Last week the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta delivered a no-holds-bared attack on Russia for its illegal invasion of Ukraine.
She described it as “a form of aggression at direct odds with the core values of New Zealanders” and expressed her “resolute support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. She spoke of the support parliament had given to Ukraine with “our unanimous motion to condemn Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified bullying”.
Ms Mahuta spoke of the actions the government has taken in response saying “we have banned all goods that could be used by the Russian military and suspended foreign ministry consultations with Russia. There are now travel bans in place on key individuals from Russia and Belarus involved in the invasion against Ukraine, and this list will be reviewed regularly.”
But it didn’t end there. She went on to say the government was “pursuing new measures to target Russian investment, including measures to target financial institutions in New Zealand, including separate, but Russian targeted, specific legislation.”
She said New Zealand, along with 30 other countries, has referred Russia to the International Criminal Court so an investigation can begin immediately into possible war crimes committed in the attack.
She talked about our government co-sponsoring a United Nations General Assembly resolution “condemning Russia’s actions and demanding its immediate withdrawal”. She said the resolution, supported by 141 votes, “shows the incredible demonstration of international solidarity in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine.”
Nanaia Mahuta ended her forthright, uncompromising defence of human rights for the people of Ukraine by saying “The #Ukraine flag continues to fly on New Zealand’s Parliament, as we the New Zealand Government, and people, stand with the people of Ukraine.”
By any measure this was an impressive response to a serious international situation by the Foreign Minister of a small country on the other side of the world. It should make us proud that we can speak out and be heard in such a fearless manner on issues of such critical importance to humanity.
Unfortunately, we can’t celebrate this Labour government stance because we know it is so exceptional to the government’s normal approach to invasions, military occupations, attacks on democracy and abuses of human rights.
A friend of mine calls Labour’s response to Ukraine a “blue-eyed” response – meaning that if the victims have blue eyes we will shout our condemnation from the rooftops. If the victims have brown eyes Labour looks the other way.
Take the examples of Palestine and West Papua.
All historic Palestine, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, has been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967 – one of the longest military occupations in modern history. Under Israeli military rule, described as the application of “apartheid policies” against Palestinians by Amnesty International and the US-based Human Rights Watch, Palestinians face daily harassment, ritual humiliation, arbitrary arrest, prolonged detention without trial (children included) and well-documented brutality when they resist their occupiers.
Since 1967 over 20,000 Palestinians have been killed under Israel’s reign of terror. Most of them civilians. Meanwhile the Human Rights Group Defence for Children International says 2021 was the deadliest year for Palestinian children since 2014, as Israeli forces killed 76 Palestinians under 18, 15 of them in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and 61 in the besieged Gaza Strip.
But instead of condemning Israel and demanding they end their occupation, the Labour government is doing the precise opposite. No condemnation, no boycotts, no bans. Rather than holding Israel to account for war crimes and flagrant breaches of international law the Labour government last month took part in an agricultural summit to “build strategic partnerships” with Israel and thereby assisted this apartheid state in the exploitation of stolen Palestinian land. The Labour government is actively complicit in Israeli war crimes.
Our Pacific neighbour West Papua has been occupied by the Indonesian military for even longer, since 1962, and a more savage, unforgiving occupier would be hard to find. But look for any Labour government statements on Indonesian war crimes or standing in solidarity with the people of West Papua and you won’t find a murmur. No tweets, no media releases, no solidarity, nothing!
Alongside eye colour, the other critical factor is that the Labour government calls out human rights abuses to a US agenda. Labour is happy to condemn Russia and China for example and pass parliamentary motions condemning their brutality but turns a blind eye when US allies such as Indonesia and Israel run occupying regimes of murder and mayhem against West Papuans and Palestinians.
The Labour government has not shown courage in dealing with Ukraine. It has been easy to join the crowd of international condemnation and proudly fly the Ukrainian flag over our parliament.
But when will Labour fly the Palestinian or West Papuan flags over parliament?
New Zealand flying the Ukraine flag is just this country following the same path of antagonism towards Russia since the 1870s when we had our first “Russian scare”. How is it that we can be so far away from Russia but have had cold war relations with that country for almost all of our history? It’s because we are part of the Anglo/British alliance and where Britain and the United States go, we follow. There’s nothing principled about this stand.
Quite so ep.
This so called “the whole World is against Russia” turns out to be only the blue eyed nations….. that’s only 20% of the Worlds population. The Anglo/American Empire fans. The rest of the World is watching with intense interest as to how this turns out for the USA.
check out the speech of Kenya’s ambassador to the UN right after the start of the invasion. And notice his eyes color.
Right on the point ep, every word. We get so emotional, when we choose, about poor little …some country… and we only have to look at Chile for an example when you go against USA foreign policy plans for your own country. They come and practice war maneouvres here, also a little in the nature of rescue to make it look good, I would think. But we are under the thumb, Keith Locke has been marked down ny our intelligence for being a stirrer since he was about 11 years of age. Australia will keep us in line. They own our banks and soon our fuel supplies and can apply pressure when they decide it’s appropriate for the English speakers.
So your words confirm that New Zealand as an Anglo/British alliance silently supports the brutality and mistreatment of Palestinians (and historical nations). Because the Anglo crusaders and zionist alliance share the same sickening belief: the Palestinians (and Arabs) are a ‘cursed’ people according to your romanised Bible! (While many Jews and NZ Europeans are against these claims). So these brutalities are justified because you believe that your romanised God punishes and curses people, but it was the horror and terror of the Anglo/British alliances that brought hell to other nations in the name of a faith that destroys and robs people then claim the lord saved them, cursed? So no difference than how the biggest and worst terrorist act in human history, the hiroshima-and-nagasaki-bombs that were dropped in the name of Christ, led by the Anglo forces.
Thank you John .I share your scepticism and disgust.Who the hell to vote for?
Voting for Labour and the Greens is like a vote for US foreign policy .I would have thought Mahuta who declared the rights of indigenous peoples is dear to her heart would be defending the Palestinians.
The trouble is there is no one to vote for.Unless Chris Leitch gets his arse into gear or the Maori party gets a spine
Maybe Tik Tok would be the best channel for Labour diplomacy?
Well done John. It’s truly sickening to witness not only the hypocrisy of our politicians, but also that of our media (now subsidized by our tax dollars) which spews the propaganda and suppresses the truth, to deliberately deceive us. Having learnt nothing from history, of the lies told to justify war after war, from the Maori wars to Afghanistan, our gullible fellow citizens go along with the nonsense. More than sickening, it’s criminal, and Nanaia Mahuta, of all people, should be truly ashamed of herself
absolutely agree. Only the Maori Party and the Greens have anything vaguely resembling a law and human rights based foreign policy. First move should be to separate Foreign Affairs and Trade into independent ministries – at the moment, trade Trump’s all…..
Funny you should mention Ukraine and Israel.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-knesset-passes-law-barring-palestinian-spouses-2022-03-10/
Exhibit A when Israel is accused of being an apartheid state, the open and blatant discrimination against partners of Israelis who are Palestinian Arabs.
Glory to Ukraine.
,,,,” a captive Russian soldier is forced to shout “Glory to Ukraine!” This is the first part of the military salute widely used by Ukrainian nationalist SS units during World War II, the full version is “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!”. The soldier keeps silent, threats can be heard in the background that he is about to be shot, after which the wounded man utters “Glory to Ukraine, Glory to Russia”. Frustrated shouts and insults are heard in the background.” https://southfront.org/difference-in-treatment-of-captives-and-fortitude-of-the-russian-soldiers-videos-18/
“Glory to Ukraine!” This is the first part of the military salute widely used by Ukrainian nationalist SS units during World War II, the full version is “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!”.
I bet ‘James (black-face?) Brown’ supported the police with BLM ,,,
Glory to the Nazis ,,, eh james white
When Oh Lord? Can we give a majority percentage of agitation and anxiety 51.1% to them and the rest to angst and disgust over Russia and Ukraine. West Papua and Palestine are real places not just entities on a reality tv show or offshore from The Lost Island.
In a recently heard discussion between a Russian and a Ukrainian, many Russians don’t regard Ukraine as a truly separate country – it is a 401. Whatever that is. Perhaps we can force Ruskaine to pull their various forces back and discuss, with heart. (If you want to know where ask and I’ll find out.)
Ukrainians are our friends and they would never bomb us or hate us. Same can’t be said sorry.
ex kiwi
You may have Ukrainian friends but when it comes to how to regard countries you have to think along lines that are adult, knowledgeable, strategic and not simplistic.
How would you know – Ukraine is regarded as the most corrupt state in Europe – by its ‘friends’.
….. Yes,,,,,Ukraine was rated as being more corrupt than Nigeria in 2015 ,,,,, somehow in the 3 years that Hunter Biden was given his $50,000 per month ‘ghost job’ at the Ukraine energy company ,,,,, Ukraine got rated as LESS corrupt.
I’m not sure how that works …. https://youtu.be/at_o56Kbzdk?t=43
Last week the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta delivered a no-holds-bared attack on Russia for its illegal invasion of Ukraine.
She described it as “a form of aggression at direct odds with the core values of New Zealanders” and expressed her “resolute support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. She spoke of the support parliament had given to Ukraine with “our unanimous motion to condemn Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified bullying”.
What are our core values? The United Nations calls us out for so much? John Key seems to have set us up to be a assets parking lot under secrecy so chancy money can hide under a rock. NZs as resolute, honest capable people? Advertising our country and water as 100% okay, The water so often dirty, the ground polluted with asbestos, flame retardants, etc. Education bodged. Living in the miasma of the early 1900s with electronic bells and whistles. And treating our children badly, refusing to ensure we have strategic resources like essential housing as needed. Paying big sums to overseas people to work for us and show us the latest dodgy practices. Smarming to the wealthy from overseas and being willing to sell our various taonga and strategic businesses to them, regarding it as an advantageous deal. It’s like finding your way through an old London peasoupy fog which used to come inside and hang about he high ceilings of the old gracious houses there. You couldn’t get away from its effects; dismal look and smell.
Those core values?
This is human nature, and you will have to understand it as such. People who seem more “like us” are, naturally, more likely to get our sympathy. Educated intellectuals have a whole-humanity view, and that is admirable. But the realpolitik of the situation is, for the majority, the attractiveness of likes; hence the Ukraine response. C’est la vie.
Collective security multilateralism explains the why (as to flag flying) we would – neither Palestine nor Western Papua are nation state members of the UN. Nor is Taiwan.
ahem…check out https://www.act.org.nz/……the same colour scheme as the Ukraine flag (plus a little pink)
Recently the United Nations reiterated that Indonesia is engaging in “child killings, torture and the forced removal of tens of thousands of indigenous people” in West Papua.
Yet New Zealand continues to not only trade with Indonesia but helps to train and equip its military.
In 1963, Indonesia invaded West Papua, six years later in 1969 Kissenger installed Suharto to open the country’s forests and mineral wealth for US corporations.
US company Freeport-McMoRan operates the Grasberg mine in Papua – the largest gold mine and the third largest copper mine in the world.
The occupation of West Papua receives little international attention due to Indonesia’s ban on foreign journalists.
The Indonesian government has systematically shipped millions of Indonesian migrants to West Papua to culturally and ethnically eradicate the indigenous people. Today indigenous Papuans represent just 47 per cent, down from almost 100% in the last 50 years.
Over 500,000 civilians have been killed in the genocide and thousands more have been raped, tortured, imprisoned or ‘disappeared’ after being detained.
Both the current and previous New Zealand governments have turned a blind eye to this genocide which is happening only about 5 and a half hours flying time from Auckland.
Well said!
The Act of Free Choice was in fact The Act of No Choice!
It was Indonesia stealing West Papua’s land and natural resources – Gold Oil Gas Silver Timber, etc resulting in the genocide of over 500 000 West Papuan Martyrs by the Indonesian military!
Australia turns a blind eye to the ethnic cleansing of her West Papuan allies, who protected Australian soldiers during World War 2 some of whom paid the ultimate price for doing so, using the heinous Lombok Treaty to do so!
Jokowi lied when he said he believed in human rights and appointed Wiranto, indicted by the UN for atrocities and crimes against humanity during East Timor’s bloody vote for independence, as his Security Minister!
IT IS ALL ABOUT GREED!
SHEER GREED!
Your damn right Rosemary McKay ,,, Add to that the present Ukraine war ,,, Invasion of Iraq ,,, destruction of Libya ,,,, the military Industrial complex ,,, etc etc.
Its all about the corruption that goes with greed,,,,, and corruption should be called what it really is ,,,, Criminality and Criminal behavior.
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