Camps 'revolutionary military wing for Aotearoa' court hears

Tame Iti allegedly told an acquaintance their training camps in the Ureweras were a "revolutionary military wing for Aotearoa", a court has been told.

Internet chat room logs attributed to Iti and someone called Weka have been described to the High Court at Auckland this morning.

The accused - Tame Iti, Emily Bailey, Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara and Urs Signer are charged with illegal possession of firearms and participation in an organised criminal group over alleged training camps in the Urewera Ranges, near Ruatoki in 2007.

They have pleaded not guilty.

Police interception of the group's internet chat room conversations are central to the Crown's case that the 20 or so people were engaged in a group with criminal motives.

Another chat room log on the site Aotearoa Cafe, said to be between Kemara and another person, recorded a discussion about buying ammunition in bulk.

A later discussion centred on what type of firearm the person should buy.

When Kemara recommended a certain gun, the person allegedly replied: "I don't really want to kill if I can help it. Well, if Che baby used it..." Kemara: "No-one wants to kill. we are training to kill because we probably will have to... being attacked."

The person was said to have asked if they had to cover their faces as they travelled to the September 2007 camp and if they should go in "normals" and then "change somewhere to get into character".

The alleged camps, which the group referred to as "rama", took place near Ruatoki from late 2006 until October 2007.

Earlier today, the court was played video surveillance of people at the camps wearing military gear and balaclavas and running with what the police said were molotov cocktails.

The Crown alleged the four accused were the ringleaders of military-style camps designed to train people to fight for the self-governance of the Tuhoe region.

But defence lawyers have told the jury to keep an open mind.

In brief opening addresses they raised questions about whether the people involved formed a cohesive "group", and said the alleged camps were wanangas for teaching and learning.