Site Meter
Showing posts with label East Cape. Show all posts
Showing posts with label East Cape. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Government calls in the Navy and the Airforce

"The Government is exploring legal options that may see it dispatch a navy vessel to stop Greenpeace from interfering with Petrobras' search for oil and gas."

Key, calling in the cops of the sea?
Good grief!

The protests against Petrobras, owned by the Brazillian Government, drilling for oil off the East Coast of New Zealand has been initiated by East Coast Maori, who were setting bonfires up and down the beaches a year ago to protest the proposed off-shore, deep-sea drilling they believe threatens their customary rights to the moana there. Now Key is calling in the Navy to protect the Brazillians!

"Meanwhile, an airforce Orion aircraft had also been dispatched to the area on an "observation" basis."
So the airforce is being employed also, in favour of the Brazillians.
I wonder how the New Zealanders feel, seeing their own Government deploying our forces against them?

Iwi have been active in their attempts to dissuade the oil drillers from setting up in the area.

"Meanwhile, Ani Pahuru-Huriwai, of protest group Ahi Kaa, told the Herald she had helped organise a meeting on Sunday between Petrobras executives and representatives from protest groups and iwi Te Whanau a Apanui and Ngati Porou."
"Ms Pahuru-Huriwai confirmed two of the Petrobras executives began crying during the meeting when faced with the strong opposition. She said the executives talked about their workplan, their commitment to environmental protection and financial capacity.
"We weren't interested because it's not about money, it's mana and our ability to feed our families from our traditional 'supermarket'."

The Government is acting directly against iwi here. This is a fight worth watching.