[asia-apec 975] NZ Declares war on dissent

[Gatt Watchdog]

Corso
Box 1375
Otepoti (Dunedin)
Aotearoa (NZ)

15/12/1998

MEDIA RELEASE

Proposed SIS Law Change "a declaration of war against dissent"

"Moves by Jenny Shipley to ram a law change through under urgency to allow the
Security Intelligence Service to "legally" break and enter private property
is a declaration of war against dissent", says Corso National Coordinator
Suzanne Menzies-Culling. "In fact, it is a declaration of war on all thinking
New Zealanders".

"For many years, Corso has supported the struggles of peoples throughout the
world for their basic human rights and for justice.  We have seen how
repressive legislation has been used time and time again against people who
have spoken out against government policies whether in Malaysia, Chile, India,
or right here in the Pacific".

"But similar kinds of repressive policies and laws are being used and abused
by so-called democratic governments such as Canada, the USA, and New Zealand.
The targets are often people who have spoken out against the violation of
indigenous peoples' rights and the economic policies of governments which have
embraced the free trade, free market agenda.  After all, these intelligence
agencies have to dream up new "threats" in order to justify their very
existence."

"Last week's Court of Appeal decision ruled unanimously that the SIS was
acting outside of the law when it broke into Aziz Choudry's Christchurch house
during an alternative forum on free trade which Corso supported."

"It is quite clear that, for all its pontificating about New Zealand's good
human rights record, that the government is so threatened by the exercise of
our democratic rights of lawful dissent and advocacy that it effectively wants
to deliver the SIS yet another carte blanche to carry out fishing expeditions
on all New Zealanders."

"In 1996, we warned that the expansion of SIS power to protect "New Zealand's
economic wellbeing and international wellbeing" could well be interpreted to
allow the SIS to target organisations, unions, academics and citizens which
challenge the extremist freemarket policies of successive New Zealand
governments.  In spite of all the assurances from National and Labour that the
SIS would not be used against people who are engaged in lawful advocacy or
protest, it is quite clear that these counted for nothing."

"We have already started informing our international networks about the SIS
bungled break-in, and now this move of the New Zealand government.  There is
shock and outrage that a country which claims to be a model for open
participatory democracy is so scared of debate on crucial issues that concern
us all, that it will give the SIS even more powers against its critics.  With
APEC coming to New Zealand next year, it is quite clear that this move is an
attempt to further silence dissent and to create the conditions for untold
human rights abuses next year."

"The government desperation to rush this through so quickly, without even due
Parliamentary process, is an admission of defeat for them.  All right-thinking
people should be outraged at this, coming so soon after the 50th Anniversary
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights last week", concluded Ms Menzies-
Culling. 

           
Contact: Suzanne Menzies-Culling ph (03) 477 3395