After nearly 50 years, the government is about to apologize for the dawn raids of the 1970s that terrified the Pacific community.
Newshub understands that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will announce details of the government’s apology for the dawn raids at her post-Cabinet press conference.
Initiated by Labor and prosecuted when Sir Robert Muldoon’s National took over later in the decade, the raids saw Polynesians targeted by police – although most of the overruns were European / Pakeha, according to the New Zealand history government website.
People were not only accosted at their homes – they were also stopped in the streets and asked for documents, “anything that proved a person’s right to be in the country”.
In April, a new call for a formal apology from the state was issued.
“We are seeking to have an era of blatant racism officially recognized by the New Zealand government, so that we can be sure this will never happen again,” said Melani Anae, founding member of the Polynesian Panthers. Guardian.
Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio told Newshub Nation last month that he is still considering a formal apology and taking his time to consider all issues.
“This is important because you are asking the current government to apologize for something that happened 50 years ago. I have to be able to look at this from all angles to be able to determine what recommendation I would make to the government. government.”
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Polynesian Panthers, a social justice movement formed to address racial inequalities perpetrated against indigenous Maori and Pacific Islanders.
