Author:
Publication: The Times of India
- Internet Edition
Date: November 27, 2001
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=1693444148
Wellington, New Zealand: Moving
to meet United Nations anti-terrorism controls, New Zealand approved stiff
new regulations on Monday to prohibit funding and recruiting for terrorist
groups.
Foreign minister Phil Goff said
the measures will take effect December 1 after being formally approved
Monday by the cabinet.
The new regulations allow New Zealand
to meet UN anti-terrorism measures that member states are obliged to enact
before December 27, Goff said.
The new controls extend earlier
moves that prohibit dealing in property belonging to, or sending funds
to, groups designated as terrorists by the United Nations.
Under the new measures, it will
be illegal to provide financial services to such entities, and individuals
must also report to police suspicion that property belongs to suspected
terrorists.
Additionally, the regulations create
several new criminal offenses, including collecting funds for use by terrorist
entities, recruiting people into terrorist groups and participating in
such groups.
The new controls cover a list of
more than 180 individuals and nearly 80 organizations and entities designated
as terrorist by the United Nations, including Afghani terrorist groups
linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.
Goff said the new anti-terrorism
laws will be passed by parliament before June 2002.
There is overwhelming public support
in New Zealand for freezing the funds and other assets of suspected terrorist
groups, Goff said. Up to 80 per cent of New Zealanders are prepared to
support such measures according to opinion polls, he added.
The new regulations allow such assets
to be seized immediately. (AP)
