Damages claim a shameful act of state bullying

The threat of the Solicitor-General to bring a lawsuit seeking $1.1 million in damages from the Waihopai domebusters is a shameful act of state bullying.

For the Solicitor General to threaten such civil action is in all ways unjust and anti-democratic.

These courageous New Zealanders deserve public acclaim for their audacious bravery in bringing to light New Zealand support for US wars.

They were exercising their rights to dissent under the Bill of Rights Act. They were found by a jury to have acted honestly and sincerely in accordance with their beliefs and not to have broken any New Zealand laws.

They exposed the Waihopai spybase because:

• It is a US spybase on New Zealand soil
• The New Zealand government under Dave Lange was lied to as to the purpose and role of the base when the government approved funding for it
• It spies on international communications which involve New Zealanders and sends the information to the US National Security Agency
• It spies on our Pacific neighbours and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region
• It worked with other bases in the network to spy on UN Security Council members to find information to undermine US plans to invade the country in 2003
• It is part of the US war machine

During the trial of the Waihopai three the GCSB (Government Communications Security Bureau) which runs Waihopai for the US refused to provide any witnesses for cross-examination as to the ownership or role of the base but now want to claim damages.

They had the opportunity to provide evidence defending the role of the base but failed to do so. They put forward their most robust prosecution but lost the case. Now they want to punish the domebusters via a vicious back door claim for damages. The Solicitor General should tell the GCSB to bugger off.

ENDS

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