Commission releases human rights analysis of Operation Eight

Today the Human Rights Commission released a report on Police actions during Operation Eight concluding that innocent people were exposed to unnecessary trauma and had their human rights negatively impacted.

The Commission received 31 complaints about Police actions covering a range of concerns including being stopped at the roadblock at Ruatoki and photographed without consent, the negative implications of using the Terrorism Suppression Act, and the impact on children confined for several hours, some without food.

“Our report focuses on the innocent people affected by the operation. These people had done nothing wrong and did not break any laws but had their basic rights trampled," says Chief Commissioner David Rutherford. The report does not deal with those people arrested or charged.

The report also concludes that no comprehensive assessment of the impact on innocent people was carried out; and insufficient support was provided to innocent people.

“It’s very clear more should have been done in the immediate aftermath to support innocent people. We make five recommendations to help ensure negative impacts are minimised in the future.

“On the positive side, much progress has been made since 2007. We’re pleased to see Police have made changes to their processes and policies to ensure this doesn’t happen again. For example, we welcome the completion of a review of Police policy for dealing with children and vulnerable people when executing search warrants.

“It is also worth nothing that new search and surveillance legislation has been introduced since Operation Eight that addresses much of the behaviour complained about.

“The Commission’s report follows the conclusion of related court cases and the release of the IPCA report earlier this year. We considered it inappropriate to release our analysis before the completion of these two matters.

“Over recent months the Commission has been consulting with both Police and Tūhoe leadership and we understand that substantial progress has been made in repairing the relationship. My hope is that this report will help further that endeavour,” says Mr Rutherford.

Read Operation Eight: A human Rights analysis (PDF 200Kb).

[Scoop copy of report: HRCOperationEightwebversion.pdf]

Kua puta te tātaritanga tika tangata a Te Kāhui Tika Tangata mō Operation Eight

I puta i te rangi nei te pūrongo a Te Kāhui Tika Tangata mō ngā mahi a ngā Pirihimana i te wā o Operation Eight me te kī anō i ngaukinohia pokanoahia te hunga harakore, ā, me te tūkino hoki i ā rātau tika tangata, hei tā te Amokapua a David Rutherford.

“E 31 ngā amuamu i whiwhi i te Kāhui Tika Tangata mō ngā mahi a ngā Pirihimana mai i ngā āwangawanga whānui tae atu ki te whakatū tāngata i te aukati rori i Rūātoki me te whakaahua anō i a rātau me te kore i whiwhi whakaaetanga, ngā whakahīrautanga kino o te whakamahi i te Terrorism Suppression Act, me te pānga ki ngā tamariki i mauheretia mō ngā haora maha, me te aha kāore ētahi i whāngaihia ki te kai.

“E hāngai ana tā mātau pūrongo ki te hunga harakore i pākia e tēnei mahi. Kāore he hara o ēnei tāngata ka mutu kāore rātau i takahi i te ture engari i tāmia ā rātau tika taketake.

E kī anō te pūrongo kāore i whakahaerehia he aromatawai whānui mō te pānga ki te hunga harakore; he tino iti rawa ngā tautoko i tukuna ki te hunga harakore.

“He tino mārama te kitea kāore i tino whakapau kaha i muri tonu mai ki te tautoko i te hunga harakore. E rima ā mātau taunakitanga hei mātua whakarite ka iti ake te pānga o ngā āhuatanga kino a muri ake nei.

“Ko tētahi mea pai, he nui te kauneke whakamua mai i te tau 2007. Kei te pai ki a mātau ngā whakarerekētanga a ngā Pirihimana ki ā rātau whakahaere me ā rātau kaupapa here kia kore ai tēnei āhuatanga e pā mai anō. Hei tauira, e tāria ana e mātau te pūrongo arotake i ngā kaupapa here mō te wherawhera tamariki me te hunga mōrearea ina kōkirihia ngā whakamana haurapa.

“Kia mōhio anō tātau kua uru mai he ture haurapa me te mātaki hou mai i te wā i kōkiritia a Operation Eight e whakatikatika ana i ngā mahi i puta ai ngā amuamu.

E whai ana te pūrongo a Te Kāhui Tika Tangata i te otinga o ngā kēhi kōti mō tēnei take me te whakaputanga o te pūrongo a te IPCA i tēnei tau. E ai ki ō mātau whakaaro kāore e tika te tuku i tā mātau pūrongo i mua i te otinga o ēnei take e rua.

“I roto i ēnei marama kua pahure nei i whakawhitiwhiti kōrero Te Kāhui Tika Tangata me ngā rangatira o ngā Pirihimana me Tūhoe, ā, e mārama ana mātau he nui ngā mahi kua oti ki te rapu huarahi tērā e mau ai pea te rongo. Ko taku tūmanako ka tautoko tēnei pūrongo i tērā whāinga,” te kī a David Rutherford.

ENDS

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