dependant on govt funding resist this type of study says it all.

23 Jul 2010 09:44a.m.

Anne wrote:

Kim

Your line of questioning and lack of substance suggests to me that you missed out on an adequate education worthy of noting. Your argument is fragmented and you’re grasping for straws, not to mention your inherent ill feeling toward Maori radiates like a ‘glaring’ unwanted angry infection; precisely the disease that we need to exterminate for a better NZ moving forward.

When you say ‘many Maori told stories,’ you as a proud colonialist Pakeha should support your argument by referencing credible sources to evade rejection. I understand that your comprehension is limited however like I eluded to in an earlier post re: inaccurate published material by coerced european historians etc; your poor attempt to continue that disgraceful colonizing motivated tradition doesn’t work with me nor many learned academics NZ wide. The question where did Maori come from? Kim; seriously! Children as young as 3 know the answer to that question. I encourage you to read and remove those spectacles that encourage Selective Reading Disorder, it will be better for you.

Your anthropology question, digs? Prior to 1970 Pakeha anthropologist, farmers and Pakeha in general decimated many archeological Maori sites as Maori were denied access and threatened with trespass notices. Information however was recorded and archived and true, Maori sites nowadays are protected from continual degradation mainly from insolent Pakeha and rightfully so.

Tangata Whenua question? The previous post answered that question; once again you’re exposing your lack of intelligence.

Grievance Industry Statement. To shed light on this phenomenon and having answered your questions I invite you to answer 3 simple questions truthfully.

Did the Crown and our invading ancestors illegitimately steal land from the Maori? If yes then; do you think we should return the land to Maori? If the answer is also yes; why is the Government prolonging the return of stolen land back to Maori?

Hope this helps.