Apologies For Racism Attacks, New Zealand PM Provides Million Dollar Scholarships For Pacific Communities

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. (Wikimedia Commons/Foundations World Economic Forum)

JAKARTA - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern issued a state apology to the Pacific community on Sunday, August 1 local time, regarding police discriminatory actions against the Pacific community in the 1970s.

The discriminatory action referred to was the 'dawn attack' carried out by the police and immigration officers, to detain and deport immigrant workers from the Pacific in mid 1974 - 1976.

At a meeting with the Pacific community in Auckland, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said members of the Pacific community continued to suffer and carry the scars of attacks in which they were specifically targeted and racially profiled.

Even though it happened more than 50 years ago, PM Ardern said the memory of the scars can affect people's trust in the government. He also said New Zealand was determined to eradicate racism.

"Today, I am on behalf of the New Zealand Government to offer a formal and selfless apology to the Pacific community for the discriminatory application of the immigration laws of the 1970s that led to the events of 'Dawn Raids'," PM Ardern said Sunday, August 1. Reuters.

"The government expresses its sadness, regret and regret that the 'dawn raid' and random police checks took place and this action was deemed appropriate," he continued.

As part of a formal apology, PM Ardern said her government would provide NZ$2.1 million or about US$1.5 million in academic and vocational scholarships for the Pacific community. As well as US$ million in leadership scholarships for youth from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Tuvalu.

During the meeting, PM Ardern attended Ifoga, a traditional Samoan ceremony, where people ask for pardons or receive pardons, with several ministers and lawmakers covering Ardern with a mat, which members of the Pacific community then remove.

"There have been no reported raids on the homes of non-Pacific people, no raids or random stops have been carried out against Europeans," Ardern said apologetically.