Bill puts clamps on civil unrest

Press, 4 February 1987, Page 1

Bill puts clamps on civil unrest

PA Wellington A new anti-terrorism bill will allow news media clampdowns during emergencies and give legislative backing to the use of the Armed Forces during serious public unrest, Parliament was told yesterday. The news media clampdown, which is aimed at blocking information which might help terrorists, was one of a series of emergency powers outlined by the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, in introducing the International Terrorism (Emergency Powers Bill). Those powers, It is proposed, could be put In place for up to seven days ' by a gathering of at least three Government Ministers and up to a maximum of three weeks by Parliament Most of them were based on powers already existing in other legislation, but two further points needed special mention, Mr Lange said. The first enabled the police to prevent the publication or broadcasting of any report of how a terrorist emergency was being dealt with. This was a temporary measure designed to prevent terrorists getting prior warning of measures being taken against them, Mr Lange said.

The second allowed telephone conversations to be monitored and telephone lines cut in the area where an international terrorist emergency was taking place, to control all - communications to and from a build- . ing where hostages were held., Also, the Prime Minis-sS-SSi fled anyone involved in dealing with a terrorist incident, or the details of their equipment, for one year and to renew that ban subsequently. The bill inserted, for thiS first time, a new section tq place on “a proper statutory basis” the use of the Armed Forces in an emergency, Mr Lange said. The new section re- • ferred to an emergency where any person threatened or attempted to cause serious harm to people or serious damage to property. Mr Lange said the bill would repeal the Public Safety Conservation Act, 1932, passed “in haste” after the Auckland riots of that year. The act was used in 1939 and 1951.