A case of a Green leader's bleeding hand, not a bleeding liberal heart, has caused anger for many in New Zealand that China's political security guards manhandled a New Zealand member of Parliament. (Photo courtesy of Scoop.)

Pacific Scoop:
Opinion – By Thakur Ranjit Singh.

What we learn from history is that we do not learn from history!

Freedom of speech and freedom of press are hallmarks of democracy and the parliamentary complex is considered the last bastion of democracy. To think that such atrocity took place in the heart of New Zealand’s symbol of democracy is indeed shameful. New Zealand which considers itself the champion of democracy in the Pacific compromised its stance for a few dollars more from the Chinese trade opportunities. It was obvious that the incident at Parliament Buildings was indicative of a sad and desperate attempt to win economic favours with the Chinese.

If you think the above relates to the latest incident involving Green Party co-leader Dr. Russel Norman’s protest in Parliament on 18 June 2010, you are wrong. The incident I am speaking about happened over three years ago. Read on.

New Zealand’s hard stance on Fiji and cowering attitude to China, where it allows them to even rule in the Beehive in demolishing freedom of media, reveals Kiwi double standards in its definition of a democracy.

It was a gloomy, cloudy and as usual, a windy Wellington evening on 26 March, 2007, when the concept of freedom of media in New Zealand was shamed.

Journalist Nick Wang, Editor of Chinese Capital News, based in Wellington and cameraman/editor Tony Clark went to the Beehive to document the then Labour Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen meeting Chinese Vice Premier, Zeng Peiyan.

The photo opportunity had been listed in a media advisory and Wang had prior approval to attend the event.

But on arrival at the ten Deputy Prime Minsiter Michael Cullen’s office the two men were prevented from properly doing their job after a “local Chinese intelligence guy” told a member of the New Zealand Police’s diplomatic protection squad that Wang was “a problem”.

Dr Cullen defended the action, saying Wang was removed from the photo opportunity because he was creating a disturbance. That is not correct. I was at Amnesty International’s annual meeting in Auckland in May 2007 where the incident that was captured on camera was shown. This was also shown on national TV. There was no evidence of any problem being caused by Wang. It appears the New Zealand government just did not want the Chinese to be offended, and had become a tool at the hands of Chinese security in implementing oppressive action against freedom of press at the Beehive.

If you deliberately create a Frankenstein monster, you may not be able to control it. That is exactly what happened at the Parliament on 18 June, 2010.

Green Party co-leader and member of New Zealand's Parliament, Russell Norman, used a visit by China's vice premiere to raise concerns over China's occupation of Tibet. (Photo courtesy of Scoop.)

Dr Norman was jostled as he held a Tibetan flag aloft. He could be heard calling for democracy to be returned to Tibet. A scuffle broke out as Mr Xi’s delegation walked by. Russell Norman had an umbrella shoved towards him. The flag was pulled from his grasp. It was thrown on the ground. Dr Norman emerged with a bleeding hand, which he believed was stomped on. He complained to the police, insisting he was assaulted by Chinese security guards. The police responded by saying there was not enough evidence to substantiate Dr Norman’s complaint.

The bigger issue here is not about a conviction but that of symbolism. For a few dollars more, a supposed democratic nation, which lectures Fiji about the concept of democracy, allows the sanctity of its Parliamentary complex to be bloodied by trade and commercial expediencies. The worrying thing is that it was not the first time it happened that New Zealand allowed the Chinese to rule over the grounds of its parliament.

That incident some three years ago with Nick Wang could be passed on as a naturalised Asian journalist causing trouble with the Chinese. The sad thing is that such an assault on democracy and free speech was traded off by powers that be as a minor incident. Now that lackadaisical attitude has come back to haunt us. This time it was a blue blooded Anglo Saxon Kiwi Member of Parliament who was given a taste of ‘Tiananmen square’ on the steps of New Zealand Parliament.

As a first world democratic country, how complacent can we be with a communist dictator? This incident gets more amplified and sours a greater hypocritical taste when you consider how successive New Zealand governments have been treating Fiji. It has been taking a holier than thou attitude to Fiji which happens to be a much economically weaker neighbour who did not follow the Kiwi definition of democracy.

It is not good enough for Labour Leader Phil Goff to lament that peaceful protest was part of political and cultural tradition of New Zealand. It was his Labour government which failed to pass this message strongly to the Chinese when they first abused media freedom, effectively censoring accredited journalist Nick Wang from going about his legitimate business some three years ago.

Now, the Chinese have assessed our spinelessness and have traded the same blow to one of our parliamentary representatives. We can hardly blame the Chinese for this when in the past we have allowed their security personnel to trample of the long established diplomatic protection principle that the local security was the responsibility of the host government. We failed to strongly and decisively pass the message that this was free New Zealand and not a communist China.

It is still perhaps not too late for Dr Norman or Phil Goff to cry that it was pretty outrageous that Chinese security could come to our country and push around an elected member of Parliament simply because we were standing up for democracy and freedom in our own country on our own Parliamentary grounds.

New Zealand has allowed expediency to rule in its Parliamentary complex more than once and has sold its soul for a few dollars more. Some stronger forms of positive actions are required if we are not to witness a repletion of this.

Unless New Zealand government can pass a much stronger message to future visiting Chinese dignitaries and retain its sovereignty in its own Parliamentary complex, then it should stop pontificating democracy and rule of law to its weaker Pacific neighbour, Fiji.

Those in the ivory tower of the New Zealand Foreign Office should realise that what is source for the goose is also source for the gander. They may now appreciate and understand how weaker countries feel when economically stronger ones bully them.

Thakur Ranjit Singh is a Post Graduate student in journalism studies at Auckland University of Technology and a political commentator.