Hi Rodney,

Please see attached the response to your Official Information Act request.

Kind regards,
Ministry of Defence

-----Original Message-----
From: Rodney Parsons [mailto:[FOI #28866 email]]
Sent: Tuesday, 22 October 2024 8:15 p.m.
To: Information <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - War Crimes

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Dear Ministry of Defence,

Please provide a report on the number of war crimes allegations reported to the Ministry involving NZDF, since September 11, 2001.

Yours faithfully,

Rodney Parsons

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Hi Rodney,

Please see attached the response to your enquiry.

Kind regards,
Ministry of Defence

-----Original Message-----
From: Rodney Parsons [mailto:[FOI #28866 email]]
Sent: Monday, 18 November 2024 9:03 p.m.
To: Information <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - War Crimes [unclassified]

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Dear Information,

The Burnham Inquiry reported that a range of concerns, including allegations of war crimes, were raised with them but were found to be outside of the scope of the inquiry and proposed to be dealt with by other processes.

Based on your feedback, it would appear that no further reviews have been undertaken to investigate these concerns. If not, please confirm this. If there have been reviews, including courts of inquiry, please provide those reviews.

Yours sincerely,

Rodney Parsons

-----Original Message-----

Hi Rodney,

Please see attached the response to your Official Information Act request.

Kind regards,
Ministry of Defence

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Hi Rodney,

Please see attached the response to your Official Information Act request.

Kind regards,
Ministry of Defence

-----Original Message-----
From: Rodney Parsons [mailto:[FOI #28866 email]]
Sent: Wednesday, 4 December 2024 7:43 p.m.
To: Information <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - War Crimes [unclassified]

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Dear Mr Schmidt,

I appreciate your response. Unfortunately you haven't responded to my question.

Please provide the information related to what has occurred with the war crimes allegations that fell outside of the Burnham Inquiry. Whatever the structures setup, NZDF has a responsibility to follow the laws of armed conflict and therefore to investigate allegations of war crimes. Outside of the war crimes covered by the Burnham Inquiry, please provide the information requested or confirm that no additional reviews have been undertaken by NZDF. Alternatively, if you're withholding information, please outline the basis for withholding the information.

Yours sincerely,

Rodney Parsons

-----Original Message-----

Hi Rodney,

Please see attached the response to your enquiry.

Kind regards,
Ministry of Defence

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Good afternoon Rodney Parsons

With reference to your below request, which was transferred by the Ministry of Defence to the New Zealand Defence Force for response, if you are asking for information about specific allegations, it would be helpful if you could point us to those (or even to a specific conflict/event or to a particular time frame).

We look forward to your response..

Regards

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force
www.nzdf.mil.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: Rodney Parsons [mailto:[FOI #28866 email]]
Sent: Wednesday, 4 December 2024 7:43 p.m.
To: Information <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - War Crimes [unclassified]

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Dear Mr Schmidt,

I appreciate your response. Unfortunately you haven't responded to my question.

Please provide the information related to what has occurred with the war crimes allegations that fell outside of the Burnham Inquiry. Whatever the structures setup, NZDF has a responsibility to follow the laws of armed conflict and therefore to investigate allegations of war crimes. Outside of the war crimes covered by the Burnham Inquiry, please provide the information requested or confirm that no additional reviews have been undertaken by NZDF. Alternatively, if you're withholding information, please outline the basis for withholding the information.

Yours sincerely,

Rodney Parsons

-----Original Message-----

Hi Rodney,

Please see attached the response to your enquiry.

Kind regards,
Ministry of Defence

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Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data

Good morning Rodney,

 

A number of matters were raised during the course of the Inquiry, however,
the Government Inquiry into Operation Burnham found that no war crimes had
taken place during Operations Burnham and Nova. The Inquiry made no
recommendation to investigate war crimes allegations that fell outside of
the Burnham Inquiry.

 

It is therefore necessary that you identify the particular war crimes
allegations that form the basis of your request.

 

Regards

 

Corporate and Ministerial Services

OCDF, Office of Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force

[3]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rodney Parsons
[mailto:[FOI #28866 email]]
Sent: Monday, 3 February 2025 1:14 a.m.
To: Ministerial Services <[email address]>
Subject: Re: UNCLASSIFIED: RE: Official Information request - War Crimes
OIA-2024-5226

 

 

Dear Ministerial Services,

 

During the inquiry, a range of matters not directly related to the scope
of the inquiry were raised, including allegations of war crimes in the
months and years before and after. I'm a little surprised you want me to
detail the events?

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Rodney Parsons

 

-----Original Message-----

 

Good afternoon Rodney Parsons

 

With reference to your below request, which was transferred by the
Ministry of Defence to the New Zealand Defence Force for response, if you
are asking for information about specific allegations, it would be helpful
if you could point us to those (or even to a specific conflict/event or to
a particular time frame).

 

We look forward to your response..

 

Regards

 

 

 

Corporate and Ministerial Services

Office of the Chief of Defence Force

New Zealand Defence Force

[4]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

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[6]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

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4. http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/
5. mailto:[FOI #28866 email]
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hide quoted sections

Good afternoon Rodney Parsons

 

Please find attached the response to your request for information.

 

Regards

 

 

 

Corporate and Ministerial Services

Office of the Chief of Defence Force

New Zealand Defence Force

[1]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

 

The information contained in this Internet Email message is intended for
the addressee only and may contain privileged information, but not
necessarily the official views or opinions of the New Zealand Defence
Force.  If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose,
copy or
distribute this message or the information in it.  If you have received
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Good morning Rodney Parsons

Your request below has been received and a decision on your request will be provided as soon as possible and no later than 26 September 2025. Responses to requests for information that are considered to be in the wider public interest will be published on the New Zealand Defence Force website (www.nzdf.mil.nz).

Regards

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force | Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa
www.nzdf.mil.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: Rodney Parsons <[FOI #28866 email]>
Sent: Saturday, 30 August 2025 1:43 am
To: Ministerial Services <[email address]>
Subject: Re: UNCLASSIFIED: Response to your request for information OIA-2024-5226

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Dear Ministerial Services,

Please provide information on all war crimes reported to NZDF, covering NZDF deployments to Afghanistan.

In particular, please provide information on all alegations of trophies taken of Taliban between 2001 and 2013, in particular body parts removed or allegedly removed, and the steps taken to apologise to the families for whom the body parts were taken from. If you would like me to detail the several incidents, I'd be happy to- please confirm you want this disclosed openly on the internet.

Yours sincerely,

Rodney Parsons

-----Original Message-----

Good afternoon Rodney Parsons

 
Please find attached the response to your request for information.

 

Regards

 

 

 

Corporate and Ministerial Services

Office of the Chief of Defence Force

New Zealand Defence Force

[1]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

 

The information contained in this Internet Email message is intended for the addressee only and may contain privileged information, but not necessarily the official views or opinions of the New Zealand Defence Force.  If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it.  If you have received this message in error, please Email or telephone the sender immediately.

References

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Good morning Rodney Parsons

Further to your below request, could you please provide information about the 'several incidents' you have referred to in relation to the NZDF?

Regards

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force
www.nzdf.mil.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: Rodney Parsons <[FOI #28866 email]>
Sent: Saturday, 30 August 2025 1:43 am
To: Ministerial Services <[email address]>
Subject: Re: UNCLASSIFIED: Response to your request for information OIA-2024-5226

Dear Ministerial Services,

Please provide information on all war crimes reported to NZDF, covering NZDF deployments to Afghanistan.

In particular, please provide information on all alegations of trophies taken of Taliban between 2001 and 2013, in particular body parts removed or allegedly removed, and the steps taken to apologise to the families for whom the body parts were taken from. If you would like me to detail the several incidents, I'd be happy to- please confirm you want this disclosed openly on the internet.

Yours sincerely,

Rodney Parsons

-----Original Message-----

Good afternoon Rodney Parsons

 
Please find attached the response to your request for information.

 

Regards

 
Corporate and Ministerial Services

Office of the Chief of Defence Force

New Zealand Defence Force

[1]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

 

The information contained in this Internet Email message is intended for the addressee only and may contain privileged information, but not necessarily the official views or opinions of the New Zealand Defence Force.  If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it.  If you have received this message in error, please Email or telephone the sender immediately.

References

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hide quoted sections

Good afternoon Rodney Parsons

 

Please find attached the response to your request for information.

 

Regards

 

Cheryl Robertson
Ministerial Advisor, Office of the Chief of Defence Force

New Zealand Defence Force

T: (04) 498 6834 | Internal: (349) 8834
[1]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

 

The information contained in this Internet Email message is intended for
the addressee only and may contain privileged information, but not
necessarily the official views or opinions of the New Zealand Defence
Force.  If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose,
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Good morning Rodney Parsons

Your request below has been received and a decision on your request will be provided as soon as possible and no later than 13 February 2026. Responses to requests for information that are considered to be in the wider public interest will be published on the New Zealand Defence Force website (www.nzdf.mil.nz).

Regards

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force | Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa
www.nzdf.mil.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: Rodney Parsons <[FOI #28866 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 4 January 2026 2:52 am
To: Ministerial Services <[email address]>
Subject: Re: UNCLASSIFIED: Response to your request for information OIA-2024-5226.1

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Dear Mr Motley,

As you would be fully aware, the Burnham Inquiry heard from a range of stakeholders who presented credible evidence of crimes in which NZDF personnel either perpetrated or were complicit in.

Since you've asked for these to be named on a public forum, I take it you have the authority to waive classification. I'm which case, I will start to drop feed examples, so you can check them one by one.

In the first example, during Op Watea, 1NZSAS personnel are alleged to have mutilated the bodies of enemy combatants, killed following release of explosive devices. Subsequently, materials (both human remains, weapons and other items) are alleged to have been collected, retained and returned to NZDF. The Op Watea image in Papakura's "Hunting Lodge" depicts elements of these, but needn't do so since the lodge is littered with illegal trophies- Kalashnikov's, paintings unlawfully removed, and bodily remains.

Not only is it alleged that in that this operation alone did 1NZSAS have a serious breakdown in operational discipline, that senior commanders (including one who later rose to the rank of CDF), were aware of this and had all personally seen and handled the unlawful trophies. Those senior commanders opted to allow the items to largely remain, despite being raised by multiple support service personnel.

Since I'm in possession of unclassified documents that confirm that 1) Multiple Brigadier-level and above officers were aware of these unlawful trophies (up to and including former CDF Short), 2) that multiple personnel reported these two NZDF commanders and those were briefed upwards, and 3) Up to and including CDF Short villified and victimized multiple whistleblowers in relation to this specific disclosure.

My question is, what has NZDF done about it and despite substantial documentary evidence confirming that 1) these trophies exist, 2) they are in fact, unlawful trophies, 3) Senior Officers including the officer overseeing ministerial services, chief of staff, multiple CDFs and Heads of Service, do you maintain that you were unaware of these and that there's therefore no documents to be released?

Would you like me to provide more, or would you prefer to answer my original questions honestly rather than play games?

Yours sincerely,

Rodney Parsons

-----Original Message-----

Good afternoon Rodney Parsons

 

Please find attached the response to your request for information.

 

Regards

 

Cheryl Robertson
Ministerial Advisor, Office of the Chief of Defence Force

New Zealand Defence Force

T: (04) 498 6834 | Internal: (349) 8834 [1]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

 

The information contained in this Internet Email message is intended for the addressee only and may contain privileged information, but not necessarily the official views or opinions of the New Zealand Defence Force.  If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it.  If you have received this message in error, please Email or telephone the sender immediately.

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Good afternoon Rodney Parsons

 

Please find attached the response to your email of 4 January 2026.

 

Regards

 

 

Corporate and Ministerial Services

Office of the Chief of Defence Force

New Zealand Defence Force

[1]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

 

The information contained in this Internet Email message is intended for
the addressee only and may contain privileged information, but not
necessarily the official views or opinions of the New Zealand Defence
Force.  If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose,
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