Congratulations to intrepid ploughshares activists

Global Peace and Justice Auckland congratulates the intrepid activists from the Ploughshares group who were found not guilty by a jury yesterday in the Wellington District Court. The not guilty verdict relates to charges of burglary and intentional damage when they deflated one of the domes at the Waihopai spybase near Blenheim two years ago.

The defence the domebusters presented to the jury was well founded. The three freely admitted they did the damage claimed but their argument was an elegant and courageous expression of otherwise illegal action taken to prevent much greater crimes against people. The three told the Wellington District Court they acted to save the lives of those who are endangered by United States intelligence gathered from the base.

Waihopai’s activity threatens lives around the world and most recently it assisted the US strategy to help justify the invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been killed as a result. The three activists have helped focus public attention on the immoral work of Waihopai.

Waihopai is New Zealand’s greatest contribution to US global strategies and ties us into the US war machine. It’s activity threatens lives around the world but it is also outside the democratic control of New Zealanders.

The spybase is nominally run by the GCSB (Government Communications Security Bureau) but is – in all but name – a United States spybase operating on New Zealand soil. It is clear from research here and overseas that it is operated in the US national interest – both militarily and commercially. Other similar bases are operated around the world with Waihopai being part of this secret global surveillance network set up after WWII under the UKUSA treaty which involves the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

The kiwi trio on trial this week deserve applause for their courage in stripping this base to its bare essentials and exposing its undemocratic and immoral purposes.

ENDS

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