------- Original Message --------
Subject: New Zealand - criminalization of Maori dissent
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 11:46:57 -0400
From: First Peoples Human Rights Coalition <info (at) firstpeoplesrights.org>
Reply-To: <sjasper (at) firstpeoplesrights.org>
Organization: First Peoples Human Rights Coalition
To: <info (at) firstpeoplesrights.org>


C. The criminalization of indigenous protest activities



44. One of the more serious human rights protection deficiencies in
recent years is the trend towards the use of laws and the justice system
to penalize and criminalize social protest activities and legitimate
demands made by indigenous organizations and movements in defence of
their rights. Reports indicate that these tendencies appear in two
guises: the application of emergency legislation such as anti-terrorist
laws, and accusing social protestors of common misdemeanours

(such as trespassing) to punish social protests. Examples from various
parts of the world have come to the attention of the Special Rapporteur.



Rodolfo Stavenhagen, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation
of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people
(E/CN.4/2004/80), COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, Sixtieth session, Item 15
of the provisional agenda, 26 January 2004, para. 44