According to an article in the NZ Herald "United States President George Bush is looking to formally meet with Pacific Island leaders next year - possibly in New Zealand. Asked if a Pacific summit might be held in New Zealand, [Clark] said it was something that could be looked at."

Clark was quoted: "Obviously if he is in Australia, it is a possibility of coming to New Zealand, and it is a possibility around all of that that you might get the Pacific countries together. But it is a thought at this point and I wouldn't overplay it." Foreign Minister Winston Peters has also invited US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to visit New Zealand next year.

Bush is going to the APEC meeting in September 2007 which is taking place in Sydney. The anti-war movement needs to be ready to mobilise thousands of people for the actions in March around the 4th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq and to oppose Bush and Rice in the streets!

Links: Global Peace and Jusitce Auckland | Peace Action Wellington | Peace Movement Aotearoa

Australian Prime Minister John Howard was harassed throughout today in Wellington, by protesters primarily opposed to his involvement in the Iraq war.

A small group of protesters greeted him at the airport this afternoon with abuse and insults while he was welcomed by Clark and other high ranking MPs. There was a heavy police presence.

About 50 protesters gathered outside Premier House in the evening to further harass Howard, but faced off with a similar number of police who were more brutal than normal. Up to three rows of police barred entrance to the Premier House grounds. Protesters blocked the road, let off smoke bombs and resisted the police "safe zone". Three protesters were arrested during brutal police repression.

Links: Report and Photos | Peace Action Wellington | Extended footage of John Howard protest

The successful Mt. Augustus occupation led by the Save Happy Valley Coalition, begun on 5th February, has been ordered by the Department of Conservation (DoC) to clear the area and allow Solid Energy to resume its blasting.

The Coalition has been occupying DoC land within Solid Energy's 500m blasting exclusion zone to force the coal miner to cease blasting of the area home to the critically endangered Powelliphanta Augustus snail and Great Spotted Kiwi. Yesterday, at the insistence of Solid Energy, DoC declared a 200m exclusion zone on its land in effect between the hours of 5-7pm, four nights a week, to allow Solid Energy to continue its mining of the area.

The Coalition, however, refuses to budge. In a recent media release, a Coalition spokesperson said:

We are disgusted by DOC’s shameful action. DOC is supposed to protect our endangered species, not help mining companies send them to extinction. We will maintain our occupation to stop the blasting. Protecting this habitat is the key to saving this ancient, endemic snail.

The occupiers have also faced constant harassment from Solid Energy security guards. They are under 24 hour surveillance with binoculars and night vision goggles. Worse still, the guards have been discussing whether the occupiers could be taken out by a shotgun, "given a hiding", or raped. At one point, a large digger was placed just above the camp to intimidate the occupiers.

The Coalition is calling on volunteers from around the country to help the occupation in the face of rising State opposition. If you can help, please contact Brian Anderson on 021 1204723 or b.anderson[at]clear.net.nz.

The Wellington Save Happy Valley group is holding a film night for people interested in joining the Mt Augustus or Happy Valley occupations on Friday 16th February at 128 Abel Smith St.

Peace Action Wellington has received information that Australian Prime Minister John Howard will be visiting Wellington at the end of this week, February 15-17. This visit will mark his first visit since March 2003 just days before he helped George W Bush invade Iraq, sending Australian Special Forces troops and Navy frigates.

‘No doubt the Labour Government would be keen to keep Howard’s visit far from the public. We can only speculate as to the possible agenda of talks between Howard and Clark but it is sure not to include any criticism of Australian foreign policy’ said Peace Action Wellington member Valerie Morse

‘As the Australian government positions itself ever closer to the US, it pulls New Zealand with it. Indeed, the New Zealand government has been hand-in-hand with the Australian Liberal Party on its troop deployments to Afghanistan, the Solomon Islands and Tonga. Lest we forgot, New Zealand also sent NZDF troops to Iraq in 2003 to assist the occupation.’

Links: Howard's Wellington schedule | Peace Action Wellington | 2003 Feature: Protestors greet Australian PM | Howard out! Weblog

At the Asia Pacfic Festival in Wellington, Australian composer Martin Wesley-Smith's piece Papua Merdeka was dropped from the program after pressure from the Indonesian Embassy. Instead Martin's composition Weapons of Mass Distortion was played.

"The Asia Pacific Festival is supposedly devoted to the study of the music of Asia Pacific cultures - yet it kowtows to a situation where an Asia Pacific culture is being destroyed. What's more, apparently an official in a foreign embassy can dictate what New Zealanders are allowed to look at and listen to. To an outsider, it seems that New Zealand democracy ain't worth very much… " says Martin.

West Papua has been occupied by the Indonesian Military since 1962. Since 1962 human rights groups estimate that the Indonesian Military has killed 100,000 West Papuans. Papuans enjoy few civil rights. Currently there are two men in prison for 15 and 10 years for simply flying the West Papuan flag at a peaceful protest. Villages have been bombed and napalmed by the Indonesian military, and West Papua’s vast natural resources, such as copper, gold and natural gas, have been sold off to multinational corporations from the US, Britain and Australia, which have raped Papua’s environment and destroyed its communities.

Links: Martin Wesley-Smith | Massive Indonesian Military build up in Punjak Jaya, West Papua, fear for civilians | Peace Movement Aotearoa | Indonesia Human Rights Committee | Background: The West Papuan Tragedy

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ships Farley Mowat and the Robert Hunter have been engaged in militant confrontation with the Japanese whaling factory ship Nisshin Maru since 0530 Hours this morning.

During the confrontation which happened in fog one of the Sea Shepherd's inflatable Zodiac boats and the two crew members onboard were lost at sea. However the boat was recovered after seven hours with the crew members safe and sound.

The pirates of the Sea Shepherd, during the confrontation with Japanese whaling vessel the Nisshin Maru, "successfully delivered six liters of butyric acid onto the flensing deck of the Nisshin Maru. This "butter acid" is a nontoxic obnoxious smelling substance. The foul smell has cleared the flensing deck and stopped all work of cutting up whales." Sea Shepherd crew members also used nail guns to secure metal plates over the drain outlets that let off the whale blood that accumulates on the whalers deecks. The confrontation allowed a pod of whales in the area to escape.

Sea Shepherd News: Whalers Activities Disrupted by Sea Shepherd | Sea Shepherd Searches for Two Missing Crewmembers | Japanese Whaling Fleet Forced to Run from Sea Shepherd
Photos: 1 | 2

Reports that newspaper giant Fairfax is considering the purchase of CanWest Media’s radio and tv holdings in New Zealand is yet another example of the consolidation of all mass media into a handful of multinational corporations. Such corporations have little interest in creating a ‘public sphere’ of debate and discussion through their media channels. Rather, they seek only to maximize their profit margin by selling audiences to advertisers through ever more sensationalised reporting.

Fairfax owns nine daily NZ newspapers including The Dominion Post and The Press (Christchurch) newspapers, over 60 community newspapers and a string of popular monthly magazines including FHM, New Zealand Gardener and Cuisine. It is an Australian company that has significant control over the major markets there, including ownership of the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age (Melbourne) and The Australian Financial Review. At the end of 2006, Fairfax further expanded its empire and diminished the diversity of voices in the Australian media through its takeover of the Rural Press that operated over 170 regional titles and printing operations in all States of Australia and the ACT.

Links: News media ownership in NZ | How to use Indymedia

"As the wild wet winds continue to whip around Waitangi. Feburary 6th 2007 showed that although the flag did not fly on THAT bridge, the Maori Independence Flag, pretty much flew everywhere else" said Teanau Tuiono.

Kiritapu Allan continued "The Tino Rangatiratanga flag symbolises the long tradition of struggle and resistance by Maori against colonisation and the Crown sponsored theft of Maori land and resources. It is a symbol used by Maori who continue to resist the pressures of colonisation and cultural and economic genocide. It is part of the international movement of indigenous peoples drive for self-determination. Such a concept embraces the spiritual link Maori have with 'Papatuanuku' (Earthmother) and is a part of the international drive by indigenous people for self determination."

Video: March on Waitangi, 2007 | Interview with Teanau Tuiono
State of the Pakeha Nation 2007 speeches: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Links: Aocafe | Te Mana Motuhake Ō Tūhoe | Maori Independence Site | Waitangi a Personal Perspective | Background to Waitangi Day Protests: 40 years of Maori Protest