new zealand s prime minister jacinda ardern will make a formal apology for police raids which disproportionately targeted pacific communities in the 1970s. the so called dawn raids were carried out to find, convict and deport people from the pacific islands suspected of overstaying their visas, but never those from the uk or the us. i m joined now by dylan asafo, who is lecturer at the university of auckland law school specialising in human rights in the pacific and issues of racialjustice. thank you so much for making the time, the ceremony started about half an hour ago, what has happened so far 20 expecting as much within the 1st expecting as much within the ist 5 expecting as much within the 1st 5 minutes of the apology we could see that prime minister i don t has undertaken a cultural apology, a culturally appropriate apology, which involves the person who has
things? it is hoped that the government will things? it is hoped that the i government will acknowledge that the dawn raids were not just a series of police raids, there was a political campaign against the pacific peoples which raised addae pacific sentiments within new zealand, and that was going to need to be a lot of work under 2 are to do that. so1 be a lot of work under 2 are to do that. so 1 of the ways that they can show a genuine remorse is through granting amnesty to all of the pacific migrants, what migrants of colour for that matter, who are seeking amnesty for overstaying their visas, and providing people with solid and accessible pathways to permanent residency. pathways to permanent residency- pathways to permanent residen . , . ., . ,, residency. dylan asafo thank ou for residency. dylan asafo thank you forjoining residency. dylan asafo thank you forjoining us residency. dylan asafo thank you forjoining us we - you forjoining us we appreciated. let s take a quick
Wellington, New Zealand – It has been 50 years since New Zealand’s “dawn raids” and the 82-year-old father of Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio still cannot talk about it.
“How do you talk about something where you were made to feel helpless in your own home by an authority that was supposed to look after you and an authority you came to serve?” Sio said.
The dawn raids took place in the 1970s, involving people from the Pacific Islands who had migrated to New Zealand to work in the years following World War II.
One winter morning in 1974, the police – accompanied by dogs – came to the front door of Sio’s father’s property in Otara, Auckland. They demanded everyone in the house retrieve their passport to show they were legally entitled to be in New Zealand. Dogs were barking, people were screaming and the police chased Sio’s cousins from the garage. They were taken to jail minus their belongings and deported to Samoa.
Samoa s caretaker government has lost another electoral seat in the latest petition hearings this morning.
The Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) has now lost a total of five seats and holds 20 compared to the election winning FAST party s 26.
Samoa votes being tallied after the April election.
Photo: AFP or licensors
Two cases were heard today, with another deferred until tomorrow.
Today s case against the Faatuatua I le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party s Gagaemauga No 1 seat holder and Deputy Prime Minister-elect Tuala Tevaga Ponifasio was settled amicably, and withdrawn.
RNZ Pacific s correspondent in Samoa, Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia, says the other was withdrawn but the seat will be contested again.
By Fuimaono Dylan Asafo
Opinion - law lecturer Dylan Asafo argues the Samoan Supreme Court has issued a final warning to caretaker prime minister, Tuila epa Sa ilele Malielegaoi.
Photo: 123RF
Yesterday, the Supreme Court held that the swearing-in ceremony held by the FAST party on 24 May 2021 was unconstitutional and unlawful.
In my view, a proper reading of the Supreme Court s judgement follows that the swearing-in ceremony is unconstitutional and unlawful, but only on one condition: that parliament meets within the next 7 days without any other attempts by Tuilaepa, the Head of State, the (former) Speaker, the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, the 24 elected HRPP members and the Office of the Attorney General to prevent the peaceful transition of power.