The Operation Burnham Inquiry has found the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) guilty of hiding and denying civilian casualties that resulted from a New Zealand-led raid in Afghanistan. This is a momentous occasion and the first inquiry of its kind in New Zealand.
The Hit and Run Inquiry Campaign group formed after the book Hit and Run was released in 2017 and has advocated for the truth to come out. As a group, we are pleased with the outcome of the inquiry.
This inquiry has exposed the NZDF’s nature to be untrustworthy. The behaviour of the NZSAS in Tirgiran Valley, Afghanistan in 2010 was deplorable and the subsequent spinning of lies from high levels of the NZDF is not what we expect of Kiwi behaviour. The NZDF has wilfully misled the NZ public to believing its innocence. New Zealanders deserve an apology from the NZDF for this harmful misleading.
Moreover, the NZDF should apologise to the families of the Afghan victims of the raids, and reparations should be made.
Hit and Run Inquiry Campaign spokesperson Sarah Atkinson said “the inquiry findings reveal that the NZDF is rotten to the core. It reveals the unchecked cover-up culture within the NZDF. We’re glad for the bravery of the insiders who instigated Hit and Run and catalysed this inquiry taking place.”
“We urge the NZDF to take this opportune moment to apologise and offer reparation to the families of the Afghan victims,” said spokesperson Sarah Atkinson
She said “the inquiry has exposed the tip of the iceberg of harm inflicted on Afghanistan by the coalition”.
