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Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 26. October 3 1977

When the Boat Comes in

When the Boat Comes in

Photo of people and smoke on a beach

On September 1 two students who were at Shoal Bay, at the South end of Triphena Harbour on Great Barrier Island were treated to an interesting spectacle. The Bay is frequently visited by parties of Navy personnel off ships coming into Auckland. They are brought into the Bay by boat and are frequently sent off on cross country runs in the area. On this day, however, the party that landed began going through manouevers on the Beach. It was low tide and a large area of sand below the high tide mark was exposed. The students commented that although the presence of the party was quite easily visible, only people who, like themselves, bothered to go onto the beach for a closer look would be able to see exactly what they were doing.

As they approached, with camera, they heard their presence reported back to the ship by radio. They could not hear the reply from the ship as the signalman was wearing headphones. However, they were not hindered in their attempts to observe the drill and even managed to hold a brief conversation with the signalman. When asked who the Navy party were, the signalman said that they were 'Internal Security' and that they were part of the Navy. In answer to questions, he confirmed that they were concerned with riot control and demonstrations. He said that this sort of thing had been going on 'for a long time', ever since 'the trouble overseas'. Quite what he meant by this is open to some doubt but presumably it referred to attempts to suppress the Anti-Vietnam war movement in the US. Inexplicably, the signalman seemed in some doubt as to whether the ship he had come off was the HMNZS Waikato or HMNZS Otago. At this point an Officer approached said 'Ok. We're just playing really' and removed the signalman. The students continued to watch the squad practise its demonstration control techniques.

Navy Internal Security on a beach

Much of the drill was concerned with using tear gas. The squad were equipped with gas masks and at one point even practised being gassed themselves. Then one of the officers gave an instruction to the effect that since the imaginary demonstrators had failed to disperse under assault from the teargas, the operation would move on to its next stage. At this point the squad took up their rifles and were put through a drill of shooting specific members of the imaginary crowd as pointed out by the Officer. A large sign was held up saying 'Any person who crosses this line will be shot.

What we apparently have is the NZ armed forces training its men as along standing policy, to shoot New Zealand civilians. Furthermore, as the two students observed the Navy squad practicing, they estimated that the average age of the 27 men involved would have been less than eighteen. The navy is, in fact, training as if for a violent intervention into New Zealand politics.

Coming at a time when Internal Security legislation is being introduced to quell the growing rebellion against the Government's harsh policies, it can be seen that the Government is preparing for the eventuality that a fascist revolution may be necessary in New Zealand in the not too distant future.

The trends in other "democratic capitalist" countries are the same. In Australia during the "Canberra coup" in 1975, armed forces were put on a grey alert for some days and NSW forces manned the railways system in that state.

Students should have no illusions about the nature of state power in New Zealand. Whilst in times of prosperity everything seems nice and democratic, the rulers have their contingency plans. During both the 1968 and 1976 openings of parliament, the underground carparks of parliament were full of armed troops in case something "unusual" should occur.

The recession that New Zealand is in at present is going to steadily get worse and worse (refer OECD report on New Zealand and annual report of Department of Trade and Industry). As it does, the Government is going to introduce stricter and stricter economic and political measures to ensure that the profits of the big companies are not affected. With it will come harsh repressive measures to counter worker and people's dissatisfaction. If you don't go along with this, then read the first part of the article again.

It's good enough to ignore these recent developments in New Zealand. One day you will have to decide which side you are on—the side of the parasitic monopolies and their parliamentary stooges, or the side of social progress in the interests of the whole of society.

—David Murray

(We thank CRACCUM for the original story and photos.)

Photo of people on a beach