MEDIA RELEASE:Weapons conference organisers and war profiteers bombarded

FROM: Peace Action Wellington

DATE: 12 September 2006



The campaign against the weapons conference stepped up another notch

yesterday. Weapons companies based in New Zealand and their supporters,

were bombarded with phone calls, faxes and emails, demanding that they

abort plans to hold a weapons conference at Te Papa in October, and end

weapons production in Aotearoa, including the Government’s financial

support to weapons companies. The targets of the action were not only Te

Papa, but Trade and Enterprise NZ, the government agency responsible for

funding weapons research and development and MAS Zengrange, a Lower Hutt

based company that makes computer systems to control mortar and artillery

fire.



“People from throughout New Zealand have let weapons companies, and those

providing them with a platform to do their dirty work, directly know what

they think of a weapons conference being held at Te Papa in October,” said

Valerie Morse, spokesperson for the broad coalition of groups campaigning

to stop the weapons conference.



“Section 8c of the Museum of New Zealand Act 1992 states that a museum has

the responsibility to ensure that it is a source of pride for all New

Zealanders. Yet how can Te Papa be a source of pride when they’re opening

their doors to companies that profit from war and human misery?”



MAS Zengrange, as well as Auckland-based companies Oscmar and Rakon were

the merchants of death of focus in today’s action. In the last year there

has been increasing public exposure of their role in the manufacture of

components for weapons and ongoing profiteering from war.



“It is absolutely disgusting that companies like Rakon, who have received

financial assistance from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and who picked

up their Trade & Enterprise Export Award in 2004, are manufacturing

crystal oscillators for the guidance systems of US smart bombs,” said Ms

Morse.



“This conference gives companies like MAS Zengrange, who manufacture

weapons firing control systems and communication systems for mortar and

artillery batteries, the chance to rub shoulders with a number of

international war mongers. Previous conferences have included delegates

from General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin, two of the world’s largest

manufacturers of arms including ballistic missiles, as well as

Halliburton, Sikorsky Helicopters and the US Army.”



If this year’s conference goes ahead then this will be the third year in a

row that the New Zealand Defence Industry Association (NZDIA) has gathered

at Te Papa. Established in 1993, the NZDIA is made up of 37 companies. The

NZDIA and its members have strong ties with the NZ Defence Force, Ministry

of Defence and the Government’s national economic development agency, New

Zealand Trade and Enterprise.



“The campaign to stop the weapons conference will continue until Te Papa

slams the door shut on the weapons conference and weapons production in

Aotearoa has been brought to a halt,” concluded Valerie Morse.