NZ police hold 17 in terror raids (BBC)

New Zealand police have arrested 17 people and seized a number of weapons during a series of anti-terror raids.

More than 300 police were involved in the operation, reportedly targeting Maori sovereignty and environmental activists - not foreign groups.

Police Commissioner Howard Broad said those arrested had used firearms and other weapons at military-style training camps.

Among those held was the prominent Maori rights campaigner, Tame Iti.

The North Island raids were the first use of the country's Terrorism Suppression Act.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7044448.stm

ON EDIT: So now native rights activists are terrorists ... how long before Bu**sh** uses this as an excuse to lock away Native American activists?

when a group of the indigenous population can be classified as being terrorists under NZ's anti-terror laws.

It's the chicken or the egg quandry.

I remember talking with a NZ police Sgt. when I went to register a Jeffries 500 3" Nitro Express double rifle that I had purchased there. He told me shotguns didn't need to be registered. I told him to look down the barrel and take note of the rifling.

That got us on the conversation of illegal weapons.

Normally, the police there didn't carry weapons, but just in case there was a need they decided to repair and get ammunition for a bunch of antique model 1900 Browning automatic pistols that they had at the time. They put out a call to the citizenry for any parts or ammunition for the guns and promised no questions asked for those who delivered.

They were amazed at the quantity of spares that came out of the woodwork. It also gave them pause as to what else might be out there. This is a country where all but a very few pistols are illegal for personal possession.

here in the UK and all sorts stuff gets turned in no questions asked.

An old WWII NZ vet told me a story about being assigned to a Maori unit in North Africa.

One day he had to discipline one of them and ordered him to do 3 hours marching on the parade ground.

He went out about an hour later to check on him and found that five of his mates had joined in.