Unfamiliar disruption in otherwise tranquil country

New Zealand gets the attention of the world mostly when there is a rugby world cup or due to the frequent earthquakes it experiences because of being located in close proximity to a tectonic plate boundary. Nevertheless, the nation renowned for its peaceful nature and serenity, grabbed the headlines of the international media few days ago due to a divisive, proposed legislative action – Treaty Principles Bill – which seeks to reinterpret a 184-year-old agreement between the British and the island State’s indigenous community – the Maori.

The South-western Pacific Ocean nation was founded by the Treaty of Waitangi, which was entered into in 1840 by the British Crown and Maori Chiefs. The Bill is the idea of David Seymour, the leader of ACT, a coalition partner of the incumbent New Zealand Government. The ACT Leader had stressed the necessity to legally define the treaty’s principles owing to lack of clarity, which has given rise to numerous different interpretations. Detractors point out the Bill would make the historical accord meaningless, thus, endangering the interest and rights of the indigenous community. The Treaty of Waitangi has enabled Maori to enjoy a relatively strong position in society compared to other indigenous peoples worldwide.

New Zealand Parliament was briefly suspended last Thursday when the indigenous group’s legislators staged a haka – a ceremonial war dance, involving chanting associated with the Maori culture – to express their opposition to the proposed bill in no uncertain terms. The attention-seeking action of the lawmakers went viral across the globe via social media platforms. Urbanite Sri Lankans are familiar with the said dance as it is performed by All Blacks Rugby Team before a match. Beyond the legislature, the opposition to the controversial bill, which attempts to overhaul the country’s founding treaty, has permeated to the Kiwi society as well; with thousands of people having joined a nine-day protest rally towards the country’s administrative capital.

Commonly accepted as the first settlers of New Zealand, social scientists believe the Maori face disproportionate levels of poverty and other social challenges compared to peoples of other ethnic backgrounds of the two-island State. Prejudice against the earliest settlers had existed within the Kiwi society until 1960s. Indigenous communities getting discriminated as societies evolve has been observed throughout the world history. Even in Sri Lanka, the island’s earliest inhabitants – Veddas – were disgraced and oppressed by the Sinhalese rule.

However, the modern Kiwi society is quite compassionate and tolerant towards their indigenous community. A dedicated Ministry for Maori Development was established in 1992 and its responsibilities include promoting Maori achievement in health, training and employment, education and economic development; as well as monitoring the provision of government services to Maori. Every government office in New Zealand has a signage not only in English but also Maori.

Meanwhile, the diplomatic relationship between Sri Lanka and New Zealand reached a landmark when the New Zealand Government inaugurated its High Commission in Colombo in 2021. Many Sri Lankans have migrated and settled down in New Zealand over the last two to three years, mainly driven by the economic crisis apart from various other reasons. The fellow Commonwealth member state has also emerged as a preferred destination for higher education among Sri Lankans. The South Asian State is also New Zealand’s fourth largest export market for milk powder. A thriving and active Sri Lankan diaspora exists in New Zealand, enhancing people-to-people ties between the two states.

The Sri Lankan Government too is expected to establish a High Commission in Wellington in the near future, which would solidify the relations between the two countries. Ranking very highly in international measures of quality of life and human rights, in addition to being reputed for lowest levels of perceived corruption in the world, New Zealand offers many lessons to its South Asian bilateral partner in its pursuit towards socio-economic advancement and progress.