Tuesday, February 22, 2011

we know you will know

The Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, James Anaya has just tabled a report at the UN. I haven't read it yet but reports show that he highlights the "extreme disadvantage" of maori in this country. All of the maori party spin and brand-key lies and disinformation cannot hide the truth of the shame of this country. Maori are the indigenous people of this land and maori are disadvantaged. The promise of the maori party was around this disgrace not the bullshit spin being spun. The answer is simple - tino rangatiratanga. Protests at the fake sporting event. Pressure and marches to show that we will not go from our land.

Stuff
The Special Rapporteur cannot help but note the extreme disadvantage in the social and economic conditions of Maori people in comparison to the rest of New Zealand society," the UN report says. "This disadvantage, which manifests itself across a range of indicators, including education, health, and income, is certainly detrimental to Maori people's ability to act in partnership with the Crown, as contemplated under the Treaty of Waitangi. "The Special Rapporteur notes that this disadvantage especially manifests itself among Maori people living in urban areas." Anaya notes that "regrettably" New Zealand continues to incarcerate Maori at a high rate. He said Maori made up 51 per cent of the prison population despite making up only 15 per cent of the total population. "In addition to the negative impacts on individual incarcerated individuals and their families, high incarceration rates have a potentially significant impact on Maori political participation, as the New Zealand electoral law specifies that citizens who have been sentenced and imprisoned lose their voting rights," the report says.
Reality hurts for those who pretend not to see - but reality is everyday life for those who are within it. No one who can think is unaware of these statistics and what they mean. It is time to wake up - it is time to deal with why this is happening.

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