CCP Police Car in Auckland!? (Copy)
Right now in Auckland a replica of a Chinese police car is being driven around! We received photos of the car which is not only styled with the particular markings and colours of Chinese law enforcement, but also displays writing in Chinese characters suggesting it is part of an "anti-corruption task force".
Last Sunday we held a public meeting in East Auckland for members of the Chinese community who have spoken out against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The insights and experience of Kiwi-Chinese are critical to understanding the threat New Zealand faces.
We were able to encourage them with the news that the Foreign Influence Transparency Bill which we've drafted in consultation with global experts was placed in the Members' Bill Ballot at Parliament by Tim van de Molen, MP for Waikato.
The meeting attendees were all people who've taken hits for their vocal and principled opposition to authoritarianism.
Most Kiwis would laugh off a car wrapped like that, not realising what it actually represents and the chilling effect it can have on Chinese dissidents here. Even more worrying is that no one actually knows who is behind it!
In light of China’s newly passed Ethnic Unity Laws, you can imagine the angst, fear, and sense of surveillance projected over Chinese communities in New Zealand…
Do you remember when earlier this year Stuff reported that the Chinese Consulate had an established relationship with a senior Auckland Police manager and contacted her directly, including seeking information about a police case involving a Chinese national.
Police later acknowledged there had been no formal oversight or authorisation requirements governing her dealings with foreign-government representatives and said it would introduce new rules.
These examples should paint a sobering reality about foreign interference in New Zealand for us all.
Of course, in the case of the car, legally speaking there is no case for the vehicle owner to answer to here. NZ law does in fact permit such vehicle modification as long as (a) it does not closely resemble NZ emergency vehicles and (b) lights and sirens are not attached. Cars of this kind have been reported in Australia too.
Free expression can obviously make people uncomfortable. Therefore, it's important to see how this example highlights two important things.
Firstly, we need to find a way forward in dealing with foreign influence which doesn't disregard our Bill of Rights Act every time something like this example occurs.
It's easy to undermine what makes our liberal democracy tick for the illusion of greater public safety. The COVID era ought to have taught us that.
Yet secondly, we know we also need to be smart about how we counter foreign interference. We know proxies love to exploit our freedoms in order to undermine our liberty.
So get this, in light of this all…
NZ Police have just announced they're considering buying a fleet of Chinese made BYD EVs for disaster management response!
As one PILLAR supporter said this week: I know a bad idea when I see one!
PILLAR is calling the Police's judgement into question given that BYD (as a Chinese-owned company which is subject to China's laws) can have its appliances used to gather information and even impose a shutdown through remote "kill switch" features.
These concerns have been raised by Australian, American, Canadian, and British security experts in recent years. That’s why we wrote to three Ministers this week raising our concerns.
The very qualities that make our free society so good - like transparency and accountability - will be the most effective tools we have for detecting these opponents of democracy.
That's the fundamental operating principle at the heart of our FIT Bill. There is no straightforward or principled way we can criminalize certain types of influence without threatening our civil liberties laws as a whole. But we can criminalize the failure to declare in detail involvement in influence relationships which have political impacts on NZ's democracy.
By shining a light on the wider situation, the public ultimately gets to scrutinize what's really happening through a FIT law, NZ authorities have a proper baseline from which to launch investigations, and proxies of foreign powers face strong penalties (prison and large fines) if they fail to declare even soft forms of political influence.
PILLAR has established itself as a leading voice against the threat of Foreign Interference and this is being increasingly recognised. Our love for our liberal and democratic heritage will continue to drive us to stand up for New Zealand’s future - thank you for being by us.