Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Call for inquiry into state abuse reaches the United Nations

Call for inquiry into state abuse reaches the United Nations - Human Rights Commission

Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy is in Geneva and has asked a United Nations committee to urge the New Zealand government to initiate an inquiry into the physical and sexual abuse of children and disabled people held in state institutions.

“Last month I stood alongside abuse survivors at the steps of their parliament and it was one of the most heart breaking things I’ve ever done. As children they suffered years of abuse at the hands of their own Government and there they were asking for justice,” said Dame Susan.

“We know that of the children who were taken, the overwhelming majority were Maori: upwards of 80 and sometimes 100% in various children’s homes. These state homes were the beginning of the mass incarceration of Maori New Zealanders in our state institutions. And it is still going on. The refusal by successive governments to investigate is not only wrong, it is immoral. This is not my New Zealand and I urged the UN to tell our Government to do the right thing.”

Dame Susan is representing the NZ Human Rights Commission before the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimiation (CERD), the independent body of human rights experts which monitors whether New Zealand complies with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

“We live in one of the most peaceful and ethnically diverse nations on earth and yet racism happens in New Zealand. Racial hatred starts small, but so too does hope: this is why we launched our country’s first anti-racism campaign.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“I am able to tell the United Nations of how our New Zealander of the Year Taika Waititi and other beloved Kiwis dropped everything to stand publicly with us against racism: they made me feel so proud to be a New Zealander. Millions more of us have joined us to Give Nothing to racism.”

“A nation’s identity is not just about a flag or an anthem. A nation’s identity is about who we are as a people, how we treat each other and importantly, how our State treats us.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.