Mike Smith and the "Urewera 17"

Just found this message posted on a World Indigenous People’s Network Yahoo group.

—— Forwarded Message
From: Mike Smith

Update:

The door of 128 in Wellington was broken in during a raid by 30 police. Marama Mayrick has been taken into police custody in Hamilton. Emily Bailey and Valerie Morse arrested in Wellington. Omar Hamed arrested in Auckland. Tameiti in Ruatoki.

On 15/10/2007, at 10:43 AM, Mike Smith wrote:

Just heard from the news media that there are a number of “Maori and Environmentalists” currently being arrested as part of a major national operation, warrants have been issued in Whakatane,, Wellington, Palmerston North, and Hamilton Tameiti has apparently been arrested.

Mike Smith

Is this the same Mike Smith, who was the partner of Tame Iti’s lawyer, Annette Sykes?

The same Mike Smith who went to Libya in the ’80s, who hung around with Syd Jackson and Tame Iti in the ’90s?

The same Mike Smith who on the 28th October 1994, the anniversary of the 1835 Declaration of Independence, took a chainsaw to the pine tree atop One Tree Hill in Auckland?

The same Mike Smith who recently told TVNZ’s Closeup If there was any terrorism in Tuhoe it was state sponsored terrorism. The people there want to be self-governing. The recent declaration of Indigenous Rights says that indigenous peoples have the right to be self-governing. Self-governing includes things like issuing drivers licences, appointing your own postmen, and putting up a defence force. The public of New Zealand have nothing to worry about by going into Tuhoe. If you go into Tuhoe and behave yourself, you will be looked after. If you go there and misbehave, they will take it upon themselves to police their own area. Tame is about the protection and enhancement of Tuhoe people and Tuhoe lands.”

If it is the same man, note the apparent familiarity with the people involved. Note his apparent knowledge of 128 Abel Smith Street, Wellington, the anarchist HQ, with which several of those arrested are connected.

This message was written on the day of the arrests, well before names were made public. All of the above names, except for Tame Iti were in fact suppressed until the last few days.

How well did Mike Smith know these people?

Share:

Author: Admin

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *