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Saturday, November 05, 2005

Parihaka 

November 5th also is the anniversary of a shameful and (in the UK anyway) little known episode in New Zealand history - the invasion in 1881 by the NZ settler government of the pacifist Maori community of Parihaka. For the story outlined for today see the New Zealand blogger Idiot/savant. Why is it relevant to us? I will close with I/S's conclusion

Why should we remember Parihaka? For the same reason we remember any event in history: to avoid repeating it. Parihaka was a gross injustice, but it is also a
warning of what happens when government acts on fear and without respect for
human rights. Only by acknowledging and remembering it can we hope to avoid
making the same mistake in the future.

'Acting on fear and without respect for human rights'... we need to be watchful today Liberals, for obvious reasons, as our own UK Government Labours on .

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