Coffin-clad petition delivered to MP
Organisers of a petition calling for an inquiry into allegations of civilian deaths at the hands of Kiwi SAS soldiers say those who give information in confidence need to be protected.
Almost 4000 people have signed the petition calling for a full, independent and public inquiry into allegations made in the book Hit and Run, written by Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson.
The book alleged raids conducted by SAS in Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of six civilians, including a child, and the wounding of 15 others.
Carl Bradley, the organiser of the petition, delivered it to Green Party MP Chloe Swarbrick at Parliament yesterday.
The petition was delivered in a child-sized coffin to represent the death of a young person during the raid.
Bradley told the crowd the Government would soon make an announcement on whether there would be an inquiry into the actions of the New Zealand Defence Force in Afghanistan in 2010.
‘‘There needs to be broad terms of reference that look at allegations of a cover-up by the NZDF’’ and a ‘‘clear signal that those giving information in confidence are protected’’, he said.