February 06, 2013
Tribunal Model Could Be Right For West Papua
Labour leader David Shearer says the Waitangi Tribunal model is being looked at by other countries as a way to resolve grievances.
Prime Minister John Key used his Waitangi Day speech to trumpet the number of treaty settlements his government has concluded.
Mr Shearer says it was Labour that made the hard decisions on setting up the Tribunal and extending its mandate to look at claims dating back to 1840.
He’s heard interest from United Nations sources in using a similar system in West Papua, a province of Indonesia.
“The big fight between Indonesians and the local inhabitants there and they looked at our Waitangi Tribunal and said that it functioned so well. It would be a good model to be used in that sort of situation because its part truth commission and compensatory. It tells the history of the conflict and what actually went on, the injustices that were done. At the end of it, it helps to heal and resolve differences.
Mr Shearer attended the dawn services at the Treaty Grounds yesterday, and says the media focus on a few negative incidents tends to overshadow an event that is overwhelming positive.
Copyright © 2013, Uma Broadcasting Ltd