Māori tribes make rare plea to King Charles for intervention in New Zealand politics

Exclusive: Open letter seen by the Guardian asks King to ‘ensure the government does not diminish the crown’s honour’ amid tensions over policy direction for Māori

• What is NZ’s treaty principles bill and why is it controversial?

Representatives of more than 80 Māori tribes have issued a rare plea to King Charles III requesting his intervention in New Zealand politics, amid growing tension over the government’s policies for Māori and a souring of the relationship between Indigenous people and ruling authorities.

The National Iwi Chairs Forum – a collective of tribal leaders – has sent an open letter to the King asking him “to ensure that the [New Zealand] government does not diminish the crown’s honour” over what they believe to be ongoing breaches of the crown’s promises made to Māori in the Treaty of Waitangi, the founding document of New Zealand.