UN orders Govt to explain anti-terror raids
9:05AM Thursday January 17, 2008
Anti-terror raids
United Nations officials have asked the Government to explain the police's October anti-terror raids.
The police have been heavily criticised for perceived heavy-handed tactics during the nationwide raids, which focused on the small Bay of Plenty town of Ruatoki.
Police cited the Terrorism Suppression Act in the raids, but the Solicitor-General subsequently decided that there was insufficient evidence to lay charges under the Act.
However, sixteen people face weapons charges resulting from the police investigation.
A spokesman for Duty Minister Rick Barker today said the Government had received a letter from three UN human rights officials just before Christmas.
The letter contained a list of questions relating to the raids.
Mr Barker said the Government took its UN obligations seriously.
Some members of the Tuhoe tribe, which like Ruatoki is centred in the Urewera's, have laid a complaint with the UN over the raids.
Spokesman for the lawyers representing the accused, Moana Jackson, said the letter was more than just an embarrassment for the government.
"The UN can't fine the Government or drag it to court but it can diplomatically embarrass it. But more importantly, it raises at the highest level, because these are the people in the top international human rights body, it raises serious concerns about the commitment of the Government to human rights," Mr Jackson said.
He said families from Tuhoe have sent a letter of complaint to the UN regarding the police raids but the special rapporteur's letter was sent independently and pre-dates the Tuhoe complaint.
Mr Jackson said the UN's special rapporteur on counter terrorism has previously listened to government's complaints about so-called terror organisations but this is the first time the special rapporteur has written to a government about it's actions.
"In their communication to the Government, they specifically raised concerns that the Government's Terrorism Suppression Act may not reach international human rights standards," Mr Jackson said.
Mr Barker said the Government will respond to the letter in due course.<--lol New Zealand only helps one person per day, and today is not your day, tomorrow is not good either, may be the day after never
- NZPA and NZHERALD STAFF
Topic: NZ needs to tell the UN to mind its own business. (Read 992 times)