NZ designates three further groups as terrorist entities

New Zealand has designated a further three international terrorist groups under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002, Prime Minister John Key announced today.

The groups are: Jundallah in Iran, the Revolutionary People’s Army/Party (DHKP/C) in Turkey, and the Shining Path in Peru.

“These designations help implement our international obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 aimed at preventing the activities of terrorists,” says Mr Key.

“All three entities have committed various terrorist acts, including the killing of civilians.

“As a result of the designations, any assets held by the groups and found in New Zealand either now, or in the future, will be frozen. It will also be a criminal offence to deal with their property or make property or financial services available to them.”

Forms of support, such as fundraising and recruiting or harbouring terrorists, are criminal offences in New Zealand, regardless of whether a group is designated as a terrorist entity or not.

“These designations are not a response to domestic terrorist threats in New Zealand and nor are they influenced by New Zealand’s relationship with other countries. However, they do form part of our Government’s support against terrorism activities,” says Mr Key.

“Our ability to designate terrorist entities not listed by the United Nations is an important counter-terrorism measure. Our Government is determined that New Zealand not be used to support terrorist activities,” says Mr Key.

To date, New Zealand has designated under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 nearly 500 terrorist groups and individuals listed by the United Nations, and the three groups designated today brings the number of terrorist entities not listed by the UN to 17.

The others are;

• Al Shabaab (Somalia)
• ETA (Spain)
• FARC (Colombia)
• ELN (Colombia)
• PKK (Turkey)
• Indian Mujahideen
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad
• The military wing of Hamas or Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (Occupied Palestinian Territory)
• Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA)
• Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA)
• Harakat al-Jihad al Islami-Bangladesh (HUJI-B)
• Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AABM) (Occupied Palestinian Territory)
• New People’s Army/Communist Party of the Philippines
• Hizbollah’s Military Wing or Al-Muqawama Al-Islamiyya (The Islamic Resistance) (Lebanon and the Occupied Palestinian Territory)