Background
Ngāi Tūhoe have long-held grievances against the crown, particularly over land, including the land that now forms the Te Urewera National Park.
Police commissioner Howard Broad said the raids were conducted in the interest of public safety, but declined to outline the nature of the threat. Seventeen people were arrested in the raids, the most notable being veteran Māori/Ngāi Tūhoe activist Tame Iti, who grew up and has lived much of his life in Ruatoki. Police documents allege Iti was preparing for an IRA-style "war on New Zealand" to establish an independent state on traditionally Tūhoe land.
According to a Dominion Post report, Iti's group, named "Rama" – the Maori word for enlightenment – consisted of about 20 people including former New Zealand Army soldiers, some of whom had fought in the Vietnam War, as well as several members in their late teens. The group's methods were allegedly derived from the IRA's Green Book training manual. The Dominion's source described the group as "comical" and "amateurish." An "open invitation" to the training camps had been sent to sympathetic activists. A Christchurch activist who claims to have attended said he was "overwhelmed" and "a bit freaked out" by their military-style practices. The owner of Christchurch gun dealer Gun City, which is supposed to have supplied about 5% of the group's supplies "including a gun cabinet and magazines", claimed much of what was seized was not useful for a terrorist attack, and that the media had sensationalised the events. He pointed to media descriptions of a plastic paintball "landmine" as a landmine.
The government group ODESC (Officials Committee for Domestic and External Security Co-ordination), was also involved in the operation.
Read more about this topic: 2007 New Zealand Anti-terror Raids
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