KEY POINTS:
Tuhoe say they want to know who the real terrorists are after the Solicitor-General's decision yesterday not to charge any of the 16 people arrested last month under the Terrorism Suppression Act.
In Taneatua yesterday - not far from the confiscation line where police barricaded Ruatoki residents a month ago while completing their terror raids - iwi spokesperson Tamati Kruger couldn't keep the smile off his face after news broke that his iwi's most famous son, Tame Iti, would not be charged under the act.
Mr Kruger is the chairman of the trust which, along with Peter Williams, QC, is gathering affidavits from Tuhoe people about alleged breaches of their civil rights while the raids occurred.
Those alleged breaches include detaining people for hours without food or water but without formally arresting them, subjecting women to intimate body searches, herding people into sheds while property searchers were under way and photographing Ruatoki residents at the roadblock to the valley entrance.
Police should be looking long and hard at themselves, given the treatment of Tuhoe people, Mr Kruger said.
"Who are the terrorists? That is the question now.
"It must result in a strong criticism for broadening the powers of the police. This [outcome] definitely speaks against that. It certainly speaks against the bill that's going through the House."
He said Police Commissioner Howard Broad's credibility was "shot" and so was his iwi's relationship with police.
"I think any normal, regular person would feel anger - and we do feel angry about what's happened. We must not forget it."
However, just before the news broke yesterday, there was an expectation by some Tuhoe people gathered in Taneatua that Mr Iti would be charged under the act. The mood was anxious.
Taneatua and Ruatoki people were polite but wary of outsiders. Most were sticking steadfastly to a media ban agreed amongst themselves.
But that mood lifted the minute the Solicitor General discounted any possibility of charging anyone of the 16 arrested under the Terrorism Suppression Act.
In Whakatane, Amie Rangihika, 17, the daughter of Mr Iti's partner, Maria Steens, was busy switching between news channels when the Herald spoke to her. During the raid the family said that Amie was searched in full view of the public.
Yesterday, the Whakatane High School student said she did not want to talk about that, but said she would never forget what had happened.
Tame Iti's son Toi was also celebrating the news.
"Words can not express how we feel. Myself and all the other families involved - Maori and Pakeha, because this is not just a Tuhoe thing - have not had a good night sleep since this all happened.
President of the Auckland Council for Civil Liberties Barry Wilson said the Solicitor-General's decision showed a major criticism of police.
"The raids need to be clearly looked in to.
"Why was terrorism mentioned in the search warrants when there was no definite information about terrorism?"
