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The government expressed “sorrow, self-blame and regret” over the historic suppression of immigration against Pacific communities.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has formally apologized for the police crackdown on the country’s Pacific communities in the 1970s.
On Sunday, Ardern told the tearful crowd gathered at Oakland City Hall that her government was apologizing formally and unreservedly for the infamous “dawn raid,” during which the police-usually accompanied by dogs -Raid houses, search for overstayers, then be convicted and deported.
At the time of the attack, many people from the Pacific Islands (including Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji) came to New Zealand on temporary visas to help meet the needs of the country’s factories and field workers.
But during the economic downturn in the 1970s, the government seemed to turn against the community, claiming that they were taking jobs from New Zealanders. Those who did not look like white New Zealanders were told that they should carry identification to prove that they were not overstayers, and were often stopped randomly in the street, even in school or church.
“Today, on behalf of the New Zealand government, I formally and unreservedly apologize to the Pacific community for the discriminatory implementation of immigration laws in the 1970s,” Ardern said at a rally in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city.
“The government expresses its grief, self-blame, and regret over the occurrence of dawn raids and random police inspections and that these actions are deemed appropriate,” she said.
Sunday’s rituals include ifoga, which is a traditional Samoan ritual where people ask or accept forgiveness [Brett Phibbs/New Zealand Herald via AP]
Ardern stated that the government will provide new education and training scholarships for Pacific communities and will help compile official accounts for raids [Brett Phibbs/New Zealand Herald via AP]People in the Pacific accounted for one-third of overstayers, but 86% of prosecutions, while Britons and Americans in New Zealand (also accounting for one-third of overstayers) accounted for only 5% of prosecutions in the same period .
Although the raid occurred nearly 50 years ago, Ardern stated that their legacy continues.
“It is still vividly engraved in the memory of those directly affected. It continues to exist in the destruction of trust and belief in authority. The occurrence of these events has not yet been resolved, and these events have always existed in the Pacific community unresolved. Of dissatisfaction,” she said.
Wayne Hay of Al Jazeera TV in Auckland described the Sunday ceremony as emotional and said that many viewers burst into tears after Ardern apologized.
He said that the ceremony also includes ifoga, which is a traditional Samoan ceremony in which people ask or accept forgiveness. While in ifoga, Ardern sat motionless, members of the Pacific community pulled a large white cushion over her head, completely covered her, then removed it and hugged her.
“This is a very rare thing in New Zealand,” Hay said. “The government formally apologizes for past injustices, and there are strict standards for such apologies.
“The people who are the subject of an apology must be defined as a unique group. They continue to suffer injuries related to these historical events today. The government of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern decided that the victims of the dawn attacks in the 1970s were in line with The standard.”
As a gesture of goodwill, Ardern said on Sunday that the government will provide new education and training scholarships for Pacific communities and will help compile official raid records based on written records and oral history.
“As part of this, the community will have the opportunity to stand up and share their experience,” she said.
The Sunday ceremony was originally scheduled to take place in June, but it was postponed due to coronavirus measures. The apology did not bring about any broader financial compensation or legal changes, but many Pacific people said it was an important first step.
Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili of Tonga delivered a speech at the ceremony and said that the impact of the dawn raid had plagued her community for generations.
“We thank your government for making the right decision to apologize,” she told Ardern. “Correct extreme, inhuman, racist and unfair treatment in the era of dawn raids, especially against my community.”
The princess added that the government can better respond to the current immigration needs, and this comment drew continued applause. She said that a petition has been submitted to find ways and places of residence for overstayers and visa holders.
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