1982, this transparency law has not stopped the country’s special forces from alleged participation in human rights abuses, including war crimes. In 2010, New Zealand’s Special Air Service (NZSAS) took part in a raid on two Afghan villages, Naik and Khak Khudday Dad. There are allegations that six civilians were killed in the raid, including a 3-year-old girl. Another 15 civilians were wounded, and no enemy combatants were found.

These shocking claims only surfaced seven years later when New Zealand’s top investigative journalist, Nicky Hager, and his colleague Jon Stephenson, published a book exposing what looked like a massacre, which they titled Hit and Run. Lawyers for the Afghan villagers immediately demanded the New Zealand government launch a formal inquiry, but the country’s then Prime Minister, right-winger Bill English,refused to act. He also lashed out at the authors, claiming their book contained inaccuracies.

However, a breakthrough happened later that year when English lost a general election, and a Labour-New Zealand First-Greens coalition took power. The new Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, soon announced an inquiry. Since then, the military has reluctantly confirmed that the NZSAS did raid the village, but still disputes claims of civilian casualties.

Perinpanayagam, the Green Party activist, told New Internationalist that ‘The current government came in promising more transparency, but I can't say whether or not any progress has been made on this. For example in the NZ Labour – Greens confidence and supply deal it states that a priority for the Green Party was to “strengthen New Zealand’s democracy by increasing public participation, openness,