Second hunger striker stops

Press, 26 July 1989, Page 4

Second hunger striker stops

PA Wellington A hunger striker at Mt Crawford Prison, Wellington, Horo Rivers, has been persuaded to come off his strike by his family. Rivers, on remand at Mt Crawford Prison, began his strike to support another hunger striker, Francis Shaw, in his campaign to have his case heard on a marae. Rivers’ uncle, Mr Mangu Awarau said: “Horo has made an important political statement and this will undoubtedly help focus Maori attention on the overdue need for reform in the judicial system.” Now that the Awarau family had successfully appealed to Rivers to withdraw from his strike, it would make it easier for the Justice Department to address the need for a judicial system based on tribal rangatiratanga, Mr Awarau said. Rivers respected Shaw’s position, he said, and Shaw “appeared to have great resolve.” "The Shaw whanau and their supporters have been attacked by pakeha and Maori. Ngai Takoto have no wish to be associated with these attacks,” he said. Ngai Tokoto, of Awanui, Northland, is Rivers’ tribe. “Our criticism is with the department

and its refusal to reform the judicial system in a way that satisfies Maori,” Mr Awarau said. Meanwhile Shaw, aged 23, is reportedly angry at comments made by a Maori activist, Mr Dun Mihaka, that he is being used by a Wellington lawyer, Mr Moana Jackson, to achieve his own political ends. Shaw’s sister, Jane Shaw, said she had relayed Mr Mihaka’s comments to her brother.

“He (Shaw) was furious. He said: ‘Are they assuming I’m so dumb I can’t think for myself?’ ”

Shaw is on remand at Mt Crawford where he is in the 41st day of a hunger strike to highlight his demand for marae-based justice. He faces a High Court trial on August 7 on three indictable charges relating to a shooting in Elsdon last September. During an interview on a Maori radio station, Te Upoko o Te Ika, yesterday, Mr Jackson said the comments by Mr Mihaka were “hurtful in a Maori sense.” He said he could not deny that he had “an interest in the rights of our people but the stand that Francis has made, he made independent of me.”

Mr Jackson said his involvement in Francis Shaw’s case came at the request of Shaw’s family.